MWiF Global War Hot-Seat (AAR)

[Red Prince]

The ones that present no risk should be DoW'd by just the CW, because depending on which chits are lost you can then do it again the next impulse with the French, but more selectively - even only one per impulse, because now the axis can't DoW them (which is why the axis probably should not align them when the CW DOWs them and thus they surrender). If they remain available for a French DoW, then you can "fine tune" the attempt to lower the entry level.

This is actually backwards, I think. Once a DOW is made on a minor, it is either aligned or surrenders and can't be DOWed again.

I think what would be a better option if I were to do this, is to dow a single minor per impulse . . . the first (Yemen, since it is a true threat to the Alies) get's DOWed by all 3 majors. If that doesn't do the trick, but it comes close, the next impulse Tibet can be DOWed by 1 or 2 majors, etc.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Orm

I would begin to dow at 30% or 40% chance once or twice a turn. And go for moving the maximum number of chits to the tension pool. I would not do any extra war declarations for the Allies. Lets keep all those US entry chits and put them to use.

EDIT: You can work a long time to get to a 80% chance to DOW and still fail. Lets put some presure on the Axis nerves and b egin with DOWs. Before US had to few markers to risk DOW on low odds. Thanks to the Axis US no longer has this trouble.

DOW away and lets roll those dies. [:D]

I suppose this isn't too unreasonable, but the Tension Pools have a total of only 7 chits at the moment, I think. One failed DOW could easily drop the percentages down too far, and there are a lot of low chits in the Entry Pools.

Then begin with this next turn when you have more tension chits.

Edit: If you make a DOW on 40% against Japan and a DOW against Germany (and Italy) on 30% there is a decent chance US enters the WAR. The chance to DOW again may be reduced for this turn but is most likely back to at least 30% next turn. Then you DOW both again. Sooner or later one of those 30% die rolls are going to succeed. While you do this work towards unlimited naval warfare option and lets see how long Japan dare to wait and DOW US.

[Red Prince]

Reltaed, somewhat to the above:

I've been comparing the unified map to the paper map, and I'm wondering what to do with China in terms of Partisans.

On the paper map, I think 7 units (without using Option 4) is all you need to ZOC all important hexes in China so that Partisans don't appear in them. They might show up somehwere else, but they won't mess with your Production right before it happens.

I haven't counted it out, but I can tell you it takes a lot more than 7 units to ZOC all of your Chinese hexes required for use and transport of resources for production. The other option, to keep the Partisan number low, is just as bad. Now that I'm moving units out of China to fight on other fronts, I'm worried that I'm going to end up losing all of China to Partisan units . . . or that I won't have the forces to attack and reinforce newly acquired areas. I guess we'll see what happens.

[Red Prince]

Getting back to the war, I'm trying to figure out a Soviet response to the German victories. I haven't figured out the North or East yet, but this is what I'm considering for Soviet moves around Bessarabia:

Each arrow represents the top unit only (the only one that can move in each case). The MTN is, sadly, going to have to serve as a speed bump . . . or it can move into Cernauti. But if there is snow next impulse, Poland will be a thing of the past for the German troops, and the Ukraine will be very much in trouble (more trouble, I mean). The Division keeps the MTN in supply, and the other INF moves to build a better defense at Odessa. Or, it could move only 1 hex to the SE, keeping the stack it's in now supplied even if/when Chisinau falls.

[Red Prince]

Here's why I haven't figured out what to do up north:

[Red Prince]

And not much to work with in Persia, either:

[Orm]

How about something like this? (Green)

[Orm]

Edit: This is in regards to Persia but I forgot to include the original post.[:(]

Move towards the Axis units into the mountains with the CAV to try and slow the Germans down with ZOC.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Reltaed, somewhat to the above:

I've been comparing the unified map to the paper map, and I'm wondering what to do with China in terms of Partisans.

On the paper map, I think 7 units (without using Option 4) is all you need to ZOC all important hexes in China so that Partisans don't appear in them. They might show up somehwere else, but they won't mess with your Production right before it happens.

I haven't counted it out, but I can tell you it takes a lot more than 7 units to ZOC all of your Chinese hexes required for use and transport of resources for production. The other option, to keep the Partisan number low, is just as bad. Now that I'm moving units out of China to fight on other fronts, I'm worried that I'm going to end up losing all of China to Partisan units . . . or that I won't have the forces to attack and reinforce newly acquired areas. I guess we'll see what happens.

