League General Discussion Thread

It is with pleasure I can announce the availability of version 2 of the “French Rebalance”. Main change with this is that after the fall of Paris, formerly French territories can be activated by USA/UK/Anzac. If Paris is liberated, usual rules apply. More info here: https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/post/1738044

I think I have tested the changes just enough but of course, if there are any bugs, let me know.

And of course if you would like to playtest, DM me.

Oh and while I am getting the version bumped along so you can upgrade the map, until that is done, you will need to delete the global map and re-download it.

@GovZ said in League General Discussion Thread:

Since this seems to be the place to toss out ideas to balance the game, I’ll add mine - Allied Advantage (based on an optional rule from the original game): Russia starts with Industrial Tech, UK starts with Radar, & US starts with War Bonds.

I didn’t give this the love it deserves. Adding in game optional rules like tech from the get go is BRILLIANT. And those are great. I would add War Bonds for Russia and even UK. That would bump the income. Obviously tech tokens anniversary style would be a cross variant easy LH approved fix.

@gamerman01 said in League General Discussion Thread:

@crockett36 Those are some really cool ideas,

As to the Allies in Russia NO, I love this one.
#1 the NO is realistic because Russian morale is much higher when they know they’re on their own, it is the Great Patriotic War. The rulebook says “national prestige.”
Gameplay, it’s awesome because you have to balance whether you want the 5 or you want allied help.

I hate you! LOL. We could cross variant allow the optional rule in classic that Russia seizes the foreign units as their own. That would be OP.

@crockett36 said in League General Discussion Thread:

I didn’t give this the love it deserves. Adding in game optional rules like tech from the get go is BRILLIANT. And those are great. I would add War Bonds for Russia and even UK. That would bump the income. Obviously tech tokens anniversary style would be a cross variant easy LH approved fix.

Thanks, but the credit goes to Larry - it’s from a 30 year old rule book and how we played in high school. I feel old typing that.

@axis-dominion said in League General Discussion Thread:

I think what’s needed most to breathe fresh new life into global (all variants) is that ever illusive overhaul of the tech development. It’s a whole dimension of the game that’s gone MIA for too long.

Instead of tech being random, my play group is toying with the idea that certain techs are activated once a power takes a specific action. It would work a lot like a one time NO. Examples would be the UK getting Paratroopers the first time it attacks Holland or Japan gaining Shipyards after building an AB on the Solomons. We haven’t played a game - or even figured out how all the techs would work - so I have no idea how this would impact gameplay.

I had a conversation via DM with @Crockett36 regarding Global 1942. I recently rediscovered this map after playing in once several years ago, because I saw that for the Global Tournament at Gen Con they used this setup. I’m planning to attend Gen Con this August. I would be interested to hear from other League players if they have played this in any format, and what your thoughts are, please reply!

More on Global 1942:
It’s a Larry Harris creation, some might say Global 3rd Edition, and gets all players directly into the action. All powers start at war with each other, and the turn order is significantly changed.

Turn Order:

• USSR
• Japan
• USA/China
• Germany
• UK
• Italy
• ANZAC/France

The turn order prevents Italy from being used as a can-opener on the Eastern front for Germany, but also gives Germany a chance to respond to US landings in Europe before they can be reinforced by the UK - so some interesting play differences.

Also seems to be a little more balanced, I have even seen some evidence that the typical bids (a couple years ago) were in the Axis +6 to +7 range. Japan is in a commanding position in the Pacific, but Germany will likely be scrambling to recover from losing a lot of valuable matéiel and momentum on the Eastern Front. To Italy’s delight, its theatre of operations is largely devoid of UK ships and manpower, but that certainly won’t last long! As Germany doesn’t have a factory in Southern France to supplement any action in the Mediterranean.

If you haven’t checked it out, it is part of the download pack for Global 1940, so you most likely already have it installed!

• The Red Army prepares in counterattack into Ukraine and Belarus, the beginning of Round 1.
  

• The Japanese are in position to destroy a significant part of the American fleet at the Solomons, but doing so may put them in a position to be destroyed themselves–and transports to capture valuable territory are nowhere in range.
  

@gamerman01 @crockett36 @Daaras @mikawagunichi

• Normandy-Bordeaux has both the Naval Base and the minor IC removed; Southern France has the minor IC removed in this setup.
  

