Questions?

[Foggy]

I'm in a great game of 3.4b w/Chris - I do have a number of questions:
1. Winter weather modeling - my opponent invaded Russia in 1940 - is the weather modeled for any particular year?
2. The Axis built up the Middle East after France went down - I just reconquered this - and a French reconstituted air unit appeared on the Ark Royal "Bearn unit" - not even remotely close to being in theater?
3. The loss of Leningrad resulted in Finland and Sweden entering the battle in Russia - not too concerned - dead meat soon:bite: Do heavy losses affect the Axis minors at all?
4. Ireland - I don't like having the Axis in the British back yard so to speak -
what penalties does invasion cause?
Thanks in advance:laugh:

[Mark Stevens]

Hi,

Answering your questions in order:

1. Starting between turns 75-9 and finishing between turns 86-90 the Axis suffer an 80% shock penalty to simulate their lack of preparation for winter warfare. Can't limit it to the USSR so it applies all over the map: think of it as the emergency situation in Russia draining men and supplies from other fronts (unless you can come up with something better!)
2. A few gallant French naval pilots escaped the destruction of their carrier force and, determined to fight on, managed to to limp away to safety in the Middle East, where they reformed as a Free French naval air unit. It's not so unbelievable and, in the overall context of a very large game, not decisive.
3. Only a limited number of Axis minor units reconstitute so - yes - losses will eventually affect their overall strength, but never utterly destroy them.
4. There's no TO for the British to invade Eire: I can't of think of anything more likely to annoy the USA with its large Irish population. Active Axis countries can't use it as a base, so the country isn't a threat. It will only ever activate as a pro-Axis ally if the Axis take London, in which case you'll have more pressing things to worry about.

And a happy Thanksgiving.

[Veers]

Hope you don't mind if I tack a couple questions on here, too, to avoid a whole new post, Foggy...
Mark,
I've read the briefing but have yet to play past about turn 60.
When does the "Winter War" end? Is there a news string to the effect latter on? Or does it end when the German invasion of the USSR begins?
I ask because in the briefing it says that there is an X% chance that the Finns will join the Axis after the start of German-Soviet hostilities, but I'm wondering if that % matters if the Finns are allowed to continue fighting the Reds until...whenever.

Related: Is there any limit to a Fin advance during the "Winter War"? In one game I have nearly (though I shall probably not take it now) taken Leningrad with the Finns, during the "Winter War", and I'm just wondering if it would adversly affect the game if Leningrad, or any other Soviet city, was to be taken before the German invasion of the USSR.

[Mark Stevens]

No, the Winter War never ends, but continues into the Russo-German War. You may well reach a point where neither side really wants to fight on, the Finns for fear of being destroyed and the Russians for fear of being too entangled in the north when Germany strikes, but there's no mechanism for stopping the war.

If the Allied player wants to take the 50% chance that Finland doesn't join the Axis for Barbarossa then he shouldn't attack the country: but then, of course, the Soviets don't get their three bonus 'learning about modern war' tank corps, nor their Winter War disband unit, and there's still the 50% chance that the Finns will join the Axis and be on the doorstep of Leningrad from the start.

(With the extra Events from TOAW III I suppose we can introduce an Allied TO 'Stalin offers Finns armistice' which puts them back in garrison, but I need to think through the implications of that.)

The player briefing suggests that 'Swedish and Finnish units are restricted to Scandinavia and the USSR north of and including Moscow'. I can't believe that the Finns can take Leningrad without German support - even if your opponent is really inexperienced, surely stuffing Leningrad with eight entrenched Rifle Corps and the fixed garrison would make it invunerable? It would be a miracle if they took Murmansk.

[Mark Stevens]

And. thinking about it, another reason for the Red Army not to pursue the Finns right to the edge of Helsinki would be to avoid activating Sweden as a pro-Axis ally.

[Veers]

No, the Winter War never ends, but continues into the Russo-German War. You may well reach a point where neither side really wants to fight on, the Finns for fear of being destroyed and the Russians for fear of being too entangled in the north when Germany strikes, but there's no mechanism for stopping the war.
Right'o.


If the Allied player wants to take the 50% chance that Finland doesn't join the Axis for Barbarossa then he shouldn't attack the country: but then, of course, the Soviets don't get their three bonus 'learning about modern war' tank corps, nor their Winter War disband unit, and there's still the 50% chance that the Finns will join the Axis and be on the doorstep of Leningrad from the start.

(With the extra Events from TOAW III I suppose we can introduce an Allied TO 'Stalin offers Finns armistice' which puts them back in garrison, but I need to think through the implications of that.)

Not suggesting you change anything, just getting clarity. Although if you were to do something, you could have that TO avail to the Allies and, upon its activation, it would trigger a TO for the Axis 'Finns accept' that is only avaiable for a turn or three, which would put the Finns into Garrison mode, but then make the chance that they would join the Germans later higher than the current 50%.



The player briefing suggests that 'Swedish and Finnish units are restricted to Scandinavia and the USSR north of and including Moscow'. I can't believe that the Finns can take Leningrad without German support - even if your opponent is really inexperienced, surely stuffing Leningrad with eight entrenched Rifle Corps and the fixed garrison would make it invunerable? It would be a miracle if they took Murmansk.
And this is exactly what my opponent did. In the beginning, I suspect, he did not realize what threat the Finns were, but when he did he railed up nine Corps, plus other elements, making the city largely invulnerable.