If you let partisans appear on the old map then they are placed where Japan has a hard time to get them. This increase the odds for more partisans to appear. And when the Allies feel they have enough partisans they move them down and annoy Japan.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Orm

How about something like this? (Green)

I don't know about the CAV move here. He'll end up disorganized and an easy kill. Where he is now, he can't be reached yet (unless it snows). So maybe. I don't know. Anyone else have thoughts?
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I've also been looking at the CW situation. They have to spend 10 BP after this turn to build 2 more HQs. They can save Colombo, but can't do much else for reinforcing against the Japanese other than getting a few TERR units into India. That's in addition to sending Alexander and another Corps to the Arctic (but without enough range to actually move into Murmansk yet). The need for a Naval Action means the forces in E. Africa can't start the trek north yet. Maybe next impulse.

The Burma TERR can start to threaten Siam, but the threat is small and is sure to be countered. Don't know yet where I'm going to send the fleet from Aden. Part of it needs to go to the Coral Sea for convoy escorts, but the rest will be too small to attack the Japanese and should probably be used for blocking further action into the Indian Ocean.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Orm

How about something like this? (Green)

I don't know about the CAV move here. He'll end up disorganized and an easy kill. Where he is now, he can't be reached yet (unless it snows). So maybe. I don't know. Anyone else have thoughts?
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I've also been looking at the CW situation. They have to spend 10 BP after this turn to build 2 more HQs. They can save Colombo, but can't do much else for reinforcing against the Japanese other than getting a few TERR units into India. That's in addition to sending Alexander and another Corps to the Arctic (but without enough range to actually move into Murmansk yet). The need for a Naval Action means the forces in E. Africa can't start the trek north yet. Maybe next impulse.

The Burma TERR can start to threaten Siam, but the threat is small and is sure to be countered. Don't know yet where I'm going to send the fleet from Aden. Part of it needs to go to the Coral Sea for convoy escorts, but the rest will be too small to attack the Japanese and should probably be used for blocking further action into the Indian Ocean.

The CAV can be easily killed there but since he is in forrest he can not be overrun. So it slows down the Axis advance. 4 defence in swamp is not much of defence either. And if it is snow he is dead.

[composer99]

I think you leave the CAV in swamps in the USSR proper. At least get the Germans advancing into USSR territory for the production bump (although if they don't take both Cernauti & Chisinau this turn you'll earn it from Bessarabia).

[Centuur]

In the south I would:
I would move the CAV into the woods. It is a nice speed bump.
I would move the MTN into the woods NE of where he is now.
I would move two units in the hex NE of Chisinau into the port of Nikolajew, one should go into the green direction.
Any units capable of moving in Odessa should also withdraw towards the river Dnjepr. Don't defend Odessa. Just rail the factory out into a nice place somewhere in the middle of Siberia or Murmansk.

In the north: Leave Vilna and move that INF into the forest hex two hexes north. The German front will stall for an impulse
by doing this. Also you might consider moving one of the GAR in Riga into the forest hex to the SE or use the spare railmove to move one of those GAR to another city (Novgorod?).
Move Yeremenko one hex East into Vitebsk (run away...).
It doesn't look to bad in the north at all, IMHO.

I don't like the positions of the Russian oil depots at all. They should have been in central Siberia. If possible: use them for production and save other oil from the Caucasus in central Siberia (I don't know if this is allowed in the rules...).

Now: I don't know the exact positions of the German FTR's: but always keep looking for nasty ground strikes on German units out of FTR range.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Centuur

RAW:

If Rumania allows the claim, it stays neutral and Bessarabia becomes
part of the USSR for all purposes until the USSR controls no hex in
Bessarabia. At that point, Bessarabia again becomes part of Rumania.

Increase a major power’s production multiple by 0.25 if there is an in
supply enemy unit in the major power’s current home country (an
unconquered UK only in the case of the Commonwealth and not
Siberia in the case of the USSR).

Increase a major power’s production multiple by 0.25 if an enemy unit
took part during the turn in a land attack (not overrun) against any
friendly land unit (including partisans and notional units) in the major
power’s current home country (an unconquered UK only in the case of
the Commonwealth and not Siberia in the case of the USSR).

The key of this is indeed the word "current". This means that the USSR shouldn't get the multipliers if you don't move any units into the USSR and don't attack any unit in the USSR itself. I wonder if this has been playtested. If not, this might be worth saving and tested for seperately.

However: the Germans shouldn't stop the attack to avoid this multiplier. You are pressed for time...

I think you're right. I will create a save before entering the USSR proper, so that I can find out how this works in the game.

