Spain or Russia

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Centuur
5 Finally all Vichy controlled minor countries France has gained controlled // of since the start of the game immediately become controlled by an Axis // major power nominated by the major power that installed Vichy France. The // minor country is conquered if it aligned to France and aligned if it were // conquered by France. If more than one minor country is available to be // allocated they may be allocated to different major powers.

If I understand this correctly, this means that if France conquered a minor and Vichy is declared, than this country will be aligned by an Axis Major Power.
The question I've got is this: is it than possible for the Axis to liberate the minor (and thus adding units to the Axis Force Pool? Yes, I know, this is all far
fetched, but I'm just wondering again... What do they say in English: curiosity killed the cat?

This also means that a French aligned Netherlands means an Axis MP gets control of NEI.
I would have preferred a different solution, stating that the Netherlands cannot align with France (preventing a Vichy NEI), however, this is also a good solution.

With this solution, you still roll first on the Vichy admin group chart, but you roll according to the original home country location, so for european minors it will be a 9 or 10 to go FF and if and once they are aligned to 1939 France, the Axis ought to seriously consider taking all the ports in France before declaring Vichy and thus get the -2 on the roll for no French BBs.

Of course even if they don't take the ports, it's a huge risk with not that huge a reward for France to align the Netherlands. I say not that huge a reward because the Allies still need to pass Option 43 to proactively enter the NEI so likely the only downside for the Axis is an extra DoW by Japan on FF.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

I prefer to use an O-chit to reorganize all the HQs. That would enable you to use one of the HQs as support in an attack (e.g., the 3rd attack) and then reorganize all 3 of them.

Smart thinking. Must be why they give you the big bucks.

Two questions:

1. Does the HQ have to be in the hex that has a land connection to Gibraltar in order to give HQ Support? Or can it be in the hex to the east of that one? (NE of Gibraltar).

2. Doesn't this end up leading to a ton of attacks at odds of 2-1 or less?

Regarding you're first question:

From RAW:
It can’t provide support to a unit it does not co-operate with, to an
adjacent hex if it is separated from it by an impassable hexside, or if
its own hex is also being attacked.

And you're second question:

Yes. Of course you can gamble with you're attack, throwing in everything you have at that point (including HQ support, shore bombardment and ground support). The German problem is that he usually cannot get more than 20 factors when attacking Gibraltar only from Spain, while the CW usually defends with around 22-28 factors (3 units doubled for Mountains). This means when you add maximum ground support you aren't able to get a 3-1 at all, without HQ support or PARA's.
You can solve this in two ways:

First: you can ferry some nice German armour/mech units into North Africa, kill the puny French defense there and try to capture Tangier. This gives you another hex from which to attack Gibraltar. This is a sure way to get Gibraltar without a lot of losses in you're case, since France isn't Vichyfied. However: time ticks away, while you are clearing the area...

Second: you must eliminate at least 1 ground unit in Gibraltar, without it getting replaced by another one. This means a continued attack on Gibraltar with 3-2 or 1-1 attacks, without committing the Italian Fleet (the fleet can be used only once. The fleet has to wait until the last attack, when there are only two ground unit in Gibraltar, together with HQ support. So you'll attack four times in this turn, since you've got that number of HQ's available). First: ground strike the defenders at Tangiers (so there cannot be a reïnforcement arriving from Er Rif). This will cost you a lot of units...

This is all under the assumption that you won't be able to put Gibraltar out of supply, using the German navy... If you can succeed in that goal, things are easier, but not simple... You still need a lot of units to kill two WP and an division (flipped), since they defend with 14...

[Red Prince]

Thanks. That helps a lot.

Right at the moment, there are no white print units in Gibraltar, and I think I can only get one there before the assault begins . . . I don't know. There might be a second one available somewhere. I'm hoping the German navy can work some magic, but I don't have a lot of faith in that. I do have a lot of NAVs available to help, though. I don't actually think Tangiers is likely to fall any easier than Gibraltar, so I probably won't go that route.

As always, I'll let you know how things go.

[Centuur]

There are four hexes you can attack Tangier from (and Rabat is close by to conquer the French a second time). That means Tangier is a lot easier to capture than Gibraltar, if you have the sealift to get 6 German Corps and a HQ to Algeria...

