Colin I

Excellent!

Hubert, I'm delighted ARTILLERY is not in the new global game - on this scale it really doesn't work. Hopefully antitank and a few others are gone. This would be excellent - lets us concentrate on gameplay with simple mechanics but subtle strategy which I always thought was the strength of the game. Like AMPHIB assault directly too.

Game 1 Colin Axis Europe is a nightmare - my guess is its all over by early 1945, Allies are wiping the floor with the Germans. Japan is better, some action on Indian border with another UK army or special forces destroyed (did not notice which). I'm starting to think US threw everything at Europe which might make for an interesting end game.

Oh, I'm going to lose this one because of Europe for sure.

Its not loose lips that sink ships but Aichi B7A2 Ryusei (Grace) dive/torpedo-bombers ;-)

Rambo, I was hoping Nupremal will tell me what happened there. Weather turned sour but I figured he still had enough US Battleships in the area to counter hard. A lot of my carriers were low on planes too. No doubt I will lose this one - though there is an interesting imbalance - UK lost a lot of ships when the Med was sealed and now USN has been hit - so might be able to exploit the sea for a while.

Nice ease of play features.

Autumn 1943 Game 1: Colin Axis Getting wiped in Europe. Japanese salvage some pride - big naval fight results in 3 US Carriers and some support ships for some surface vessels sunk but no carriers. Either it was perfectly timed with the weather or the rest of his surface fleet is elsewhere. Japanese have a heavy presence in India though sadly fun is spoiled by entry of Nationalist Chinese. Game 2: Colin Allies Allies consolidate in Greece, taking Tirana. Russian amphibious distraction is defeated. An interesting fight is shaping up in the Balkans. In Russia a burst of nice weather gives the Red Army a chance and they move forwards trashing a German army, corps, artillery and tank. Hopefully the weather will turn bad before he can retaliate. Japanese on back foot on Indian border. No naval clashes for a while.

Autumn 1943 Game 1: Colin Axis Germans getting killed in Russia and losing momentum in France. Japan is doing rather better, now in control of SE Asia and sinks 3 US Carriers in a pitched battle off Borneo. Also very strong advance to India. Communists have second capital - did not expect that so its going to be tough in China. Losing this one. Game 2: Colin Allies Big Western allies move invading Greece in strength with some Russian support on Black Sea. Coupled with a bloody stand-off around Moscow between Red Army and Axis there is big pressure on European front. Coupled with Japan being finished in India this one goes my way (maybe!). Overall - still feel Allies have the edge in this Mod. Something really has to be done about air op move - at times in India one or other forces there have been largely air units. Western Allies were killing a ground unit a turn from the air at one point and now Japanese forces in Burma seem all air and HQs. One option is to limit op move, maybe a better one is to increase morale/readiness damage and decrease strength point reduction from air attacks. Its been talked about a lot but really feel its needed, would shift the balance and force more ground unit deployment and make combat more realistic.

Think this is dangerous. Firstly it could lead to some horrible abuses in building super units. Secondly, is an armoured unit experience bar the same as artillery or air? Thirdly, part of an elite unit is about identification with your fellows and the unit history. So, if the members of the Screaming Eagles were cherry picked and combined with a Marines unit I'm not sure the results would be as good as either were individually. I would note in the commercial world that mergers between companies often do not produce the good results the accountants would predict. In part this is because two different commercial cultures, even quite close ones, do not always work together well. And supergroups in rock music often do not live up to the sum of their parts.

Game 1: Colin Axis Getting wiped in Russia, doing better in France and Japan is downright interesting. Here made progress in SE Asia, Dutch East Indies and Communist China will fall next turn unless he has builds coming. USA Navy moving forwards though. Game 2: Colin Allies Nice falls to Axis. Russia is under stress but I think I will hold until the Winter - destroyed Axis armour near Moscow this turn. He is putting pressure on Archangel but Finnish supply is too low to be effective. Japan is in real trouble in India, British armies move forwards and an attempt to reinforce Japanese troops in Calcutta is sunk.

