AI for MWiF - France

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

Good idea, although you can decide either that France will fall for sure (which this set-up infers) or that you will fight for it tooth and nail and if possible, exchange French ships for Italian ones.

The other problem is when you anticipate Vichy will be declared, ideally you want the Pacific CPs RTB'd before the Axis does it for you and if you want to keep them, they go to New Caledonia (otherwise the Axis will stick them all over the "other" places that are more likely to go Vichy of which Papeete is one).

Papeete is part of the same administration Group as New Caledonia (it is in the Pacific...). It goes with the same die roll. And the Axis may move those CP's into any port in the Pacific. I don't care at all where they go... 90% chance of becoming Free French is enough.

[Extraneous]

I thought we agreed that:
Free-French Chart* (Administration group: Die (% chance to become Free French))
1) Morocco (Capital: Rabat), Algeria (Capital: Algiers), and Tunisia (Capital: Tunis): 10 (10%)

2) French West Africa: 9–10 (20%)
French Guinea (Capital: Konakri), French Sudan (Capital: Bamako), Ivory Coast (Capital: Bingerville), Niger Colony (Capital: Niamey), Senegal (Capital: Dakar), Togo & Dahomey (Capital: Togo), Upper Volta (Capital: Oungadougou), and Mauretania (Capital: St. Louis)

3) Syria (Capital: Damascus): 9–10 (20%)

4) French Indo-China (Capital: Hanoi): 9–10 (20%)

5) Madagascar (Capital: Antanarivo): 8–10 (30%)

6) All Asian map minors & territories: 7–10 (40%)
Comoros Islands and Reunion Islands

7) French Equatorial Africa: 3–10 (80%)
Chad (Capital: Fort Lamy), Ubangi-Sharie (Capital: Bangui), Cameroons (Capital: Younde), Gabon (Capital: Libreville), Middle Congo (Capital: Brazzaville).

8) All Pacific map minors & territories: 2–10 (90%)
New Caledonia (territory) and all French Pacific islands

9) All other territories & minors: 9–10 (20%)
French Somaliland (Capital: Jibuti), French Guyana (Capital: Cayenne) (South America map) and all French islands on the Americas map

My Priority for CW capture or invasion of Vichy Territories
1) Syria for the 1 oil from Iraq.
2) French Indo-China to deny the 1 resource to Japan and Japanese alignment.
3) The major port at Dakar, Senegal for the 1 resource and the major port at Dakar.
4) Madagascar to deny Japanese alignment (after Japan aligns French Indo-China).
5) The major port at Papeete, French Polynesia (it helps with establishing Convoy lines to Noumea).
6) The minor port at Noumea, New Caledonia for the 1 resource.

ORIGINAL: Centuur
For France there is another possibility for setting up the French Cruisers. You can put the Algerie and four three range ones in Madagascar, and sail those to the Pacific (towards Australia and in the return to base step, you put them in New Caledonia/Papeete). The other cruisers can be set up in French Equatorial Africa at start (but save room for the TRS). Saves you the oil moving those there. Together with the CP in the pacific this surely means that all French ships there have the highest possible Free French survival possibility.

The CP in the Western Med for providing supply to French North Africa is only necessary when playing with limited overseas supply. If not, I tend to sail the French BB fleet out there when war comes with the Italians...

Madagascar, Comoros Islands, and Reunion Islands are on the Asia map on VASSAL is this different in WiF?

Papeete, French Polynesia is on the Americas map on VASSAL is this different in WiF?


Unless you play with free set up 24.4.7 The Global war: Sep/Oct 1939 ~ Jul/Aug 1945 set up is:
CA Lamotte-Picquet is the only French ship on the Asia map.
TRS and 10 CP can be on any map.
The rest of the French Fleet is on the Europe map.

If you were to sail 4 CA from Madagascar to the minor port of Noumea (New Caledonia):
When Vichy is established the 4 CA will be out of supply until the USA enters the war.
There would be no CP in the minor port of Noumea to establish a Convoy line the port would be full.

ORIGINAL: Just a to keep everyone on the same page
OVERSEAS SUPPLY PATHS
Any part of a basic or railway supply path can be traced overseas. You may only trace supply overseas once for each unit attempting to trace supply, regardless of how many secondary supply sources are used between the tracing unit and the primary supply source.

The sea portion of a supply path does not count against the maximum number of hexes permitted in the path. The port hex you trace the overseas supply path INTO does count against your 4 hex limit. However it always counts as only 1 hex, regardless of what map it is on or what terrain it contains.

