Decline & Fall AAR

[composer99]

So, here is an AAR of the Decline & Fall scenario.

Here's me starting a new game:

[composer99]

(Parenthetically: the screen capture software I use (SnagIt) occasionally causes the mouse cursor to appear unusual in screen captures.)

[composer99]

Here's me choosing the game mode. In this case, Solitaire.

[composer99]

Here's me choosing the scenario: "Decline & Fall"

You can see the scenario summary shown here.

As I have noted elsewhere, the reason I am choosing this scenario is two-fold:
1- to give myself some playing experience in the late- and end-game stages
2- to give other people, especially potential new players, exposure to this stage of the game

This latter portion of the game is rarely encountered in table-top games of WiF: often burn-out can set in, or one side has obviously triumphed, or whatever. But it's worthwhile seeing what it is like, as it is simply a vastly different game compared to the early game.

(For those who enjoy multiple forms of geekery, it's a bit like the difference between playing a level 4 character in Dungeons & Dragons and a level 16 character...)

[composer99]

The next few screenshots are of the optional rules I will play with this game.

To minimize the learning curve (so that I only have to learn MWiF and not bits of WiF I don't know well) I'm going to stick to optional rules I know well or like to play with.

Here's the (revised) additional units optional rules panel.




(I started a new game to get Construction Engineers out of the option list.)

[composer99]

Here's the land rules optional rules panel.

[composer99]

Here's the air rules optional rule panel.

[composer99]

Here's the naval rules optional rule panel.

[composer99]

Here's the supply rules optional rule panel.

[composer99]

Here's the production rules optional rule panel.

[composer99]

Here's the final optional rules panel, the other rules panel.

[composer99]

(The additional Chinese cities rule is not a rule I am very familiar with as it is strictly an adaptation for MWiF - however, it doesn't add new book-keeping or mental work to speak of, so I figured why not?)

[composer99]

Last but not least before we get to the tasty set-up meat, here's where you name the players.

In this case, there is but one. C'est moi.

[bo]

Go composer looks great already, let yourself go, fly off the cuff let ideas roar in and out of your head. I swear the other night I had so many ideas going through my head about my AAR I did not sleep well. Do not let that happen to you.

Bo

[composer99]

Here is the Allied air unit lending panel, before any lending decisions have taken place.

[composer99]

Because everyone can scrap any units dating from 1941 prior, I don't foresee too much Allied air unit lending.

The lending I expect the Allies will undertake will be:

(1) China
China has effectively no "native" air force in its force pools, and such air units as it has are all scrap-worthy by 1944.

China also begins the scenario with a much smaller air force on the map than it can expect to have at this stage of a game that started in 1939. As such it really needs an air force to build, and it best not be made up of crappy units.

So China will be lend every available fighter and bomber unit. I will even lend a single air transport unit in case the Chinese decide to build their paratrooper.

(2) (Free) France
The Free French don't have an air force to start in this scenario.

But a French air force is a big boost to the Allies, because it gets around Commonwealth and US action limits.

As such, the US will lend every available unit to the French, excepting fighter units with an air combat rating of 4 or less and units that China gets first.

(3) USSR
By the late game, the USSR has a reasonably strong air force. Due to the lower counter density starting this scenario, it doesn't have to face a monster-size German air force, either.

As such, the USSR doesn't need as much Allied air unit lending. That said, here again, USSR air missions tie up German air units, but don't cost Commonwealth or US actions (or oil).

That being the case, the Allies will lend the USSR fighter units with air combat ratings of 6 or better, including the awesome Black Widows, but no bombers.

(4) Commonwealth
According to the scenario set up chart the CW needs a C-47, which as far as I am aware has to be lent by the US. They also set up a NZ fighter in reserve, which I believe also must be lent by the US.

So the US will lend sufficient air units to ensure these are set up.

[composer99]

Completed fighter unit lending.

Note that, because the order of lending preference, China got all the available planes, while France and USSR ended up with some unavailable due to other lending choices. The CW got all the planes it asked for, largely because they were different from all the others.

[composer99]

Bomber lending.

This category includes tactical and strategic bombers.

Here, only China and France were lent bombers. By 1944 the USSR has a plenitude of bombers, and can scrap all the flying coffins from 1941 or earlier. Plus, two of its lent fighters, the "Black Widow" night fighters, were excellent bombers in their own right. So it didn't get any.

[composer99]

Air transport lending. Each of France, CW, and China received one ATR.

The air transport panel allows you to review naval air units to be lent. However, there is exactly one such unit available, a Commonwealth naval bomber that ends up as an Indian unit. So I didn't bother lending it (and won't bother showing it, at least for now).

[composer99]

Because it's getting late, I'm going to finish up this first run of posts by discussing China's set up.

Let's start with scrapping.

As you can see in the screenshot, the scrap units window filters units by land, air, or naval unit types. This is convenient for China.

The Chinese air units eligible to be scrapped are craptacular. So off they go to the scrapyard to be recycled into other stuff. That way all the planes that get set up will be pretty US-lent toys.