Best posts made by Charles de Gaulle

Turn 2

Dan launched a combined amphibious assault and overland attack on my French units in Normandy with the Kriegsmarine. His navy now sits in the English channel. Germany also made an enormous Battle of Britain and caused massive damage (21 total to all three facilities). It came at the cost of a tactical and strategic bomber, but Germany still has 13 planes. Armored units have been sent eastward to Germany and Yugoslavia, making it obvious what will happen next turn to the Soviets. Romania isn’t empty. That stack of German, Italian, Hungarian, and Romanians you see in the Indian Ocean is the large international force there.

Hungary removed its forces from Yugoslavia in preparation for an attack on the USSR.

Finland faces way more Soviet forces on its border than it can handle alone, but Dan sent a significant German arctic army to assist them.

Despite Germany having 3 transports in the Baltic Sea, its navy is in no position to attack the Soviets. Victoria might be able to hold Leningrad for a little while, but that massive stack in Poland could easily march north. I asked her why she left 12 infantry on border territories. With Germany relying so much on minor powers now, she said she hopes to attract some small battles and counterattack weak parts of the front. It does look like the Axis are going to attack all along the front and not pile too much into single territories. We’ll see how that goes next round.

The United States has invaded Colombia in preparation for taking over Venezuela. Oil jokes were made. Even though we are letting the Americans invade neutrals, Twilight cannot activate Brazil with American units since the USA isn’t considered to be an Allied power yet. Moving into Brazil would actually require fighting those Brazilian forces.

Canada has finally set sail. The two German subs in the Atlantic went after my British destroyer between Greenland and Iceland. This move enabled Twilight to send a Canadian bomber and destroyer after them. We are now using the Arctic Ocean to ferry Canadian troops with some aid of the Royal Navy.
Commonwealth forces in East Africa crushed Somalia. They haven’t lost anything here yet and now have a decent army to send north to fight in Egypt. Their destroyer and tactical bomber are already there helping me immensely.

The massive damage to London would have concerned me if Germany had built more than 4 transports and not made it obvious that the USSR was their priority. For the British, I still played it safe though and made a huge stack of infantry in the UK. The Mediterranean was way more exciting. I decided to combine all my naval units outside Egypt and challenge the Italians. Kyle could have tried attacking this, but it was extremely close odds and likely would have been gone to whoever rolled more luckily. I took out Iraq without much difficulty and set myself up to invade Persia next round. Egypt looks safe, but…

Italy did something I should have seen coming. Kyle took over Malta to invalidate my empire NO, but since there’s an air base there in this variant, he can rely on German planes coming to cover his fleet. He only has 7 units in Libya though, and it’s going to take way more than that to make up for all the Allies that can converge on Egypt. Italy sent an army to the Eastern Front and built some more small ships.

One thing I didn’t mention earlier was the fact Dan did not take Southern France as Germany. While I understand he might have wanted to save Italy some money, there was an Italian submarine in SZ93 that could have reached my British fleet outside Egypt had the naval base there been Axis. It would have swayed my decision to make a stand with the Royal Navy.

Bulgaria replaced Italy as the occupier of Greece. Bulgaria can also “donate” units to other Axis powers since they aren’t really able to fight all that much (can’t declare war on the USSR). They are best used to keep Yugoslavia in check and Greece defended.

Romania actually began the war in the east with a full-scale attack on Bessarabia. Unlike Hungary and Finland, Romania moves after the Soviet Union in the turn order and can declare war before Germany does and set up can-openers. We will have to see how much the Axis reinforce the Romanians here, otherwise Victoria is going to send the Russkies to crush them.

Italy took Southern France, and much to my disappointment, also Algeria. While I realized I would likely fail here, Kyle only sent his 4 land units in Tunisia and 1 bomber from Italy against my 4 in Algeria and still only lost 2 units. I had hoped to distract more air power or take down most of his army.

I felt obligated to make another stand in Morocco and sent my fighter from the UK to assist. If he wants to get the North Africa NO, he’ll have to send more than just his remaining 2 fast units and a bomber next time. With the French navy, I scattered it quite a bit. One destroyer went north to sink a German sub by Wales. My 2 submarines are in the Mediterranean in convoy zones. I’ll either distract Italian destroyers or get some IPCs off Kyle. I also have a cruiser guarding Gibraltar and Morocco from a possible attack by sea. A French transport went to Canada to help further with getting men across the Atlantic.

These first two turns were tremendously fun, and the Eastern Front looks ready to explode.

This is a mod which changes some rules and adds many more pieces to the setup. It uses the pieces and countries of 1940. I would love for everyone to try it and give their opinion.

Rules changes:
All units are added from 1940 2nd Edition except air and naval bases. ICs printed on the map are not used; ICs from 1940 are used instead. Strategic bombing raids can be done against these. No new ICs can be built. Units such as carriers and battleships which have different rules in 1941 compared to 1940 keep the rules of 1941.

All spaces are worth double their printed value. Countries start with double IPCs as well.

Italy: Italy is its own power now. It receives control of Southern and Western(ahistorical but the best I can do) Europe. Italy’s capital is in Southern Europe.

ANZAC: ANZAC is its own power now. It receives control of Australia, East Indies(ahistorical again), New Guinea, Sllolomon Islands, and New Zealand. Its capital is in Australia.

China: China is its own power. China must stay in China. China may only purchase infantry and artillery. China may deploy anywhere in China(Northwestern China, Szechwan, Manchuria, and Coastal China). If all four of these are captured by Allies, China gets control of all of them and may build all units (anywhere in China) and may move out of China. The US may give China as many IPCs as it wants; however China may only purchase one unit with US funds per turn. If all China is controlled by Axis, US gets China’s IPCs.

France: France is its own power now. France receives control of France(note that this has been captured) West Africa, Equatorial Africa,and  Madagascar. France is considered an originally controlled territory of France. If France is liberated France assumes control and places one infantry there(this happens each time France is captured). Note that if France is liberated by Alllies and Germany takes it back, Italy will NOT assume control as it is an original French territory.

Anything blunt or unspecified should be corrected. Feel free to ask me abut any rules.

Note that the setup is really three setups in one: the original, the setup pictured on the back of the box, and the units I added. A bit crowded. It plays well but some problems are still here. Please try it out and give me feedback.

