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This post will be dedicated to present the project I am working on for several months and that I humbly decided to name Ironclad, after the the allied operation to capture Madagascar in May 1942.

This name reflects the addition of Vichy France and the Commonwealth, as well as the emphasis on amphibious assaults I tried to put in this variant of the 1942 scenario of the Anniversary version of the game.

It is played on a modified circular map (azimuthal equidistant projection about the North Pole) that I initially presented and discussed here:
https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/39054/custom-map-for-aa50

It is played without technologies and national objectives, but with a few additional house rules and with 3 optional new powers : France, the Commonwealth and Neutrals (each of them coming with a set of specific rules). The idea is that players can choose to play with or without (one or all of) them, depending on the kind of game they want to have.

I created a (still unperfect) mod on TripleA to test these ideas, and I’ll be glad to share a beta-version if anyone is interested.

Hello!

Thanks to a fruitful discussion with @Black_Elk, I managed to solve the zoom issue I had because of the square format of the map. It is now possible to display the full map on the screen. And as I gained some extra empty space on the right, I implemented… the victory cities board of stamps!

Isn’t it neat?

Well, I should still work on it, because it’s hard to find the right balance for transparency. But it is working well: see below examples on how Singapore’s stamp is changing depending on whom managed to occupy the city ;)

Hi ! First of all, I am new here, so apologies if I do anything wrong ;)

I wanted to share (a draft - low resolution) of my custom map for the anniversary edition (that I never saw or played). The original is a 155 cm diameter vector file - which is the size of my round table. I am planning to print it soon on neoprene, but wanted to check for eventual feedbacks before ;)

Despite Europe being already slightly oversized, the territories there are still quite small. Not smaller than the original though, so I guess it could do the job. I wanted to do it as historically accurate I could (with a focus on spring 1942, but the 1941 scenario can still be played in principle), so some territories are further splitted with dot lines - for cosmetic purposes only. Oh yeah, and it is labelled in French, apologies for that.

I wanted to keep it as close as possible to the original game, not to hamper the balance. Nevertheless, I made some changes that I hope don’t change much. In a nutshell :

• Changed names of many territories, just for fun (and/or accuracy)
• East Poland became Ukraine and Ukraine became Crimea, so I switched the IPC value between them to keep 2 IPC in Ukraine.
• Eastern Ukraine got an access to Azov sea. Planning to set a Kerch Straight rule with the need to own Caucasus to enter Azov sea (making this access pretty useless).
• Sea zones 15 and 16 are not connected (which should be irrelevant with Dardanelles rule).
• Panama is not connected to East Coast (no way to do that on a real map !) - but I don’t see how it would really impact the game.
• Himalaya and Sahara are not territories anymore, but replaced by a black line forbidding access (which should give exactly the same result) - added also Alps to restrict access between Italy and Germany without cheating with Switzerland’s size.
• Added a couple of additionnal neutrals (again without any in-game effects).
• Added Guianas as extra UK territory (but a 0 IPC territory on that corner of the map should really change anything)
  All the rest is purely cosmetic OR room for optional house rules (not yet fully decided - can discuss them separately if anyone is interested) - but can be ignored to play the genuine game. For example Free French territories are by default administered by UK.

One last thing I am wondering about is SZ 26 (very ugly) - is it really used ? Can it really make any changes ? Otherwise I’d like to get rid of it.

Glad to read any kind of feedbacks if it inspires anyone ;)

@barnee Thank you :)

No I haven’t uploaded it yet, but I shared the files with some people. There are still a lot of details to clean (it’s endless…)

I am developping two games using the same map, “Ironclad” and “Fall Blau” (further modded, with a reviewed units roster) - so the name on the map is very generic, with the idea that the name of the version will be displayed dinamically below. But this is still WIP.

Very interesting post, thank you for sharing.

I was independently “brainstorming” on some of those changes for my own map (https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/39054/custom-map-for-aa50) with the same questionning (@vodot “how many map changes can happen to AA50 before it becomes a totally different game?”).

