Posts made by Muscleape

The French have to slug out on the western front. The French will take losses. The UK should be landing troops to reinforce the French offensive. The UK can then absorb casualties for any German counter attack on the western front.

Buy fighters once you have sufficient infantry to hold territory and take casualties. I buy no fighters in the first 4 turns when I play centrals

Planes are only bought when you have sufficient infantry to replenish losses. Planes cannot hold territory by themselves. Concentrate infantry and get those troops moving to front. You can buy planes later and get the planes to front quicker to catch up to infantry you set in motion the first few turns. Buying planes to fight Russia is not cost effective at all.

Don’t waste money on fighters for Russian Front not in the first 5 turns anyway. 6 artillery stacked is enough to provide a good German sledgehammer. German purchases should be almost 100 percent infantry for the first few turns, with mixing in an artillery here and there. Save planes for later when you can afford to lose them. What good is buying a plane for Germany to use in Russia if infantry losses are not replenished? Soon you have to start taking artillery casualties. This made any previous planes bought useless.

I think it depends if the Russian Revolution Rule is in play. That will alter the strategy somewhat. Heres the deal: Germany is forced to fight on both fronts. Russia is too strong for AH to take on by themselves. You need infantry. Forget about planes, artillery, or naval. Germany starts the game with plenty of artillery, so it is unnecessary to buy more. You need infantry to replenish your losses. Also you need infantry to contest and occupy Russian territory to bleed the Russians dry.
  The Russians need to choose who they will deal with. It will be either AH or Germany. Since AH is closer to Moscow, it is wiser for them to fight an offensive war against AH and a defensive war against Germany. As AH is slugging it out with Russia. Germany slowly squeezes the life out of Russia by draining her economy. It will take Germany many turns to accomplish this, but once finished it gives them the needed income to hold the line on the Western Front. By this time, Germany has probably lost Belgium, and the Allies are contesting the Ruhr. Remember, you have to give up something to get something.
  The Germans should not send the forces deep in Russia back to the Western Front. It would take too long. Those forces should go to put pressure on the UK in the Middle East.

I am taking the plunge and moving from 1942 to Europe 1940. (Eventual goal is to play global) I set up the board last night. I read the rule book 3 times. I think I have a decent understanding of the changes. I do have one question:

Are fighters still allowed to attack land units such as tanks or infantry? Or is this role strictly reserved for the new tactical bomber unit?

In the rule book it mentions fighters used as interceptors and escorts. It also mentions they can scramble. It never mentions if they are allowed to participate and hit land units in combat.

I was reading a thread, and a player mentioned that playing as UK he built a factory on Borneo. Is this correct according to the rules?

Example: USA captures Manchuria. Holds it for a round. The following turn is eligible to build a factory on Manchuria?

I am looking for players in the Berks and Montgomery Counties of PA.

I am interested. Could you message me and let me know what you are asking?

Flashman,

I am on round 16 of the latest game. AH had been adding a tank or two over several rounds. Once they had acquired a stack of 5 tanks to pair with the Infantry and artillery, they were able to smash their way to Rome on turn 12. It is turn 16. The central powers have a combined IPC value of 58. The Allies have a combined 108 IPCs coming in. I am thinking it is time to end this game.

It is a first draft. Still not a finished product.

IN fact the Germans had outfitted their fighters into bombers at the end of the war to continue hitting London after the Zepplins were out of action. The English fighters could not scamble fast enough nor could they catch up with them.

Like technology, espionage simply reflects the fact that powers were constantly looking for ways to knock enemy out of the war. THe Germans funded Lenin on the hopes he would lead a revolution. The Germans also hoped to incite Mexico to war with the USA. I suppose espionage is more of an event but it did require resources to train and monitor agents who could help topple a regime under economic and political duress. Espionage simply reflects the fact that now you are ready to topple a regime if the conditions are right.

As far as pieces, well the player would have to declare that the fighter was acting as a bomber. Perhaps they could put a marker next to the fighter to designate this.

I saw your pic on the FB page. Where did you have the map printed?

I did not see a house rules thread under 1914. So, if this post is in the wrong forum I apologize. Technology was such an important factor in WW1. I wanted to include it in 1914. I thought it would add more flavor to the game and ultimately speed up the game at the same time. The Techs are in a generalized timeline. THis provides a logical cause and effect sequence as one side introduces something and the other finds a way to neutralize it. I tried to keep the techs simple to implement as to not bog down the game with complicated rules. Some of the techs need to be further defined.