China should be a major but prefer Italy over France. I agree both countries had potential they never really realized but given France's short lifespan Italy is better. If we are allowed what-if then you can avoid some of Mussolini's blunders - not taking on minors that need the Germans to rescue you (eg Greece), using the fleet proactively and maybe fostering a better relationship with Spain. italy is fun to play, its weak but done well it can let the Germans focus much better.

I know what you mean Rambo, but in this case China can never collapse unless the US abandons it. In PTO Chinese MPP are limited so its vulnerable to strategic bombing etc. and you can interrupt US aid by invading India. In Nupremal's game I see diplomacy as a better option to keep Chinese out whilst getting on with other work.

Game 1 AAR Colin Axis Russian rampage continues and fierce fighting in France. On a better note for axis Japan is doing better - getting to grips with Communist China in the absence of the nationalists and making progress in Burma. Game 2 AAR Colin Allies Russians continue to hold Moscow. British battered near Nice but not defeated. Japan is suffering, Nationalist human wave attacks are biting (though a Chinese amphibious invasion failed) and India is turning the UK way. I have two suggestions. I think there is a slight Allied bias and perhaps it can be corrected by the Russians purging their leadership more (less HQ - force them to build more). Also, UK has too many MPP, despite having wordwide commitments it can cover quite a proportion of its defensive needs - UK should be more stressed early on. Secondly, the US can wage attrition simply by pumping MPP into China and this makes like VERY hard for the Japanese. Perhaps not give China US units, assume US support is enough already. Historically I think US did not turn things around with support for China. I've spent a lot of MPP on Chinese units and I think that is hard to deal with. I predict 2 Allied wins at this stage. My Axis game I have Med and no Nationalist China and Spain allied in advantages but Russia will kill me. Russia is less awful for his Axis but he had Med vulnerability and Japan will grind to a halt soon.

Game 1 AAR Colin Axis Russians attacking in force and doing lots of damage in Russia. Germans doing a bit better in the West and sink another residual British naval unit in the Med. Japan getting to grips with Communist China and sinks a UK battleship and cruiser off Burma. really, how many more ships can the UK lose? Kill a British army in Burma and a US fighter in india. Game 2 AAR Colin Allies Russians hold near Moscow but he takes Stalingrad, Axis air sinks US carrier off Italy, British in Nice brace themselves. Far East and Japan is getting human wave attacks from China and losing units in India - British are holding and countering well.

Game 1 AAR Colin Axis Very bloody in Rrance AND Russia. UK Carrier finally eliminated near Suez. Japan still trying for decisive advantage in SE Asia and Communist China. Game 2 AAR Colin Allies British hold out well in nice but Vichy France may weigh in. Nationalist china adopt human wave attacks, Russians similar. Think British will hold in India.

Just AAR1 Colin Axis Very bloody - Germans drive on the French beachead and are involved in destroying 3 Russian armies and 1 paratrooper at the cost of a corps and Balkans fighter (so far, I expect this to escalate). There STILL seem to be Allied ships in the Med, well it can't continue forever - Axis bomb the trapped carrier some more. Japan is starting to gear up, expect events to start moving in the Far East soon.

Seamonkey - I agree, just operate between adjacent strategic areas as a single move.

AAR 1 Colin Axis. Japanese invade Communist China. Germans counter-attack very strongly in France taking out 2 Allied units, isolating 2 more and shipping in some heavy combat power. Think Allies went into France too soon. Russia is quiet for the most part. UK Battleship sunk near Suez (hopefully only a trapped carrier to go). Axis navy caught in in the Baltic by ice. Game 2 - Colin Allied US Navy retreats as L3 Japanese Subs appear. India still hangs on for grim death - but Chindits nail a Japanese units though Allied air is taking a pounding. I think we have to do something here with the rules - there is too much long-range operating in of Air to hold positions in India in PTO and this Mod. The problem is for Allies it CAN be worth operating air to hold a city. This should not be possible. Battle of Moscow really heats up - he kills 2 entrenched Corps, I get 2 armies and Bock HQ in counter but he will nail more on his turn - getting very bloody.

