Anti-Tank Hedgehogs

Play testing has ended. The rules are now available at the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion thread, pg. 1 (see Optional Rule No. 22).

Well if you want blitz and retreat for them then go with this.

I so far think that tanks costing 5 IPCs is very solid.

This actually makes the tank a worthwhile investment. For instance:

for 15 IPCs you can buy 5 infantry or 3 tanks. Based on average dice rolls:
5 infantry would hit 0.85 times on offense, 1.65 times on defense
3 tanks would hit 1.5 times on offense, 1.5 times on defense.

The defensive values are similar, meaning that infantry on defense is still a better investment since there are more of them, they can absorb more hits from attacking tanks! Personally all this does is take tanks and makes them a considered buy instead of the ol’ infantry only buy since tanks in older versions of the game were so neutered on defense. They are now equal value to infantry because what you are paying extra for is the increased mobility. Even looking at the numbers for if 5 infantry attack the three tanks, it is very close, with a slight advantage given to the defending tanks.

So we are still seeing that if money invested is equal, defense has an advantage as far as infantry and tanks are concerned.

Also if we increase the money to 35 IPCs and our purchases now include artillery:
5 infantry
5 Artillery (combined offensive of 3.3 hits and 3.3 hits on defense)

7 tanks 3.5 hits on offense, 3.5 on defense

If the tanks attack the infantry and artillery on average the 10 unit stack will win, with 3-4 pieces remaining.

If the infantry and artillery attack, on average they can still win with 3-4 units remaining. So artillery tip the balance of power over to infantry again with their ability to raise the infantry’s attack.

Tanks literally are costing more solely for movement capability, a tank only purchase strategy only works if you have the economy to spend more money than the other guy. If the money spent is equal, tanks still lose.

@Baron:

About a 5 IPCs Tank, Russia could get a small advantage with it:

@Baron:

Since many talked about the Axis clear advantage.
Did anyone dare to change the cost of Russian Tank in 1942.2 game to fix the unbalance and gives a more historical feel?

Instead of a bid, here is the fix:
Russian Tank T-34
Attack 3
Defense 3
Move 2
Cost 5
Blitz

Only Russia have this lower cost of Tank.
This cost reduction worth for the massive Russian Tank production during WWII.

We can give a small compensation to Germany:
German’s U-boat
Attack 2
Defense 1
Move 2
Cost 5
Surprise Strike,
Submerge,
Stealth Move,
Cannot hit airplanes,
Cannot be hit by planes, unless Destroyer is present.
This cost reduction is for the increase of German’s Submarine production after 1941.

It will also gives to this two land Powers a substantial unit at 5 IPCs.

For those which understand french, a doc on T-34/76 and T-34/85

Le Char T-34, la force de frappe de l’armee russe - Documentaire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLC4siPTFsziTDRlla7XQ_-E8UiLhbxr-M&v=uHc15JT59Ug

That’s an interesting idea.  In a fashion that is basically a limited ‘Improved production Factory’ for Russia and a limited ‘Improved Shipyard’ for Germany a.k.a. Research and Development.  So that could be HR’d into a game, whether or not it uses R&D, as a limited development for these two nations.  Perhaps as an alternative option, Russia could have, instead of the 5 IPC tank, the Advanced Artillery.

@Baron:

I found this interesting questions:
It happens that I forget this situation in this alternate Sub Warfare.
I would try to provide a specific rules when I will find if it falls in the sub alone category (historical POV: subs are not protecting scrambling planes) or the subs+warships (game mechanics POV: there is another different friendly unit in the SZ) category:

@ShadowHAwk:

What would happen in this situation.

Transports dont move but load and then unload from the same SZ.
A hostile submarine is available in the SZ as well as a friendly destroyer and some planes. ( so you can load )
Now defender scrambles 1 fighter and hits the destroyer.
Attacker kills the fighter but fails to destroy the sub.

As we are in combat and the planes cant hit the sub and the sub cant hit the planes it is a stalemate there.
You cannot unload because there is still sea combat going on.
You cannot retreat because to retreat you have to move to a zone that your naval was comming from which is this SZ.

Will the transports be defenseless ?? They cant run and the sub cant die.

Since it is clear that the defender have the choice to scramble planes or not, this situation will be put in the Subs with warships. I added the correction in the initial post.
I rationalize it this way: subs are mobilized to stop invasion and the amphib. assault so, instead fleeing any contact with ennemy’s ship, they are seeking them instead. Hence, no need to go on Air Search Patrol to find defending subs.

So, ennemy’s planes can destroy subs even if there is no DD on their side. See the opening post.

@imperious-leader said in ANTI-TANK UNIT:

Ok unit is a 3-2-1-5 unit.

But moves 2 in NCM

if it rolls one in combat, another tank or armor class unit must be taken as loss by defender.

Bingo !

True.  A typical division in most armies will have its own artillery regiment/brigade.  A corps might have an extra brigade or two of corps level artillery in adddition to the artillery units assigned to its infantry/tank divisions.  Soviet Shock armies were basically leg infantry with a buttload of artillery (a buttload being an echelon or two above brigade) attached.  But, at the scale of Axis and Allies (with each playing piece representing an army - the echelon between corps and army group), independent artillery units would rarely be large enough to be represented by their own playing pieces.  But they are.

@Loki:

I heard someone mention the idea sometime of allowing tanks to take their second move after combat if they had one left. That might be interesting because in essence it would allow tanks to strafe like fighters can do. Maybe it would suck, I don’t know.

Its fun playing like this, definetely makes Germany better, but also helps the Soviets repel the Japs and Nazis after they move into one of their territories and it keeps Tanks with a def of 2, which means the enemy will probably use their fighters to bomb them when the bulk of your infantry is in the next territory blocking the enemy from hitting your tanks. I dont see tanks as a 3/3 unless they’re the heavier versions that appeared towards the end of the war (tigers/IS-2’s etc…)