To trace a basic supply path overseas, the unit must be in a coastal hex or trace the path via a port. To trace a railway path overseas, the secondary source must be in a coastal hex or trace the path via a port.

SiF option 11: (limited overseas supply) You can only trace a supply path overseas if each sea area you trace it through contains a friendly convoy, TRS or AMPH.

From the coastal hex or port, you trace the supply path via any number of consecutive sea areas to a friendly controlled port which is a supply source itself or from which you can continue the supply path overland to a supply source.

You cannot trace a supply path into a sea area that contains:
An enemy CV, SCS or aircraft unit with an air-to-sea factor;
Unless it also contains a surface naval unit, or aircraft unit with an air-to-sea factor, (SiF option 11: convoy, TRS, or AMPH only) controlled by any major power or minor country at war with that enemy unit.

You can’t trace a supply path between sea areas if one of your SCS couldn’t move between them (see 11.4.4 Naval movement restrictions). For example, Axis units can’t trace supply between the Western Mediterranean and Cape St. Vincent until Gibraltar is Axis controlled.

[paulderynck]

This may be a misunderstanding based on the differences in scale beween the board game WiF and MWIF which uses the European scale everywhere. We might need Steve to confirm whether the Admin Groups follow WiF which indeed would mean only a 20% chance for Papeete to go FF. (It's on the Americas map in WiF and thus in the "others" category.)

As for the set-up, when you play WiF with the Africa map, it is considered part of Europe for set-up purposes. (It says this in the set-up rules somewhere or other.) However Madagascar appears on the original Asia map too, and because of this I think it must be regarded as on the Asia map, not the Africa map, for set-up purposes.

[Extraneous]

In RAW7scenario.pdf it looks like Madagascar is on the Asia map just like VASSAL

[Extraneous]

Here is a link that shows all the WiF maps by expansions

AfA option 10: Territorial units must be set up in their home country. When randomly choosing a territorial to be placed on a map, you must pick a territorial that can set up on that map (e.g. Australians on the Pacific map). If you are playing with the Africa map (AfA/AsA option 1), “Europe” includes the African map.

24.4.1 Missed the Bus ~ The end of the beginning: Jul/Aug 1940 - Jul/Aug 1945

Free France is aligned with French Equatorial Africa and all French territories on the Pacific map;

Vichy France controls Metropolitan France (south of the Vichy border), and is aligned with Corsica, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Indo-China, French West Africa, Madagascar and all French territories on the Asian and American maps;

24.4.3 Waking giant ~ The USA enters the war: Nov/Dec 1941 ~ Jul/Aug 1945

Free France is aligned with French Equatorial Africa and all French territories on the Pacific map;

Vichy France controls Metropolitan France (south of the Vichy border), and is aligned with Corsica, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, French West Africa, Madagascar and all French territories on the Asian and American maps;

Madagascar is now highlighted in red.


Trust me on this, its my fault Steve doesn't know about Option 10 on RAW7sceanario.pdf

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Extraneous
AfA option 10: Territorial units must be set up in their home country. When randomly choosing a territorial to be placed on a map, you must pick a territorial that can set up on that map (e.g. Australians on the Pacific map). If you are playing with the Africa map (AfA/AsA option 1), “Europe” includes the African map.

That's the quote I was thinking of and good point that it only applies to Territorials. The more general rule from the Scenario booklet is:
"A set up that specifies “Europe”, “Asia”, “Pacific” or “America” means you can set up the listed units on that map(s)."

Which means the French fleet cannot set up further south than the ports in Morocco.

[Extraneous]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck


That's the quote I was thinking of and good point that it only applies to Territorials. The more general rule from the Scenario booklet is:
"A set up that specifies “Europe”, “Asia”, “Pacific” or “America” means you can set up the listed units on that map(s)."

Which means the French fleet cannot set up further south than the ports in Morocco.

Mogador, French Morocco in the west and Beriut, Syria in the east.

[Centuur]

Historically, French Polynesia became Free French in 1940, together with New Caledonia. A percentage of 20% doesn't do justice to this fact... We therefore always played that all French Islands in the Pacific Ocean (independent of the map) are in the New Caledonian group...

[Extraneous]

If Papeete, French Polynesia were on the Pacific map I wouldn't change my original set up because it would take to long to become useful.
1) From the major port of San Diego > 1 CP Austral > 1 CP East Pacific > 1 CP Mexican Coast > the major port of Papeete, French Polynesia.

The Convoy line would then have to be extended requiring 1 USA BP per turn for 3 turns to reach Noumea, New Caledonia.

