Archive for Axis & Allies ForuMINI Specialised in the World War II Axis & Allies Miniatures and War At Sea Games
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Snippersly
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1939-1945 Total War!War at Sea- 1939-1945
The total War!!
This is a game idea I came up with, and thought I'd share with you all for fun and for feedback. This is a total, all out war, spanning the length of World War Two. The premise is simple and has better potential on a bigger map, but the standard maps will make for furious engagements.
Fleets:
You can pick a nation to fight with, or you can just go all Allies vs. all Axis. The actual ships you pick are decided by points.
The Premise:
The game begins in 1939. You have 100 Points you can use to build a fleet with on any ships built on or before 1939. Any unspent points are lost, so try to use them all. Whatever you pick, you start the war with.
Every 4 turns, a year goes by and you get another 100 Points to spend. Now, being 1940, you can acquire newer ships built in or before 1940. Again, any unspent points are lost. These new ships in your fleet begin in the starting area and progress as usual, eventually linking up with your 1939 fleet.
4 more turns and it is 1941- You get another 100 Points and can buy ships built in or before 41, and can buy a few new ships that are a bit more modern.
ETC ETC ETC-
This is an ongoing game that can last up to 28 turns or more. Every year you get more and more choices of ships and the battle keeps raging. The only limit is year restrictions. Any other limits are up to you. Year limit applies to ships, subs & aircraft.
The victor is the player that can eliminate all of his opponents ships. If your fleet is wiped out in 1942 and your opponent has ships left, he wins. Your navy is utterly devestated and cannot recover. Total War! Total Eradication!
I have not tried this yet, but hope to later today or next week at the latest. Feedback, ideas, comments are welcome!
Snippersly
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jfkziegler
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Sounds like it might make a cool online campaign.
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Okie
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I like it! Online would be cool.
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Diamondback
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Online would be the only way to go it, especially with the macrogame I'd like to propose as an enhancement of this.
Some players are on the strategic board worldwide map, representing military/political leadership (like King, FDR, Raeder, Donitz, Yamamoto and such); they have X number of points (determined by country's industrial capacity and natural resources of occupied territory) to buy and build fleets with. Those fleets are then deployed to theaters...
...where the Operational player-group comes into play (representing Nimitz and his level). The Op level map would be theater level, and the Op-level player assigns his fleet to task-forces and uses a double-blind patrol system to move convoys and locate the enemy...
...upon a convoy or task-force and an enemy force crossing paths, the game moves to a Tactical map like the "official" map--where another player group (representing Halsey et al.) takes control of their respective assigned task-forces to control them in battle.
This way you have options for those who prefer different "levels" of gameplay, teamwork and the persistence of a campaign. I propose this not as a rewrite, but as an expansion of your idea, "riffing on the theme" so to speak.
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The_lucky_Y
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want to suggest the scenario grandest fleet it would have included almost all basics that you suggest.
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Aquarius
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I really like Snip's idea. Simple, yet captures the flavor nicely. I may have to try this with my game group.
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jfkziegler
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Can your ships withdraw from a battle, Snip?
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Snippersly
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OK-
We played this today, from 139-45 and it took 7 hurs to get through. Whew! What a blast it was though. Lots of great rolls, close calls, and ships sunk. We played Axis vs Allies rather than certain nations, mostly becasue the US and most of Japan do not appear until 1941, so we had to fill in the early war years.
For spice, we each selected an island to place on our own side.
In our game we noticed the following things.
Early war Axis has a great selection of ships. The early war Allies 39-40 gets the Swordfish. After going through about 6 swordfish, we got past the hump and the Allies improved signifigantly until 44 when the Hellcat came in and slaughtered everything in its sector. (I hate that plane, too unbalanced)
The Hood was actually an awesome ship in the early war and killed several cruisers until I could get the Vitti to even the odds...and score a vital kill!
Four turns per year worked out great and kept the pace going. At one point, each of us was down to a couple crippled ships and the dawn of a new year saved our butts!
Subs didnt play too prominent a role. I would like to play again and buy a few more subs up front, ut even early war subs are scarce. About 1942 everything evens out and from 43 on, the US bias really starts to show, especially when costs on Japans side increase.
In the end we decided to total up surviving ships to determine the winner I lost by 40 points. He took a second Arc Royal which I couldnt kill and he squeaked ahead. Believe me, two Arc Royals in the same sector as a Hellcat is impossible to hit! Dont try it!
Overall it was a blast, and took up several hours of the day. Well worth the experience.
Oh- No, once you pick ships, they are in it for the duration. You can run, but you gotta fight eventually!
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Greyh Seer
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This sounds like a lot of fun!
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Polish_Cavalryman
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I played something similar over a week or so with my son. We played that rare ships could not be re-built. (they were unique).
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jfkziegler
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I've been giving this a try. So far I am only through 1939. It was a good fight in that year, though. Axis airpower took out the British destroyers, but Hood vitaled Scharnhorst and closed in for the kill. Koln ran way, and managed to escape behind an island to save the Axis forces during turn 4. Now the Germans have Italian reinforcements, so we will see how Hood does all alone in enemy territory.
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Aquarius
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No objectives, I take it?
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Snippersly
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No objectives...just a Naval Battle. I suppose you could add an objective to make it interesting!!
Snips
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acs0424
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I absolutely love the idea! It may be hard for some newer players, like myself, to do though. With not much selection of units and such.
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Otto von Starkburg
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I've two questions:
- minor nations like netherlands becomes also 100pts/round?
- there are only ship-to-ship battles? e.g. no convoi attack?
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jfkziegler
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| jfkziegler wrote: | | I've been giving this a try. So far I am only through 1939. It was a good fight in that year, though. Axis airpower took out the British destroyers, but Hood vitaled Scharnhorst and closed in for the kill. Koln ran way, and managed to escape behind an island to save the Axis forces during turn 4. Now the Germans have Italian reinforcements, so we will see how Hood does all alone in enemy territory. |
Well, my game continues to go on. It is now in Turn 17, the beginning of 1943. Hood was quickly dispatched by Roma during 1940, but Roma herself eventually fell victim to USS Mississippi. Yamashiro dispatched Mississippi, and in 1942 Yamato and South Dakota went at it. Yamato (together with U-66, U-510, and I-19) had South Dakota pinned down in its starting territory, but they couldn't finish it in time. Now it's 1943, and Iowa has joined the party. The outcome could well be decided by the showdown between the two super battleships.
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Snippersly
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| Otto von Starkburg wrote: | I've two questions:
- minor nations like netherlands becomes also 100pts/round?
- there are only ship-to-ship battles? e.g. no convoi attack? |
Try it with All Axis vs. All Allies for the first try. Then you can split it up between nations. Netherlands could field 100 points if you have enuf duplicates.
You can attack with ships, planes, carriers, subs, whatever...but not until the year comes along whn they are available.
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jfkziegler
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So I finished my game. It was depressing. Iowa went on a rampage and killed everything in sight. Why can't my Axis ships ever roll as well as my Allied ships?
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Diamondback
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Because you're stronger in the Light than the Dark Side of the Force, maybe?
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Nisk
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This does indeed sound like it would be a good scenario. If I ever get enough time to run a long one I will definately give it a try!!
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Commissar_JPH
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| Graf Spee wrote: | | This does indeed sound like it would be a good scenario. If I ever get enough time to run a long one I will definately give it a try!! |
maybe use this scenario tomorrow instead?
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