Turn order and starting IPCs in hand/ starting income(don’t forget that everything is doubled):
Soviet Union: 14
Italy: 8
Germany: 16
ANZAC: 6
France: 0
United Kingdom: 18
Japan: 18
United States: 32
China: 2

Setup:
Germany:
Germany:6 infantry, 2 mech, 1 fighter, 2 S bombers, major IC
France: 3 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AAA, 1tank, 1 fighter, 1 T bomber
Norway/Finland: 3 infantry, 1 AAA
Southern Europe: 2 infantry
North Africa: 3 infantry, 1 mech, 1 artillery, 1 tank
Eastern Europe: 5 infantry, 2 artillery, 1 AAA, 3 tanks, 1 fighter, 1 T bomber, 1 S bomber
Ukraine: 3 infantry, 2 tanks, 1 AAA
West Russia: 4 infantry
SZ 5: 1 sub, 1 destroyer, 1 cruiser, 1 battleship
SZ 6: 1 sub
SZ 9: 1 sub
SZ 16: 1 sub, 1 transport, 1 cruiser
SZ 17: 1 transport, 1 destroyer
SZ 18: 1 transport, 1 cruiser

Italy:
Southern Europe: 4 infantry 1 artillery 1 AAA 1 fighter 1 t bomber minor IC control marker
Western Europe: 1 infantry minor IC control marker
North Africa: 2 infantry 1 artillery 1 mech. 1 tank
SZ 17 1 transport 2 destroyers 1 cruiser

Japan:
Japan: 6 infantry 1 artillery 1 mech. 1 AAA 1 tank 1 fighter 1 T bomber 2 S bombers major IC
Iwo Jima: 1 infantry
Okinawa: 1 infantry 1 fighter
Manchuria: 4 infantry
Coastal China: 3 infantry 1 artillery 1 tank 1 fighter
Southeast Asia: 2 infantry 1 artillery
Caroline Islands: 2 infantry
SZ 45: 1 transport 1 destroyer 1 cruiser 2 carriers(carrying 3 fighters and 1 t bomber) 1 battleship
SZ 46: 1 transport 1 destroyer 1 carrier( carrying 1 fighter and 1 t bomber)
SZ 31: 1 destroyer 1 sub
SZ. 38: 1 transport 1 destroyer 2 cruisers 1 carrier(carrying 2 fighters)
SZ 37: 1 sub

Soviet Union:
Russia: 8 infantry, 2 mech., 1 artillery, 1 AAA, 1 tank, 2 fighters 1 T bomber 1 S bomber major IC
Archangel: 4 infantry
Karelia: 3 infantry 1 AAA
Caucasus: 5 infantry, 1 artillery 1 AAA 1 tank minor IC
Urals: 1 infantry 1 tank
Siberia: 5 infantry
SZ 4: 1 sub
SZ 3 1 sub 1 transport
SZ18: 1 transport 1 cruiser

ANZAC:
Australia: 3 infantry 1 artillery 1 AAA 1 fighter minor IC
New Zealand: 1 infantry 1 fighter
New Guinea: 1 infantry
India: 1 infantry
Egypt: 1 infantry 1 artillery
SZ 33: 2 subs 1 transport 1 cruiser

France:
England: 1 infantry 1 fighter
Equatorial Africa:  1 infantry 1 mech. 1 artillery
Egypt: 1 infantry
Middle East: 1 infantry
SZ 25: 1 transport 1 destroyer 1 cruiser

United Kingdom:
England: 2 infantry 1 artillery 1 AAA 1 fighter 1 t bomber 2 s bombers major IC
Eastern Canada: 1 infantry 1 tank
Western Canada :1 infantry
Egypt :2 infantry 1 mech. 1 artillery 1 AAA 2 tanks 1 t bomber
Kenya :1 infantry 1 fighter
Union of South Africa :1 infantry
Middle East : 1 infantry
India : 3 infantry 1 artillery 1 fighter 1 t bomber minor IC
SZ 8: 1 sub 1 cruiser 1 battleship
SZ 10: 2 transports 1 destroyer
SZ 14: 1 carrier (carrying 1 fighter)
SZ 29: 1 transport 1 destroyer 1 cruiser
SZ 30: 1 battleship

United States :
Easter US :6 infantry 2 tanks 1 fighter 1 s bomber major IC
Western US :3 infantry 1 mech. 1 artillery 1 tank 1 s bomber major IC
Alaska : 1 infantry
Hawaii : 2 infantry 1 AAA
Philippines : 2 infantry
Midway : 1 infantry 1 t bomber
Wake: 1 infantry
SZ 11: 1 sub 1 destroyer 1 transport 1 cruiser
SZ 42: 1 sub 1 transport 1 cruiser 1 carrier (carrying 2 fighters)  1 battleship
SZ 40: 1 transport 1 carrier (carrying 1 fighter and 1 t bomber) 1 battleship

China:
Northwestern China: 2 infantry
Szechwan: 3 infantry 1 artillery 1 fighter

Turn 3

To kill the Canadian bomber in Scotland, Dan launched a small amphibious assault there against very little resistance. This took most of the German fleet away from being able to attack the USSR, but 2 transports and some smaller ships are still near Denmark and landed 4 new units in Norway. This included 2 fast divisions to reinforce the artic army in Finland. An attack on Karelia was very costly for the Germans. The much broader assault on the USSR’s western border surprised me. Instead of putting most of his force in the north or south, Dan sent almost all of his mobile units to Eastern Poland and only took the Baltic States with a small army. Bessarabia is not empty. The pile of units in the Indian Ocean is the large international force there, including some Germans. Both Romania and Finland have received German air support to protect against potential bombings they wouldn’t have the IPCs to be able to repair.

Finland took Vyborg easily and reinforced the artic army in Karelia.

Hungary has assumed a support role and is acting as a deterrent to Soviet counterattacks.