2) From Austral > 1 CP South Pacific > 1 CP New Zealand Coast > 1 CP Coral Sea > the minor port to Noumea, New Caledonia.


By starting the 3 CP reserve in Noumea, New Caledonia I can create a Convoy line:
1) Lend lease 1 resource from the minor port to Noumea (New Caledonia) > 1 CP Coral Sea > to the major port of Brisbane (Australia) > and then by rail to Melbourne (Australia).

2) From the Coral Sea > 1 CP New Zealand Coast > 1 CP South Pacific to be extended when I have time, BP, and after Papeete, French Polynesia becomes Free French or the USA gets into the war.


If Papeete, French Polynesia and Noumea were the only administrative groups to go Free French I could sail the 3 CP from Noumea to Papeete to establish the Convoy line to the USA. This can only after the CW liberate Syria to Free France. The CW Lend leasing to Papeete would involve to many badly needed CW CP.

Q13.7-17 13.7.5 Q1: Prior to liberation of France is there any penalty for not reverting Vichy controlled territory to Free France?

Q2: After liberation, what are the consequences if the CW does not?

Q3: Is there any penalty for not liberating France other than France now being treated as red for Partisans?

Q1: There is no penalty until Paris is liberated.

Q2: If Free France's allies do not hand back the 1939 French territory they control at that point, they can no longer cooperate with France. Date 06/03/2008

Q3: No. Date 12/05/2008

13.7.5: If they could return territory but do not then they can never co-operate with the liberated major power. 12/05/2008

UPDATED VERSION 1.2 FOR THE FREE FRENCH

Scrap the 1914 TRS it's worthless this gives your average TRS a minimum of move 3 range 3 (you still can't get a TRS out of the Mediterranean if it's loaded).

If the Italian player has an INF guarding their fleet:

There are 3 minor ports in the French Equatorial Africa administration group: Pt Norie (Middle Congo) , Dualas, (Cameroons), and Libreville (Gabon)
So you can only have 12 ships in port in the French Equatorial Africa administration group.

Set up
1) Convoy line (2 CP) Dakar, Senegal (French West Africa admin group) > 1 CP Cape Verde Basin > 1 CP Cape St. Vincent > > to Cádiz, Spain
2) Convoy line (1 CP) 1 CP Western Mediterranean Sea to supply French North Africa.
3) Convoy reserve: 4 CP (counts as 2 ships) in the minor port of Pt Norie, Middle Congo French Equatorial Africa administration group (80% chance Free France retains 2 CP).
4) Convoy reserve: 3 CP (counts as 2 ships) in the minor port of Noumea, New Caledonia (All Pacific map minors & territories admin group) (90% chance Free France retains 3 CP).
5) CA Algérie, CA Dupleix, CA Foch, and CA Colbert (move 5 range 3) in the minor port of Mogador, French Morocco.
6) CL Gloire, CL Marseillaise, and CL Jean de Vienne (move 5 range 3) in the minor port of Casablanca, French Morocco.

First Impulse France chooses a Naval action.
CA Algérie CA Dupleix, CA Foch, and CL Jean de Vienne sail from the minor port of Mogador, French Morocco:
> Cape St. Vincent > Cape Verde Basin > Gulf of Guinea > to the minor port of Dualas, Cameroons French Equatorial Africa administration group

CA Colbert, CL Gloire, and CL Marseillaise sail from the minor port of Casablanca, French Morocco:
> Cape St. Vincent > Cape Verde Basin > Gulf of Guinea > to the minor port of Libreville, Gabon French Equatorial Africa administration group

TRS with the INF (move 3 range 3) sails from Syria to > Eastern Mediterranean Sea > Western Mediterranean Sea > Marseilles or Toulon
Now you can reorganize the TRS with HQ-I Billotte in France (11.18 Reorganization ~ 11.18.2 HQ reorganization).

Second Impulse
TRS and HQ-i Georges (move 3 range 3) sails from Marseilles or Toulon > Western Mediterranean Sea > Cape St. Vincent > Cape Verde Basin > the major port Dakar, Senegal.
Reorganize the TRS with HQ-i Georges.

Third Impulse
TRS (move 3 range 3) sails from the major port Dakar, Senegal to > Cape Verde Basin > Cape St. Vincent > Western Mediterranean Sea > to the major port Marseilles or Toulon.

13.5 Final reorganization step
OIL ~ TRS .1 CA Algérie .1 for HQ-I Billotte and Georges .8 TOTAL OIL .9
The rest of the Cruisers will not be able to be reorganized this turn.


