Based on your feedback, I’ve made a couple of tweaks to the variant. The most recent version is attached for play testing.
Changes from the original version are indicated by underscoring:
Revised Russian National Objectives
1. Spread of Communism: Bonus for Russian control of originally Axis/Pro-Axis territories is confined to mainland Europe (excluding Africa, Iraq, mid-east Islands, etc.).
2. Lend Lease: Russia receives +5 PUs, when at war with Germany/Italy, if at least one of three historical Lend-Lease lanes is “open” (i.e., the lane territory is friendly-controlled and there are no enemy warships in the corresponding sz). The Lend-Lease lanes are as follows:
a. Archangel, sz 125
b. Persia, sz 80
c. Siberia, sz 5
As in the original version of the NO, the presence of non-Russian allied units in originally Russian territory cancels out the objective.
(Hat tip to calvinhobbesliker and ItIsILeClercs for this change. I enjoyed reading up on the subject)
Other Allied National Objectives
1. Western Europe Beach Head: Allied control of at least two of the following gives USA +5 PUs if at war: Normandy, Holland, Western Germany, Denmark.
(Hat tip to The Hessian for this change)
2. Southern Europe Beach Head: Allied control of at least two of the following gives UK + 5 PUs: Southern France, Sicily, Sardinia, Greece.
3. Vital Forward Bases: Allied control of all of the following gives USA +5 PUs if at war: Wake Island, Midway, Caroline Islands, Marianas, Marshall Islands.
(Hat tip to Gencre for this change)
Air Raids
Fighters attack and defend at 2 during air raids. Strategic and tac bombers attack at 1.
Play-Testing
Over the last week, I had the chance to play test the variant a half-dozen times times, both as Allies and Axis. Some observations:
1. Axis players generally were more proactive in defending Western Europe against small-sale allied incursions.
2. In two games, Italy used its surving transport (after Taranto) to move defensive units to sicily and sardinia.
3. In all but one of the games, the changes to the Lend Lease objective effectively extended Russia’s +5 PU bonus until entry of allied units into Russia (usually by round 6 or 7). Mostly, no serious effort was made to contest the objective. However, in one game I was able to defeat it by getting a sub to sz 80 by round 4.
4. The 2 attack/defense value of fighters during air raids significantly reduced the frequency of unescorted bombing raids. Dark skies was not attempted in any of the games I played (whether due to the changes, or a coincidence, I don’t know).
5. The “Vital Forward Bases” objective encouraged “island-hopping,” as well as early naval engagement in the central-pacific, which was fun.
Thanks again for ur feedback guys. Am curious to hear your thoughts on the changes. Shoot me a message if you’d like to arrange a play test.
RegularkidG40BalanceVariantv5.tsvg
