Posts made by GuamSolo

@crockett36 Ambitious! I would like to see how both Taranto and a sz 92 stack is orchestrated (because I’d like to use it!). I read your comment and began looking at the start up map on Trip. A to see how that could work. It seems like a “bridge too far” if you know what I mean…

@crockett36 Thanks - fun to hear how all the discussions in this thread are playing out. Did you open with Taranto, or stack in sz 92?

@crockett36 Good restatement of original thoughts in this thread. I’ve enjoyed everyone’s input. This thread has weaved and wandered off the beaten path sometimes. I know there’s been some varied opinions expressed here, but I think what you lay out is pretty sound.

I like how @crockett36 you affirm the Axis begin with a better footing as I find that very true in TippleA games vs. AI. I’ve been playing quite a few games in the last month as I finally got the game working on my Mac. When I am the Axis the game is over rounds 8-10, but as the Allies it is a longer game.

@barnee I got Triple A working - finally…

@crockett36 It’s interesting to hear your personal opinion that your original objectives were defensive. I think that’s why I like the Taranto opening as it helps defend North Africa but also is an aggressive attack. I finally got Triple A to work and have been playing through different opening for the British. I find that as the UK I am deciding between investing in units for three areas: Britain for defense and future Dday, Egypt minor IC for NA campaign and push towards Greece, and Persia minor IC for India help and defense against Japan moving through China for Moscow. But three areas are a stretch, better strength investing in two of them.

@crockett36 Sounds like you fell victim to one of the classic blunders - the most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia! :grinning:

@barnee said in [Global 1940] Reasons for a cruiser.:

Cool idea adding units when you take something over. It does seem like a lot to keep track of. Do you get the inf and the airfield and naval gun or just your choice of one ?

For now we have bonuses going up each island victory + units added for each victory. So first victory is just naval gun, then the second time you take (or retake) an island you place a naval gun and and infantry. You don’t have to choose. We haven’t payed it yet. Probably should’ve done that before I posted it here.

I do wonder if it is too much to give, but if the incentive is there then maybe they’ll go for it. I didn’t want to make another group of smaller money islands. My thought was to replicate the one island battle at a time as the navy moved across the ocean. I would also like to see the island become bases for aircraft to threaten fleets wanting to pass by.

Airfields stay on the island once built. If you conquer an island that has one then you take it over.

We will play test it in two weeks. I’ll post how it went.

@baron-Münchhausen Wow, that does change it - and certainly distinguishes the battleships and cruisers from destroyers/subs. Have you been in a game with this rule? I would think that buying 2 cruisers is better than 1 battleship (4 rolls vs. 2)? Did YG also lower the cost of battleships to adjust for this?

@baron-Münchhausen Do both dice count as hits, or are you taking the best roll of the two dice for one hit?

@SS-GEN Yes - that is what I was thinking. Otherwise it is just a more expensive destroyer (with no anti-sub capabilities).

@SS-GEN Why buy a light cruiser if it attacks/defends at 2? Just buy a destroyer. Unless LC has some special feature… SS-GEN you state earlier in this thread that you add other features to your cruiser to offset the lower attack and defense @2?

@SS-GEN @barney Any thoughts on the house rule incentives for going after islands. We are trying one time bonuses instead of island groups having IPC values. Bonuses may be a little high after adding in units with the IPC bonus.

@SS-GEN said in [Global 1940] Reasons for a cruiser.:

As far as Shore shots every round that is over kill. Shore shots weren’t that accurate but your game your call.

We’ll play test it and make the change if it is too much.

@SS-GEN Thanks for crunching the numbers and for feedback. We are going to play a game and test it in two weeks. Just don’t have time to do it before that. I appreciate the thought about not giving the LCT the ability to move a transport with it +1. I’ll probably change that and just allow the LCT to carry 2 elites. The +1 to transports was the one rule I didn’t like (LOL) but we were trying to create a mechanic for smaller, faster groups of ships to forage outward and do some damage.

I read that heavier cruisers made longer runs without capital ships but leading groups of destroyers in the Pacific theater. The could be bullies in battles where they were the biggest ship, but if they came up against a battleship they didn’t fare as well. That is the thinking behind giving a +1 on attack and defense to the HC when engaging enemy ships where no battleship is against them. As a player I’d buy them and send them out with transports to conquer.

We also have a light carrier that we give 3 movements to so they can bring one fighter on the voyage with these cruiser/destroyer groups. I read that light carriers were faster than escort carriers and had the ability to participate in fleet operations with better range whereas the slower escort carriers protected convoys or joined up to lend support to amphibious landings.

@SS-GEN said in [Global 1940] Reasons for a cruiser.:

If you want more action in the Pacific you need to make the Islands more
juicy. I have 3 island group NOs and some islands worth more money. Also Barney in another post on this subject
has a 3 Island Group NO worth 3 icps and any captured Island receive a 2 icp bonus plus territory value 1 Icp = 6 Icps.