Second turn
First Impulse
TRS and an INF (move 3 range 3) sails from the major port Marseilles or Toulon > Western Mediterranean Sea > Cape St. Vincent > Cape Verde Basin > the major port Dakar, Senegal.
Reorganize the TRS with HQ-I Georges.

Second Impulse
TRS and INF (move 3 range 3) sails from the major port Dakar, Senegal to:
> Cape Verde Basin > Gulf of Guinea > to the minor port of Libreville, Gabon French Equatorial Africa administration group.

Third turn
First Impulse
TRS (move 3 range 3) sails from the minor port of Libreville, Gabon to:
> Gulf of Guinea > Cape Verde Basin > to the major port Dakar, Senegal
Reorganize the TRS with HQ-I Georges.

Second Impulse
TRS and HQ-I Georges (move 3 range 3) sails from the major port Dakar, Senegal to:
> Cape Verde Basin > Gulf of Guinea > to the minor port of Libreville, Gabon French Equatorial Africa administration group.


If the CW liberates the major port at Dakar, Senegal my first build would be a CP for the 1 resource to be lend leased to the United Kingdom.

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

Historically, French Polynesia became Free French in 1940, together with New Caledonia. A percentage of 20% doesn't do justice to this fact... We therefore always played that all French Islands in the Pacific Ocean (independent of the map) are in the New Caledonian group...

Well of course you are free to do anything in the privacy of your games room as long as all are consenting adults and willing to break the rules.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

ORIGINAL: Centuur

Historically, French Polynesia became Free French in 1940, together with New Caledonia. A percentage of 20% doesn't do justice to this fact... We therefore always played that all French Islands in the Pacific Ocean (independent of the map) are in the New Caledonian group...

Well of course you are free to do anything in the privacy of your games room as long as all are consenting adults and willing to break the rules.

Why is there such a difference with Papeete, when the other die rolls are following the historical perspective? I don't see this as breaking the rules. Personally I think this is something which is an oversight when writing the rules and should be corrected. It is historically a fact that among the first territories to proclaim themselves Free French is French Polynesia. I think WiF is at fault if you put French Polynesia into the last category. I think someone should discuss this in the rules committee. Read the history books and conclude the same as I've done...

[paulderynck]

There are a number of other French possessions on the Americas map. What was their history? FREX Saint Pierre and Miquelon right off the coast of Canada, chose to stay loyal to Vichy. I doubt ADG was very interested in making a rule naming the fate of every single French possession. The roll by admin group and by map is a nice simple compromise. Not only that, but who says you have to totally duplicate history. Would you like to take the Axis in all the games if that were the case? What if the governor of Saint Pierre and Miquelon had been the governor of Tahiti instead?

But as I said you are free to make house rules and break the game rules as long as all players agree.

However it makes no sense to suggest AI strategies that violate the rules of the game.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

This may be a misunderstanding based on the differences in scale beween the board game WiF and MWIF which uses the European scale everywhere. We might need Steve to confirm whether the Admin Groups follow WiF which indeed would mean only a 20% chance for Papeete to go FF. (It's on the Americas map in WiF and thus in the "others" category.)

As for the set-up, when you play WiF with the Africa map, it is considered part of Europe for set-up purposes. (It says this in the set-up rules somewhere or other.) However Madagascar appears on the original Asia map too, and because of this I think it must be regarded as on the Asia map, not the Africa map, for set-up purposes.

I think you can figure out what the following mean. The first group are the labels the program generates for the various setup locations mentioned in WIF FE Section 30. The second group are little more verbose warning messages - these correspond roughly with the first set.

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 // ****************************************************************************
 // Descriptions for setup locations.
 // ****************************************************************************
   rsAfrica = 'Africa';
   rsAnywhere = 'Anywhere';
   rsAnywhereNotEnemyZOC = 'Any controlled hex not in enemy ZOC';
   rsEurope = 'Europe, Mid-East, Africa';
   rsComChineseSetup = 'China, within 9 hexes of a Communist city.';
   rsEuropeNotRumania = 'Europe, Mid-East, Africa (NOT Rumania)';
   rsEuropeUSSR = 'Europe';
   rsEuropeAsia = 'Europe, Mid-East, Africa, W. Asia';
   rsEuropeExcept = 'Eur, Mid-East, Afr (NOT Med/Black Sea/Persian G.)';
   rsEuropeMed = 'Europe, Mid-East, Africa: within Med';
   rsEuropePacificUSA = 'USA, Europe, Mid-East, Africa, Pacific';
   rsEuropeUSAEastCoast = 'Europe, Mid-East, Afr, USA East Coast';
   rsFascistTideReinforcement = 'Suez or Cape Town';
   rsOccupiedFrance = 'Occupied France';
   rsOccFrance = 'Occ. France';
   rsPacific = 'Western Pacific';
   rsAmerica = 'America, W. Atlantic, E. Pacific';
 

