ThirdTruimp Game.

[RufusTFirefly]

ORIGINAL: DRommel

Nordfront:

By cheer luck an Engineer unit discovered an invasion forces of the coast of Narvik. An air attack sunk it promptly.

I forgot that it is necessary to play the card for Amphibious Assault. So my fleet was unable to unload and had already used up movement points, no retreat possible.
I am not really happy with this card. Building units and transport vessels is already a preparation. Is it really necessary to add a card that represents preparations for an amphibious landing?
No many different cards make it easier to overlook something. I need tp pay more attention and read the manual, especially the notes about changes, more carefully. [:-]

[icym]

Provided your fleet has sufficient movement, and loaded its invading ground units the turn before, it is not necessary to play the amphibious assault card to do an invasion.

Some terrain types cannot be invaded - snow is one of them - that is likely why your landing attempt near Narvik failed.

Axis units are normally tripled in defence against invading allies. This was done after playing games in which the Allies, with their large fleet, conducted numerous moderate-sized invasions from 1942, which was not historical and just didn't feel right. In an attempt to discourage that tactic, the Axis were given triple defence against amphibious assaults (it couldn't stop it happening but it made it less attractive).

However tripling units' against invasions raised the possibility that an Axis player who was doing well in the game and had sufficient forces to strongly garrison the coast, could make a Normandy-style invasion extremely difficult.

This is where the conduct amphibious assault card could be useful. For a major expenditure in political points (later in the war the Allies should have good PPs), and a pre-planning period of 6 months, playing this card multiple times will progressively lower the German defensive modifier to as little as 1.5 (thorough planning pays off). The cost can be shared between Britain, the US and the Commonwealth.

If the German coastal defenders are weak, you can save PPs and avoid playing the amphibious assault card at all.

The Rule book goes on at length (p. 35) about how this all works.

[RufusTFirefly]

Now I understand that this card makes sense and is a very useful option in this game. Thanks.

Btw, there was no snow or rough terrain where I tried to land. But it might be mud, as it was March and there was a lot of mud after the winter turns.

[hatemf90]

March 1, 42

More German attacks in center and south fronts, but they are limited due to mud, otherwise no major fights, just shuffeling troops around and preparing for next month's battles.

Yeremenko front: Very aggressive attacks from the SS, 5 sectors of the stalin-line got destroyed. Unfortunately we couldn't do any counter attacks because exposing our units on the mud would mean quick death.

Tyulenev front: Relentless pushing here by the Germans, we hold on to the Dnieper river by a thread.

In Crimea the enemy landed a small forces by sea just behind our mainlines defending Crimea, they are quickly destroyed.

Black sea fleet launches a surprise attack on Romanian ports to prevent any more landings, we find alot of cargoships, apparently a major landing was planned, we kill most of them and return with no losses.

[DRommel]

Germany April 42

Spring has come

Ostfront

HrsGrpp nord: Holding the line and involved in art duels

HrsGrpp mitte: The 3 and 6 army attack towards Moscow and push the Russian line back. The 6 army has taken Smolensk.

HrsGrpp Oekraïne: While our allies take up positions south of Kiev, the 8 and 10 armies move towards the rear of Kiev and releave the 7 and 12 armies who push deeper into Russia. It's now fair to say that Kiev looks lost for Russia.

HrsGrpp sud: The 12 army reaches Kharkov and the 11 and 13 armies push south

The SS continue it's attacks towards Briansk.

[DRommel]

Germany april 42

Battle in the gulf of Biskay and the Atlantic rages on.
A lot of subs and destroyers try to uphold a blockade