Victoria attacked the Baltic States (the weakest link in the Axis advances) with the Soviets. To prevent an Italian or Romanian can-opener, she was forced to leave some troops in Belarus. Leningrad is holding on by a razor’s edge, but half the German fleet being outside Scotland might make it last another round or two. A cruiser in the Baltic Sea prevents an attack on Leningrad from the west, but an attack through the White Sea in the north is still possible. Ukraine has been consolidated to hold another round. Even though the Germans have a large force in the center that could theoretically march on Moscow, one disadvantage to Germany having to rely on minor powers is the necessity of split attacks. The Soviets can defend in mass, but the Axis cannot attack together. The USSR also took Northwestern Persia, which might seem silly, but we have a house rule that allows Allied lend-lease units to be converted to Soviet ones once they’re on Soviet controlled territory.

The Americans continued their South American adventure and took Peru without loss. Venezuela was much more bloody though. Chile seems to be in danger now. In the long run, Twilight hopes for these IPCs to make the losses worthwhile.

Twilight didn’t trust leaving his Canadian troops on my British transport and decided to leave them in Iceland for now. He was annoyed with the loss of his bomber and built a new one. Commonwealth forces are now playing a big role defending Egypt. Italy faces harsh odds in North Africa.

With the British, I completely overran Persia and prepared to start sending forces north to help Russia. Italy’s navy almost forced me to evacuate the Mediterranean, but a bright idea struck me—an air base in Egypt to let us scramble planes there. Once again, an Italian attack would have really close odds, so I felt bold enough to make a stand. With Commonwealth and French units in Egypt, I decided to move the British army up to Alexandria. Not much happened in the UK. I liberated Scotland from the small German attack and built a destroyer.

Romania moved forward on the Eastern Front and has a decent sized army in Western Ukraine. It won’t survive without German reinforcements though. Romania is quickly becoming comparatively rich for a minor power.

Kyle responded to my stubborn Royal Navy near Cairo by building more ships and used his Italian army in Libya to attack Alexandria. The battle ended in mutual annihilation with only the Italian Air force surviving. In Eastern Europe, Italian units killed the Partisan in Yugoslavia and reinforced the Romanians fighting in Ukraine. With the cover of a large Italian navy and German air force on Malta, Kyle can send 4 ground units to Africa every turn. One of us has to attack soon.

I lost 2 French ships in the Mediterranean, but I’m satisfied that they did their job distracting enemy forces. The long fight in north-west Africa is over. I attacked with 2 French infantry and a fighter versus the 2 Italian fast units; all 4 land units died and my French fighter is in Gibraltar now. The French are on the front lines in Egypt, and I managed to convince Twilight to let me bring Canadian troops to Morocco with a French transport. They’ll probably sink, but it’s at least a distraction using forces that can’t do anything else at the moment.

We’re all very curious what Dan will try next on the Eastern Front, although I’m pretty sure Kyle is demanding that he send units south to help the Romanians.

Closely notice every setup change.  Some facillities and industrial complexes are changed.

To get you into this, I will give some overall strategy guides, changes, and tips.

Germany:
At the moment, your goal is to knock out the pro-Allied nations surrounding you (Poland, Denmark, Norway, and Holland) and get the pro-Axis on your side (Hungary and Romania).  Attacking France will require many forces so don’t take any chances and move/buy every unit you think is necessary.  Sink as much of the Royal Navy as possible and definitely consider Sea Lion.  The UK is weak and the Russkies and Yanks won’t be around any time soon.  The only one standing in your path to London is France…or are they?  An earlier year brings more opportunities, but you will need to build up too.  Grab any portion of Eastern Europe that Russia did not take on Turn 2 (Eastern Poland, Bessarabia, Baltic States, and Vyborg).  You can try attacking Russia very early, possibly with Japanese help.  Italy has a little more leverage in the Mediterranean, but the lack of action early on in that theater means that you can make a big impact there if you want.  Germany should probably foregone taking Yugoslavia and leave Bulgaria and Greece to Italy. Remember, time is not on your side; decide where you want to hit the Allies and act fast.  Be creative, especially on the seas.

Japan:
All options are open.  China is strong and you will need considerable force to push them back.  The US is weaker, but the other minor Allies are more of a threat to deal with.  Getting in war in 1939 might not be a good idea due to the lack of targets and proximity to the Dutch East Indies.  Perhaps you should use the extra turn to hit China hard or start a war with Russia.  Consider striking fast at UK or ANZAC before they have time to build up.  Their lack of transports makes J1 still viable, but keeping the US out for 3 whole turns of NOs might be worthwhile.  As always, take the Dutch East Indies fast, but beware of China and consider options you might usually avoid such as Russia, Pearl Harbor, and Australia.

Russia:
Grab everything you can: Bessarabia, Baltic States, Eastern Poland, and Vyborg.  Don’t fall for the trap of letting Germany take out Eastern Poland; it puts them that much closer to Moscow.  Your forces are weak and your factory in Moscow needs an upgrade.  But you do have a decent navy and a bomber to hit Berlin when you can.  Ukraine does not have a factory so readjust for that.  A two-front war is more likely with tension growing in the China/Japan/Mongolia/Russia border.  If possible, try to make Germany wait out the 5 turns you potentionally have to stock up.  China is stronger, but supporting them is still an option.  Most likely the Middle East will be covered by the time you get involved.

US:
Basically the same as 1940, just a longer wait and the need for upgrade.  Japan might get gutsy and hit you in 1939 in which case you need to get in the Pacific fast.  Notice the added facilities in the islands and use them to your advantage.  If you want to go south, ask ANZAC to build a Naval base somewhere.  Keep in mind that Sounthern France has no IC either.  Don’t feel that you must upgrade every factory.  Just get an upgrade when you need it.  Try to help to get multinational naval support in the Atlantic to help cover your transports.  Brazil might be activated long before you get over there.  Planning ahead is crucial.

China:
You are a formidable foe in this one with artillery to start and a guarantee on the Burma road too.  Make Japan pay and keep that road covered.  You have the rare chance to do some coastal fighting, but watch out for amphibious assaults. Don’t get overconfident and maybe ask UK or Russia for some flak support.  Try to keep the Burma Road defended at all times in order to buy as many artillery as are useful until the Japanese start overwhelming you.  Fighting up north is a good distraction, but Japan will most likely try to take Yunnan by way of Kwangsi or French Indo-China.  Try to destroy as many Japanese as possible even if you lose equal forces.

