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Shannon V. OKeets -> RE: optional rules (8/31/2006 4:33:33 AM)
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Last, but not least, the final optional rule writeup.
At several places in this thread forum members have mentioned than the player should have the ability to select some parts of an optional rule and not other parts. This possibility is most apparent for the Convoy in Flames optional rule below, which introduces many different unit types. How do you feel about this? Should there be a sub-selection process for some optional rules? I am opposed to adding sub-choices simply for the sake of adding sub-choices. Afterall, the 80 or so separate optional rules seems like a lot to me - "Jeez Louise, enough already!". However, fighting to keep an open mind on this, I ask for your opinion, and will cut them into separate pieces when a good reason for doing so is put forth. For example, I already have split the engineer optional rule into 2: combat and construction.
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[72][Convoys In Flames][RAW 76 s. 11.11.2, 19.4, and 22.4.19]
This optional rule adds all the elements of the WIF add-on module Convoys in Flames to the game. Note that when using the Convoys in Flames optional rule, you must also use the Carrier Planes optional rule. The Convoys in Flames optional rule introduces new unit types that represent in greater detail the naval battles conducted against merchant marine shipping, especially battles by and against submarines. These include:
∙ Minor Convoys
∙ ASW Units
∙ SubHunters
∙ Surface Raiders
∙ Tankers
∙ Milchcow Submarines
∙ Walther Submarines
∙ Flying Submarines
∙ Schnorkel Submarines
∙ Supply Submarines
∙ Missile Submarines
Minor Convoys
When using this optional rule, the number of convoys with which minor countries start is different from the number they normally receive. Some of the convoys may be oil tankers.
ASW Units
ASW (anti-submarine warfare) units represent the corvettes, destroyers, submarine chasers, and escort carriers that were used to guard convoys. Some ASW units have an air component, representing escort carrier task forces. Like all other carriers, you need to equip an ASW carrier with a carrier air unit (and its pilot if using the Pilot optional rule) to gain any benefit from the carrier’s air power. ASW units without an air component are SCSs.
All ASW units are placed into a new force pool (which includes both those with an air component and those without). When using these units, no major power receives ASW factors based on the number of convoy points located in a sea zone. Instead, ASW units may be built, and they provide special ASW capabilities, as described later in this section. Other unit types (i.e., SCS, carrier, and aircraft) still provide their usual ASW factors during submarine combat.
In some ways, ASW units are treated like convoy points, specifically:
∙ When ending their move in a sea area they must be placed in the 0 box.
∙ At the end of the turn, they do not need to return to base.
∙ They may not attempt to intercept nor initiate a search.
∙ If included during submarine combat, they count as an "Enemy Ship" and the owner may choose to take losses on ASW units or convoys (unless the other side spends 3 surprise points to select an enemy target of course).
ASW units have a special pre-fire attack against included enemy submarines (only) in each surface or submarine round of naval combat - but not in an air round of naval combat. The attack factors of all included ASW units are totaled, adding in all included ASW air-to-sea factors on that side as well (all these factors may be modified by weather). All other included units on that side are ignored for the pre-fire attack against submarines.
The pre-fire attack uses the Anti air and Surface row of the naval combat chart, cross-referencing the total modified ASW factors with the number of included enemy submarines (which use the Enemy ships column). Die rolls are as per anti-aircraft combat. For every 10 points, one enemy submarine (owner's choice) suffers an 'X' result, for every remaining 5 points, one enemy submarine (owner's choice) suffers a 'D' result. After applying these results, any remaining points are subtracted from the total submarine factors that press the attack in the ensuing combat round.
In all other combats, ASWs have 0 attack factors.
For example, in fine weather, two Axis submarines with 2 SCS find enemy Allied convoys escorted by one pink-shaded ASW unit and one red-shaded ASW unit, along with one SCS. The red-shaded ASW also has an air component whose carrier plane has 2 air-to-sea factors. The Axis use 4 surprise points to call a round of surface combat so that their SCS can fight (if they did not spend the surprise points, the ASW with an air component could have required the round to be naval air combat).