Code: Select all

   rsPacificAmerica = 'Pacific or America';
   rsPacificAsia = 'Asia or Western/Central Pacific';
   rsPacificUSA = 'Pacific or USA';
   rsPacificUSAChina = 'Pacific, USA, or China';
   rsPacificUSAWestCoast = 'Pacific or USA West Coast';
   rsSpecHex = 'Must set up in (%d, %d)';
   rsUSAEastCoast = 'USA East Coast';
   rsUSAWestCoast = 'USA West Coast';
   rsVichyFranceCorsica = 'Vichy France (includes Corsica)';
   rsWarlordHex = 'Within 6 hexes of (%d, %d)';
 

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 // ****************************************************************************
 // Setup warning messages.
 // ****************************************************************************
   rsSetupAfrica = 'You must place the units in Africa (includes Madagascar).';
   rsSetupAligned = 'You must place the units in their home country or in an ' +
                    'aligned minor country.';
   rsSetupCommunist = 'Units must set up within 9 hexes of a Communist Chinese' +
                      ' controlled city, but not in a Nationalist Chinese city.';
   rsSetupControl = 'You must control the hex or cooperate with its controller ' +
                    'to place a unit in a hex.';
   rsFactoryNeedsCity = 'You must place the factory in a city.';
   rsFactoryCityCapacity = 'The city cannot hold another factory.';
   rsOneFactoryOnly = 'You may only place one factory at a time.';
   rsSetupCountryCity = 'You must place the units in %s.';
   rsSetupEnemyUnit = 'You cannot place units on enemy units.';
   rsSetupEurope = 'You must place the units in Europe, the Mid-East, or Africa.';
   rsSetupEuropeNotRumania = 'You must place the units in Europe, Mid-East, or ' +
                             'Africa, but not Rumania.';
   rsSetupEuropeUSSR  = 'You must place the units in Europe.';
   rsSetupEuropeAsia = 'You must place the units in Europe, the Mid-East, ' +
                       'Africa, or Western Asia.';
   rsSetupEuropeMed = 'You must place the units in a Mediterranean port.';
   rsSetupEuropeNoMed = 'You must place the units in Europe, Mid-East, or ' +
                        'Africa, but NOT Med./Black Sea/Persian Gulf ports.';
   rsSetupEuropeUSAEastCoast = 'You must place the units in Europe, Mid-East, ' +
                               'Africa, or on the USA East coast.';
 

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   rsSetupOK = 'OK to set up.';
   rsSetupPacific = 'You must place the units in the Western Pacific.';
   rsSetupAmerica = 'You must place the units in America, Western Atlantic, ' +
                    'or Eastern Pacific.';
   rsSetupPacificAmerica = 'You must place the units in the Pacific or America.';
   rsSetupPacificAsia = 'You must place the units in Asia or the ' +
                        'Western/Central Pacific.  See Setup Rules.';
   rsSetupPacificUSA = 'You must place the units in the Pacific or in the USA.';
   rsSetupPacificUSAChina = 'You must place the units in the Pacific, the ' +
                            'USA, or China.';
   rsSetupPacificUSAWestCoast = 'You must place the units in the Pacific or ' +
                                'on the USA west coast.';
   rsSetupPartisan = 'Set up in enemy-controlled home country hex: %s';
   rsSetupPorts = 'You must place the units in a port on the specified sea ' +
                  'areas (%s).';
   rsSetupSeaArea = 'You cannot place these units in a sea area.';
   rsSetupSpecificHex = 'This unit must be placed in the specific hex %s.';
   rsSetupWarlordHex = 'This unit must be placed in a hex controlled by the ' +
                       'warlord''s major power and within 6 of %s.';
 

Code: Select all

   rsFranceOnly =
     'Units must be placed in a hex controlled by Free France or Vichy France.';
   rsSetupTerritorial = 'Territorial units must be set up in their home ' +
                        'country or territory.';
   rsSetupThisSeaArea = 'You cannot place these units in this sea area.';
   rsSetupUSAEastCoast = 'You must place the units on the USA east coast.';
   rsSetupUSAEuropePacific = 'You must place the units in the USA, Europe, ' +
                             'Mid-East, Africa, or the Western Pacific.';
   rsSetupUSAWestCoast = 'You must place the units on the USA west coast.';
   rsUnitToConstructionPool = '%s has been placed in the Construction Pool.';
   rsUnitToRemomvedPool =
     '%s can never arrive as a reinforcement and has been removed from the game.';
 