ANZAC:
You may look stronger, but some of your faculties are gone and Japan can easily overwhelm you.  Get a transport ASAP.  New Zealand has a factory which can allow some variety, but this bonus is not as helpful as it looks.  Use your bigger navy to help UK and make upgrades when necessary.  Fortunately, you have a good land army and Japan won’t be invading Australia easily.  Your fleet might get cornered, so use your fighters and a possible airbase for scrambling.  Be cautious when declaring war on Japan because the US has a longer wait in the war and a lack of available resources right away.  Don’t be tempted to hit a juicy Japanese target unless you can survive until the fourth turn when the US can relieve you.  The two infantry in Southeast Asia and also in Egypt can be used offensively if you send help.  Consider sending fighters from Queensland to Malaya.

UK:
Most likely turn one you won’t be able to do much.  Italy is neutral and you need to get ready for a possible attack from them next turn.  Get Egypt secured, maybe buy a factory if Germany is not getting planes and ships.  Plan ahead to contain East Africa.  You surround the Italians there currently, but you are outnumbered.  Defend London at all costs; some more AA is a good idea.  Persia is hostile in this scenario, so get those guys from India to hit them.  India is somewhat undefended, but you can save the Far East navy from Japan.  Fighting with Italy will be very different due to their neutrality.  Overwhelming odds and tall stacks is the key.  Bring that Candian fighter as soon as you can.  Ask France for their fighters.  Grab Iceland with either your Canadians or a surviving transport by the UK.  Don’t forget to grab Belgian Congo too.  As for your navy, you need to consolidate, maybe with the French navy.  Use Gibraltar and that air base on Malta to give you the mobility and cover you need.  Italy is strong and you need to react accordingly.

Italy:
Great news!  Nothing will be dead before you get a chance to play!  You get a full navy, some air power, and a grand army in all your lands.  You are a bit surrounded but if you get your assaults coordinated, you can get Egypt, mess around in sub Sahara, and rule the Mediterranean.  Don’t ignore the French.  They have a decent navy and quite an army in Africa that can stab you in the back.  Their two transports can be a pain. You might want to go for the Balkans because Germany has other responsibilities.  Keep your fleet defended at all costs.  Use turn one to dump units on Libya.  Try to get so many units in Africa that the UK cannot stop you in Egypt or Ethiopia or both.  Don’t forget to help Germany on the Russian front as usual.

France:
You can finally build!  But…just for a turn.  Paris is on a minor factory, so you might want a ship or two in Normandy.  Of course you can max defend Paris and ask for UK to help, but against a determined German player maybe you should probably use those transports instead to get men to safety. Maybe fly out your pilots to join the RAF.  It is your decision.  Keep your navy alive and work with the UK.  You can hurt Italy more than you think.  Use your Army of Africa wisely.  Hit Libya when the Italian hordes go east.

1939 lets you relive fun battles and give Italy and France more of a say.  Should Germany go for Russia before Paris?  Should Italy hold off war with the Allies?  Should Russia not expand into Eastern Europe? Should Japan do Pearl Harbor in 1939?  Will the lenient neutrals make a big impression with insane luck?   Can China, France, and Italy make game-breaking victories?  Who knows!  In Axis and Allies you decide!

This setup was not made with any bias for France.  None.

Ok, maybe just a little.  But I promise I believe it to be fair overall.

Turn 4

The Germans smashed through the Baltic States and now have a threatening mobile force there. Combined with the Finns and Germans in the north and the possibility of an attack by sea, Leningrad cannot hold out.  Dan sent many German units to Western Ukraine and made a large air assault on the Soviet industrial complex further south. His intentions on the Eastern Front are still uncertain. The Western Front has been noticeably quiet with a lone German sub sitting in Sea Zone 125 to negate the Soviet’s lend lease NO. There is still a large German air and naval presence here.

Hungary attacked Belarus with close odds but actually fought well with 3 units surviving. A few infantry were also sent south to help the messy group of Axis units in Ukraine.

Finland sits at a standstill, waiting for the Germans to take Leningrad.

The Soviet Union looks hard pressed, but Victoria decided to make a stand in the Ukraine. Further north, she was forced to evacuate Novgorod to avoid losing more troops. With most Axis forces in Western Ukraine, the Italians left behind in Bessarabia were an easy target for the Soviets. Victoria took almost no losses there. In sharp contrast, a counterattack on the Hungarians in Belarus failed miserably. The dice gave the Russkies no hits. This is a big deal because now German mobile divisions can be diverted into the Russian heartland or threaten Archangel. However, the Soviets do have considerable air and AA sort support to keep Moscow defended.

The Americans completed their South American adventure and now control Chile and have 4 IPCs extra.  Brazil and the United States will soon join the Allies and ensure Africa doesn’t fall to Italy and France will be liberated.  The Axis need to move faster if they’re going to win. Twilight is anxious to get the Americans involved.

Canada launched its own operation in Morocco, landing 4 fresh units to march east and retake North Africa. Combined with other Commonwealth forces that now form the majority of the Allies in Egypt, they may be able to squeeze the Italians in Libya to death. In a suicide attack, Twilight used his South African tactical bomber and destroyer to attack the Italian fleet to soften them up for me.

With the United Kingdom, I attempted to put an end to the Italian navy outside Libya, but the battle only ended in mutual annihilation, with the Italian transports surviving. Those German air units on Malta gave me a very rough time. With the Middle East secure, I sent some units to the USSR (we have a lend lease rule that allows them to be converted next turn) and built a factory in Persia. India will crank out more forces, including a cruiser that is now badly needed in the Mediterranean. To divert some German forces, the British made a minor landing in undefended Holland.

Kyle tried to take advantage of the situation in the Mediterranean with Italy by attacking the remaining Commonwealth destroyer by Gibraltar and French submarine outside Greece. The Italians achieved total naval supremacy, but an attack on Alexandria ended in retreat.  There are simply too many combined Allies in Egypt for the Italians to fight alone, especially now that they have to rely on their own air force in Malta to protect their convoys. There are still quite a few small Italian ships everywhere though.