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

There are four hexes you can attack Tangier from (and Rabat is close by to conquer the French a second time). That means Tangier is a lot easier to capture than Gibraltar, if you have the sealift to get 6 German Corps and a HQ to Algeria...

I've got 2 Italian TRS to use (I did build one, but one was sunk early on). They are delivering Italian troops to Algeria this turn to clear the French out. I might be able to bring some of my Middle-East force (Italians) over soon, but I think Germany is spread a little thin right now. Even if I can spare the units (which is possible, maybe), it would take just as long to get them into Algeria as it might take just to crack Gibraltar through massive attrition. And then they have to get into Morocco and take Rabat/Tangier.

I just don't know if it's really feasible.

[Orm]

Concentrate on getting alot of air to southern spain. If you disorganice all the defenders in Gibraltar you get a 30% chance of gaining the hex on a 1-1 assault. The airforce can also be used to try to hurt The Royal Navy if it gives defencive shore bombardment. With the suggestion from Steve to use an offensive to reorganice the HQ you should be able to launch 6 or more 1-1 assaults against Gibraltar in one turn. You just have to make sure you have enough bombers and art to keep all defenders in Gibraltar disorganized.

Getting some art down next to Gibraltar could prove helpful since they can bombard across the water and reach Gibraltar.

CW truly needs to get ground forces and alot of fighters into Morocco and Spanish Morocco. And remember that CW can use TRS to reorganize defenders. When CW has alot of FTR2 down in Marocco they can be used to provide air cover for the TRS in the 1 or 0 box. Since Germany can't get their fighters higher than the 2 box Germany will have a tough time getting through to the transporters.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Orm

Concentrate on getting alot of air to southern spain. If you disorganice all the defenders in Gibraltar you get a 30% chance of gaining the hex on a 1-1 assault. The airforce can also be used to try to hurt The Royal Navy if it gives defencive shore bombardment. With the suggestion from Steve to use an offensive to reorganice the HQ you should be able to launch 6 or more 1-1 assaults against Gibraltar in one turn. You just have to make sure you have enough bombers and art to keep all defenders in Gibraltar disorganized.

Getting some art down next to Gibraltar could prove helpful since they can bombard across the water and reach Gibraltar.

CW truly needs to get ground forces and alot of fighters into Morocco and Spanish Morocco. And remember that CW can use TRS to reorganize defenders. When CW has alot of FTR2 down in Marocco they can be used to provide air cover for the TRS in the 1 or 0 box. Since Germany can't get their fighters higher than the 2 box Germany will have a tough time getting through to the transporters.

I think I have all but 2 of my LND within striking distance of both Gibraltar and Tangier right now. The CW actually did use its TRS to reorganize 2 units in these locations last impulse, but they don't have all that many FTR to spare. 1 or 2 are already in the area, and 2 more are in Dover. Beyond that, I can't remember what I've got . . . maybe one got trapped in Malta? I don't know.

[composer99]

Baghdad ought not to be a primary supply source for Italian units. If it is, that's a bug.

On the subject of the assault on Gib: be prepared for a slog, but remember the Axis only needs to get lucky once.

Also, you will still need to clear out Tangier if you want to close down the Med, but if it's going to take too long (e.g. past 1941) or involve too many units (threatening your garrison) then you might not be able to finish the job.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: composer99

Baghdad ought not to be a primary supply source for Italian units. If it is, that's a bug.

On the subject of the assault on Gib: be prepared for a slog, but remember the Axis only needs to get lucky once.

Also, you will still need to clear out Tangier if you want to close down the Med, but if it's going to take too long (e.g. past 1941) or involve too many units (threatening your garrison) then you might not be able to finish the job.

I just looked it up again, and you're right, it is only a secondary supply source for Italy. So it's just as well that I've got the ships out there.

I tell you, as difficult as some of the rules are to comprehend, the one that gives me the most trouble just keeping it straight is Supply. I have no idea why it is written the way it is in RAW. I wish they'd just lay it all out, and then give all of those examples. It's way too hard to find what I'm looking for when I want to check on something.

