Non-scenario specific house rules

[Halsey]

These are ideas for house rules that are non-scenario specific: PBEM only.

1. ASW TF's. No more than 6 ships allowed. No Admirals allowed to command.*


2. Night Bombing. City attacks (Manpower only) for non-game designated air units.
No restriction on night naval attacks.*

3. No forward base refueling of SS TF's in ports under size 3,unless a AO, TK, or AS
is present.

4. No 4E bomber missions under 6000', except for ASW/Search missions.*

5. Patched.

6. Political considerations. No Japanese LCU naval invasions north of Tavoy until
Singapore falls.
Play balance feature.*

7. No Corsair's allowed on US CV's until 1/44. Except for transport missions.*

8. No withdrawl of Allied LCU's from Malaya, Phillipines, or Dutch East Indies.
Until Singapore, Manila, Palembang, Batavia, or Soerabaya is under LCU attack.
This rule should be used with the CHS variant.
Play balance feature.

9. No Naval Attack by Allied land based bombers (2E bombers) under 1000', until 1/43.*

10. PT boats may not be combined with any other type ship. Except when transfering to
another base.*

11. Invasions must be within normal range of LBA or CV TF's with a minimum of 40
AC capacity.
Play balance feature.*

12. Only minelaying classed ships may use mines. For those that want to restrict mine
usage.

13. No invasions against hexes that do not contain a dot/base in them. Not every coastal
hex was suitable for amph ops.
The game mechanics do not support a defense against it.*

14. LCU's belonging to the Kwangtung Command may not leave Manchuria unless PP's are
spent to change their command.
No China Command LCU may leave China or Manchuko witout changing their HQ.
No India Command LCU's may leave India/Ceylon unless it's HQ is changed.
Only India Command LCU's that start in Burma are exempt from this rule.
(CHS addition)
Play balance feature.*

16. Only transport type aircraft may be used to move LCU's. Unless troops are being
evacuated to another friendly base that is not currently under attack by LCU's.

17. No rearming TF's in ports smaller than 3 without an AE present.

18. No rearming of capital ships in ports smaller than 3 without an AO/TK and AE present.

19. No bombardment missions with the "no escort" bombard option allowed.
Play balance.
This is not needed if rule 20 is in force.

20. No naval bombardments against hexes that contain "no" friendly LCU's.
No fragmented LCU's may be used to satisfy this requirement.
Naval bombardments "may" be conducted on preinvasion sites up to two weeks prior
to the actual landings. This rule is to deter the use of strategic naval bombardments.

21. Airfield stacking limited to 50Xairfield level +15%.
This is the same stacking that applies to CV's.*

Before I start a game I email this list to myself. Then it gets edited, and sent to the other player. Then he edits it. We go back and forth a couple of times till we get the desired results. Then we paste a copy to the desktop, for reference.

Any other suggestions or ideas for game balance?

I'd like to thank those who have made excellent suggestions concerning this thread.

There are additions by other players in this thread. Feel free to add or dispose of them as you see fit.

Rules that have asterics at the end of the rule I consider as permanent rules, not optional.

[tsimmonds]

Nice list.

How about: since they used incompatible types of fuel, no refueling of PT boats from warships. Only AGPs or AVs.

[Rainerle]

Hi,
no nukes on Tokyo. If you kill the emperor they will never surrender.

[Halsey]

The av gas solution? The AGP's have low endurance, but the AV usage seems reasonable. It would give them a mission. Instead of just sitting in port for aviation support.

The third atomic bomb? I was under the impression that Tokyo was the intended target for its use, when it was completed. Anybody have any conflicting information concerning this? Doesn't the third and additional usage of this weapon bring down the victory point spread?

[esteban]

I would disagree with the China rule, it seems to me to be too much micromanaging.

However, if you use that rule, I would suggest the following additional "political" rules for balance.

Force Z follows Admiralty orders:
-The Prince of Wales, Repule and 4 DDs cannot home port at, remain more than one day at a base or enter a port other than Singapore until the Japanese torpedo at least 3 Allied cruisers using Nells/Bettys, until an aerial port attack is made on Singapore, or until either the PoW and Repulse receive more than 15 sys damage, or until Singapore is captured. These ships cannot leave move "south" or "west" of Palembang or "north" of Songkia until one of the above conditions is met.

Allies defend their colonies:
-No ground units or portions of ground units may be evacuated from the Phillipines or Malaya until only two bases are left in Allied control in either Luzon (Phillipines) or Malaya.


Non-political rules that I like:

1. You can only use carrier trained (not carrier capable) units to fly offensive missions or CAP from a carrier. (mostly this is to head off having Corsairs on carriers in early 43, but it also helps the Allies a bit)

2. No level bombing below 1000 foot altitude until 1943.

3. No ASW TFs in enemy base hexes (people somtimes use this to "scare off" submarines in invasion hexes. ASW TFs were historically used to defend sea lanes and friendly ports, not go hunting for subs in the middle of an invasion.)

[Halsey]

The Allied LCU withdrawl restriction seems reasonable. I would even include Dutch forces in the group.