When you attacked units in Bessarabia they were currently in the home country of USSR so that multiplier should be gained regardless if Bessarabia returns to Romania or not later on.

Just looked at the FAQ...

Q13.6-7 13.6.3
19.6.2
Does USSR get a +0.25 for attack within home country for Bessarabia if at turn end Bessarabia is controlled by Germany?
Yes, assuming Soviets claimed and annexed Bessarabia. Date 28/12/2007

Q13.6-8 13.6.3
19.6.2
Does USSR get a +0.25 for unit within home country for Bessarabia if at turn end Bessarabia is controlled by Germany?
No. Date 28/12/2007

Interesting. You get an increase for an attack in the home country, but no increase for a unit in the home country...

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

In the south I would:
I would move the CAV into the woods. It is a nice speed bump.
I would move the MTN into the woods NE of where he is now.
I would move two units in the hex NE of Chisinau into the port of Nikolajew, one should go into the green direction.Any units capable of moving in Odessa should also withdraw towards the river Dnjepr. Don't defend Odessa. Just rail the factory out into a nice place somewhere in the middle of Siberia or Murmansk.

The top unit is the only one capable of moving. The other two got Ground Struck and flipped.

In the north: Leave Vilna and move that INF into the forest hex two hexes north. The German front will stall for an impulse
by doing this. Also you might consider moving one of the GAR in Riga into the forest hex to the SE or use the spare railmove to move one of those GAR to another city (Novgorod?).
Move Yeremenko one hex East into Vitebsk (run away...).
It doesn't look to bad in the north at all, IMHO.

I don't like the positions of the Russian oil depots at all. They should have been in central Siberia. If possible: use them for production and save other oil from the Caucasus in central Siberia (I don't know if this is allowed in the rules...).

I don't know which Oil Depots you mean. My starting 3 Oil Points I placed in Moscow, Sevastapol, and Leningrad . . . so that those cities would have Oil, even if Isolated from the rest of the Empire (Hero Cities). Other than that, I think I've been building up in Stalingrad and farthur back.

Now: I don't know the exact positions of the German FTR's: but always keep looking for nasty ground strikes on German units out of FTR range.

Obviously all German HQs are targets, but I am pretty sure all of them have FTR cover at the moment. I also tried not to create too many multi-unit stacks with the Germans outside of FTR converage.
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Edit: I forgot to mention that Novgorod is already covered by a 5-3 INF. If I was going to rail the GARR out of Riga, I'd want to put him somwhere more useful. In this weather, I think the forest SE of Riga is probably a better position.

[Red Prince]

Thought you might like to see how Polish Units and Interned Units get added to the CW Force Pools. I'll explain the Soviet DOW on Yemen in the next post.

[Red Prince]

USSR DOW Italy; USE-
CW DOW Yemen; USE-
CW adds Interned Units
France DOW Yemen; USE-
USSR DOW Yemen; USE-

These are the DOWs I'm making this impulse. The 2 that are in bold I consider to be legitimate DOWs based on potential threats. The other 2 are "gamey". The reason I'm telling you this now, before rolling for the US Entry, is that the "expected" number of chits removed here will be 5.4, but I am going to rig it so that all 7 chits get removed. However, which chits are removed I am going to leave to random die rolls. I am doing this to counter the "gamey" DOW of China by Germany. If this were a FTF game, this series of DOWs would again tell the Axis that Entry is too high, and that they would be wise to boost it again.

This isn't a FTF game. I made a mistake by including that single "gamey" DOW by Germany. This is the best I can do to resolve that matter and to move on, after which I will not make any more "gamey" DOWs by either side. Yes, the overall effect wll be a slight increase in the Ge/It Entry Pool of 1-2 chits. But my intention was not to create a cycle of pointless DOWs. I'm going to pretend everyone is stupid on both sides, and that they don't realize that either that DOW or these DOWs are manipulations of the US Entry levels. After that point, I hope you will all agree that Pandora's box is as near closed as can be, and that we can move on without any more talk of "gamey" play.
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First, though, I want all of you loyal followers of this AAR to know where my frustration about this discussion came from: I stated on a number of occassions that I didn't want Germany to go to war until there was Fine weather to use . . . and at the very minimum, there had to be fine weather in the South. I've been planning a combined DOW on the USSR by Japan and Germany for several turns, now, and I began positioning my units on both fronts to be ready for a M/J '41 start to the festivities. That's why I gave everyone about 36 hours to weigh in on their thoughts about a Chinese Surrender, because it could really screw with the war preparations.