The ASW units now add up their ASW factors. The pink-shaded ASW's factor is a 2, and the red-shaded is a 1, plus its 2 air-to-sea factors. Therefore the total ASW factors on the two included units is 5 (2 + 1 +2). Note that the SCS cannot participate in this special pre-fire attack so its attack value is ignored.
Using the anti-aircraft column with 5 ASW factors against 2 submarines gives the Allies the worst of 6 rolls, which turns out to be a 2. The submarines have 3 and 4 attack factors respectively, and so in the ensuing round of surface combat they will contribute 5 factors (7 - 2). If the ensuing round of naval combat is a submarine combat, the pink-shaded ASW's attack factors count as ASW factors, and red-shaded ASW's attack factors count double as ASW factors. This is in addition to their air component (if any).
Sub-hunter Aircraft
The land-based aircraft units with pink- and red-circled air-to-sea values represent aircraft capable of being upgraded to Sub-hunters. Sub-hunters (only) may attempt to intercept a moving enemy task force of submarines provided the submarine task force is entering or leaving a port from or into a sea area. If successfully intercepted, the submarines must stop their move in that sea area or fight their way through it as normal, except that they must all be included during the interception combat.
For example, Germany has many submarines in Brest, and will move them all with its lone naval move during a Combined impulse. The submarines sail in numerous task forces, heading for several locations around the Atlantic. The first group of submarines to move is a task force of two submarines. A face-up Commonwealth Sub-hunter in the Bay of Biscay attempts to intercept, and successfully searches. The submarines must either cease movement, or conduct interception combat against the Sub-hunter. The submarines elect to cease movement and place themselves into the 3 sea box. Other submarine task forces move out and are not intercepted.
The Sub-hunter could try to initiate combat against the submarines during the naval combat step, but the submarines as usual would have the option of not committing to combat.
During the return to base step, an active US Sub-hunter in the Bay of Biscay elects to stay at sea, and attempts to intercept those same two submarines, who are now returning to base in Brest. If successful, the submarines must fight from the 0 box; they cannot avoid interception combat and are all included in combat.
Additionally, in a round of submarine combat, the ASW value of a pink-circled Sub-hunter is equal to its printed air-to-sea factors and the ASW value of a red-circled Sub-hunter is equal to double its printed air-to-sea factors (before the usual modifications for weather, extended range, etc.)
Sub-hunters cannot be built directly. Instead, when a Sub-hunter becomes available, it is placed into a Sub-hunter pool. In order to upgrade an aircraft into its Sub-hunter equivalent, the corresponding aircraft unit must be in the Reserve Pool during the Production step. The cost to upgrade an aircraft to its corresponding Sub-hunter is 1 build point and the Sub-hunter arrives as a reinforcement next turn. After putting the Sub-hunter onto the production spiral, the replaced unit is placed in the Sub-hunter pool.
Alternately, a Sub-hunter in the Reserve Pool during the Production step may be reverted to its normal version, also at a cost of 1 build point and taking 1 turn. Place the Sub-hunter back into the Sub-hunter pool, and the normal version onto the production spiral to arrive in the following turn.
If a Sub-hunter is destroyed, place it in the Sub-hunter pool and the normal version back into the force pool.
German Auxiliary Cruisers (CX)
The German auxiliary cruisers (commonly referred to as surface raiders) are treated as SCS units in all respects, except that:
∙ 2 is added to all interception attempts when a force is composed solely of auxiliary cruisers, (i.e., it is more difficult to intercept them).
∙ They may not transport any units.
∙ They are always in supply.
∙ They do not need oil to reorganize.
∙ When repaired, they are chosen randomly.
They may also sail from and return to base to a neutral minor country port. While any active auxiliary cruisers are in such ports, each German naval move can only be used to move them to sea. If they are ever in a neutral port when the port is enemy controlled, they are immediately destroyed.
Tankers
Oil-carrying tankers are a special kind of convoy. They are treated as convoy points for all purposes unless otherwise indicated below. Only tankers can transport oil resources overseas and only convoys may transport non-oil resources or build points overseas.