For info, here are the changes I already incorporated from your list:

• Australia split West 1 - East 2 (not sure yet about IPC values)
• Italian East Africa
• Malaya split off from FICT
• Cairo and Singapore added as VCs (like them to be 20 in total)
• Turkish border extended north of Bosporus
• Greece (1) split off from Balkans (2)
• Morocco (1) split off from Morocco Algeria (1)
• Caspian SZ ;)

Now additional changes I am considering (feedbacks are welcome):

• Danemark (1) split off from Northwestern Europe (Belgium/Netherlands 2) and Danish Straits rule
• Irak (1) and Syria (1) split off from Transjordan (1) --> Stop blitzing into India from Sinai !
• Thailand (1) split off from FICT
• Nigeria (1) and Gold Coast (0) split off from French West Africa
• Korea split off from Manchuria
• Guianas (0) as a (mostly useless) British territory in South America

Some of those are also thought to accommodate the option to play with Vichy/Free France HR (hence the need of having Syria/FIC/West Africa as separate territories).

@Black_Elk Great, that’s exactly what I had in mind ;)

I think it is possible to find what is the exact minimal ratio to minimize the empty space on the right. And I already have some ideas on what to put there. It’s great how sometimes technical constrains give you the opportunity to develop nice stuff!

@jkprince thank you for your interest ;)

If you send me an e-mail address or alike, I’d be glad to share the folder for a “beta-version”

@goekawar, well, yes. But I suppose you can identify most of the names, can’t you?

Hello,

I would like to understand better how this rule is usually applied by experienced players:

Before the general sea battle takes place, both attacking and defending submarines can choose to either make a Surprise Strike die roll or submerge. A player may choose to submerge all, some, or none of his or her submarines.

Clear. But practically speaking, I would expect:

• the rule never to be enforced for attacking subs (otherwise what is the purpose to bring them into the battle?)
• the rule to be applied for defending subs only if no other defending units, because the ability to be used as canon fodder and save better/more expensive units always prevail otherwise (unless the battle is so dramatically hopeless that it is clearly wiser to save at least the subs).
• the option of submerging only some of the subs never to be used (cannot figure out a situation where it could be an interesting choice)

Or are there other parameters/situations I’ve not considered for this rule to exist?

And side-question about TripleA: the engine doesn’t give the option to partially submerge, right? Are there players still enforcing this option? And how?

Thanks!

The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth can be added as a separate player from the United Kingdom. It comprises Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa (6 territories, 10 IPCs), as well as the territory of Papua (no IPC value). It will never grow bigger than that, as Commonwealth troops conquer new territories on behalf of UK. It has no capital and can produce units as long as it controls at least one of its core territories. It has no factories and cannot build any, but units can be placed on any core territory (and adjacent sea zones) with the limitation of 1 unit per IPC value of the territory.

The Commonwealth play first in the game (before the Japanese), which may well upset the usual opening strategies of Germany and Japan.

New Zealand has been buffed with a fighter and a cruiser… But they are so far… (newly added Sea Zone 66 is partially out of the board)

Billion Dollar Gift
Each round, before Purchase phase, the Commonwealth can decide EITHER to give ALL their IPCs to the United Kingdom (who can use it directly during their turn) OR to use them for national production.

Save the Empire
If London falls to the Axis, and if the Commonwealth still controls at least one of its victory cities (Ottawa or Sydney), they collect additional IPCs for all territories still controlled by UK at the end of their turn. This money can be used to produce units (but the same restrictions regarding placement of units apply).

If London is later liberated, money collection reverts to normal rules.

Hello ;)

I’ve been seeking around since a while and couldn’t find anything to answer my (basic) question : is there a (balanced) way to use the new units (or at least, their sculpts : tactical bombers and mechanized infantry) in the Anniversary edition?

Thanks!

@Argothair, thank you, very valid points and philosophy. I fully agree.

