Training academy

[joegrundman]

In this thread we will practice the basics - and that's all we'll worry about before we get going

[joegrundman]

Theaters, Fronts and Offensives

Theaters

There are two theaters, Pacific and European

Movement and range allowances in the Pacific are shorter than in Europe because of differences in map scale.

E.g. an infantry with a movement of 3 in Europe has a movement of 2 in the Pacific theater, and an air factor with a range of 4 in europe has a range of 3 in the Pacific theater.

Fronts

Each Theater has three Fronts.

The European theater is divided into the Eastern Front, the Western Front and the Mediterannean front.
The Pacific theater is divided into the Pacific Front, the Asian front and the Southeast Asian Front.

Fronts can have weather effects that affect operations at certain times of year.

Offensives

Each turn, before you start moving units, you must decide whether there will be an offensive for each front where you have forces. An offensive is the main way to make big gains. If no offensive is called, then the front will have attrition. Attrition combat wears down the enemy and makes some gains. (An offensive costs 15 Basic resource points for each front - BRP's are the basic unit of economics in this game).

Small limited offensives can be undertaken in a front that is otherwise having attrition. (A maximum of 14 factors can be used in a limited offensive at a BRP cost of 1 for each factor involved)

Any questions?

[joegrundman]

Ground Units

Each ground unit counter has two numbers, e.g. 1-3, 4-6. The first number is the strength of the unit, the second number is it's movement allowance.

Normally a MAXIMUM of two ground units may be on the same hex at the same time. (5 are allowed on bridgeheads)

There are two main kinds of ground unit and several specialist units.
the two main ones are:

Infantry : the most basic unit
Armor: armor units are vital for conducting overruns, making breakthroughs and most importantly exploiting from a breakthrough.

Each unit can move up to it's allowance, taking into consideration the effects of terrain and supply, and then attack.

The attackers strength is the total of the attacking units plus any air support and naval support available. The defender's strength is the total defending strength multiplied by the terrain effects plus any air support.

If you want to win, it's best to have the stronger force!

Overruns. If an attacker can exert a force of 6:1, it can make an overrun in the movement phase (at the cost of 1 movement point - also no more than 2 ground units may combine to make the overrun). The units can then attack AGAIN in the combat phase.

Breakthrough. If an attacker includes an armor unit (with a Combat training level - CTL- above 0) in a succesful attack, this can make breakthrough in the enemy line. Armor units that were not used in the attack, but were adjacent to the attacking units, may move into the breakthrough area.

Exploitation. These armor units may then surge forward behind enemy lines and cause all manner of chaos - attacking, and isolating enemy units. Entire armies can be encircled by successful exploitation attacks, and isolated units, out of supply, have only one turn to try and free themselves before they surrender en masse.

As you can imagine, with a combination of overruns, attacks and exploitation, a well-planned offensive can potentially yield vast rewards.

Specialist units are:

Airborne = may airdrop. this can eliminate the defenisve advantages of lying behind rivers. Airborne units also ignore stacking limits.
Marines = beach invasion specialists. Also ignore stacking limits
Commandos = port invasion specialists
Flak = i guess you know...
chindits = specialist jungle warfare airborne unit
replacements = cheap units for use with attrition losses
Partisans = annoying behind-enemy-lines units made up of resistance fighters. Do not need supply.

Questions?

[joegrundman]

Land based Air are known as Army Air factors (AAF)

Each AAF counter has two numbers, the first is the number of factors present, the second the range (dependent on the theater). So a 2-4 AAF is 2 factors with a range of 4 hexes.

No more than 5 AAF may stack on a port or city or airbase. If one hex has multiple cities and airbase counters, then each of these may stack 5 AAF.

Air factors can perform several missions. A counter with more than one AAF may be split so that some AAF fly one mission while other AAF fly other missions.

The main air missions are:

Offensive ground support = adding the AAF strength to the strength of ground units making an overrun, attack or exploitation attack.

Defensive ground support = adding the AAF strength to defending units which are being attacked.