Each tanker costs 1 build point and takes 5 turns to build.
At the start of any friendly impulse, a player may freely convert any of their active convoy points in port into tanker points, or vice versa. When doing so, it takes 2 convoy points to convert into 1 tanker point, or 2 tanker points to convert into 1 convoy point.
For example, desperate for more tankers, Kasigi converts 4 convoys in Tokyo into 2 tanker points at the beginning of his impulse, and then sails them immediately.
If you are not playing with this option, tankers are just considered more convoy points.
Milchcow Submarines
Milchcow submarines are treated as submarines in all respects except that:
∙ They must always end their move in the 0 sea box section when at sea.
∙ They need not return to base at the end of the turn.
∙ They have the special capability to act as a floating port as described next.
When a Milchcow is active at sea, you may convert it to a floating port/supply source any time you wish. Doing so makes the Milchcow passive. While passive, a Milchcow may act as a port to any one German submarine or SCS unit (provided the latter is not transporting any unit). The submarine or SCS unit basing on the Milchcow submarine is always considered in supply and will automatically reorganize during the Final reorganization step without needing any oil.
When the unit based on the Milchcow moves, the Milchcow immediately becomes active again. While passive, the Milchcow and the unit based on it (if any) is considered an SCS (not a submarine) and thus is automatically committed to combat (even if other submarines on that side are not). Any result suffered by the Milchcow while passive is also applied to the unit based with it.
For example, a Milchcow submarine is located in the US East Coast sea area. During the return to base step, a German submarine decides to return to base at the Milchcow. The Milchcow becomes passive to allow this. The other submarine is reorganized (even though it had no overseas access to supply or oil). The Allies move first at the start of the next turn, and the USA sends a cruiser squadron into the US East Coast sea area. The Milchcow is automatically committed to the combat, and the US units find it and apply an 'X' result to it. The 'X' is also applied to the other submarine based on it.
Schnorkel Submarines
Schnorkel submarines are treated as submarines in all respects except that they are not included in the special pre-fire combat by ASW units unless at least one of the included ASW units is red-circled.
Walther Submarines
Walther submarines are treated as submarines in all respects except that they are never included in the special pre-fire combat by ASW units, and Walther submarines may also voluntarily abort back to port at the beginning of any naval combat round, immediately after search dice have been rolled.
For example, a German Schnorkel submarine and a Walther submarine attack Allied convoy lines in the North Atlantic. There are 3 ASW units (2 pink circled, and 1 red-circled) plus several convoys for the Allies. The submarines successfully search and elect to fight a submarine round of combat. The Walther is not affected by the ASW pre-fire attack. However, since one of the ASW units is red-circled, the Schnorkel can be affected, and in fact it is aborted and must immediately return to base.
The Walther stays at sea and another naval search is conducted. This time an Allied naval air unit in the 3 box successfully searches while the Walther does not. The Walther decides to immediately return to port at a nearby active Milchcow (which then becomes passive).
Flying Submarines
Flying submarine units are treated as submarines in all respects except that they provide a naval search bonus as if they were a naval air unit.
Supply Submarines
Supply submarine units are treated as submarines in all respects except that when active they may provide one reorganization point, exactly like an active naval transport unit.
Submarines with Missiles
Some submarine units have missile capability. They are treated as submarines in all respects except that when active they may fire their missiles against any land hex within 6 aircraft movement points of any sea dot in the sea zone.
The missile attack is a strategic bombardment attack. This attack counts against aircraft mission limits for the controlling major power and is subject to weather and terrain limitations and modifications as if it were a land based bomber, but it may not be intercepted. After conducting the attack, the submarine becomes passive.
For example, an active German submarine with 2 missile factors is located in the US East Coast sea zone. During a Fine weather impulse, the submarine conducts a strategic bombardment attack against Boston with its 2 strategic bombing factors (receiving a +1 to the die since the attack cannot be intercepted). This costs Germany an air mission, and the submarine becomes passive after the attack.
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