The overall feeling I got from the forum members who posted, though, was that China should fight on (by a vote of 4-2), and that Germany should DOW the USSR at the first reasonable moment, even if that meant Snow in the Arctic. I've said before, and I'll say again now, that I want you all to feel like you are contributing to the game, and that many decisions would be based on the views of the forum. So, instead of the M/J '41 Barbarossa that I would have preferred, I took advantage of a good enough weather roll to start the party early.

Given the fact that Japan was a turn short of being fully prepared to go to war, and that Germany was still slightly out of position, I think it was an exciting impulse on both fronts, with crushing victories in Bessarabia, and extraordinary gains by Japan with less than optimal forces. Frankly, I think I adapted my strategic plans extremely well to fit the desires of the forum as a whole.

Now, I'll explain my frustration: I truly believe that under the circumstances, I played the impulse well, and there was a lot that might have been discussed concerning the invasion choices and the Soviet defenses. Instead, all I heard about was that I used a "gamey" tactic to manipulate US Entry. With all of the enthusiasm over the last several days concerning the upcoming BIG EVENT, I was disappointed by this. I altered my plans to fit your suggestions, and I still got the job done. Frankly, everyone likes a pat on the back now and then. This felt like a slap in the face instead, and I was not expecting it at all.

So, I hope my solution will allow us all to put this behind us and refocus on the actual game being played. I will continue to adapt my strategies based on suggestions from the forum (unless they are physically impossible), and I will continue to ask for advice and opinions. I really don't want this game to deteriorate into an exchange of DOWs that mean nothing from a military standpoint. I'd rather hear opinions on what to do with the forces I have (because we all know I need help where defenses are concerned) than to hear opinions on which "gamey" DOW I need to make next.

Thank you for letting me explain my feelings on this, and I hope you'll agree this round of "gamey" (and pre-determined US Entry altering) DOWs is a suitable solution.

-Aaron
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Edit: My original chit calculations were incorrect.

[Centuur]

Looking at the Chisinau unit capable to move: I would suggest a move towards Nikolajev, since that is the best way that unit might survive another impulse (if reinforced by units from Odessa, he can withdraw further into the Crimea - read Sevastopol - or along the Dnjepr river next impulse).

I indeed ment the Oil in Stalingrad and Moscow. It looks nice to have oil in hero cities, however: hero cities should be occupied by non oil depending units. Or are you planning on sacrificing ARM or MECH in those cities? If so: that's not a smart move. The USSR can come back out of the Caucasus and Siberia, if the expensive HQ's, ARM, MECH and the airforce will survive. Places like Stalingrad and Moscow haven't got any defensive value at all, apart from being fought over in a few impulses, slowing down the German advance...

[Red Prince]

Impulse: 3
USSR DOW Italy; USE-1 (-4 chits, 14 of 16 [3], 13 of 15 [3], 8 of 14 [1], 2 of 13 [1]) Actual Roll = 10 (-3 chits)
CW DOW Yemen; USE-1 (-1 chit, 9 of 12 [3]) Actual Roll = 6 (-1 chit)
CW adds Interned Units
CW adds Polish Units (MECH and MOT)
France DOW Yemen; USE-1 (-1 chit, 4 of 11 [1]) Actual Roll = 3 (-1 chit)
USSR DOW Yemen; USE-1 (-1 chit, 2 of 10 [1]) Actual Roll = 3 (-1 chit)

As it turned out, I only had to "cheat" on one roll to get the required results to even up the "gamey" play. Below you can see the results. I will give fair warning, though, that Italy still needs to finish "cleaning up the Med", which means the Madeira Islands, Cyprus, and Crete (which will require a DOW) need to be gathered in. Right now, all 3 are OOS and therefore useless for the enemy to use as attack platforms, but they can still be used to rebase aircraft. So, when it comes time to DOW Crete, please do not view that as "gamey". It's a legitimate target for an Axis DOW. It is not a legit target for an Allied DOW -- yet -- because they have no way to exploit the DOW.

Looking at the results below, can we agree that this has been cleared up and not continue talking about DOWs on Liberia, Tibet, et al . . . unless they atually become legitimate military targets?

[Centuur]

On US entry, I agree on other players advise that if the percentage is 40% or better for both nations, you should attempt both DOW's in the same DoW impulse with the USA. Sure, if both rolls aren't succesfull, it isn't nice. If one succeeds, that increases the opportunity of the other one for the future, thus compensating the loss of the chits. And imagine the houses of Parliament in the USA being enraged by the Axis betrayal and both rolls succeed. Well isn't that nice...