Interception of defensive ground support = forcing an air combat with enemy AAF before they can support a defending unit

Counter interception = intercepting an intercepting force in the hope that the other mission will be able to accomplish the mission

etc.

Counterair = if in range of an enemy airbase, this mission is an attempt to neutralise enemy air forces by attacking at the enemy base.

Bombing = Economic targets in the enemy country may be bombed

Attacks on Ports, submarines, naval vessels. = as it says.

Flying cover = this mission provides air cover to naval and supply operations within range of a land-based airfield.

specialist air units come at certain times in the game

Air transport = used for air drops of airborne infantry, but also air supply of isolated units and air transport of units.
jets
rockets
Strategic bombers
interceptors (counter or escort strategic bombers)

[joegrundman]

Naval Operations

Types of naval unit

You have light ships;Destroyers (DD1), Cruisers (CA2) and Escort Carriers (CVE1)
You have heavy ships (capitol ships/named ships); fast carriers and battleships
Carriers can be light (CVL2) standard (CV3) and super (CVB4)
Battleships can be Battle cruisers or Pocket battlehsips (BC2/PB2), Battleships (BB3), large battelships (BB4) or extra large (BB5)

the number refers to the number of naval factors.

Heavy ships take longer to build, but are more robust.
Carriers carry Naval Air Squadrons (NAS) - 3 NAS is roughly equivalent to 1 Army Air Factor. A CVL2 can carry 2 NAS, A CV3 can carry 3 NAS and a CVB can carry 4 NAS.

There are specialist naval units

Transports
Submarines
Advanced submarines
ASW units
Japanese Elite Naval Air Squadrons
Kamikazes

SLow and Fast

CVE's, damaged ships and some older battleships are slow. This affects interception chances and some other things.

Ports and Task Forces

Naval units are almost always based in a port and perform all operations from the port. (Max 50 factors per port)

Naval units of between 10 and 25 factors are grouped into Task Forces. The contents of TFs are hidden from the opponents (Max 50% of TF factors may be fast carrier factors)

Main Operations

Shore Bombardment - adding fleet factors to the strength of a ground attack in an adjacent hex
Sea transport - carrying and protecting movement of land and air units, also for seaborne invasions.
Protecting Sea Supply lines - can also carry sea supply.
Interception - disrupting enemy naval activites or sea-supply lines
Counter-interception - disrupting an enemy intercepting force
Patrol - a means of basing at sea to provide effective support for other operations in the area.

Naval Air Ops

Ground support (3 NAS acts as 1 AAF for ground support, so this is an inefficient use of NAS)
Search
Naval Air STrikes
Combat Air Patrol = defensive air mission

Land BAsed AAF can also convert into squadrons for use supporting naval operations, either with search, cover or attack missions within range of the land base.

Naval Combat

In general there are several rounds in a fleet engagement.

First Air squadrons attempt to find the enemy task forces.

Then there are air engagements.

Next surface units engage.

Then one side or other withdraws or another engagement is fought if neither side withdraws.

[Thendash]

Overruns. If an attacker can exert a force of 6:1, it can make an overrun in the movement phase (at the cost of 1 movement point - also no more than 2 ground units may combine to make the overrun). The units can then attack AGAIN in the combat phase.

Airborne = may airdrop. this can eliminate the defenisve advantages of lying behind rivers. Airborne units also ignore stacking limits.
Marines = beach invasion specialists. Also ignore stacking limits
Questions?

By stacking limits do you also mean that more then 2 airborne or marine units can be used in an overrun? Or is that just for the no more then 2 units on a hex at one time rule?

[joegrundman]

Hey, the first question, and it's a good one too

13.52 MECHANICS: Overruns are conducted by moving no more than two units (EXCEPTION: Specialized units may overstack for overruns) through the same hexside into a hex containing enemy unit(s) at odds of 6:1 or greater

So the answer is that Marines or Airborne don't count towards the 2 unit stack limit - this is part of what makes them so useful. But for airborne to be used in this way means they can't be airdropped onto the target hex directly. This is the main advantage of airborne.

If part of an attack doesn't come from across a river or line of fortification, the river defense or fortification advantage is eliminated for all units making the attack. Airdropping an airborne unit directly onto the target as part of a combined arms assault can be a vital way of overcoming a strong line of defense.

