My Historical Global War AAR #3.

[rkr1958]

Sep/Oct 1939. Country Economic Reports.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Also, there's one other thing that's been nagging at me. I had "advanced" to playing with the 2D10 CRTs but for this game and AAR decided to go back to the 1D10 CRTs. What I learned (or think I learned) was that the 1D10 CRTs de-emphasizes the value of offensive ground strikes and disorganization results in favor of ground support and just adding factors to the attack. For me, ground strikes in support of land combat just felt more realistic than using factors to increase the combat odds. But maybe that's just me.

So, I've decide to stop this AAR (which I'm going to rename), apply what you've all taught me and restart another game. Right now I think I'm going to hold off doing an AAR on my re-start. However, if it's ok with you guys, I would like to post from time to time for advice and criticism from you, the experts. I find it all invaluable to improving my play and understanding this game.

And I see it as the 2d10 table devalues combat odds and ground support. [:D]

[Orm]

Edit: I removed my original post since that had already been discussed.

The Axis side usually has a oil shortage in the end game and can suffer greatly from lack of oil. Allies seldom has any lack of oil. With the oil rule Axis often need to produce synth oil and that is BPs that can be put to better use in games without oil.

And in oil games with aggressive Axis play the Axis production is often reduces early on if they want to reorganize all their units. CW, on the other hand, can often save oil in their home country to help keeping their factories running if their convoy lines gets cut during the last impulse of the turn.

Of the Major Powers in the game Italy is the nation that is affected the most if oil is in play or not. Using the Italian fleet costs huge amounts of oil that Italy do not have.

It is my humble opinion that the oil rule greatly favour the Allied side.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

Setup - Southern China.

The Nationalist Chinese player knowing that the Japanese player had a preference for setting up and going after the communist Chinese in the north decidde on an aggressive and forward deployment. Unfortunately in their zeal to setup the Nationalist Chinese player forgot to deploy a unit to block a Japanese crossing from Hainan. A grave error and one which the Japanese decided to exploit. Strong forces under the command of Umezu are setup in the south. This game, the Japanese will began their focus on the Nationalist with the goal of wiping them from the map.

With this many Chinese units in the South I would have considered going for Changsha first and attempt to trap the Chinese Army in the south. With units advancing north from Hainan it might even had become a pocket of trapped nationalist units.

[AlbertN]

Way to get chinese troops eaten by shore bombing!

[TeaLeaf]

@rkr:
I saw that you play 2d10CRT now instead of 1d10. I found the 1d10 and 2d10 very, very different in play.
For example: with 1d10, Russia can build up quite strong defensive river lines. with the 2d10, Germany can build up strong 'wandering stacks of super units' (providing a lot +1's) to whatever attack they want to do. I found it impossible to defend (effectively) against this with Russia, other than just constantly counterattacking from the start of Barbarossa (hurray for Zhukov + his offensive chit). So from my experience, the 1d10 allows a more defensive playstyle while the 2d10 forces a more offensive mindset upon you. Be prepared .

Regarding the oil rule:
I am undetermined about where (and for whom) the true advantage lies. I reckon the allies need to save a lot MORE oil (for all their ships) than the axis and once Russia starts requiring resources as aid, I think the allies need to make some difficult choices. If playing without oil they can have max production, send enough aid to Russia and 'fuel' all their units. With the oil rule, I feel one of those 3 things has to suffer. Compared to playing without oil, this looks like a set back. On the axis side, Italy has a problem with saving oil, costing them about 1BP/turn and the same for Japan. I have not seen Germany with oil problems yet. They can have maximum production and save enough oil as well. It must be said though, I prefer the 1d10CRT, for less disorganized units on both sides, wich may help germany here.

Then again, it has been a while since I played, but now with MWIF I plan to play a bit more. Less time to set up (and clean up after gaming).

