Beta/playtest Asia at Europe Map Scale

[obermeister]

I'm very curious to hear from the testers how things are playing out in Asia, specifically China, now that China and the rest of Asia is at the European map scale. I'm guessing this is going to modify strategy for both China and Japan significantly, since they don't have any additional units to cover all that extra terrain. All that extra room to maneuver has got to be making it a lot easier to get outflanked. One one hand I think China will suffer for this more. But on the other hand if you are playing with Partisans (will Nationalist Friction be in the game?), it's going to be a lot easier to drop them somewhere that the Japanese don't have covered. Still seems like China will have a harder time of it.

[lomyrin]

With CWiF China definitely had a very hard time to survive a Japanese onslaught and often got completely incapacitated or conquered. With MWiF and the extra Chinese cities and warlords included the Chinese are likely to have a much better chance to remain a viable Power or cause the Japanese to forgo most of their naval buildups to cause the Chinese a lot of grief.
 
Lars

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: lomyrin

With CWiF China definitely had a very hard time to survive a Japanese onslaught and often got completely incapacitated or conquered. With MWiF and the extra Chinese cities and warlords included the Chinese are likely to have a much better chance to remain a viable Power or cause the Japanese to forgo most of their naval buildups to cause the Chinese a lot of grief.

Lars

With CWiF, my experience was that Chinese Partisans soon cut the supply of the Japanese army that tried to go to deep in China, because of the scarse railways, and that even if not doomed, the Japanese army had a real hard time at going to the offensive again.

[lomyrin]

My experiences with CWiF on the European scale map indicated that Japan could afford to build almost all land and air units in the early war and hit China hard. Chinese partisans were fairly aasily dealt with by a large Japanese garrison partly consisting of not needed aircraft. This gave Japan a few extra resources to augment builds with and Japan just had to make certain they were in a position to hit the CW areas by summer of 41.  Even though their shipbuilding was slowed a bit the USA when they enter are really not in a position to hurt Japan for another year or so after they enter the war, this gives Japan the time =they need to build up their naval units. One danger here was a China surrender rendering Japan neutral and losing their Mil and reserve units just when they are looking at the CW campaign in the Pacific
 
Alternatively Japan in CWiF could entirely ignore China and DoW the CW in the last 39 turn or thefirst 40 turn and get their extra resources from Malaya and perhaps one in India with Calcutta held, conquer Australia etc. Even though this will result in an early US entry into the war this method has Japan with their fleet and air built out as much as possible.
 
MWiF is sure to bring out new strategies with unforeseen complications.
 
Lars
 
With the extra Cities in China, if that option is used, China is going to be a lot stronger than it was in CWiF and this will probably change the flow of any land campaign there. Unlimited DIv breakdowns may change the approcahes to that war, and it will also increase the Island hopping capabilitis in the PAcific later on.
 
 

[brian brian]

ORIGINAL: lomyrin

new strategies with unforeseen complications

such a good description

[Sewerlobster]

This subject is my only true trepidation of this incarnation of WiF. It is obviously the single biggest game changer from the board game. So big as to need be ignored because the only way to judge will be to play a few times and see a few extreme results.

I offer a mini replay of one of our earliest WiF games. This was back when China was only conquered by taking every factory city (2nd edition I believe). The Axis player had thumped my Chinese units; choosing a China must die strategy while witlessly (yes witlessly) chosing a leave Russia alone policy with the Germans . But having pushed so far into Asia, I was able to declare war with the USSR (and its massive garrison) and in the end Russia and CW India "raced" (Asian map speed) along the coast while the US directly assaulted Nippon's non city hexes (thus tieing up much needed rear guard troops). In the end the large Japanese contingent, that had finally taken Urumchi, died out of supply just short or the continental sized encirclement and Japan fell. While Germany sat contentedly holding nearly every damn thing west of Nazi-Soviet Pact line including Africa. I think the objectives almost balanced out by end game.

Some now I picture equally great debalces with a European sized Asian map. It'll be fun.

<spelling -- i R litter8>

[macgregor]

IMO while WiF handled the two scales as well as possible, with lots of special rules -at times limiting, having a single scale would have to be better.

[brian brian]

an equally important change will be to the dynamics of Russian<>Japanese war, and will be just as interesting.

[long digression about WiF's less-than-realistic supply rules deleted here]

I for one look forward to playing in Asia in general with things like a few extra Cavalry divisions, and a couple extra parachute divisions backed by Li-3 and DC-3 transports and 4-engine bombers.

[Sewerlobster]

ORIGINAL: brian brian
an equally important change will be to the dynamics of Russian<>Japanese war, and will be just as interesting.
[long digression about WiF's less-than-realistic supply rules deleted here]
I for one look forward to playing in Asia in general with things like a few extra Cavalry divisions, and a couple extra parachute divisions backed by Li-3 and DC-3 transports and 4-engine bombers.

See! [:@] I didn't think of that. Now I'll lie awake wondering what other unexpected mayhem my oppenents will unleash.