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notes from reading your whole AAR

1 thanks!

2 a German ally blew a gasket one time when my Italians scrapped their ATR bombers. I think he was right.

3 Courtenay is absolutely correct that Chengchow is the key to the ChiComm position. The Nationalists should defend it with 2 Armies, _and_ their infantry division in my opinion. If there is a lot of good weather in the N. Temperate on the first turn, Mao can be in trouble quickly, and Si-An is a major objective for the Japanese. So is Lan-Chow and the ChiComms are in a fragile state at start.

I see a lot MWiF players who defend the Han River line with the Nationalists but I can’t see any reason why. The Japanese can not advance through this area as there is no east-west rail link, and an advance on that axis leads nowhere anyway (follow the money - BPs and Resources) …

4 re: the pre-game discussion on France having no incentive to attack Germany in 1939 - many German players leave the upper Rhine somewhat undefended, figuring the Production Multiple boost will deter any French ideas of glory. This can lead to a major pain-in-the-rear for the Germans (Balkans). A strong Fall Gelb like this one doesn’t give the French that chance though. Also the historical Germans had I believe Manstein draw up some plans for Fall Gelb, but for October - after the fall of Warsaw. I don't think Hitler would have quite been able to order OKH to launch a new 2 front war before the new Blitzkrieg doctrines proved successful.

5 targeting loaded TRS or the Ark Royal with a pile of surprise points … tough, tough call. Centuur was probably more correct in this situation but I would probably pick the Ark Royal. It’s the Squad Leader player in me I guess. Royal Navy Morale Check! But I play for the conservative long game with a different Low Countries strategy anyway.

6 As the CW, I find the US Entry in 1939 more important than the chance to “Taranto/Pearl Harbor” the Italian TRS. Unless one sails through the Suez Canal, then the decision is automatic. Allied security in the Med goes up dramatically with a DOW on Italy (no surprise landings for the Axis) and one Italian TRS less.

7 I think a lot of MWiF players have never seen the cardboard chits for US Entry. It is quite striking to see all the 4 chits and the one 5 chit in the 1939 pool. This bullet point was generated by the Japanese aligning Siam in 1939 - much better to do it in 1940 when the US Entry pool gains a lot of 0 chits. I’m sure MWiF reports the % chance of the chits drawn by year. Players should study that well. 1940 is the year for the Axis to get things done like minor country alignments, etc. Ditto for the Allies.

8 I would have a hard time remembering to leave a unit on every captured blue factory to destroy it. We play that House Ruled to be automatic.

9 I’m not sure I would have aborted Russian SUBs to 2 different CW Major Ports. They will now sit there for a very long time and interfere with CW plans. The CW port in Borneo would have worked OK for this if the remaining Siberian ports were iced-in

10 … the Nationalists sitting north of Chang-Sha does give them something to do if Japan runs into issues elsewhere I guess. But Japan can absolutely be successful in China on the large map - they hold the strategic initiative - but they have to keep that initiative for themselves via their decisions, which is unrelated to the turn-by-turn game initiative.

But really if Russia becomes active then any discussion of how, what, why, where, when for Japan in China is a completely moot point. Holding the Imperial Guard in Reserve for this possibility and the glittering prize of Vladivostok is the best Japanese play; Russia can’t usually hold that. But afterwards, well, a great thing about World in Flames is it allows the players to see what happens for each side when they get involved in a land war in Manchuria…

Brian: Very good analysis!!!

#2: I would have blown a gasket too![:-] As Germany, I will send BP's to Italy just to have these built as a special project.
#3: I don't know enough about MWiF to comment on this. Perhaps when I get the game I can test this.
#4: If you really want to create some headaches for Germany early on, esp in the Balkans...have USSR invade Bulgaria.
#7: Spot on with this!!!

I agree with everything else you wrote, very good!

Hi Brian Brian,

Thanks for reading and taking the time to produce this informative critique.

Regarding aborting the subs, as one was damaged, it didn't really matter where I put it as it was vanishing back to the repair track anyway. Sending the other to Singapore, rather than a minor port, was a mistake. However, soon rectified as it is only showing as OOS, not disorganised, so I should be able to move it out as and when the USSR take their next combined move.

The USSR DoW of Japan and land war in Manchuria? I have no idea whether this was a good or foolish move. It has eased the pressure on China and seems to have made Mayhemizer change his plans for a Gibraltar ploy in favour of a Barbarossa as soon as possible. This might not be good however. The one silver lining of losing Vlad is the production multiple USSR gets for troops on the mother land. The extra BP's and hence extra units built should help offset the commitment of troops to Manchuria.