[Jimbuna]

Clear, concise and informative

[joegrundman]

All units must be able to trace a line of supply to a supply source. The line can be any length and may go across the sea.

If the supply line is to an unlimited supply source (London, the US box, Berlin, Rome, Seoul, Tokyo are some of the unlimited supply sources) the the units are fully supplied. Bridgehead counters are also unlimited supply sources for the turn in which they are placed.

If the supply line is to a limited supply source (most minor country capitals, captured major power capitals, industrial centers) the units are under limited supply. This means that some operations are impaired.

- armor units fight as infantry (reduced speed, no Zoc, no exploit or overruns)
- minus 1 to the CTL
- air units may not conduct offensive operations
- naval units may not conduct offensive operations or escort sea supply or invasions
- no strategic bombing
some other factors.

Clearly it is much better to be fully suppllied. There is no limit to how many units may be supplied from a supply source.

If a unit cannot be supplied, then it is isolated. Isolated units cannot move, and fight at reduced strength. If isolated units have not reestablished supply by the end of the owning player's turn, they surrender.

Supply by sea

sea supply lines can be escorted, be given air cover, and be attacked by hostile air and naval units.

[TarJak]

I'm trying to get my head around BRP grants by sea. Any idea how that works? Do the tranports and escorts need to be in an American harbour before the grant is made or can they be at sea or in an Allied harbour?

[joegrundman]

Wow! That's a hardore question! I'm trying to operate on the principle that we should try crossing certain bridges when we come to them, rather than before. Otherwise it will take a long time before people admit they feel ready. There aren't going to be any BRP grants for a few turns yet, because Russia and Germany aren't at war and the US can't send BRP's to Europe until US-axis tensions reach 25. They start at 0 and 50 means war, so it's not going to be 25 for a few turns.

But anyway,

there are no american harbors, and transports are always at sea unless damaged or withdrawn in order to preserve them during a period where the submarine threat is too terrible. You just need to make sure that you have enough transports at sea for all the different transportation tasks you need to perform.

40.221 SEA ESCORT REQUIRED: BRP grants by sea are made during the unit construction phase and require sea escort. Naval units, including transports, used to carry or protect BRP grants by sea may not be used for any other purpose during that player turn (EXCEPTION: Naval units in the SW box through which the grant passes.

This means that escorts must be assigned from a port in Britain, if it's a murmansk convoy for example, or escorting forces from one of the US mapboard boxes

21.612 DESTROYERS: Destroyers used for sea escort must be based within 20 (Europe) or 10 (Pacific) hexes of the port from which the NR in question begins.

So if you are convoying out of the US, then that is where the escorting units must come from, but if you are convoying out of a port on the map, then the escorting unit must start within 20 (europe) or 10 (pacific) hexes of the convoy start point.

[joegrundman]

There are two problems with oil.

First getting it

Getting the oil

There are oil centers (look for oil wells on the map). Most produce between 1 and 3 oil counters per turn. The exception is the US box, which produces an unlimited number of oil counters each turn.

Other sources of oil include Russian ICs (industrial centers) set to oil production in the Urals, and German Synthetic oil centers. Each of these produce 1 oil counter per turn. Germany and Russia may build new oil ICs/synthetic oil plants.

Second getting it to where it's needed.

For Germany and the USSR the main problem is the first one
For Britain and the US the main problem is the second one
For Japan both are problems.

If you have a land route, the transportation of oil counters to an unlimited supply source is automatic.

Otherwise you must use sea transport. Sea transport is subject to air, naval and submarine interception, as well as the general maritime transport problems that arise from strategic submarine warfare.

To transport oil by sea, you need 1 transport unit to carry 1 oil counter.

However, for ever 3 transports in your control, you may only use 1 for oil transportation (reflecting the fact that tankers are dedicated vessels, and most merchant ships are not tankers)

To transport 6 oil counters, you need at least 16 transports in total.

Oil convoys on-board are subject to naval interception, and the convoys may in fact be completely terminated. You may sea-escort these convoys, as well as provide air-cover for those parts near air bases.

