@oztea:

The following straights are added to the game board, unlike canals, a player needs only to control one territory to control naval access to the adjacent sea zones. Submarines and air units may move normally.

1. Gibraltar – No units may cross the border dividing sea zones 12 and 13 without control of Gibraltar
2. Denmark – No units may enter or exit sea zone 5 without control of Northwest Europe
3. Dardanelles – No sea units, not even subs, may enter or exit sea zone 16 without control of Turkey

I play with this in all my games, alot more fair

1. I find the Coastal Guns rules (Surface Ships ONLY – subs can pass freely. You NEED DDs to restrict the passage of subs.) from AARHE much more useful for Gibraltar and the Channel passage issues.

To pass Gibraltar, Sz 1 to Sz 2 or vice versa, all Axis Surface Ships ONLY are subject to fire from the Fortress Guns at Gibraltar - Hit on a 1 or 2.

To Pass through the narrowest point in the Channel, between Dover and Pas de Calais, all surface ships - either side - are subject to gun emplacements of the other side (that also spent the war firing on each other - yes, they were quite long ranged) - Hit on a 1.
[Note: With Historical Setup you can even re-enact the ‘Channel Dash’ of the BB’s Scharhorst/Gneisenau [http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/battleships/index.html ] and their accompanying Destroyer escorts.
Set up 1 BB and 1 DD in Sz 7 {1941 Scenario} to re-enact the Dash. For {1942 Scenario} both set up in the Baltic and the BB has a Damage Marker underneath.
To reflect the surprise of the British, the guns only get to fire at the BB’s, not the DDs.  :wink:

2. Agreed, although Norway must also be controlled to enter Baltic.
Although, while I always play it that way, Allied subs are free to pass through the Kattegat if they survive a Mine Roll [1-3 Sink, 4-6 Pass].  8-)

See also [http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=15710.msg517854#msg517854 ]

This works really well when you add the following NO that was curiously omitted from AA50 - and honestly, anyone who believes the NO objectives are biased towards the Axis should look at Italy’s NO.  [The UK & USA just suck up the IPCs with their generous NOs.]
Germany:
•  Gain 5 IPCs if Axis control Baltic [Sz5] - with no Allied naval units present, plus control the following adjacent territories: NW Europe, Germany, Poland, Baltic States, Finland, and Norway.
Allied subs, even Russian, can be real thorns in the Axis side - although at least the German Navy does not just roll over and die so easy anymore, especially with AA Cruisers / Old BBs (incl. captured BB’s/Cruisers fitted out for AA role).  :-D

You could also go further, if anyone plays with the Soviet Baltic Fleet accurately represented as the Eastern Baltic entrance (S of Finland) was also heavily mined by Germany/Finland during the 1st week of the attack from June 41.
[But thats a topic for a future thread. wink

3. Agreed. To do otherwise is just inaccurate as even the Main UK fleet in WW1 lost BBs just entering the Southern end of the Dardanelles.  The turks have the length of the Dardanelles heavily fortified with Forts and Mines.  Certain Suicide for any attempt to pass.  :roll:

PS: Don’t forget to check out the following Improved China Mod:
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=15626.0 ]

@Corbeau:

Well, if you want to play with Dardanelles closed, you would need to close Baltic Sea / Danish straits too to make it fair.

Exemple, Force allies to hold both NWE and Norway to be able to go there. You need to hold both sides to cross Suez canal.

Historically,  the Danish Straits which separates Atlantic to Baltic was heavily mined / guarded and a direct amphibious assault on the North of Germany herself was impracticable.

the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_straits

Exactly Correct! - especially as coastal guns easily covered the numerous <40km gaps.
Although, while I always play it that way, Allied subs are free to pass through the Kattegat if they survive a Mine Roll [1-3 Sink, 4-6 Pass].  8-)

This works really well when you add the following NO that was curiously omitted from AA50:
Germany: 
• Gain 5 IPCs if Axis control Baltic [Sz5] - with no Allied naval units present, plus control the following adjacent territories: NW Europe, Germany, Poland, Baltic States, Finland, and Norway.
Allied subs, even Russian, can be real thorns in the Axis side - although at least the German Navy does not just roll over and die so easy anymore, especially with AA Cruisers / Old BBs (incl. captured BB’s/Cruisers fitted out for AA role).
:-D

You could also go further, if anyone plays with the Soviet Baltic Fleet accurately represented as the Eastern Baltic entrance (S of Finland) was also heavily mined by Germany/Finland during the 1st week of the attack from June 41.
[But thats a topic for a future thread. :wink:
PS: Don’t forget to check out the following Improved China Mod:
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=15626.0 ]

Some extensively playtested Modified rules to allow China to survive, with some strategic thinking,
yet pose realistic garrison challenges to the Japanese player,
plus how close to get to the unpredictable Communist Chinese.