ORIGINAL: AllenK
The USSR DoW of Japan and land war in Manchuria? I have no idea whether this was a good or foolish move. It has eased the pressure on China and seems to have made Mayhemizer change his plans for a Gibraltar ploy in favour of a Barbarossa as soon as possible. This might not be good however. The one silver lining of losing Vlad is the production multiple USSR gets for troops on the mother land. The extra BP's and hence extra units built should help offset the commitment of troops to Manchuria.

Are you getting this production boost? If so, there is a bug, as Siberia is explicitly excluded from the area that should cause the production boost:

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).

M/A 40 Allies 5: Naval Movement

France sends sub to Italian Coast 2-box and 2x CL's to West Med 1-box and 4-boxes.

Stalingrad Mil rails to Vilna.

CW moves IV Mot inland from Bone adjacent to the OOS and disorganised Italian Inf.

Nationalists move an Inf out of Wuhan to bring the Cav back in supply. It moves a hex putting both it and Yamamoto OOS.

Communists move their Cav Div to Taiyuan and Mao and the Lanchow Mil more or less swap places.

China after land movement.

Yes Siberia gives a production boost if the Soviets are attacked there. I know for sure too!
We just go around it by having the Soviets waste the extra points producing nothing.

CW declares 3 land combats. Nairobi and 2 in Morocco/Tunis. Italians can fly Ground-Support to the div in the mountains. Current attack is 9-2 +10. CW could fly CVP's in defence. Do Italians fly?

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

ORIGINAL: AllenK
The USSR DoW of Japan and land war in Manchuria? I have no idea whether this was a good or foolish move. It has eased the pressure on China and seems to have made Mayhemizer change his plans for a Gibraltar ploy in favour of a Barbarossa as soon as possible. This might not be good however. The one silver lining of losing Vlad is the production multiple USSR gets for troops on the mother land. The extra BP's and hence extra units built should help offset the commitment of troops to Manchuria.

Are you getting this production boost? If so, there is a bug, as Siberia is explicitly excluded from the area that should cause the production boost:

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).

It's okay, relax. I just assumed I would be getting it and hadn't really checked the rules or Production Planning. Having checked, all's well. The current USSR multiple is 0.5, which is as it should be. Oh well, the Vlad silver lining evaporates in a puff of reality.

I am used to playing with Option 47, not a part of MWiF; using that rule a Russian SUB in Singapore wouldn't re-organize as Soviet units can't trace a supply path into an Allied hex unless at war with Germany, not Japan

However using the Oil rules it shouldn't have re-organized either, IMO


edited to remove irrelevant reference to Convoy Points

and to add that this not being as I understand the rule is OK in this game as I doubt AllenK would have put it in Singapore if he thought it would never re-organize


Russia and Japan going to war is a fascinating part of the game and all players will explore this eventually.

ORIGINAL: AllenK

It's okay, relax. I just assumed I would be getting it and hadn't really checked the rules or Production Planning. Having checked, all's well. The current USSR multiple is 0.5, which is as it should be. Oh well, the Vlad silver lining evaporates in a puff of reality.

You probably looked at the J/F 40 multiple. USSR spent 14 BP in N/D 39, so MWiF gave it an extra 0.25 - USSR production should be 6 (+ 2 from Germany) that turn. Siberia is excluded from both the in-country 0.25 boost and the attack in home country 0.25 boost. Bug.


edit: 14, not 15

Italians fly bomber to help INF div in mountains and it lands same hex where it takes off.

Italy chooses Assault in all combats.

The Italian bomber flies but is intercepted by the Nimrods who perform admirably.

Algeria nearly goes badly.

Tunisia goes okay.

In Kenya the two Terrs destroy each other.

US rebases a PBY to Pearl.

USSR rebases a Lnd-4 to Tsitsihar.

No reorgs and it's back to the Axis.

M/A 40 Axis 7

No DoW

Germany land, Italy and Japan combined.

Japan sends to China Sea box 0 3xCP and box 4 2xCV, 3xBB, 2xCA and 4xCL.

Italy sends CP to West Med box 0.

Italy initiates combat in Cape St. Vincent: Axis 1, Alied 2.

Do Allies want to initiate combat after this to sink Italian CP in West Med? Italy and Germany can fly fighter to West Med.

One CL is aborted, is Gibraltar good place to go?

One Italian sub is also aborted.

Next round is coming, I don't see other option for CW.

Gibraltar is good. Initiate combat in West Med. 1 of the CL's in the 0-box will do.