Granted, 3 or 4 years from now I'll have all of this stuff memorized, but I don't really want to wait that long. [:)]

As for Tangier, I don't actually have to take it to close the Med. Sort of. It is only a minor port, so the CW could only move 4 naval units into the W. Med per impulse, because control of Gibraltar is the key to the Med. You can't move units from Cape St. Vincent to the W. Med by moving through the port of Tangier if you don't control Gibraltar.

[Centuur]

But you should try to capture it, since it is so close to the new Capital of the French (I think the French are now not that happy with the choice of Morocco as the new home country. The Force pool additions for 1941 might be lost for the French, if Rabat is captured in 1941...). Together with the total closure of the Med, this should be of strategic interest. Think of the total Italian Fleet being able to wreck havoc on CW convoys in the Indian Ocean, together with the Japanese. That's only possible with a Med where there isn't going to be an Allied ship entering at all. Also the Algerian resource can that be railed, without a CP. The rest of the Med isn't in range for most of the CW U-boats, sailing from far away bases, if Axis controles Morocco...

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince
As for Tangier, I don't actually have to take it to close the Med. Sort of. It is only a minor port, so the CW could only move 4 naval units into the W. Med per impulse, because control of Gibraltar is the key to the Med. You can't move units from Cape St. Vincent to the W. Med by moving through the port of Tangier if you don't control Gibraltar.

Don't take it and see how quickly a Naval Supply Unit with a '15' circled on it shows up there.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

ORIGINAL: Red Prince
As for Tangier, I don't actually have to take it to close the Med. Sort of. It is only a minor port, so the CW could only move 4 naval units into the W. Med per impulse, because control of Gibraltar is the key to the Med. You can't move units from Cape St. Vincent to the W. Med by moving through the port of Tangier if you don't control Gibraltar.

Don't take it and see how quickly a Naval Supply Unit with a '15' circled on it shows up there.

Oops. Forgot about that one. [:)]

Okay, you guys have convinced me. Death to Tangier!!!

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

ORIGINAL: Red Prince
As for Tangier, I don't actually have to take it to close the Med. Sort of. It is only a minor port, so the CW could only move 4 naval units into the W. Med per impulse, because control of Gibraltar is the key to the Med. You can't move units from Cape St. Vincent to the W. Med by moving through the port of Tangier if you don't control Gibraltar.

Don't take it and see how quickly a Naval Supply Unit with a '15' circled on it shows up there.

Oops... You're absolutely right about that one. I totally forgot about those nice mobile ports the USA has...

[Red Prince]

It's been a few days since I worked on this game. They've been busy days, as you might imagine. But I think I can squeeze an hour or two in today for this. I'm actually glad that I didn't get to this yesterday, since I would have lost out on some excellent gameplay advice.

I just had this feeling that amused me. When I was a child, I loved the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. If you haven't heard of them, they start out like normal novels, but after a few pages the reader gets to make a decision about what happens next. Based on that choice, you are told to turn to page X. So, you do. Then, after a few more pages, you get to make another choice. And on, and on. (My absolute favorite was based on a Mad Max type environement [:)] ).

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is that I've thought it would be fun to run a game which lets everyone in the forum vote on what strategic choices get made by each country. Not that I'm going to do that, but the help you all have given me for this game certainly has that kind of feel. So, it has been fun, and I'll continue to keep you updated on the situation in the Med.

[Red Prince]

Well, I may have really screwed things up for the CW. In an attempt to get N/D '40 ended, I had all of the Allies except France choose a Pass action. Only France had anything it needed to do before the end of the turn, anyway (capture Nairobi to be able to liberate Kenya) -- or so I thought.

I forgot that Italy destroyed those convoys out of the Arabian Sea . . .

My supply chain to the Far East is broken, putting 5 factories out of work. Adding insult to injury, that also means I lose 2 of the 3 Food in Flames production points. I'll only have 13 BP to spend this turn. I could only have replaced 2 of those convoys at the time, but that would have been enough to get 2 factories back in operation and those 2 production points back.

Oh, well. The turn did end, which screws up Italy's plans for transfering troops to N. Africa, so there is some good news. I would rather have had the production, though. I'm sure this won't be the last time a mistake like this happens.