• Gold Coast makes an allied territory bordering SZ 17 in case FWA is Vichy (and plays the role Bathurst (in Gambia) played in the Battle of the Atlantic)
• Syria can be given back to free France without cutting UK from the Mediterranean (if Egypt is lost)
• Thailand can work as the “initially controlled by Japanese” territory for NO, when FIC and Malaya obviously don’t

But these are very weak arguments, and probably off the scope of this post (which was proposing minor enhancements to the original map).

This will definitely fuel my thoughts, thanks !

France

France is added as a special neutral (axis aligned) power. These rules are an adaptation of those posted by Dragon81 there:
https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/32430/axis-allies-anniversary-upgraded-version

At the beggining of the game, France still controls a couple of territories (Southern France and some colonies) with few land units but an almost intact mighty fleet. Free France is not represented and is considered as controlled by UK.

French units don’t move and ships are considered stationned in the ports, so they don’t block other players movements.

French aircraft carrier “Béarn” stuck in Martinique

Invasion by the Allies
Each round, any allied player can decide to invade one or more French territories. This decision should be communicated at the beggining of the Combat Move phase, and all French units become immediately hostile to that player. French land and sea units defend against any attacks, including amphibious assaults (dices are rolled by any Axis player). After the battle, if the territory has been captured, the fate of any remaining French fleet on the adjacent sea zone is decided according to the following rules:

• if the sea zone is empty or occupied by Allies, the ships are captured by the allied player who invaded the territory.
• if the sea zone is occupied by at least 1 Axis surface warship (not submarine), the Axis player roll a die for each French ship: on a 1, the ship is captured, on any other result, the ship is scuttled (removed from the game).

After Non-Combat Move phase, France returns to its full neutrality.

Occupation by the Axis
Axis powers can move into/through French territories during Non-Combat Move (but cannot cross/can fly over during Combat Move). At any time in the game, any Axis player can decide to occupy Vichy France and to try to seize their fleet. The decision should be communicated at the beggining of the Combat Move phase. The Axis player can then move into any French territory during that phase. French units don’t defend against this occupation. After the Combat phase:

• any French territory containing at least one Axis land unit is captured by that player, and any remaining French unit dismantled (removed from the game).
• all other French territories join Free France: the territory and its land units are changed to British control.
• all remaining French fleet are handled as above (captured or scuttled).

Liberation of France
At the beggining of the British turn, if Paris has been liberated (France controlled by Allies), a regular French turn is permanently added to the game (with the same phases than all other players). France is played by the British player as another separate allied power. He takes immediate control of all remaining French units on the board and place French markers on France and any territory considered as initially French and occupied by the Allies (Southern France, Algeria Tunisia, Morocco, French West Africa, French Equatorial Africa, Madagascar, French Indo-China, New Caledonia, Bora Bora and French Guiana). For the rest of the game, France is handled as any other Allied powers (same rules apply in case its capital is occupied again, etc.)

@Bigwatcher Volgograd is the new name given to Stalingrad in 1961, as part of Khrushchev destalinisation policy. It has never been known under this name before the sixties (the city was Tsaritsyn before revolution). “Volga” (like the river) is probably the best name for a territory surrounding Stalingrad.

Please share the rules once you finalize them! :)

Hi, folks.

I initially started to mod the ww2v3 game in TripleA to test some of the house rules I wanted to play with my map. Like, to make sure I wouldn’t print it with game-breaking mistakes.

At first, I was using a roughly modified version of the game map. But after a while, I thought “why not use my own map”… and that became a new project in itself!

Here is a (purposedly blurry) glimpse of what it looks like so far :

I am testing several variants:

• OOB rules (1942 scenario) with just the modified map (including new straits rules), additional territories and adapted setup.
• Same but with a fully reviewed unit roster (including Tacs and Mechs)

Both variants have optional additional players (can be individually disabled before starting the game), with their own rulesets :

• French
• Commonwealth
• Neutrals

Not sure I’ll ever publish it… but I’m having a lot of fun ;)