[Extraneous]

1) Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia (captured by Allies 1942)

2) French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française):
French Guinea (Guinée Française) Free French after Vichy collapse
French Sudan (Mali) Free French after Vichy collapse
Ivory Coast (Côte-d’Ivoire) Free French November 1942
Niger Colony Free French after Vichy collapse
Senegal Free French after Vichy collapse
Togo & Dahomey (today Bénin) Free French after Vichy collapse
Upper Volta (today Burkina) Free French July 1940
Mauretania Free French after Vichy collapse

3) Syria (occupied by the British July 1941)

4) French Indo-China (occupied by Japan September 1940)

5) Madagascar (occupied by the British turned over to the Free French)

6) All Asian map minors & territories
Reunion (Département et Collectivités d’Outre Mer (DOM) Réunion) (occupied by the British turned over to the Free French in Madagascar)
Comoros (Département et Collectivités d’Outre Mer (DOM) Mayotte) (occupied by the British turned over to the Free French in Madagascar)

7) French Equatorial Africa:
Cameroon Free French August 1940
Afrique Équatoriale Française (AEF)
Chad (Tchad) Free French August 1940
French Middle Congo (Moyen-Congo) Free French August 1940
Central African Republic (Oubangui-Chari) Free French August 1940
Gabon Free French November 1940

8) All Pacific map minors & territories:
New Caledonia Free French September 1940

9) All other territories & minors:
French Somaliland Free French December 1942
French Polynesia (Polynésie Française) Free French September 1940
Antilles Françaises
Département et Collectivités d’Outre Mer (DOM) Guadeloupe Free French 1943
Département et Collectivités d’Outre Mer (DOM) Martinique Free French 1943
French Guiana (Guyane) Free French 1943

[Extraneous]

UPDATED VERSION 1.3 FOR THE FREE FRENCH

Scrap the 1914 TRS it's worthless this gives your average TRS a minimum of move 3 range 3 (you still can't get a TRS out of the Mediterranean if it's loaded).

If the Italian player has an INF guarding their fleet:
You can set up French ships 2 minor ports in French Morocco (French West Africa admin group): Mogador (French Morocco) and Casablanca (French Morocco) .

While there are 3 minor ports in the French Equatorial Africa administration group: Pt Norie (Middle Congo) , Dualas (Cameroons) , and Libreville (Gabon) .
So you can only have 12 ships in port in the French Equatorial Africa administration group.

Set up
1) Convoy line (2 CP) from the major port of Dakar, Senegal (French West Africa admin group) > 1 CP Cape Verde Basin > 1 CP Cape St. Vincent > to Cádiz, Spain
2) Convoy line (1 CP) from the minor port of Pt Norie, Middle Congo (French Equatorial Africa administration group) > 1 CP Gulf of Guinea to supply French Equatorial Africa administration group.
3) Convoy line (1 CP) from Marseilles or Toulon, France > 1 CP Western Mediterranean Sea to supply French North Africa.
4) Convoy reserve: 3 CP (counts as 2 ships) in the minor port of Pt Norie (Middle Congo) (French Equatorial Africa administration group).
5) Convoy reserve: 3 CP (counts as 2 ships) in the minor port of Noumea (New Caledonia) (All Pacific map minors & territories admin group).
5) TRS, CA Foch and (move 5 range 3), and HQ-I Georges in the minor port of Mogador (French Morocco) (French West Africa admin group).
6) CA Colbert, CL Gloire, CL Marseillaise, and CL Jean de Vienne (move 5 range 3) in the minor port of Casablanca (French Morocco) (French West Africa admin group).
7) CL Montcalm and CL La Galisonnière (move 5 range 3) break down the INF into divisions in the major port of Beirut, (Syria) (Syria admin group).
8) CA Algérie (move 5 range 4) and CA Dupleix start in the major port of Marseilles or Toulon, France.

First Impulse France chooses a Naval action.
1) TRS, CA Foch, and HQ-I Georges sail from the minor port of Mogador, French Morocco:
> Cape St. Vincent > Cape Verde Basin > Gulf of Guinea > to the minor port of Libreville (Gabon) (French Equatorial Africa administration group).

2) CA Colbert, CL Gloire, CL Marseillaise, and CL Jean de Vienne sail from the minor port of Casablanca, French Morocco:
> Cape St. Vincent > Cape Verde Basin > Gulf of Guinea > to the minor port of Dualas (Cameroons) (French Equatorial Africa administration group).

