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I am coming around to the conclusion that open TBs distort the game too much when the players know what they are doing.

While the Soviets can bring reserves early from TB to spoil any possibility of an Axis '41 win, resting panzers in the winter is a huge boon for the Axis. Also, the Axis can pull 7-8 regiments and the RFSS brigades from the TB, which can greatly diminish Soviet counterattack opportunities and thus guard building. Similarly, the air war is greatly altered as the Axis can flood the front with fighters.

However, playing with locked TBs produces some idiotic situations, eg high TOE units (or guard divisions) get sent to TBs to be 'refitted' merely because historically they were trashed.

My recommendation for advanced GC players is that TB are 'semi-locked' by which I am that transfers are restricted by a gentlemen's agreement. To play this TBs are unlocked however:

-No transfers can be made outside of the scripted changes other than listed below
-Scripted transfers of units can be swapped for identical units. eg instead of 278th Soviet ID being sent from map to FE TB, say the 131st ID can be sent from map
-Units can cancel their TB scripts from map to be disbanded or merged, though the player should keep a diary of these and compensate the TB with a suitable identical replacement at the appropriate time
-The RFSS and Axis regimental units stick to their transfers scripts and cannot be substituted
- The Axis can move two transport units to reserve, from where they can be disbanded (thereby providing replacements to offset the extremely high attrition rate that Ju 52 suffer)

I haven't tested this but I suspect a good outcome will result. It will favour the Soviets but this is no bad thing in my view.

Anyone with any thoughts or comments please feel free to enrich this thread!

The nice thing is you can agree to whatever house rules you like in PvP. You would be able to find an opponent who would agree to all your conditions, you could find one who agrees to no conditions.

This really only comes down to a discussion around how imbalanced open TBs are and you laid out some talking points. Personally, I want all the SS divisions on the map throughout 1942 along with the RFSS brigades. The Soviets can build corps units in 1942 among the hundreds of units on the map in order to cope. If you feel that this still favors the Axis too much, no problem. Again, you can find someone who will agree with your point of view with litle trouble.

Agree that open TBs heavily favour Axis over the course of the game but i wouldn't ever want to play with closed TBs. Adding all these house rules for TBs would just be complicated to keep track of though.

The TB offer chances of proper refits as all the other ways of doing it are an enigma to me at least. One aspect of the game I do not enjoy - too much computer magic and not properly explained under the bonnet.

I think you're right in that Open TB's distort game balance, but closed TB's are completely silly with their scripted transfers. The TB system could easily have additional settings or events that would make Open TB's more attractive. The system is fine, but how it is implemented is goofy on both sides. The axis could have some event that requires tanks in africa until turn 30 for example. And the soviets could have an event that raises the minimum TB staffing to 95% until turn 10 to stop the dumping 800k men or so in one turn during summer 41'. Obviously these events and numbers are subject to change.