USSR / Japan non agression pact

[Funcioneta]

I have a idea for this. Japan and USSR cannot attack each other until one of this happens:

• Japan only can attack USSR if Japan controls at least 7 VCs at start of combat movement phase
• USSR can only attack Japan if USSR controls at least 3 VCs and Germany + Italy control 0 VCs at start of combat movement phase

Attacking is optional when the conditions are done, and the pact is not broken until someone actually attacks the other, but then is borken forever

While the pact is valid, Japan and USSR cannot:

• Attack a land territory controled by the other (includes SBRs)
• Attack a sea zone that contains only units of the other (ex.: Japan cannot attack a lone soviet submarine)

Surface sea units block as usual

However, they can attack a land territory controled by a third, even if it’s only defended by pact units (ex.: Japan can attack Yunnan even if her only defense is a soviet stack). This represents expeditionary forces (in Yunnan case, you can say Japan was fighting maoist forces or such)

I wanted combine a easy non agression pact and giving more value to VCs. The reason for Japan conditions is that Japan would not attack USSR in real life until they beaten western allies (6 VCs means Tokyo, Shangai, Manila, Hawaii, Sydney, Calcutta). The reason for USSR ones is they didn’t attacked Japan until western axis was done

[Emperor_Taiki]

Those seem like fine rules

I kinds like Russia and Japan to be able to fight each other whenever they like, it happened in 1939. I just think the game should be able to deter Japan from attacking Russia with somthing else besideds a artificial special rule.

[WILD BILL]

I like slowing down Japan with some kind of pact. I have tinkered with Japan has to completely conquer China before it can attack Russia. I think it was one of its main goals that started before WWII. That way the allies could help stall the Orange Monster. Makes sense Japan never got total control of China and didn’t attack Russia. Of coarse waking that Green Monster across to ocean had something to do with that.

[gamerman01]

Wild Bill, those sound like really good ideas.  However, in AA50 I think the designers did a good job of keeping Russia and Japan off each other without adding a rule.  Japan has no NO’s in Russia and Russia has none way out there past Siberia.  Russia has all infantry out there so doesn’t really attack Japan - just takes Manchuria if it’s left to attack rest of China.  The extra Russian territories that are all worth 1 IPC plus the potent attacking power of Germany along with the new power of Italy make the silly old strategy of Japan pounding towards Moscow and draining all their production capacity a thing of the past.  In my games so far, Japan of course takes over everything from India to Hawaii/Solomons to Eastern Africa/Madagascar and most of China in 2 turns and launches a major invasion of the Americas/Alaska.  Pretty much takes USA out of Europe, so Germany and Italy can put more pressure on Russia.  In my games the USA is lucky if they keep Japan out of Western.  All those Japanese transports and 3 carriers and 7-9 planes - once everything in sight is taken over, only makes sense to me to go after fledgling USA.

[allboxcars]

IMO, keeping the Japanese focus on the American threat and the Chinese irritant is the preferred way to keep Japan out of Moscow… pretty much the way if happened historically.

If we find those two factors consistently being so minor that strategic adventurism prevails for the Japanese player then I’d lean towards beefing up his Pacific opponents versus “treaty handcuffs”.