Summary
Despite having registered years ago, I’m posted very little here. However, I thought that these forums would be an ideal place to turn for assistance in developing a plausible alternate history for a board game that I would like to run.
I basically need enough material to provide a plausible background to justify the existence of the following nations in September 1938:
- United Netherlands (combines the BENELUX countries), an Allied Power
- Kingdom of Sweden (inclusive of Finland and the Baltic States), as an Axis Power
- Kingdom of Greece (inclusive of E. Thrace, Constantinople, Smyrna, and Trebizond), as an Allied Power
- Kingdom of Portugal (inclusive of Brazil), as an Axis-Aligned Neutral that can transition to the Axis
- The Republic of Paraguay as an Axis-Aligned Neutral that can transition to the Axis
What would it mean if the Germans overrun the Dutch? Would Belgium become a quisling state?
Why?
I am developing a set of house rules for the classic Hasbro board game “Axis and Allies.” In connection with this effort, I am using a new map recently released by Historical Board Gaming.com. The map can be found here for reference.
Based on the particular experiences of my gaming group, we have agreed on the value of making changes to the map in order to accommodate what are called “playable minors.” These are nations not included in the original Axis & Allies rules for, say, the largest official edition, Global 1940, 2nd edition, which features the following powers: U.K., U.S., U.S.S.R., China, France, ANZAC, British Far East Command, Japan, Italy, and Germany.
The new house rules will create a third alliance, the Comintern, that has objectives and can wage war independently of the Western European Allies. In other words, the Russians can choose to aggress against nominal allies of the West in places like China.
The changes effectively allow for the following important changes in gameplay:
- The Dutch East Indies are more survivable because they can be better reinforced
- The Axis gain valuable allies in the north (Sweden) and south (Portugal) to help anchor their European flanks. An aggressive Sweden will help Germany support Italy in southern Europe and, at the same time, make more inroads against the Soviets, especially in this case, where the Germans are likely to have a harder go of it against the Western European Allies and Poland
- The Portuguese (along with the Spanish) can put pressure on the Allied position in the Western Mediterranean, freeing up Italian resources to be routed east toward the Levant
- Portugal’s empire brings Argentina into play, and therefore, South America
- The Bosporus are a non-issue in most games of A&A that I have played. A rotten Greece that stands astride them presents a huge temptation for the Soviets even as it provides additional options for the Allies in this important theatre of the war.
Despite having registered years ago, I’m posted very little here. However, I thought that these forums would be an ideal place to turn for assistance in developing a plausible alternate history for a board game that I would like to run.
I basically need enough material to provide a plausible background to justify the existence of the following nations in September 1938:
- United Netherlands (combines the BENELUX countries), an Allied Power
- Kingdom of Sweden (inclusive of Finland and the Baltic States), as an Axis Power
- Kingdom of Greece (inclusive of E. Thrace, Constantinople, Smyrna, and Trebizond), as an Allied Power
- Kingdom of Portugal (inclusive of Brazil), as an Axis-Aligned Neutral that can transition to the Axis
- The Republic of Paraguay as an Axis-Aligned Neutral that can transition to the Axis
What would it mean if the Germans overrun the Dutch? Would Belgium become a quisling state?
Why?
I am developing a set of house rules for the classic Hasbro board game “Axis and Allies.” In connection with this effort, I am using a new map recently released by Historical Board Gaming.com. The map can be found here for reference.
Based on the particular experiences of my gaming group, we have agreed on the value of making changes to the map in order to accommodate what are called “playable minors.” These are nations not included in the original Axis & Allies rules for, say, the largest official edition, Global 1940, 2nd edition, which features the following powers: U.K., U.S., U.S.S.R., China, France, ANZAC, British Far East Command, Japan, Italy, and Germany.
The new house rules will create a third alliance, the Comintern, that has objectives and can wage war independently of the Western European Allies. In other words, the Russians can choose to aggress against nominal allies of the West in places like China.
The changes effectively allow for the following important changes in gameplay:
- The Dutch East Indies are more survivable because they can be better reinforced
- The Axis gain valuable allies in the north (Sweden) and south (Portugal) to help anchor their European flanks. An aggressive Sweden will help Germany support Italy in southern Europe and, at the same time, make more inroads against the Soviets, especially in this case, where the Germans are likely to have a harder go of it against the Western European Allies and Poland
- The Portuguese (along with the Spanish) can put pressure on the Allied position in the Western Mediterranean, freeing up Italian resources to be routed east toward the Levant
- Portugal’s empire brings Argentina into play, and therefore, South America
- The Bosporus are a non-issue in most games of A&A that I have played. A rotten Greece that stands astride them presents a huge temptation for the Soviets even as it provides additional options for the Allies in this important theatre of the war.