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Orm
With this many Chinese units in the South I would have considered going for Changsha first and attempt to trap the Chinese Army in the south. With units advancing north from Hainan it might even had become a pocket of trapped nationalist units.

ORIGINAL: Cohen

Way to get chinese troops eaten by shore bombing!

Fortunately for the Chinese Player, the Japanese Player is just as bad as he is. [:D]

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Orm
And I see it as the 2d10 table devalues combat odds and ground support. [:D]

ORIGINAL: TeaLeaf
@rkr:
I saw that you play 2d10CRT now instead of 1d10. I found the 1d10 and 2d10 very, very different in play.
For example: with 1d10, Russia can build up quite strong defensive river lines. with the 2d10, Germany can build up strong 'wandering stacks of super units' (providing a lot +1's) to whatever attack they want to do. I found it impossible to defend (effectively) against this with Russia, other than just constantly counterattacking from the start of Barbarossa (hurray for Zhukov + his offensive chit). So from my experience, the 1d10 allows a more defensive playstyle while the 2d10 forces a more offensive mindset upon you. Be prepared .

Very Interesting. [;)]

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Allied #1 & Axis #4 Impulse Pair.

Allied #1

1. For the initiative the axis roll a 6 modified to a 7. The allies roll a 7 and win (ties) the first roll. The axis elect not to re-roll and the allies elect to move first.

2. USSR claims Bessarabia and Germany allows the claim.

3. RAF strategic bombers hit Hamburg (2 units) and Berlin (1 unit). The raids are very effective, even in the snow, and reduce German production by 4 PP's.

4. French strategic bombers hit Munich (1 unit) and have no effect.

Allied #4

5. Germany allows Bulgaria's and Hungary's claims against Romania.

6. Germany aligns Hungary. The US seems not to care (i.e., the US does not react).

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Allied #7 & Axis #10 Impulse Pair.

Allied #7.

(Nothing to report).

Axis #10.

7. Germany aligns Bulgaria. The US takes notice and an entry chit is added to the Germany/Italy entry pool.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Allied #13 Impulse.

8. The turn ends with a roll of 3 against a 70% chance of ending.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Units Destroyed.

A fairly tame turn with action limited to Southern China.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Southern (Nationalist) China.

Chaing as his Nationalist Chinese forces are on the run.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Northern China and Korea.

Yamamato and Terachi are on the march and hope to soon take the Nationalist held city of Chengchow. After that they plan to move southeast to put more pressure on the Nationalist. For now, it looks like the communist Chinese can relax. But that may change as the situation dictates.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Malaya. Partisan.

A partisan pops up in Malaya and seizes control of a non-oil resource being shipped to England. The CW replaces the lost non-oil resource with an oil one being shipped and previously saved to England. The CW decides to return to various bases the 8 CPs that were being used to ship the lost resource, which now gives them a reserve of 18 CPs. The CW currently has 93 CPs in use.

In retrospect the partisan would have be better placed in Singapore. It would have been much better protected by the fort and would still deny the non-oil resource the CW. It will be moved there as soon as possible.

P.S. After looking at the situation I think the better place to move the partisan is to Kuala Lumpur where it will deny two non-oil resources to the CW.

P.S.S. What a dummy I am! I moved the partisan thinking that it would exert a ZOC on both resources and, thus deny both to the CW. But the partisan only exerts a ZOC on the hex it occupied. So I moved the partisan to Kuala Lumpur, which disorganized it, and which gave both resources back to the CW.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Eastern Europe.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. The Western Front and Poland.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. US Entry Options.

The US adds a chit to the Japanese entry pool. They desire, in order, options 13, 15 and 7 for their next three choices. They choose no option as they don't have the level for their next choice (i.e., option 13).

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Use Oil. Japan.

Japan chooses not to reorganize 6 naval units in order not to have to consume any oil this turn.

[rkr1958]

Nov/Dec 1939. Use Oil. CW.

At the other end of the spectrum the CW is burning the midnight oil and then some.