Romania had to respond to the Soviet attack on Bessarabia. Holding this territory is their only NO. But like the Italians before them, they took heavy casualties fighting here. Kyle made a real game-changer further east with the Romanians, taking Bryansk deep in Russia. Since the Hungarians were able to hold Belarus, Dan could now move all his German armor right onto Moscow’s doorstep while simultaneously threatening Ukraine.  A crisis might unfold in the Soviet Union. Victoria’s only comfort is knowing the messy conglomeration of Axis forces cannot attack in unison. She might be able to hit them hard from behind and build a massive stack in Moscow. Twilight said he’s not used to seeing such an uneven front line in Axis and Allies without disaster unfolding for someone.

Most of my French units are dead, but I’m sending a transport and fighter around Africa to help the small desert force fighting in Libya. I have an infantry in Madagascar to bring up too. Home feels very far away.

When collecting NOs treat the territories as the board represents them.  Russia would not collect +3 for Baltic States or Bessarabia, or Vyborg.

Vichy would get French Guiana, but I should note that we have never tried adding Vichy yet to variant.  To do so would certainly require a tweaked setup and a list of special rules.  Also, since this is 1939, it feels acceptable to pretend that France will never surrender, but rather fight or retreat to Algeria etc.

Did I hear the words Free French?

This is an interesting spinoff, Oz! I had been waiting so long for you to make this setup that I actually made my own. But now we got yours to try, and it even incorporates a semi-independent Holland! Some great stuff here.

And I love any scenario in which I can fight the despicable Vichy Regime and its Boche oppressors of France.

Some units just don’t get purchased very often because they’re a little too expensive for their abilities (such as AA guns and cruisers, and to a lesser degree, battleships and tactical bombers). On the other hand, some units are accused of being too good or “broken” due to their wide range of uses and influence (such as strategic bombers and mechanized infantry).

My proposition is this: alter the IPC cost to make better balance but don’t do anything else. If you were to tweak only the price, what would you do? Here’s my take:

No change:
Infantry: 3
Artillery: 4
Mechanized Infantry: 4
Tanks: 6
Fighters: 10
Submarines: 6
Transports: 7
Destroyers: 8

My changes:
AA Guns: 4
Cruisers: 11
Battleships: 19

Up for debate:
Tactical Bombers: 10 (11)
Strategic Bombers: 13 (12)
Aircraft Carriers: 15 (16)

I think infantry, artillery, tanks, submarines, transports, destroyers, and fighters are all very good units that should not be touched. Mechanized infantry are only “overpowered” because of the Global 1940 map and setup’s inherent problems in my opinion.

AA guns need a boost. Most people would rather change their entire mechanism, but I think most of us wouldn’t mind buying them for a 1 IPC discount, and at the same time, they’re still not too effective. I don’t see why anyone should object to this.

Cruisers are overshadowed by battleships and the other special naval units. Again, many players have tried countless ways to change cruisers into something more affordable, but in order to keep it simple but also keep battleships relevant, a single IPC discount should work for most people.

Tactical bombers are actually quite good already. I can understand why many would argue that 11 IPCs isn’t that bad, but I do think they are slightly overpriced due to their limitations. I’d honestly rather boost them by a small rule change, but the purpose of this thread is to only change prices. 11 or 10— take your pick.

Strategic bombers at 13? Yikes. I can already hear the players who love bombing the heck out of factories screaming at me. But seriously, these far-reaching aircraft are pretty darn good and effective at eliminating production. I just wanted to throw this out there since I think the power of strategic bombing is pretty heavily abused.

Aircraft carriers are already a great purchase. So why do I want to discount them? Well, since I’m suggesting reductions in price, to the big gun ships, I want to make sure that the effectiveness of aircraft carriers is preserved. This is World War II after all, and I’d hate to see the false idea of battleships being superior to aircraft become a thing. It’s just another idea I want to add since…

Battleships need a discount since cruisers are getting one. I think the perfect value would be 19 IPCs, but I could see others arguing for 18 or even leaving them at 20. 19 might sound like an odd number, but if cruisers are 11, I think battleships should be 19.

So now that I’ve seriously thought about it all, here’s a revised price chart that I think most players will like. Changes are in bold:

Infantry: 3
Artillery: 4
Mechanized Infantry: 4
Anti-Aircraft Artillery: 4
Tanks: 6
Fighters: 10
Tactical Bombers: 11
Strategic Bombers: 12
Submarines: 6
Transports: 7
Destroyers: 8
Cruisers: 11
Aircraft Carriers: 16
Battleships: 19

Please share your thoughts, especially on those that I changed and whether aircraft carriers should be 15 or not. Remember, no unit characteristic changes, only price changes.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.  Now all we need is a new setup for the neutrals……How about…

New neutral rules! Neutral ships don’t affect naval at all unless you are attacking them.  When attacking a neutral, the units written here are immediately placed in the attacked territory as well as any territories alligned to them. The opposing team will pick a player to represent those forces and collect income from any of their territories you failed to take.
The neutrals which have more than one territory are:
Mongolia (use OOB rules for this one)
Portugal: Portugal, Portuguese Giunea, Angola, Mozambique
Spain: Spain, Rio de Oro

The new neutral setup is:

Venezuela: 6 infantry
Colombia: 1 infantry
Ecuador: 1 infantry
Peru: 1 infantry
Bolivia: 1 infantry
Paraguay: 1 infantry
Uraguay: 1 infantry
Argentina: 6 infantry
SZ 66 (alligned with Argentina): 1 cruiser
Chile: 4 infantry
Mozambique: 1 infantry
Angola: 1 infantry
Portugal: 4 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AA gun
SZ 104 (alligned with Portugal): 1 cruiser, 1 transport
Spain: 10 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AA gun, 1 tank, 1 fighter
SZ 92 (alligned with Spain): 1 destroyer
SZ 91 (alligned with Spain): 1 destroyer
Switzerland: 6 infantry
Sweden: 6 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AA gun
SZ 114 (alligned with Sweden): 1 destroyer
Turkey: 8 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AA gun, 1 fighter
SZ 99 (alligned with Turkey): 1 destroyer
Arabia: 6 infantry
Afghanistan: 4 infantry

How much is enough punishment? Maybe we should ask Germany. My new setup for Spain is 10 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AA gun, 1 tank, and 1 fighter.
I revised the setup above after a playtest.

Global 1940: de Gaulle’s Edition

This is an expansion to the standard 1940 2nd Edition setup and rules that adds eleven nations complete with politics, more units, and NOs.

