FMG COMBAT UNITS - Rules: COMMANDER

Ok here is a combination of what has been said and what I think. Some ideas are my own and some are others

DF’s Commander rules

Basic:

Powers start with:
Germany: 3 (2 Land, 1 Air)
US: 3 (1 land, 1 Air, 1Naval)
Japan: 3 (2 Naval, 1 Air)
UK Eu:3 (1 land, 1 air, 1 Naval)
Uk P:1 (1 Land)
Anzac: 1 (1 Land)
France: 0
China: 0
Italy: 1 (1 Naval, 1 Land)
USSR: 3 (3 Land)

Rules:
Each type has special rules
Basic rules are:

• Unable to be bought
• Unreplacable
• No attack or defence points

Land Rules:

Each General/Commander gives 1 hit(on attack and defence) for every 2 units of a type (max 1 hit per unit type)

I.E.

2 Tanks, 8 Inf, 3 art, 1 Mech
One hit for 8 inf, 1 for 2 Tank, 1 for 3 art and 0 for 1 mech. Receives 3 free hits

Movement: 1 with infantry and artillery, 2 with tanks, mech, 3 with FMG trucks

Naval Rules:
Adds 1 attack/defence value for the ship he is in:
Admiral is allowed on any ship
Add 1 attack/defence value for another ship if a 1 is rolled

I.E.
Admiral in BB gives BB attack/defence of 5
Other ships 2 CV, 3 tran, DD

Player rolls 2,3,1,4,1,1

So depending on the Order given

I.E.
CV roll 1
CV roll 2
DD roll 3
Tran roll 4
Etc.

DD gets 3 attack/defence value
Tran #2 gets 1 att/def value
tran #3 gets 1 att/def value

Air rules:
Squadron commander flys in any kind of plane. If in Bmr in Sbmr raid adds 1 to any roll/ If in ftr in scramble (for G40) adds 1 def value/ Increases att value of 1 plane by 1 for every 3 planes in battle.

Historical rules coming soon

I think we should all stick with simple ideas here, this is axis and allies not dungeons and dragons.  I like the idea of having the commander give a bonus to one type but I also like the idea of having the commander give a bonus to using units in combination with each other (mech inf and tanks for example) because it would allow a new dimension of strategy. Also commanders should be purchased instead of replaced automatically.  It takes a great deal of money to train, equip, and deploy a new commander or a new hq if you prefer to think of it that way.  Depending on the kind of bonus they give I think a cost of 10-15 IPC with a cap on total number of commanders allowed would suffice.  Maybe 1 commander per each branch of armed forces (land, sea, air)?

OK looking at some of the ideas….

You start with one general and in your turn just place him in one space:

Land General: can move units 2 spaces, also if he is in combat with tanks, they can be used to target enemy land units of any type of their choosing.

At the end of your turn, you place it again in any other area. If on the enemy turn they attack the space with your general, you can retreat part of all of your forces after any complete combat round.

Sea Admiral: Select one ship as your “flagship” it can target any ship and if it hits only that ship is hit ( or sunk). If you select a Carrier, it allows that carrier to carry an extra fighter ( 3 total), and with 1 hit it can still fight and launch fighters.

Germany gets a second commander when Russia is at war with Axis
Japan Gets a second commander when USA is activated
USA gets a second commander when they first perform any sea invasion
UK Gets a second Commander when USA is activated
French commander is removed when Paris falls, and can appear again once Paris is taken
Soviet gets another commander when Germany takes one Soviet VC.

Allows you to “Target” one Hit per round? or do you target just one units roll?  And the tactical retreat.

Well you select the target first and the unit that is rolling to hit it. If you hit that selected unit, it is gone. Same with the flagship idea. If defender fires back, you can just take off infantry

The naval modeling is accurate because typically the flagship is a battleship and it has ranged guns that can hit stuff at greater ranges than itself can come under fire.

The only other ship you might be an admiral on is a carrier, which would be the main fleet strength so a third plane and a real free hit carrier ( as opposed to the OOB where you cant even use the planes if you take a hit)

ON land what is going on is your general leads the focal point of the attack and he is going in after enemy tanks, so you cant just soak off infantry.

I don’t think the defense should have any combat benefit other than retreat, because typically the defense is at double defense with all the 1-2 units.