3) CL Montcalm, CL La Galisonnière (move 5 range 3) and 2x INF sail from the major port of Beirut, Syria:
> Eastern Mediterranean Sea > Western Mediterranean Sea > to the major port of Marseilles or Toulon, France.

Second Impulse
1) CA Algérie (move 5 range 4) and 1x INF sail the major port of Marseilles or Toulon, France:
> Western Mediterranean Sea > Cape St. Vincent > Cape Verde Basin > Gulf of Guinea > to the minor port of Libreville (Gabon) (French Equatorial Africa administration group).

2) CA Dupleix (move 5 range 3) and 1x INF sail the major port of Marseilles or Toulon, France:
> Western Mediterranean Sea > Cape St. Vincent > Cape Verde Basin > to the minor port of Dakar, Senegal (French West Africa admin group).

13.5 Final reorganization step
TRS .1, CA .4, and CL .5 OIL = 1 OIL


Second turn
First Impulse
1) CA Dupleix (move 5 range 3) and 1x INF sail the minor port of Dakar, Senegal (French West Africa admin group):
> Cape Verde Basin > Gulf of Guinea > to the minor port of Libreville (Gabon) (French Equatorial Africa administration group).


Notes:
French Equatorial Africa administration group
1) Convoy line (1 CP) 1 CP is in the Gulf of Guinea to supply the French Equatorial Africa administration group.
2) Convoy reserve: 3 CP (counts as 2 ships) are in the minor port of Pt Norie (Middle Congo) .
3) CA Colbert, CL Gloire, CL Marseillaise, and CL Jean de Vienne are in the minor port of Dualas (Cameroons) .
4) TRS, CA Algérie, CA Dupleix, and CA Foch, HQ-I Georges and 2x divisions are in the minor port of Libreville (Gabon) .

1x TRS, 4x CA, 3x CL, and 4x CP (counts as 2 ships).

Total Ships: 10


If the fall of France is imminent you can take the CP's from Cape Verde Basin and Cape St. Vincent and place them in Pt Norie (Middle Congo) (French Equatorial Africa administration group).

This will count as 1 ship toward port capacity and save you the trouble of having to build 2x CP.

This would bring the total number of ships in French Equatorial Africa administration group up to 11.

The only other ship I would like to get to the Free French would be the 1934 SUB (Minerve class submarines) but there is only a 25% chance getting it in set up and only 33% chance of constructing it.


I thought about flying French aircraft out to the French Equatorial Africa administration group but rejected the idea.

It is an option but would be a bad idea if the French Equatorial Africa administration group went Vichy.

[paulderynck]

About scrapping the TRS - I recommend not to. France starts with 5 and one of these must be on the board. You won't be building any because the priority will be land and air units to keep France alive as long as possible. If Vichy is declared in 1940 you'll therefore have 6 in your Force Pool by then. This gives FF the ability to build 3 TRS and it is invaluable late in the game to have a FF with the maximum sea lift because then the US and CW need to take less naval moves. If you have 5 in the Force Pool, you'll only get two of them for FF.

There's only a 20% chance of getting the 2 range guy and if you follow a more conservative strategy of using the TRS to bring back a couple units to France from Syria/North Africa in 1939, that unit can do it anyway. If it's in the Force Pool, and France is around in JF41, then you can scrap it.

So if Vichy happens in 1940 and you can get the onboard TRS to French Equatorial Africa, then you could end up with a FF that has 6 TRS and 5 Amph in JF44 ! Even a 2-range TRS can be very useful for the Wallies late in the game. Besides lift it can re-org a good TRS or Amph in one of FF's many Naval actions.

[Extraneous]

Assuming you get average die rolls on the Free French cart.

The chance you will have a Free French TERR:
In the French West Africa Administration Group 25%.
In the French Equatorial Africa Administration Group 25%.
In the All Pacific map minors & territories Administration Group 33%.

That's 50% on the Europe and Africa maps and 33% on the Asia/Pacific maps.

The chance you will have a Vichy French TERR:
In the French North Africa Administration Group 25%.
In the Syria Administration Group 100% and 12.5% for a second.
In the French Indo-China Administration Group 33%.
In the Madagascar Administration Group 33%.

That's 37.5% on the Europe and Africa maps, 12.5% in Syria, and 66% on the Asia/Pacific maps.

[paulderynck]

And anywhere there is one, they disappear when Vichy is declared (and must be built again by Vichy) unless a real French unit is also there, so it really doesn't matter too much what the odds are of where they start. Some of the near ones even end up in France before it falls.