Note: some powers start with more IPCs in hand then their starting income.  For instance, Germany starts with 30 IPCs in hand but a starting income of 24.  Likewise, Finland starts with 3 IPCs in hand although its starting income is only 2.  This is done to allow favorite purchasing options to still be viable and give minor powers the option to build on their first turn.

New turn order and starting IPCs in hand/income:
Germany: 30/24
Poland: 0
Finland: 3/2
Soviet Union: 37
Mongolia: NA
Japan: 26/25
United States: 52
China: 12
Holland/Belgium: 0
Siam: NA
United Kingdom:
 Europe: 28/17
 Pacific: 17
Italy: 10
Greece: 3/2
Romania: 3
Yugoslavia: NA
Hungary: 3
Bulgaria: 3/1
Commonwealth:
 ANZAC: 10
 Canada: 8/7
 South Africa: 4
France: 19
*Vichy France
*Free France

Pieces:
Use the 1914 pieces to represent Poland, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Holland/Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, and Free France.  These nations may not purchase mechanized infantry, bombers, or capital ships.  (You can use an artillery upside down for AA guns.  The lack of destroyers in the WW1 sets will require something else however.)  Only infantry sculpts are needed for Mongolia, Yugoslavia, and Siam.  Roundels can be repurposed from 1914 (e.g. the French WW1 roundel can be tilted to represent Holland and even Yugoslavia).  Of course, you can always go online to get premium equipment from HBG.

Poland:
Poland’s capital is the victory city Warsaw.  Eastern Poland is an original territory of Poland and will revert control to Poland if Warsaw is liberated.  Poland is politically attached to the UK.

Setup:
United Kingdom: 1 infantry, 1 fighter, -1 British fighter

National Objective:
Upon the first liberation of Poland (the territory), add up to 9 IPCs of Polish units there for free.

Finland:
Finland is NOT an Axis power.  Finland and the Soviet Union may declare war on each other immediately.  Finland and the Axis powers are neutral to each other until BOTH parties are at war with the Russians.  Finland may not declare war on a Western Allied power unless first attacked by one of them.  The Western Allies may declare war on Finland if Germany and Russia are at war.  Finnish ships must stay within the Baltic Sea while Finland is neutral to the West.  Finland (the territory) acts as a capital for Finland.  Vyborg is an original territory of Finland and will revert control to Finland if taken by an Axis power.

Setup:
Finland: 4 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AA gun, 1 fighter, minor industrial complex
Sea Zone 115: 1 cruiser, +1 Russian destroyer

National Objectives:
Finland earns +1 IPC for each territory controlled: Finland, Vyborg.
Finland earns +5 IPCs for control of Leningrad.

Holland/Belgium:
Holland and Belgium are politically attached to the UK.  Holland/Belgium (the territory) is their capital, but it has no industrial complex.  Belgian Congo is an original territory of Belgium, but it is controlled by the UK at the start of the game.  Should Holland/Belgium be liberated, Belgian Congo and the Dutch East Indies will revert control to Holland and Belgium.  The Allies may no longer “land-grab” unoccupied Dutch territories.  In ANZAC’s national objectives, Dutch New Guinea counts as being Allied.

Setup:
Belgian Congo: 1 infantry
Sea Zone 106: 1 cruiser
United Kingdom: 1 fighter
Borneo: 1 infantry
Java: 1 infantry
Sumatra: 1 infantry
Celebes: 1 infantry
Dutch New Guinea: 1 infantry
Sea Zone 42: 1 cruiser, 1 submarine
Formosa: +1 Japanese infantry
Hainan: +1 Japanese infantry, +1 Japanese artillery
Sea Zone 34: +1 Japanese cruiser
New Guinea: +1 ANZAC infantry

National Objective:
Upon the first liberation of Holland/Belgium, add up to 9 IPCs worth of Belgian/Dutch units there for free.

Greece:
Greece is alligned politically with the UK.  Greece (the territory) acts as a capital.

Setup:
Greece: 4 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 tank, minor industrial complex
Crete: 1 infantry
Sea Zone 99: 1 cruiser, 1 submarine, 1 transport

National Objective:
Greece earns +1 IPC for control of Crete

Bulgaria:
Bulgaria begins the game neutral.  Bulgaria may declare war on the Western Allied powers immediately. Bulgarian units may not move into Axis-controlled Russian territories while Bulgaria is neutral to the Soviet Union.  The Allied powers may declare war on Bulgaria any time.  Bulgaria may not declare war on the Soviet Union unprovoked.  Bulgaria does not need any indsutrial complex to build but may only build in Bulgaria.

Setup:
Bulgaria: 4 infantry, 1 artillery

Slovakia/Hungary:
Slovakia and Hungary are politically attached to Germany.  Slovakia/Hungary (the territory) acts as a capital.

Setup:
Slovakia/Hungary: 2 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 tank, minor industrial complex, -2 German infantry, -1 German tank (German fighter stays)

National Objective:
Hungary gains +1 IPC for each territory controlled: Hungary, Yugoslavia.

Yugoslavia:
Yugoslavia is alligned politically with the UK.  Yugoslavia does not use IPCs or production facilities.

Setup:
Yugoslavia: 6 infantry

Partisans:
Yugoslavia never buys units.  Instead, on EVERY turn, Yugoslavia deploys 1 free infantry in Yugoslavia during the mobilize new units phase.  This partisan removes Axis control upon mobilization.  If there are one or more Axis units in Yugoslavia, those Axis forces will have to decide (on their turn) whether to move away or attack this Yugoslavian troop.

Romania:
Romania is politically attached to Germany.  Romania (the territory) acts as a capital.  Bessarabia is considered an original territory of Romania and will revert control to Romania if taken by an Axis power.

Setup:
Romania: 4 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 tank, minor industrial complex, -2 German infantry, -1 German tank
Sea Zone 100: 1 cruiser, +1 Russian destroyer

National Objective:
Romania gets +1 IPCs for each territory controlled: Romania, Bessarabia.