Ok here are my ideas for a historic rule set

DF’s Commander rules

Historical:

Powers start with:
Germany: 3 (2 Land, 1 Air)
US: 3 (1 land, 1 Air, 1Naval)
Japan: 3 (2 Naval, 1 Air)
UK Eu:3 (1 land, 1 air, 1 Naval)
Uk P:1 (1 Land)
Anzac: 1 (1 Land)
France: 1 (Free)
China: 2 (1 Communist, 1 Nationalist)
Italy: 1 (1 Naval, 1 Land)
USSR: 3 (3 Land)

Maybe edited due to historic leaders not being the type listed

Rules

Every nation starts with what is stated in a territory where they would have been.
Excluding Soviets

The Soviets gain 1 commander every turn until the end of turn three

Each leader has a special unit type i.e. Rommels Afrika Korps which is with them at all time

Ideas

German

Rommel Land

Afrika Korps Armour att 4 def 3 Rommel often attacked when faced with enemy resistance hoping to suprise the enemy so they couldn’t attack his vulnerable flanks

Early Rommel

Passive power (Used in every battle)
Ghost Division
Due to the fast moving advances Rommel’s Panzer’s were often out of Radio Contact

In the first round of every battle involving Rommel and at least one German tank per tank roll one dice hitting at 1. For every hit one tank is able to fire a suprise shot against an enemy hitting at 3 or less (if firing in this round not allowed to fire in normal combat round)

Active power (Used once)
Attack on Lille
General Hoth placed the 5th panzer division under Rommel’s command for the assualt on Lille

Place a armour unit on the battle board for free attacking at normal stats and destroyed at the end of the turn.

Becomes Middle Rommel on G2 if in a North African territory or G3 in any other

More ideas to come

I have an idea.  If a commander is in a territory adjacent to a territory being attacked the commander can move 1 of each type of unit in the territory to the territory under attack, arriving for the 2nd round of combat.  Similar to Patton in the battle of the bulge.  What do you think?

Question for IL.  If a land commander is attached to a tank do all the tanks that hit chose their targets or only the one the commander is attached to?  Also, does this last every round?  What if the commander targets only with his unit and any units paired with it the first round of combat (say a tank and a mech inf blitzing with it or an infantry supported by artillery) and an additional unit of the same type for every additional round of combat?  This way the bonus isn’t too overwhelming but it can grow as combat continues on.

Also, defending commanders should be able to target units.  A good commander will know how to counterattack as well as when to tactically retreat.  And perhaps the amount of units that can retreat should be capped at 1 of each type in the territory, or maybe 2 of each.  Otherwise I see the retreat ability as being too overpowered.  What do you think?

Question for IL.  If a land commander is attached to a tank do all the tanks that hit chose their targets or only the one the commander is attached to?

yes and just tanks and they can target any land unit

Also, does this last every round?

Yes

What if the commander targets only with his unit and any units paired with it the first round of combat (say a tank and a mech inf blitzing with it or an infantry supported by artillery) and an additional unit of the same type for every additional round of combat?  This way the bonus isn’t too overwhelming but it can grow as combat continues on.

no only tanks, other units would make it too powerful

Also, defending commanders should be able to target units.

Too powerful. The defense already has double the firepower on average as the attacker. The retreat option gives the ying yang thing going where you can take a small hit, then retreat and gather tanks for a counter attack and repeat process.

A good commander will know how to counterattack as well as when to tactically retreat.

He can do that on his own turn

And perhaps the amount of units that can retreat should be capped at 1 of each type in the territory, or maybe 2 of each.  Otherwise I see the retreat ability as being too overpowered.  What do you think?

NO cap and he can retreat some or all of them. Their are not tank limits, so no retreat limits

A commander unit that allows all tanks to choose their targets each round is too powerful and will break the game.  It would make them practically invincible with a stack of tanks.  A cap seems better for gaming purposes and it would be more historical.  Or maybe the bonus should only last one round.

Actually i am seeing this.

I plan on making cards but they use the same rules as before, with limits

each nation will have 4-12 commander cards which are separated into early, mid, and late war leaders: game spread into 12 turns 1-4=early, 5-9= mid, 10-12 late

Each leader can boost only 1-3 units of various types depending on his skills

For example: Nagumo would get a boost for tactical bombers and these would override the combined arms thing: 2 tactical bombers at +1 and don’t need fighters
Yamamoto gets +1 for one Battleship and Cruiser

Rommel would get +1 for two tanks, or Artillery.

card would have two tank icons and the word OR and two artillery icons and would say AD for attack or defense. Some generals only work for attack or defense, while the best can effect both.

Chuikov, the hero at Stalingrad would have a card with two infantry icons and have letter D in lower right corner. He can only boost 2 Infantry +2.

The commanders would be drawn only from the available ones in that period of war.

Commanders would be assigned to each front and limitations on numbers imposed.

This is the new idea.

Alternatively, it could be just a random draw each turn and only one General total.