[Extraneous]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

About scrapping the TRS - I recommend not to. France starts with 5 and one of these must be on the board. You won't be building any because the priority will be land and air units to keep France alive as long as possible. If Vichy is declared in 1940 you'll therefore have 6 in your Force Pool by then. This gives FF the ability to build 3 TRS and it is invaluable late in the game to have a FF with the maximum sea lift because then the US and CW need to take less naval moves. If you have 5 in the Force Pool, you'll only get two of them for FF.

There's only a 20% chance of getting the 2 range guy and if you follow a more conservative strategy of using the TRS to bring back a couple units to France from Syria/North Africa in 1939, that unit can do it anyway. If it's in the Force Pool, and France is around in JF41, then you can scrap it.

So if Vichy happens in 1940 and you can get the onboard TRS to French Equatorial Africa, then you could end up with a FF that has 6 TRS and 5 Amph in JF44 ! Even a 2-range TRS can be very useful for the Wallies late in the game. Besides lift it can re-org a good TRS or Amph in one of FF's many Naval actions.

Very well reasoned.

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

And anywhere there is one, they disappear when Vichy is declared (and must be built again by Vichy) unless a real French unit is also there, so it really doesn't matter too much what the odds are of where they start. Some of the near ones even end up in France before it falls.

17.3 Units
FRENCH UNITS
The Axis major power installing the Vichy Government now moves every French controlled unit at sea (even those face-down) to the nearest Vichy or Free French hex (port for naval units and their cargoes) within range in which they may stack. If naval units cannot return to a port within range, they are destroyed.

Next, the same player moves every French controlled land or aircraft unit in a hex controlled by an Axis major power to the nearest hex controlled by Vichy France or Free-France. Rebase every French controlled naval unit in such a hex to the nearest port within DOUBLE their range controlled by Vichy France or Free France. They are destroyed if this is not possible.

The same player moves any French controlled units in hexes controlled by an Allied major power. French controlled naval units rebase at double their range, and French controlled land and air units are moved to the nearest Vichy France or Free-French hex. Alternatively, an Allied major power can destroy every French controlled unit in its territory. If it does so, Vichy France is HOSTILE to that major power (see 17.5 Combat with Vichy).

Move all French controlled non-naval units and markers on the production circle to Metropolitan Vichy France. If you are playing with 14.6 Pilots (PiF option 28), you can only move an aircraft for each French pilot on the production circle or the pilot track (Vichy player’s choice). Any un-piloted aircraft on the production circle and reserve pool, or unused pilots on the circle or track, are lost.

Now, place in the force pools all French controlled ‘Res’ and ‘Mil’ units and half their other land and aircraft units (taken together) from Metropolitan Vichy France and each administration group controlled by Vichy France. The player running Vichy France can choose which to remove. If you are playing with 14.6 Pilots (PiF option 28), the pilot is lost with each removed aircraft.

All units controlled by France that are still in Vichy territory are now controlled by Vichy.

All other French controlled units are Free French. French controlled NAVAL units on the production circle, in the repair pool or in the construction pool remain there as Vichy French units. They may be built using whatever production Vichy France retains.

Randomly remove half the units now in each French force pool (AfA Option 10: except territorial units) from the game.

AfA option 10 (22.4.5 Territorials (AfA option 10)): All Territorials belonging to a minor country or territory controlled by Vichy France are removed from the French force pools and placed in a separate Vichy force pool.

All units left in the force pools, or that enter them from now on (AfA Option 10: except teritorial units), are Free French units (so every Vichy loss will become a Free French gain).

All units left in the force pools, or that enter them from now on (AfA Option 10: except teritorial units), are Free French units (so every Vichy loss will become a Free French gain).

If the French HQ ‘De Gaulle’ is neither in a hex controlled by Free France nor the French force pools, move it to the French force pools.

Are you talking about the French force pools?

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

Now, place in the force pools all French controlled ‘Res’ and ‘Mil’ units and half their other land and aircraft units (taken together) from Metropolitan Vichy France and each administration group controlled by Vichy France. The player running Vichy France can choose which to remove. If you are playing with 14.6 Pilots (PiF option 28), the pilot is lost with each removed aircraft.

Are you talking about the French force pools?

What I mean is any Admin group/named country where there is one Territorial by itself when Vichy is declared, it will disappear as per the above bolded portion of the quote.
Vichy only has Territorials in its Force Pool from the Vichy minor countries and most likely will have to rebuild any that it wants to put on the board. Thus it matters little for Vichy where the Territorials go on set-up along with the odds for wherever.