I think after trying it you will find that China plays more historically.
With all due difference to Funcionetta who some some good ideas - but a Factory in China, not very realistic.  :-D

Also, I find it more realistic if the ‘Flying Tigers’ Fighter (a mixture of USVG and Chinese flying Biplanes or old monoplanes) uses the following modified REALISTIC values:
Atk = 2, Def = 3, Mvt = 3.

[Note: If you set the cost of this type of unit = 8 IPCs,
then old Fighters from the Original MB A&A game make nice LBA (Land Based Air) units using older equipment.  I.e. such as found at Singapore or Malta in 1941.
LBA can be modified to regular Fighters - 1 per turn per player, at cost of 3 IPCs, if start turn in Factory of their nationality.
But, that is the topic for a future thread.]

Enjoy! 8-)

Modify the China rules on page 10 as follows:

• Add the following sentence to the end of the 3rd paragraph:
  China also collects IPCs for Chinese-controlled territories and starts with 7 IPCs (6 IPCs for 1942 Setup), plus it can build Infantry in any Chinese controlled Chinese territory (Chinghai, Ningxia, Suiyuan, Sikang, Hupeh, Yunnan, Fukien, plus Manchuria, Kiangsu and Formosa) – up to a maximum equal to the IPC value of the territory.

• Delete the 4th paragraph and replace it with the following 2 paragraphs.

1. As long as the ‘Burma Road’ (from India through Burma and Yunnan to Sikang) remains under Allied control the US player may pay 6 IPCs, and roll for delivery of these IPCs, as with the Soviet Union, as Lend-Lease IPCs (kept separately) – if there is a 7th player playing China this is a mandatory donation for the U.S. player.  These Lend-Lease IPCs may be used for building U.S.-supplied Artillery units in Sikang, or they may be also be pooled with China specific IPCs to assist in Infantry production.  Should the ‘Burma Road’ be closed the US & UK players may airlift these Lend-Lease IPC supplies, at a maximum of 3 per transport (bomber) - 6 per Heavy transport, over the ‘Hump’ (the Himalayas) from India – to where the transport must takeoff from / and land – to Sikang.

2. Communist forces (represented by Red Soviet Union Infantry from A&A Europe) mobilize at the rate of 1 Communist Infantry per territory, in any Chinese territory (except Formosa) during the Mobilization phase that was free of Nationalist Chinese forces or Axis forces (requires Japan to maintain garrison forces) at the start of China’s turn.  Communist Chinese Infantry may attack Axis forces in Chinese territory – controlled on a turn-by-turn basis by U.S. player on Die Roll of 1-4, while on a Die Roll of 5-6 they are controlled by the Russian player and may attack Nationalist Chinese forces at will.  Regular Nationalist Chinese forces may NEVER Mobilize in Communist-controlled territories – although they may Mobilize alongside Communist Infantry in non-Axis vacant Chinese territories (such as Chinghai on China Turn 1). 
   Plus, the Communist Chinese forces start with 1 IPC and may collect IPCs for Communist-controlled Chinese territories without Nationalist Chinese forces – which may then be used towards production of additional Communist Infantry (above the 1 per territory limit).

China NATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
• Fading Sun: Gain 5 IPCs if Allies controls all Chinese starting territories (including Manchuria and Kiangsu), plus, Kwangtung.
• Gain 3 IPCs if Allies control Formosa.

• Modified Chinese Setup (for both 1941 / 1942 scenarios) *
  Suiyuan: 2 Infantry (vs. 1 originally)

Hupeh: 2 Infantry (vs. 1 originally)

Fukien: 1 Infantry (1941 Setup ONLY – for 1942 Setup add territory to Japan’s IPC pool for a total 32 Japan IPCs, plus, add 1 Infantry / 1 Artillery to Japan’s setup for Fukien.)

Yunnan: 3 Infantry (vs. 1 originally),
1 LBA Fighter ((Attack = 2, Defence = 3, Movement = 3, Cost = 8 IPCs) vs. Regular Fighter).

Sikang (now worth 2 IPCs): + 1 Infantry, + 1 Artillery.  (Chongquing, in Sikang represents the Nationalist Chinese Koumingtang’s base.)

*Ningxia: 2 Infantry (3 with 1942 Setup ONLY)
[This territory boosted forces represents Separate Communist forces – use bright Red Russian Infantry from A&A Europe edition.]

Chinghai (1942 Setup ONLY): 1 Infantry.
END.