Cards was what I was thinking of doing with pictures of the battles during the time

Although I was thinking that all generals would be activated at the start of the war SU not included

Middle Rommel would be

Passive Power: Panzer warfare
Rommel was a master at using his tanks in the Dessert
For every two tanks on attack add +1 to one tank (excluding Afrika Korps general unit)

Active Power: Cunning Escape (only used once)
Rommel managed to make many daring escapes
Once during a defence Rommel may after 1 round of combat retreat all or some units (must include him and his special unit) All units are subject to retreating fire from the enemy units. Roll 1 dice hitting at 1 for each unit (including rommel) any units hit are destroyed

Its not very KISS but it would make the game interesting and add many extra dimensions to the game.

Also does one turn = 6 months in G40?

yea 6 months.

KISS must apply or this will only be played by few.

The unit icons convey the bonus. no special script or text and only one Rommel card ( midwar)

I think the card idea sounds fun but it seems a little too complicated and restrictive.  I enjoy playing axis and allies because it is a ww2 strategy game that allows you to try new strategies and see if you can change the outcome of the war.  The card idea seems like it would force commanders to be used in certain ways in order to mimic the way the war actually went.  I would like to see the commander unit have across the board rules depending on what type of unit it is tied to (air, sea, land), that way the player has more flexibility on how he uses his commanders.

IL, you can’t allow the French to have a commander, or they will always retreat from Paris G1.

That said however, the only work around would then be to allow encirclement rules. IE, even if you just sent 1 inf to Normandy, and 1 mec to southern france, the french CANNOT retreat, because all the other zones are “engaged in combat”.

Unless the retreat then becomes like aircraft, IE, if there is a viable space, your army can retreat to it, and you hold off the retreat order until the outcomes of the other battles.

De Gualle would be a France commander. They would get probably one pre Vichy commander as well. Probably Gamelin.

Complete Rommel

Special unit type

Afrika Korps Armour att 4 def 3 Rommel often attacked when faced with enemy resistance hoping to suprise the enemy so they couldn’t attack his vulnerable flanks

Early Rommel

Passive power (Used in every battle)
Ghost Division
Due to the fast moving advances Rommel’s Panzer’s were often out of Radio Contact

In the first round of every battle involving Rommel and at least one German tank per tank roll one dice hitting at 1. For every hit one tank is able to fire a suprise shot against an enemy hitting at 3 or less (if firing in this round not allowed to fire in normal combat round)

Active power (Used once)
Attack on Lille
General Hoth placed the 5th panzer division under Rommel’s command for the assualt on Lille

Place a armour unit on the battle board for free attacking at normal stats and destroyed at the end of the turn.

Becomes Middle Rommel on G2 if in a North African territory or G3 in any other

Middle Rommel

Passive Power: Panzer warfare
Rommel was a master at using his tanks in the Dessert
For every two tanks on attack add +1 to one tank (excluding Afrika Korps general unit)

Active Power: Cunning Escape (only used once)
Rommel managed to make many daring escapes
Once during a defence Rommel may after 1 round of combat retreat all or some units (must include him and his special unit) All units are subject to retreating fire from the enemy units. Roll 1 dice hitting at 1 for each unit (including rommel) any units hit are destroyed

Becomes late Rommel at the end of G6

Late Rommel

Passive power: Normandy defences
Rommel set up many tank traps prior to D-Day around Normandy
On the 1st round of the each invasion of Normandy. Roll a dice hitting at 1 per tank in landing craft

Active power: Reserve forces (used once)
Rommel realised the need for reserve forces if there was a invasion
In the second round of an amphibious assault on either NWE or Normandy send 3 armour free armour into the battle. These are destroyed at the end of the battle

This is WAY too complicated IMO.

It has to be just like another new unit with minimal rules and exceptions.

I think most of the ideas run in two directions.  One is a bonus to attack or defense values of units.  The other confers special abilities to units (choosing units to attack or retreating).  Personally I prefer going the special abilities route as that is the least likely to break the math of the game.  The other debate has been should commanders be purchased or allocated automatically.  I think the obvious thing here is that they should be purchased as any other unit or facility in the game is. 
Here are my latest ideas.  Commander unit costs 10-15 IPC (expensive but not too expensive that only the big powers can replace a commander). Attaches itself to a unit (tank, fighter, carrier, etc.) and is destroyed if that unit is destroyed.  While attacking allows its unit (in the case of a carrier its cargo, the aircraft) to choose its hit(s) or allows all attacking units of the same type to choose their hit(s) on the 1st round of combat only.  While defending allows its unit and any other units in the territory the commander is in to retreat after one round of combat or allows its unit to choose its hit(s). 
Maybe allowing the commander to choose its targets is the KISS way of doing it since the defense and attack bonuses are identical. Ideas?