Techs 1914 Turn 1

1. Advanced Rail Network – your units can move an extra space through any home territory you still control. This cannot include contested territories. You cannot finish this move in a contested territory.
2. War Bonds – At end of your turn move  your IPC marker up two spaces.
3. Naval Blockade – A naval unit in a sea zone adjacent to an enemy territory will cause that power to subtract 1 IPC from its IPC chart each turn that it is stationed there. The blockading unit cannot attack but it can defend if attacked.
4. Shipyards – reduced IPC cost for navy builds. -2 BB, -1 Subs, Cruisers, Transports
5. Propaganda – every turn you get a free infantry to place in your capitol. Also, a free infantry to place in one colony if you have one.
6. Steel Works – Artillery cost 3 IPCs

Techs 1915 (Turn 3)

1. Tanks – you can now produce tanks on round 3 and they cost 5 IPCs
2. Zeppelins Strike– You can build zeppelins and conduct strategic bombing raids. Roll 3 dice. A roll of 2 or less on any dice causes the victim to move marker down one space down on victims IPC chart. 
3. Poison Gas –  Once per turn, roll a dice before you attack. That tells you how many of the defending units are immobilized and unable to return fire.
4. Air Fields – Planes can move 3 and attack on a 3.
5. Submarine Strike – Subs get a sneak attack roll. A hit sinks an enemy ship without them returning fire even a battleship. A sub in sea zones 2 and/ or 7 causes England to move IPC marker down one space.
6. Nationalism – Contested territories still produce income.

1916 Techs  (Turn 5)

1. Bombardment – Artillery fire once before an attack. Any hit defender does not get to return fire.  (Shell Shock) The artillery can then attack with the infantry.
2. Interceptors – If you have a fighter on your capitol now intercept and stop Zeppelins strike.
3. Diplomatic Relations – chance a neutral country will join war on your side on a roll of 3 or less. Roll for this at the start of every turn from now on. You pick the country.
4. Gas Masks – Your units are now immune to poison gas
5. Depth Charges – Cruisers are  immune to Submarine Strike and can kill subs with depth charges. Roll a die for any submerged sub on same territory. A Roll of 3 or less kills the sub. Transports can defend against subs on a roll of 1 or less. Battleships are also immune to sub first strike if paired with a cruiser.
6. Rolling Barrage – roll 2 dice for every attacking artillery and take the better roll.

1917 Techs (Turn 7)

1. Espionage – If an enemy has lost half of its original IPC income since the start of the game that power surrenders and is now out of the war. Any conquered territories still belong to the power that conquered them. Any contested territories remain contested until the war is finally over. Each side must leave at least one infantry in the contested territory until the game is over.
2. Late War Bombers – your fighters can now act as bombers range 4 spaces to attack enemy capitol. On a roll of 2 or less your enemy loses 1 IPC on the chart. Immune to interceptors tech.
3. Trench Network – Units immune to bombardment tech.
4 Storm Troopers – combat can last an additional round if attacker chooses.
5. Morale – IF the attacker has four times as many attacking units as the defender in a contested territory after an attack then the remaining defending units surrender. They are removed from the game board. You now control the territory and gain the IPCs.
6. Convoys – Transports can transport 3 units and move 3 spaces.

I enjoyed reading your response. I will have to give tanks some more thought. I think infantry, artillery, and a fighter are higher priorities than tanks at 6 IPCs a pop though.

I envisioned calvary working like this.

Attack at a 2
Move at a 2
Defend at a 3 (If on a territory containing defending infantry)
Defend at a 2 otherwise.

Cavalry played a minor role during the entire war. (Lawrence of Arabia for example)

Cavalry would have one other feature. They alone would be able to leave a contested zone and attack an empty adjacent enemy controlled territory.

By turn 4 they would no longer allowed to be built.

I do agree the game is great as is.

Has any thought been given to reducing the cost of tanks from 6 IPCs to 5 IPCs? At 6 IPCs, tanks are a useless buy. You are better of buying two infantry.

1. INfantry defend at a 3 vs a 1 for a tanks.
2. You need infantry anyways because they must be present to include artillery in your stack.
3. When you attack you roll 2 die for the two infantry instead of 1 die for 1 tank.
4. If you suffer a hit, you lose an infantry. Then on round two you simply roll one die same as the tank would do that absorbed the previous hit.

Perhaps tanks at a cost of 5 would allow situations when buying a tank might be a good idea.

THe rule book does not state anything about building new units in an enemy capitol that you conquered. So am I correct in assuming that the French cannot build units in Berlin even after they have captured it and held it for a round?

FYI, Wizards informed me that they will no longer send out additional chips or playing pieces for 1914. I do understand that it would be an expense for them. I do hope that when they release an updated 1914, they include enough pieces and chips to make the game playable out of the box.

Cavalry should attack on a 1, defend on a 1, and move at a 2. They could be combined with other units to up their abilities. For example, they could defend on a 2 if paired with infantry. THey could attack on a 2 if attacking with infantry. They should cost 3 IPCs.

The real role of cavalry should be to harass the enemy. If cavalry are in a battle, the other units cannot retreat nor engage another contested territory until the Cavalry are cleared out of that territory. In effect the unit is stuck there. This would simulate cavalry cutting supply lines and communications etc.

Also, cavalry could disrupt IPCs by entering into a vacant territory and in effect scorching the earth. The territory would lose 1 IPC for every Cavalry performing this task in that territory. A marker could be used to denote the territories new value. Cavalry themselves could not conquer a territory by themselves. They would need to be paired with an infantry.

On the map, all the territories on the Western front are occupied so this tactic would not really be used. However on the Eastern Front there are a couple of open territories mainly in Russia where it could be used.  Also, The middle east and Africa are more wide open. This rule conjures up images of Lawrence of Arabia!

I have to double check the Russian Rev Rule. I thought it had to be decided if it was in play before the game started. Then, it gets triggered when all the criteria are met.