Posts made by MauserBob

Okay, the board is done. And I’ve updated the notes in reply #3 above.

Here are some pics:

[attachment deleted by admin]

I like the tank enhancement. Like it alot, in fact. :-)

Rob.

@ncscswitch:

@MauserBob:

I’m just outside of Philly, PA. Central Bucks County, in fact.

I am so sorry!  :evil:

(smartass comment from a Central PA native about “Suburban New Jersey” folks :-) )

I’m very familiar with that comment, having dished it out to Jerseyites more than a time or two.  :lol:

Rob.

Hi all.

I’m just outside of Philly, PA. Central Bucks County, in fact.

Rob.

I’m a huge fan of Aussie Shiraz. My favorite has to be Wydham Estates Bin 555. Just delicious.  :-P

Rob.

I’ve read every major book release he’s ever had……and I think that The Stand is the best he’s ever written. I liked the Regulators and it’s companion (whose name escapes me at the moment), and they were both pretty good, as were Bag of Bones and Needful Things, but The Stand is his best, IMHO.

Rob.

Not a fan of IB, huh?

I haven’t met many folks who were.

Rob.

No, I’m not him. In fact, I’d say his map humbles mine somewhat.  :oops:  But thank you for the kind words.  :-)

The board should be done sometime this coming week.

Rob.

@Imperious:

Autocad:

Please post the pic like you did at Larry site except in full size.

This is really great work.

You lost me.

Rob.

How large are your territories?

They’re on the small side, maybe a bit too small for the map to be honest, but I wanted to ensure you weren’t able to move across the board in 4 turns.

Did you think about making Atleast Mech Infantry a separate unit…

No. I didn’t want to add complexity, and I figured that, as they’re just regular infantry units that hitched a ride, there was no need to denote their special, but temporary status.

…or making it cost IPC’s to do it?

No, I didn’t. I thought that there should be no cost to it because of the one-turn penalty attached to it.

Rob.

The Combatants:

Axis- Italy (yellow) & Germany (grey)
Allies- United Kingdom (khaki)

Order of Turns:

1.Italy
2.England
3.Germany

Victory Condition:

Capture the enemy capital.

IPCs-

Axis- 22
Allies- 24

Start-up:

At the beginning of the first turn, each side gets a one-time bonus of 12 IPCs (as in A&AE) to spend
or save as desired. Units purchased with this money must be placed upon the game board in any space or
spaces the owner controls. No order of placement.

Reinforcements:

Allied & German units are priced and purchased as normal, and enter the game through any or all of the
purchaser’s 3 Reinforcement Zones.

Italian units are slightly weaker and therefore slightly cheaper:

Inf- 1/1, 2 IPC
Art- 2/1, 3 IPC
Arm- 2/2, 4 IPC
Fit- 2/3, 10 IPC
Bom- normal cost and stats
AAA- normal cost and stats

Reinforcement Zones (RZ)

Other than the initial bonus money purchase units (which may be placed anywhere on the board), all units purchased during the game
must enter the board through the RZ.

Either side may control and  capture any RZs, and build units on any RZ.

There is no limit to how many units may be built in any RZ.

New unit/Unit abilities:

I have “enhanced” the abilities of some units…

Mechanized Infantry & Self-propelled/Towed artillery:

Either player may choose any number of infantry and/or artillery pcs and move them one additional
space on either his combat- or non-combat move, in any direction of movement, for a total of 2 spaces.
However, in doing so, they have outrun their supply lines and must suffer a penalty of no combat- or
non-combat movement during their controller’s next turn. They may still attack when they get to their
2nd space, they may still defend while serving their penalty, and they may even retreat if the attack
goes bad, but only one space back, at which time they are still out of gas and must still serve the
next turn penalty. To simulate this status, they must be placed on their sides or upside down to
portray their status. So basically, if you choose to move some units in this fashion, they are
incapable of any movement (except retreat from the initial attack move) for their controller’s next
turn. After that they are considered to be refueled and can be turned upright to resume normal
operations.

Tanks:

May move an additional space too, for a maximum of 3 spaces, at which point the same
conditions/limitations apply.

However, there is an exception to this penalty rule, and an exception to that exception. On my map
(which I will post pictures of as soon as I’m done painting it) I have drawn the Via Balbia, aka the
coastal road. All 3 units may move their additional space on the coastal road without penalty, which
simulates two things: first, it reflects the relative ease of resupply over a road as opposed to open
desert, and second, it boosts the value of the coastal cities along the road, which is important as
there aren’t a plethora of IPCs available for easy capture. This makes flanking and leapfrogging
operations more important, thereby increasing movement complexity and ensuring the game won’t be so
linear on a long, relatively narrow battlefield.