The Singapore defeat rule is a short term rule. It allows the Allies a few weeks to make or break its defensive land game in Aisa. I had it in mind because of the blitzkreig like movement that the LCU's can employ against small units.

[esteban]

ORIGINAL: Halsey

The av gas solution? The AGP's have low endurance, but the AV usage seems reasonable. It would give them a mission. Instead of just sitting in port for aviation support.

The third atomic bomb? I was under the impression that Tokyo was the intended target for its use, when it was completed. Anybody have any conflicting information concerning this? Doesn't the third and additional usage of this weapon bring down the victory point spread?

Somewhere around here I have the list of cities to A-bomb, and I don't think Tokyo was on it. Maybe I am wrong. I do remember that Kyoto was intentionally removed to from the A-bomb list.

[Halsey]

I don't see how to include this in the rules. The damn things will always refuel off of other ships in the hex. Any ideas how to implement the PT fuel restriction?

[tsimmonds]

I was thinking of it mainly as a way to curb the 1DD 8PT LRRP[;)].

[Twotribes]

Except moving PT boats from one base to another, PT boats should never be allowed in a task force with other ships. Simple rule really.

As for the AV or AGP rule, simply stipulate no PT can group with any other ship type except them.

I can think of no reason tactically to include PT boats in a combat task force with non PT boats. While it might be a valid tactic, it allows to much gamey behavior, like allowing PT boats to suddenly become strategic assets.

[Toro]

I see an issue with restricting LCU w/d from areas based on specific bases falling or being attacked. For instance, if we say "no w/d from PI until Manila is being attacked," then as Japan, I'd attack Manila last. Rules like this have to be more generalized, I think.

Perhaps something along the line of no LCU w/d until 1/2 of 'occupied' bases are being attacked? Something along that line.

[Halsey]

How about this?

No DE and above sized combat vessels may be used in a PT boat TF. PT's may be used in AMPH TF's.

[Toro]

And another item: when dealing w/ PT boats, they really weren't that useful as combatants in the war, so this is what I've been playing with: restrict PTs to PT-only TFs, restrict them to 6 boats per TF, and do not allow more than one PT-TF to work together (except in home port, and be realistic about 'home port').

[tsimmonds]

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

Except moving PT boats from one base to another, PT boats should never be allowed in a task force with other ships. Simple rule really.

As for the AV or AGP rule, simply stipulate no PT can group with any other ship type except them.

I can think of no reason tactically to include PT boats in a combat task force with non PT boats. While it might be a valid tactic, it allows to much gamey behavior, like allowing PT boats to suddenly become strategic assets.

A better idea than mine.

[Twotribes]

Whats the point of a PT boat in an invasion fleet? They werent used to draw shore fire as far as I recall. They wouldnt last long in that role and their main armament would be useless.

[tsimmonds]

Point defense vs enemy SCTFs

[esteban]

ORIGINAL: Toro

I see an issue with restricting LCU w/d from areas based on specific bases falling or being attacked. For instance, if we say "no w/d from PI until Manila is being attacked," then as Japan, I'd attack Manila last. Rules like this have to be more generalized, I think.

Perhaps something along the line of no LCU w/d until 1/2 of 'occupied' bases are being attacked? Something along that line.

What I suggested was no withdrawl until the Allies are down to 2 base hexes in Luzon (for USAFFE units) or Malaya.

As for the DEI, I can agree to an extent, but the DEI is so large that you might have units on one island that should definitely be withdrawl candidates (for example, pretty much all of Borneo is overrun, and the remains of the Dutch forces are starving in the jungle) and other islands such as Java or Sumatra haven't been touched yet. Besides, the only thing really worth evacuating from the DEI are some of the Dutch base forces, and there are so many of those that I am sure that the Allies will get out cadres on at least 5-10 of them, whatever the Japanese do.

[Halsey]

I see Singapore and Manila as the two places the Japanese have to control.

If the Japanese ignore them they are commiting seppuku very early in the game. The majority of Allied LCU's will be in either or both of these bases. Will the Japanese player ignore either of these two places to knock off some extra LCU's? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just wonder if anyone would ignore those two places, because I wouldn't. These two locations are critical for Japanese survival.

[Twotribes]

I dont agree with the no removal of forces from PI and DEI either. The Japanese are given FREE reign to change history all they want with troop deployment and ship deployment.

If the allies want to allow the Japanese free reign it is a strategic decision they should be allowed. They are already penalized with PP limits on what they can move. And if they move engineers from bases with oil or resources they are giving undamaged assets to the Japanese.

[tsimmonds]

ORIGINAL: Halsey

I see Singapore and Manila as the two places the Japanese have to control.

If the Japanese ignore them they are commiting seppuku very early in the game. The majority of Allied LCU's will be in either or both of these bases. Will the Japanese player ignore either of these two places to knock off some extra LCU's? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just wonder if anyone would ignore those two places, because I wouldn't. These two locations are critical for Japanese survival.

Definitely at the top of my list.