Mark Stevens
Europe Aflame Forum Moderator
Evidently every experienced Axis player takes the Pre-War Builds: the immediate gain in several strong and useful units far outweighing the prospect of early US entry, by which time you'll have (i) won, or (ii) surrendered if it looks like you're not going to win.
While I think that there was slack in the German economy that could have been exploited, I don't think that the Western Allies could have matched Germany tank-for-tank: they had begun rearming too late for that. However, it could be argued that Stalin - faced with a stronger than historical German rearmament programme - could have responded in kind, both in output and by not executing Marshal Tukhachevski and the Soviet officers who were in the forefront of developing mechanised and motorised doctrines.
Therefore the German Pre-War Build Theatre Option will automatically trigger the same Red Army reinforcements as are currently deployed in the Eastern Crusade version of the scenario, i.e. two 13-14 mechanised armies, three 11-12 motorised armies, three 6-12 infantry shock corps and one 24-3 artillery corps. The Germans will still be able to crush Western Europe even more quickly than without the Pre-War Builds, but will now face a far harder task in the USSR (which will also find it easier to beat Finland and Iran). Replace that mighty 600 strong railway gun beast with an additional early panzergrenadier division (same strength as the existing one).
To discourage the early Soviet units from reconstituting behind German lines in western Russia - you can argue who this benefits, but I agree that it looks odd - place them all on Low Supply. As this will compromise the initial defence of the USSR until the Soviet reinforcements kick in, reduce the German supply bonus for 'Barbarossa' to +15 from +20.
Simulate the massive Turkish build-up in 1941 - eight extra infantry and one cavalry corps - less heavily armed and lower proficiency than the pre-war army - for both the Allied and Axis Turks.
Cancel the supply bonuses/penalties for the capture of Gibraltar (3 each for the Axis and Allies) - Gibraltar is a strategic point to occupy, which is already represented in the scenario, not an arms production centre or key transit port for equipment.
Cancel the Axis supply bonus for Malta. Instead, remove the Axis supply point from Benghazi, until the Axis take Malta. This will mean that Axis units on the borders of Egypt will be operating at the end of a supply line stretching back to Tripoli (unless they've taken Malta.) Hopefully this will lessen the effect of packing the Middle East with the entire German Army.
Reduce the supply change for Narvik from 5 to 3. 3 is the industrial output for both France and Italy, so 5 is definitely too high.
Reduce the Allied supply loss for Suez from 4 to 2: again, if the entire output of France or Italy is 3 then 4 is too high.
Increase the net post 'Overlord' bonus from +6 to +10 for the Allies.
Break up the Swiss Air Force into three units to prevent Allied planes from reconstituting in the Swiss exclusion zone.
Break up the German Luftwaffe Jagdkorps into separate units, each with a narrower range - at the moment they each vary from something like 11 -> 37, which I agree is ridiculous.
Implement the suggestion that the 50% chance of an Italian surrender after the fall of Messina can only occur AFTER the Italian North African administrative centre of Tripoli is taken by the Allies. This will discourage suicidal assaults on Messina early in the war. (Not sure what happens if the Allies take Messina first and then Tripoli - would that trigger it, or has the Event passed?)
Comments welcome... :whist:
(I still haven't had time to take a proper look at the weather loop suggestion that may free up a lot more Events.)
While I think that there was slack in the German economy that could have been exploited, I don't think that the Western Allies could have matched Germany tank-for-tank: they had begun rearming too late for that. However, it could be argued that Stalin - faced with a stronger than historical German rearmament programme - could have responded in kind, both in output and by not executing Marshal Tukhachevski and the Soviet officers who were in the forefront of developing mechanised and motorised doctrines.
Therefore the German Pre-War Build Theatre Option will automatically trigger the same Red Army reinforcements as are currently deployed in the Eastern Crusade version of the scenario, i.e. two 13-14 mechanised armies, three 11-12 motorised armies, three 6-12 infantry shock corps and one 24-3 artillery corps. The Germans will still be able to crush Western Europe even more quickly than without the Pre-War Builds, but will now face a far harder task in the USSR (which will also find it easier to beat Finland and Iran). Replace that mighty 600 strong railway gun beast with an additional early panzergrenadier division (same strength as the existing one).
To discourage the early Soviet units from reconstituting behind German lines in western Russia - you can argue who this benefits, but I agree that it looks odd - place them all on Low Supply. As this will compromise the initial defence of the USSR until the Soviet reinforcements kick in, reduce the German supply bonus for 'Barbarossa' to +15 from +20.
Simulate the massive Turkish build-up in 1941 - eight extra infantry and one cavalry corps - less heavily armed and lower proficiency than the pre-war army - for both the Allied and Axis Turks.
Cancel the supply bonuses/penalties for the capture of Gibraltar (3 each for the Axis and Allies) - Gibraltar is a strategic point to occupy, which is already represented in the scenario, not an arms production centre or key transit port for equipment.
Cancel the Axis supply bonus for Malta. Instead, remove the Axis supply point from Benghazi, until the Axis take Malta. This will mean that Axis units on the borders of Egypt will be operating at the end of a supply line stretching back to Tripoli (unless they've taken Malta.) Hopefully this will lessen the effect of packing the Middle East with the entire German Army.
Reduce the supply change for Narvik from 5 to 3. 3 is the industrial output for both France and Italy, so 5 is definitely too high.
Reduce the Allied supply loss for Suez from 4 to 2: again, if the entire output of France or Italy is 3 then 4 is too high.
Increase the net post 'Overlord' bonus from +6 to +10 for the Allies.
Break up the Swiss Air Force into three units to prevent Allied planes from reconstituting in the Swiss exclusion zone.
Break up the German Luftwaffe Jagdkorps into separate units, each with a narrower range - at the moment they each vary from something like 11 -> 37, which I agree is ridiculous.
Implement the suggestion that the 50% chance of an Italian surrender after the fall of Messina can only occur AFTER the Italian North African administrative centre of Tripoli is taken by the Allies. This will discourage suicidal assaults on Messina early in the war. (Not sure what happens if the Allies take Messina first and then Tripoli - would that trigger it, or has the Event passed?)
Comments welcome... :whist:
(I still haven't had time to take a proper look at the weather loop suggestion that may free up a lot more Events.)