And as I said, there is an exception to this exception; if the enemy is able to place a unit on the
road within 2 spaces of the advaced unit/units’ rear, then the advanced unit’s supply line is
considered cut and it must then be turned over to simulate this status. It must then serve the normal
penalty the next turn unless the advanced unit’s controller can destroy the interloping enemy unit
during his next attack phase. If he can do so, then the advanced unit may be turned upright and moved
during the non-combat phase if so desired.  All of this will hopefully reflect the importance of
protecting one’s flanks and rear area. Don’t want to leave those REMFs twisting in the breeze, you
know.  :evil:

Anti-tank Guns:

The 88 earned it’s legendary status on the battlefields of North Africa, so I felt the need to include
some kind of anti-tank capability, but I didn’t want to add more new units than necessary so I’ve
decided to allow the players to designate artillery pcs as AT guns at their discretion. They can be
very powerful when employed properly (wisely), but there must be some balance so there are some
restrictions…

Restrictions:

1. Arty may only be AT guns while on defense.
2. They may only target tanks while in this mode.
3. They are a one-shot deal, meaning they take no further part in combat in that space on that turn.
4. Controlled may designate either some or all of his arty pcs in a space as AT guns.
5. One gun to one tank.
6. They fire before all other combat in that space.
7. They hit on a 3 or less.
8. Any enemy tank thus hit is removed immediately without firing a shot.

Which brings me to what I think is the coolest part of my variant, the new unit….

MINEFIELDS!

Minefields are a fundamental tool of desert warfare and can be very effective when
properly employed. They may be purchased and positioned like any other unit, but they are not revealed
to the enemy until he stumbles into the space containing it. The purchaser may hold his chip off to
the side of the board until such time that it’s presence is discovered. In addition, there are
some important rules to observe:

1. They cost 8 IPCs and are represented on the game board by a chip with an “M” on one side.
2. They are like AA guns in that they cannot be fired upon by an attacker.
3. Only 1 minefield per space, like AA guns.
4. Mines cannot be placed in an enemy controlled space.
4. They cannot be placed on city or road spaces.
5. Enemy units cannot occupy or control a space with an enemy minefield still inside it.
6. Defending units may occupy or move through a minefield without damage.
7. The controller must declare a minefield immediately upon entry by the enemy, or forfeit the   
    minefield back to the bank.
8. Once declared, all invading units which move into a minefield space must stop to receive damage.

Minefield Combat:

When an enemy moves into a minefield, the mine controller declares the minefield and places his “M”
chip upon the space for the first time. The enemy’s forces stop all movement. The mine controller gets
a one-shot roll of 1 die for each enemy land unit in the field, and hits on a roll of 3 or less during
this first roll only. This simulates the surprise and chaos of an initial minefield encounter. All
land units hit by mine rolls are removed immediately. At this point, the minefield has done it’s job
and ground combat can take place as normal. If the attacking force is able to clear the space of
defending units, then the attacker can roll 1 die in an attempt to “sweep” the minefield needing a
roll of 2 or less to sweep successfully. If he gets his roll he may then remove the chip and take
control of the space, and if not then he must retreat.

On each subsequent enemy incursion into the minefield, it’s no longer a secret that it’s there, so
while it’s still dangerous I believe it’s effectiveness should be reduced somewhat. Subsequently,
every time thereafter when a minefield roll is required (for that particular minefield), it only hits
at a 2 or less for each invading unit. And conversely, as it’s effectiveness has gone down, the
invader’s ability to sweep it should be slightly improved, and he can now sweep it on a roll of 3 or
less. This status stays in effect until the minefield is swept clear.

AA guns (Flak)

Flak may be mechanized as per the conditions of infantry and artillery, max move 2 spaces with the resulting penalty.

May be purchased as per normal rules, 5 IPC.
Always fire first against attacking aircraft, rolling 1 die per plane and hitting on a roll of 1.
Also fire first against Tactical Bombing Raids with same conditions.
Only fire once in the combat cycle.
Cannot be destroyed. If the space they occupy falls to the enemy, that player gains control of any AA units within.

Other thoughts:

1. Artillery still modifies accompanying infantry attack strength to 2 as normal.
2. Aircraft still move, attack, and defend as normal (see Italian exceptions).
3. There are a couple large spaces on the map which are considered impassable terrain, such as the Qattara Depression and the Jebel Akhdar.
4. Land units may not pass through these, but aircraft may fly over them.
5. There are also a couple of huge spaces of impassable terrain,the Great Sand Sea and the Dehan Ubari.
6. These may not be moved through NOR flown over.

Aircraft:

May land in any space owned or controlled by the plane’s controller.
Cannot land in enemy territory.
Cannot land in a space captured during that turn. 
Cannot fly over water.

Tactical Bombing Raids: (TBR)

Since there are no factories to bomb, bombers may instead attack units in any enemy RZ on a tactical bombing raid .  Bombers in a TBR must survive the defender’s flak getting it’s normal preemptive roll . In this case, bombers hit on a roll of 1, like normal, but the defender chooses which units in that RZ are lost to hits. No fighter escort.

I believe that’s everything, and I don’t think I missed anything, although it’s possible. I didn’t
want to get too complicated, but I did want to make the game more interesting, so there it is. Any
questions or suggestions are welcome. Like I mentioned above, my map is drawn, but the painting isn’t
quite done yet…I’ll post some pics when it’s done, within the next day or so.

Thanks guys.

Rob.