[Centuur]

Well. I personally think it is impossible to play WiF without making a large mistake somewhere during the game. There's always something huge you tend to forget during such a long game.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

Well. I personally think it is impossible to play WiF without making a large mistake somewhere during the game. There's always something huge you tend to forget during such a long game.

To quote "Bartles & James", thank you for your support. [:D]

On a less pleasant note, I've run into a serious computer issue that may have lost much of the data I was working on. If it is not recoverable, I'll start a fresh game and set up an AAR specifically for that

If that happens, I may actually implement my "Choose Your Own Adventure" concept to some degree and let those of you who have maintained interest some say in what choices I make."

I'll let you know what the damage is sometime in the next few days.

In the meantime, please know how much I've enjoyed your imput.

-Aaron

[Red Prince]

The verdict is in . . . partially. I had to buy a new computer today:

Specs:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601)
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU M 480 @ 2.67GHz (4CPUs), ~2.7GHz
4096MB RAM
DirectX 11

Graphics Card:
AMD Radeon HD 6370M
2732 MB
1366 d 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)

This compares quite favorably to the old one. Plus, they threw in (free of charge) a HDMI cable that should let me connect up to my flat-screen TV and use it as a second monitor (I'm a repeat customer). Unfortunately, until I get used to it, the keyboard is giving me trouble. My last laptop did not have a separate numeric keypad (which I wanted but couldn't get), and this one does. It completely changes the position of a lot of buttons, so I'm having to retype a lot of stuff.

The point to all of this is that anywhere from 20-30% of my files are probably non-recoverable, including the game I've been working on, and it's going to take several days to reconstruct all of the files and programs I need to conitnue my work. Or, at least that 70-80% that I'm certain I can recover. I did make backups of most everything, but that drive is a goner, too. Call it bad luck, if you like. Fortunately, many of the things I need are in the hands of others, too, like Unit Master files, many of the saves I need, and other things fo that kind.

What this does mean is that I'm going to have to start that Globar War scenario fresh. That's damn annoying. However, it does allow me to implement a little bit of that "Choose your own Adventure" idea I'd been thinking about. If fact, I'm going to start the thread as soon as I'm done with this post, and I'll listen to all the ideas that get put out there. Be aware that I do intend to try to close the Med again, but with your help I might have a better showing by both the CW and the Axis (if that's possible).

I'll start the thread, and please make some suggestions about setup (if I can, I'll show you what units are available for each country and let you offer advice). This may or may not work, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Until then . .

-Aaron

[Red Prince]

Things have changed since yesterday. The laptop I bought just wasn't suitable for MWiF or my other activities, so they traded it out fo a better computer (though I had to dish out another $300:

Specs:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601)
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM CPU @ 2.00GHz (8CPUs), ~2.00GHz
8192MG RAM
DirectX 11

Graphics Card:
GeForce GTX 460M
4063 MB

Laptop Monitor:
1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Secondary Monitor:
1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Tertiary Monitor:
1920 x 1080 (HDMI connection with my TV, asuming I can figure out how to get this computer to use 3 monitors at once),

Additionally, my old computer had a slightly dfferent setup for its keyes so I'm going to be struggleing to familiarize myself with that.

Expect something by the end of the day, including this (possibly) reposted list of Optional Rules in use:

[Dr Deo]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

I intended to relocate HQ-I Yamamoto and the 5-5 MOT either to the southern front for the winter, or to Siam (there are transports waiting for them in Haichow). However, the Communists got frisky and sent the MTN unit to take the city of Tsinan. That was the 3rd time this game that they risked losing a unit in order to force the Japanese to respond. Each time the Communist unit has eventually been destroyed, but it cost time for the Japanese, and it also forced them to retake a city -- which is part of the reason why US Entry is as high as it is. In this case, I got lucky with a 2-Factor LND and managed to succeed in a Ground Strike against the MTN unit, which means Japan can dispatch it without losing any units.

According to note 5 for the US entry actions, the roll is only made once for each city, so retaking a city shouldn't affect US entry (unless it's a city which was held at the beginning of the scenario, so that a capture roll hasn't been done).