Mongolia:
Scrap all the old rules regarding Mongolia.  Mongolia is neutral but may join the Allies if any of the following occurs:
any Axis power invades a Mongolian territory
any Axis power passes between Russia and western China
Japan invades any Russian territory (granted that Russia has not attacked Japanese-controlled Chinese territories adjacent to Mongolia or Korea)
Moscow or Berlin has fallen
the Axis control 5 victory cities on the Pacific map

Mongolia does not use IPCs.  Instead, when Mongolia is at war, it places one free infantry in any original Mongolian territory it controls.  While neutral, Mongolia may freely move its starting forces within its borders.

Setup:
Place the Mongolian infantry as indicated by the silhouettes on the map and then add 1 infantry each to Central Mongolia and Tsagaam-Olom.

Siam:
Siam is a neutral Axis power and is separate from Japan politically.  Siam may declare war on any Allied powers immediately.  If UK/ANZAC declare war on Siam unprovoked, Japan may declare war on UK/ANZAC without getting the U.S. involved.  Siam may not attack French territories without declaring war on UK/ANZAC.  Siam does not use IPCs and simply deploys one free infantry in Siam every turn (only if at war).  Japan may not move into Siamese-controlled territories without first declaring war on the UK.

Setup:
Siam: 4 infantry, -2 Japanese infantry

The Commonwealth of Nations:
The nation of ANZAC is expanded into a new nation, the Commonwealth.  This power has three split economies, ANZAC, Canada, and South Africa that share armies and a turn.  Canada’s capital is the victory city Ottawa.  South Africa (the territory) also acts as a capital.  Territories gained in Europe (the continent) go to Canada.  Territories gained in Africa and the Middle East go to South Africa.  Exception: Morocco and Algeria go to Canada.  Territories gained in the Pacific map go to ANZAC.

Setup:
Nova Scotia: 1 tactical bomber, 1 infantry, airbase, naval base
Quebec: 1 infantry, 1 tank, 1 fighter, minor industrial complex, -1 British infantry, -1 British tank
Ontario: 1 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AA gun, 1 mechanized infantry, minor industrial complex, -1 British infantry, -1 British artillery
Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba: 1 infantry
British Columbia: 1 infantry
Sea Zone 106: 1 destroyer, 1 transport, -1 British destroyer, -1 British transport
Sea Zone 71: 1 destroyer, 1 transport, -1 British destroyer
South Africa: 2 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 AA gun, 1 mechanized infantry, 1 tank, naval base, minor industrial complex, -2 British infantry
Rhodesia: 1 infantry

National Objectives:
Canada gains +3 IPCs if the Allies control London.
South Africa gains +3 IPCs if the Allies control Egypt.
United Kingdom Europe gains +8 IPCs if the Commonwealth controls all its original territories on the Europe map.

France:
After the fall of Paris, France is divided between Vichy and Free France.  Free France will represent the units in Normandy, the United Kingdom, and Sea Zone 110.  French Equatorial Africa and the New Herbrides are also Free French.  All other territories and French units from the setup are Vichy.  The Allies are allowed to attack any Vichy units or territories.  Axis units may not move into or through Vichy territories.  Exception: Japan may seize French Indo-China from Vichy.  Vichy France and Free France both have no capital, but they may build and fight under stringent rules.  Since the money in French hands is surrendered to the conqueror of Paris, Vichy and Free France will not have IPCs to spend until turn two.

Vichy France:
Vichy France is controlled by an Axis player.  Vichy may purchase units with the IPCs it generates and place them on the factory in Southern France.  Vichy units may freely move within their territories, but they may never attack or wonder out of their own borders.  Vichy naval units must remain adjacent to Vichy territories.  If the Allies launch an amphibious assault on a Vichy territory from a sea zone containing Vichy naval units, the Allies must fight the French ships first.  Also, an Allied navy may not pass through a Vichy navy if en route to attack a Vichy territory.  In other cases, Vichy naval units do not influence national objectives or movement at all.  In Italy’s NOs, Vichy territories are considered Axis.

Free France:
The Free French receive a bonus 3 infantry in Equatorial Africa as well as 1 cruiser in Sea Zone 82.  With the IPCs generated from the territories it controls and its NO, Free France may mobilize units in any Free French territories it controls or the United Kingdom; ships may be placed adjacent to any of these places.  When the Allies conquer a French territory, they must decide whether to keep it for themselves or give it to Free France.

All Vichy will become Free French on the collect income phase of Free France if it is turn four or later and one of the following occurs:
Southern France has been taken by an Allied power
the Allies control Morocco and Algeria
the Allies control Normandy

If Paris is liberated, France receives the normal troop bonus and Free France becomes the nation France and acts like a normal power for the rest of the game.

“The flame of the French Resistance cannot be extinguished.”

National Objective:
Free France gains +2 IPCs if the United Kingdom is in Allied hands.

I was referring to a 1939 setup variant I made for 1940.  I never played or intend to play HBG 1939.  It is too complicated in the wrong way.  I am also disgusted with its treatment of France and Holland.  And what happened to Belgium?  Lol.

If you want to have the full experience, also use this neutral expansion ruleset along with the new powers:

https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=38615.msg%msg_id%

All playtests of this addition of 11 powers used these new neutral rules, and I definitely recommend you play these two house rules together.  It allows for fun things like South Africa invading Portuguese colonies, Bulgaria and Italy invading Turkey etc.

We are currently working on implementing the 20-power ruleset for other Global setups.  If you would like to play this add-on in a Pacific/Europe solo game, I can post the theater rulesets on request.

With the new availability of Anniversary Edition, I have had the opportunity to play this version several times recently.  However, the ruleset attached to this game is over a decade old and feels out of touch from newer editions like 1941, 1942, and 1940.  Here is a list of modified rules to be used to modernize Anniversary Edition:

Tanks:
Tanks now cost 6 IPCs as in all modern editions.  Not only does this promote universality, but having tanks be more expensive also encourages more variety in purchases and helps the Allies a little bit.

AA guns:
Instead of using the basically indestructible neutral grey AA guns, each power will be given its own distictive AA sculpts.  The AA guns will cost 5 (or 4 if you want) IPCs and use the same rules from 1942/1940.  In the setup, place 2 AA guns in every terriotry in which there was previously one.

China:
China is no longer limited to three units per territory.  In the setups for both 1941 and 1942, China gets 4 infantry and 1 fighter in Yunnan.