AAR 1 Colin Axis. Japanese continue to build strength and advance in SE Asia. Communists in, Nationalists reduced to slightly over 50% with 3 Japanese chits and some Italian help [for Seamonkey]. Germans hit a battleship off Belgium with a V1 Rocket and Battle for France is immanent, US landing in strength. Germans continue a slow advance in Russia. Italians keep sinking UK residue of Navy in Med though this turn rather incompetently - losing more than they destroy. Russian navy caught in ice and eliminated in the Baltic. In the Med another Allied Naval unit is lost. Game 2 - Colin Allied US Navy attacks around Marinas to try and take the pressue off the Phillipines and sinks 2 IJN Battleships. Nationalist Chinese actually eliminate a Japanese unit! India hangs on for grim death - Japanese reinforcing a lot though they do lose a second armour unit to air attacks.

AAR 1 Colin Axis. Russia is still gearing up for the Spring but one more Soviet City falls. The allied raid on the low countries is fading and the Axis kill a lead US unit in France and strongly defend Paris. Axis bombers try and interdict the French ports held by Allies. In the Med another Allied Naval unit is lost. But the real excitement is in the Far East...... Japan gets a little further in SE Asia but the big news is diplomatic. Communist China declares for the Allies BUT Nationalist China swings away from war thanks to strong Axis diplomacy. That is a big weight off my mind in the Far East. As mentioned before - do not underestimate diplomacy in this Mod. This game Axis used it to get Spain in and keep Nationalist China out - both really valuable. Game 2 - Colin Allied Same hot spots as before (India, Nice, Russia, Nationalist China, Phillipines) plus New Guinea.

Seamonkey, No, not spotted that. Though whilst we are asking questions of Nupremal, why is von Manstein Leadership 9, Guderian 8, Bock 6 and Rommel 5 (If I remember right). Its the last one that seems wrong. I'm not a Rommel worshipper but he did quite a lot with very limited resources and pulled off some good ambushes even in retreat/defeat and this makes him barely superior to some of the worst HQs. Would have said 7 to 8 as fair.

Winter 1942/1943 Game 1 Colin Axis Russia - kill a couple of adventurous Russian units in the South. Low Countries - British raid now stressed with loss of its strongest unit, UK armour. Germans deploy strongly against this threat. But he is also in other locations. Operation Fish-in-a-Barrel continues with destruction of a UK battleship in the Axis pond some people call the Med ;-) Japan takes Singapore and starts to roll in SE Asia. Game 2 Colin Allies Russian counter attack around Moscow kills an armoured unit, an Axis minor army dies near Stalingrad. British battle Axis around Nice. Japan very threatening in India but struggling with Phillipines.

Yolo, There are other options too - the link with the west is one, so options on concentrating on the UK so it cannot defend in Europe and the Colonies. Or Russia. But you can tread softly too - I am using Japan less aggressively to slow US entry and both China's are not yet in. Furthermore, Japanese diplomacy is pretty useless in PTO but in my game I used Japanese diplomats to help convince Spain to enter allowing German MPP to be spent on tanks.

WINTER 1942 AAR 1 Colin Axis. Some moderate gains in Russia (though he is poised for counter-play) and have the need to deal with Allied forces in France. Japanese started to get to work on Allied air - still think carriers are too effective against land-based air - anyhow two allied air units destroyed in carrier strikes or land-based activity. China not yet active. AAR 2 Colin Allies. Allies defend solidly - in Russia the Soviets hold their ground around Stalingrad and Moscow. India is under serious threat from the sea though Allied air destroy the Japanese armour in Burma. Amazingly, the Phillipines holds out. China is active - hopefully an attrition factor for Japan. British battle Italian ground and German air around Nice. If I was to guess I'd say in both games the Allies have the edge. Its really hard to use Japan effectively - that is a good thing, unlike in PTO you have a lot of decisions that are completely open (you are not at war with China, you have time to deploy Amphibious units where you want, you can decide if Pearl Harbor happens) but it takes a lot more planning and foresight.