Okay, here goes.

First, some background……

The focus of this variant is to simulate the “classic” African campaign, that of Monty vs. Rommel. I really wanted to accomlish two things; one, to be true to historical realities, and two, to stick to the spirit of a true Milton Bradley/Avalon Hill Axis and Allies game.

My intent was to center the action around desert combat, and so there is no naval element to the game. Reason being, there were no shipyards in North Africa capable of turning out combat ships in any quantity, and as there aren’t many strategically valuable complexes in North Africa, the IPC level is relatively low compared to other variants, so players won’t necessarily have the funds to finance sizable navies. In addition, America isn’t involved at all, for a few reasons. One, historically, when America entered the fray in Africa, the Afrika Corps was close to the end of it’s rope. Two, America got into the ATO relatively late, and so in the interest of historical accuracy they would have to be brought in after a number of rounds had already been played; determining when to introduce America and by what method was a real PITA and I never did come up with a simple solution so I just about dropped the whole idea…more on that later. Third, and perhaps most important from a practicality standpoint, in order to stay true to history I would have had to include Algeria and Tunisia, which, due to the nature of the actual battlefield area, would’ve either had to have been REALLY big, or it would’ve had to have been “zoomed-out” too far and would’ve been less fun to play in my humble opinion.

I have made a few “small” changes, or rather “enhancements” to three units, and I have also introduced a new element to the gameplay which I hope y’all will like.

And now, the details…

Hi all.  :-)

Well, I looked back through 7 pages of variants and I’m kind of surprised (but pleasantly so) that I couldn’t find another thread on a WW2 ATO variant.

I’ve got a new variant in the works that I believe is almost finished in terms of development. I just need to tidy up the map and finish painting it, and finalize my rules & notes. It’s pretty basic & straightforward, but it’s got a couple of advanced concepts that I think are pretty cool. I’ve  been working on it since the day after New Years '06 with much valuable help from my buddy Shane C, and I think we’ve got it down to the point at which I feel comfortable submitting it to the forum for comments, kudos, and constructive criticism……if anyone’s interested I’ll post the info up…hopefully y’all will like it.

Rob.

From the “Errata” section of the Avalon Hill site:

Submarines

Subs have always been confusing. Can you summarize the changes?

Here’s what you need to remember about subs:

1. Every sub, regardless of whether it’s on the attacking or defending side, fires in the Opening Fire step of combat. That’s the only time a sub ever fires.

Q: Submarines are part of a large naval engagement. Do they get to fire during the opening fire step of every round, or only the first round?

A: Every round.

Can someone please clarify the meaning of “opening fire step”?

When they say round, do they mean a round as in russia, germany, GB, Japan, and USA is one round, or do they mean round as in attacker rolls then  defender rolls and back to the attacker is one round?

I ask because one could load up on cheap subs  and send them into naval combat as cannon fodder to absorb hits while hopefully dishing out in return, which is what my regular opponent usually does. Not a bad idea, but if it’s not legal then that would change alot of things.

I realize I’m not asking this as clearly as I want to…hope y’all understand what I mean. Like, I know about the opening fire step in that subs have an advantage if no destroyers are present, but the Avalon Hill quote above is confusing in what they mean. If you read that section one way, it says that subs only fire once in any naval combat engagement, and if you read it another it means that the subs fire continuously until the combat ends.

I hope someone can clear this up for me.

Rob.

I asked this on the A&A revised forum, but was reminded that that version doesn’t quite work the same way as A&AE works, so hopefully someone here can help me understand this better.

I was always under the impression that, as the defending player, your fighters take no part in a SBR unless the attacker sends his fighters as escorts for his bombers. If that is so, what is the attacker’s incentive to send his fighters along in the first place? It would seem to me that doing so would only serve to put his bombers at risk. We’ve played under this impression since Europe first came out….are we totally missing something?  :?

Rob.

And if the defender sends up no fighters….then what?

Rob.

Maybe I’ve just been misunderstanding this concept the whole time, but I don’t understand using fighters in a SBR.

Rob.

Feel free to share; it might be worth a try.

Rob.

Thanks, Mista Biggs. :D

Rob.

Hi guys. I’ve been lurkin’ here a long time, soakin’ up all the good info. Figured the time has come to get into the mix, so here’s my first question:
Where can I find more game pieces to purchase? I’d like to be able to get piece sets from all three A&A variants, if possible. My buddies and I have got a plan for an entire room setup kinda like a “war room” straight outta the war movies of old. The idea is to have all three games boards set up permanently, one on each of three 4’ x 8’ sheets of plywood, one on each wall. I’ve seen several pics of other guy’s setups, and our idea seems quite do-able. We’ve gotten everything pretty much the way we like it, but it would really make things more enjoyable if we could have more pcs instead of chips. Is there any source that’ll sell just the pcs, without gameboards and charts and so on? I checked out Avalon Hill’s website, but came up empty handed, so I dropped them an email, but still await a reply. I know I could check out garage sales, flea markets, etc, and have on occassion, but I really don’t want to go the E-bay route.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance, guys.

Rob.