The following rule editions are now mandatory:
Ability to intercept/escort
National objectives
Closure of Turkish straits

Optional Changes:

Cruisers:
Because of the arguably good strength of battleships in this version (since they can absorb hits and be automatically repaired), cruiser price ought to be reduced to 11 (or 10) to encourage their purchase.

Industrial complexes:
Instead of using the generic 15 IPC ICs, use major and minor industrial complexes from 1940.  In the setup, all the industrial complexes are majors except for the two on Leningrad and Stalingrad.  Use all the rules from 1940 including placement (territories of 2 IPCs or more for minors, original territories of 3 IPCs or more for majors, and no islands [Australia isn’t an island, silly!]) and built-in AA capacity.

Mechanized infantry:
The mech units from 1940 are now available for purchase at 4 IPCs.  If you want, in the setup, add one German mech to Poland, two Russian mechs to Russia (Moscow), one German mech to Libya, one British mech to Egypt, and one American mech to Eastern U.S.

Tactical bombers:
These air units from 1940 are now available for purchase for 10 IPCs.  If you want, in the setup, add one German tactical to Poland, one Russian tactical to Russia (Moscow), one British tactical to United Kingdom, one Italian tactical to Italy, one American tactical to Western U.S., and one Japanese tactical to Japan.

Air bases and naval bases may be purchased for 12 IPCs each.  Do not try adding these units to the setup.

France:
France starts the game with–
:|
Hold on a second, I got ahead of myself there.

I like the recruitment center idea of infantry only.  It’s realistic and not overpowered.  Now, to prevent abuse by Japan particularly, simply make it that you may only build recruitment centers in original territories or pro-your side territories you own that are 1 IPC or more.  Furthermore, make it that recruitment centers get destroyed if the territory is overrun.  These small adjustments work beautifully for both history and game balance.  Observe:

Germany can recruit from its eastern allies, the northern European Quislings, and Poland (conscripts).

Russia can get far eastern troops to secure its border with Japan and also reinforce the frontline with locals from around the Soviet Union.

Japan can get help from its ally Thailand, and recruit soldiers from occupied Korea and Formosa and Japanese in Okinawa.  Iwo Jima might look like a problem, but it’s really not.  I doubt Japan would want to be build there, and even if they did, it could be excused as Japanese mainalanders volunteering to defend the island.

The United States could recruit citizens from Hawaii and Alaska and the freedom-loving Filipinos.  They could also try to get Central Americans or Brazillians to fight, but as was really the case, it’s not practical in the game.

The UK could recruit soldiers from all around the Empire.  All the African nations can send their local military or volunteers (it’s amazing how much Rhodesia did in the war), Palestinians and Zionists could theoretically help in Trans-Jordan, more Scots and Canadians could make a showing (not really good in a gameplay perspective), Persia could be persuaded to fight (but it’s way better to build industry there), Chinese could join in defense of Hong Kong, and southeast Asians could even make an appearance (many of them fought Japan).

In essence, China already has this recruitment rule on an accelerated scale.

Italy will be able to recruit from anti-British locals in Africa and also friendly Albania.

ANZAC could recruit soldiers in the west, and New Zealand can finally get the attention it deserves.

If France were ever liberated, then locals from around the empire could be recruited.  The majority of French troops in the empire were actually locals on most occasions.

I like this idea plenty.

I have to disagree.  Imagine Japan building a micro in western China or the Novosibirsk area.  That would allow a quick overrun of the unprotected Soviet territoriies while the Russians are cornered in Moscow.  It tales a fast unit four turns to get from the Chinese coast (where factories can be built) to Moscow, while a micro could bring troops to the front immediately.

Even a micro in the Shan State or Yunnan could be detrimental to India simply because of the added range. Though a micro is not as economical as a minor, it gives Japan a privilege it rarely ever gets early on: building inland.

@SuperbattleshipYamato They get activated independently of each other, unless a country has multiple territories (Spain has Western Sahara; Portugal has Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea; and Mongolia has 6 constituent territories.)

So if you attack a nation, you only need to fight its territories and ships. If you failed or opted not to take or destroy all of them, the remaining must be placed into the hands of an opposing power (similar to how neutrals in 1914 worked).

So if you attack Portugal as the U.S., the Axis will mobilize Portuguese colonial troops and receive income and control over all Portuguese territories and ships. You can pick Italy or Germany or Japan or even Romania if you’re playing with minor powers. But you must represent that nation with only one power: you can’t split them up.

But if you attack Saudia Arabia or any other neutral with only one territory, nothing else gets affected. They’re independent now, and typically have a decent military.

@SuperbattleshipYamato Haha, yes I’m alive. It’s harder to make as much time for A&A as I used to, but I play with my buddies whenever possible.

I haven’t checked this web in years it seems, but I did respond to your question about the neutrals.

Don’t tell my girlfriend about Marianne. She’s a jealous one.

Also something I wanted to add about Chinese units:
They only defend on a 1. That’s why they’re cheaper now. Plus, we have a rule that China must keep at least 1 land unit in every territory it owns. We let China replace its fighter when possible. (The logic behind it being cheaper is the lack of ability to attack sea zones or operate in air battles.)

@Imperious-Leader Definitely fair points. Most skilled players will stack ungodly amounts of units on 1 territory even under normal prices. It’s just the smart thing to do in many places on the board. And I know many people are tired of playing the same game for 12 hours.

But I’ve always been playing with a younger audience that prefers to throw their units into combat instead of stacking. We also have typically used other house rules that introduce minor powers and invadable neutrals. So there are more casualties and split armies in need of money.

Since we don’t have as much time as we used to, we’re typically playing only one half of 1940. We’ve also introduced “quarter” versions of 1940 only using half of a theater’s game board. “Asia 1940” has been my favorite. It’s a very interesting twist focusing on only one section (albeit a new setup and rules are required), and it typically allows us to finish in only a couple hours.

We’ve also tried “Middle Earth 1940” (Eastern Front/Africa/Middle East) and even “Atlantic 1940” focusing on the Western Front and a hypothetical Operation Sea Lion. “Atlantic” still has a ton of flaws and balance problems, but it’s been really neat seeing USA and Canada attempt to take back Western Europe and Africa from a raging Nazi empire.