Here’s our house rules for going after islands:

The Battle For Pacific Islands – To create incentive to recreate the fight for the many different islands of the Pacific there is a bonus for the first time capture or recapture of the following islands that increases for each successful win and the immediate placement of units to be permanently garrisoned there. Any capture or recapture progresses the bonuses for the nation. The islands that qualify for this are: Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Marianas, Palau, Marshall, Caroline, Philippine, Guam, Wake, Midway, and Aleutian Islands. A nation may only receive one bonus a turn and must choose only one island to place bonus units if there have been multiple islands captured in a single turn. The progressive bonuses are:

1st island victory - $5 + the placement of 1 coastal/naval gun for defense, and an airfield
2nd island victory - $7 + 1 naval gun, 1 infantry, an airfield (if there isn’t one)
3rd island victory - $9 + 1 naval gun, 1 infantry, 1 AA, airfield
4th island victory - $10 + 1 naval gun, 1 infantry, 1 AA gun, 1 fighter, airfield
5th island victory - $12 + 1 naval gun, 2 infantry, 1 fighter, 1 AA gun, airfield

Also, airfields and coastal/naval guns are added units in this expansion. Airfields are different than Airbases. Airfields allow you to land 1 plane in noncombat phase after winning the battle, and they negate the 2 movements it takes to get “off” and back “on” the island. They don’t give any +1 movement to aircraft. The idea behind this is that the island is a threat to enemy ships passing by and are left in sea zones after their turn and they are close enough to be attacked by aircraft from the island airfield. Coastal guns can fire at ships in an amphibious assault, but also go on a battle board for defense in combat rounds. Coastal Gun - 0-3-0-5 unit that is permanently garrisoned on islands. Gun functions like artillery in combat for defense, but it also may fire at landing craft or ships being used in the invasion using the mechanics of AA guns (attacker chooses casualties). This happens before combat begins.

I always enjoy seeing what other people’s house rules are - so that is why I am posting this here. It is a work in progress and maybe someone can point out some deficiencies in this. The Cruiser rules I posted above work in conjunction with this rule.

@SS-GEN said in [Global 1940] Reasons for a cruiser.:

These ain’t bad ideas here but 95% of G40 oob players aren’t going to want to add more ships to game.

I guess I’m in the 5% - :relaxed: I can blame HBG for that! My son and I, who lead our play group here in Guam, really like having a diversity of units.

@Sgt-Mclusky Yes - “ocean” is accurate. This topic is fresh for me because I just went through a lot of old threads about cruisers. There is one started by Young Grasshopper that is good and I think there are links in that thread to some of the other better threads. Argothair and Baron-Münchhausen also have a lot good thoughts on cruisers.

I think you may get few responses here. Many of the guys on this website have already posted a great deal of content on this subject and may be worn out by it.

I have a small group of guys here in Guam who play periodically and we have been working on a Pacific house rules expansion. We want to involve cruisers more, but also really want to see battles for the islands scattered throughout the Pacific. In many of our games the Japanese Navy and US Navy consolidate their fleets over many turns building towards a massive battle. One of the ways we are trying to get Japan and the US to divide and conquer the Pacific islands is to upgrade and customize the cruisers. After reading through the OCEAN of content on cruisers I landed on three types of cruisers:

Cruiser Upgrades & Customizing
All cruisers have a total movement of 3 for Combat & Noncombat combined. All cruisers are 1 hit kills and use OOB rules for bombardment (except Light Cruiser Transport has modifications to its bombardment rules).
Heavy Cruiser – A3(4)-D3(4)-M3-Cost13 unit. Designed for long range, high speed with heavier caliber naval guns. Attack/Defend at a 4 when fighting in a sea zone where NO other battleships are present (axis or allies).

Light Cruiser Transport – 3-3-3-12 unit. Functions like OOB cruiser with three additions. 1. It can carry one Elite infantry (Marine or SNLF). 2. This unit may support amphibious landings on islands with bombardment in each round of combat with defenders returning fire if killed by bombardment. 3. One transport may be paired and get a +1 movement with cruiser as long as they move together start to end.

Light Cruiser Flak Tower - 3-2-3-11 unit. Smaller naval guns means it loses defensive strength against other war ships, but it has been upgraded with AA guns that provide AA ability. When combined with other ships to form concentric circles of air defense within a flotilla the AA strength goes up.
AA Fire - 2 roles @1 prior to combat. In Defense: When paried with a carrier its 3@1 prior to combat, and if a triumvirate of cruiser-carrier-battleship then 4 rolls@1 prior to combat (with a ratio of at least 1 plane per roll). Also, every subsequent round of combat there is 1 roll@1 if the triumvirate holds undamaged. There is a max of 3 Flak Cruisers on the board.

The hope is that the cruiser’s new features specifically aid their Navy’s ability to spread out and go after islands. Our group is “cutting their teeth” on these Pacific house rules. As we play we might see the need for modification - but for now maybe it helps you.

@Panther Thanks - I’ll check it out and maybe PM you if there are problems.

@Sgt-Mclusky FYI - there are a number of threads in the house rule section that address cruisers. You can read through those and get a lot of ideas, many of which come from some of the most experienced players in this forum.

@barnee Hmm - no, I didn’t even know there was a thread for that. I only recently came back to the forum. When I try to download Triple A I’m told I need a new version of Java, but I can’t seem to down load the version needed. I had a computer tech guy look at it. He thought he could fix it for me but never got to it… I’ll take a look at the Gargantua thread.