Turn Order:

• USSR
• Japan
• USA/China
• Germany
• UK
• Italy
• ANZAC/France

The turn order prevents Italy from being used as a can-opener on the Eastern front for Germany, but also gives Germany a chance to respond to US landings in Europe before they can be reinforced by the UK - so some interesting play differences.

What would be the ipc value of these two changes? 37 plus x

@crockett36

Turn order would definitely affect the bid, it would be pure speculation as to how much it is worth - certainly USSR having an entire extra turn and not being vulnerable to Italian aggression in nearly the same sense is worth at least their 37 IPCs of production, as posited. USA also going before Germany might affect the bid, as US support in the European theater would be a full turn of buys stronger.

Also worth showing the difference in starting units/TUV between OOB and the G42 setup:

OOB

G42

While the unit count and TUV is closer, remember that France’s units and most of UK’s vaporize on G1; conversely in G42, about 100 German TUV is destroyed by the USSR on their opening turn. Also, much of that TUV is facilities: such as the NB/AB in Philippines, Guam, France that tends to fall rather quickly in OOB. So TUV/unit count don’t tell the whole story, of course, but it is interesting to see the difference.

@GovZ said in League General Discussion Thread:

Instead of tech being random, my play group is toying with the idea that certain techs are activated once a power takes a specific action. It would work a lot like a one time NO. Examples would be the UK getting Paratroopers the first time it attacks Holland or Japan gaining Shipyards after building an AB on the Solomons. We haven’t played a game - or even figured out how all the techs would work - so I have no idea how this would impact gameplay.

I really like this idea although the actuality of the details might make it less likeable. It’s always struck me as weird that you invest in research and can’t direct where the investment goes!

@Stucifer So far, I am really enjoying our first game of G42. We played with a 7 bid to the axis and japan feels super strong. Germany feels weak.

Overall, the setup from G42 is very similar to the setup for 42SE, but obviously the rules and map are different.

@gamerman01 said in League General Discussion Thread:

@simon33 said in League General Discussion Thread:

I really like this idea although the actuality of the details might make it less likeable. It’s always struck me as weird that you invest in research and can’t direct where the investment goes!

The way I think of it is the nation is pouring a lot of money into all kinds of research, but only breakthrough here or there, or the breakthrough comes too late, and it is very unpredictable.

Think German rockets, German jets (too late), atomic bombs (never), for example

Having played with tech a lot, I would counter this and say that you are not going to pull a fish from a pond you are not fishing in. For the US to get radar is nonsensical except in a house rule where you allow allied sharing (historically accurate for the Anglo-American alliance). I will tell you that the different charts (ponds) make it so that your chance of getting the tech you want go up as you possess almost every tech on that chart.

Please remember that I am always writing as a playtester who might influence some future game designer who might update the rules for the next generation of players. We need another great WW2 movie! Anyone doing anything to celebrate/commemorate our victory 80 years ago May or September?

@gamerman01 said in League General Discussion Thread:

I think the rule was largely a reaction to Axis bombing of Moscow.

I don’t think I said this before but if that what the 14IPC bombers were for, I think the change was misguided. I think SBR should be part of the game. And as for your theory about stopping/weakening dark skies, I’ve never really seen anyone do this but I can’t imagine that it isn’t easy enough for USA to counter with just a slightly larger fleet than normal. While this soaks up some of their income, it also costs Germany a significant number of its land units.

@simon33 I think @Arthur-Bomber-Harris would have something to say about this…He’s a big proponent of dark skies and having played against him, it’s not so easy to dismiss. The reach of bombers in the European map is quite effective. And yes the Allies can buy more CVs + ftrs, but that slows down their invasion time tables and allows the Germans to advance.

@gamerman01 That is beyond my ability. Or at least not at all easy, and even if I could do it, there is no guarantee they would adopt it. A few years back there was a poll for what priorities there should be for engine changes and this was one of the options and I’m pretty sure I was the only one who voted for this change. Really annoyed me.

Gamerman01 - Edited out last sentence per Simon’s request

Just so long as no one attacking asks for casualty selection when the subs have shot but the defender has a DD, it’s not too much of a problem. If the assumption is wrong, just use forum dice. I suppose if you’re attacking subs in a mixed fleet and as the attacker you have a DD can be an issue but usually not.