If insufficient oil gets through, you have to use oil reserves.

When the oil in the reserve has run out, and you have no oil coming through, you are in big trouble.

USing oil

there are 5 oil effects. You would ideally like to avoid all these effects all the time.

The three service effects

Air service effect. if supplied with oil, you may uninvert 25 factors of air
--if suffering oil shortage then -1 air natinoality DRM, no offensive ops, defending only in own hex (with some exceptions for japanese units)

Navy service effect. if supplied, may uninvert 25 factors
--if suffering oil shortage, then -1 navy DRM, no offensive ops, 2 fewer dice for interceptions, -1 for raiders

Army service effect. if supplied 25 factors of armor may exploit
--if suffering oil effect, -1 CTL, may not sea transoprt or sea invasion, cannot be takes as attritioni losses for a fully supplied zone, armour units halted and act as infantry units.

Construction oil effect.
For no oil counters you may build 25 BRPs of units at normal cost, and thereafter at double BRP cost. For 1 oil counter, you may build 50 BRPs of units at normal cost. For 2 oil counters, 75 BRPs etc.

Economic oil effect

You need to service your economy. If you cannot spend 1 oil counter on your economy, you lose a severe 10% of your BRP base (or 10 BRP's, whichever is greater)

Other oil uses

If you have the oil and wish to do more, than 1 more oil counter will uninvert 25 mroe air factors, or 25 more naval factors, or allow 25 more factors to exploit, in combination. Alternatively you may use 1 oil counter to uninvert all Air units, or all naval units in two Task Forces..

Conserving oil

If you wish you may voluntarily incur an oil effect to conserve your oil reserve

Joe's considered optional rule

I think there could be a general belt-tightening option. Instead of using 4 oil counters to keep you functioning OK, I'd suggest a belt tightening option for only 3 oil counters.

this only allows the uninversion of 10AAF, 10 FF, the exploitation of 10 armour factors and the normal building cost of 10 BRPS of units, and the economy cannot grow (all surplus end-of year BRPs wasted, but no shrinkage), but no other ill effects.

Joe's second considered optional oil rule

I think that if Russia surrenders to GErmany, Germany should be able to insist on Russia sending some oil to Japan in lieu of the indemnity paid to germany.

the conditions would be: Japan and the USSR must have an immediate ceasfire - the USSR will accept this ceasefire, so it's up to japan.
one oil counter to Japan would be worth a deduction of 5 BRP's from the indemnity that the USSR pays to Germany
the USSR is only able to send one oil to japan for every 3 that the USSR produces
the oil will be shipped by land to to Vladivostok or port Arthur. From there it is up to Japan to convoy it to the Japanese mainland.
If it cannot be convoyed, then the oil can only be used by units in the Asian supply zone.

Are there any objections to these two rules? - i feel they keep in keeping with the flavour of the game. the first rule is inspired by the British response to the oil chortages in ww2. It is clear that Britain never suffered what could be compared to a full oil effect, but nonetheless there were steps taken to conserve consumption.

As for the second, of course the axis were never in a position histroically to make such a demand of the USSR, but i feel that it would be a reasonable surrender demand, don't you?

[joegrundman]

Armored Combat

Back in mid world war one, without armor and air capable of ground support it looked like this


offensives might lead to breakthroughs, but reinforcements always sealed it off before the advance caused trouble. Attacking infantry just couldn't outpace railway borne infantry and guns.



Between the wars the german general staff decided that concentrated air providing ground support and massed armour columns could change that. Air would paralyze movement of reinforcements while massed armour had the pace to wreak sever damage and isolate large sections of the frontline. Here behind the front line the air forces and armored columns are massed ready for action



Now the massed air and one armor unit crush the French forces at Sedan, creating a breakthrough



then the massed armored columns pour through in the exploitation phase to isolate the front line and capture key targets



all the French forces are isolated since supply cannot be traced to them. Even those in the South, since armour units exert a Zone of Control (zoc) in each hex around them. Supply lines cannot be traced through an enemy zoc.