UDO GREBE - 02:28pm Dec 19, 2000 PST (#299 of 303) Dear Todd, thanks for updating my answers which you both adressed to me and the board. Saves time. Here are the answers on the other questions you put. Sorry if I regard some of them as a little strange to me. << 1) Are there any restrictions on China and the USSR stacking in each other's territories and combining to make attacks against Japan (other than the one territory attack per turn limit between Japan/China? Not yet but we plan some more voluntary rules for the second Edition. These are meant for experts who want to give BG more simulative elements. << The reason I ask is that it seems China and the USSR against Japan, where there aren't any limits to cooperation, leads almost certainly to Japan getting pushed off mainland Asia. Any thoughts on this? << Right it is difficult for Japan against both of them, regardless if they stack together or just attack separately. The historic clashes of USSR/Japan were very unfortunate for Japan both in the 3 "border incidents" form 1937- 1939 and in the USSR attack in 1945. Axis counter strategies: After being attacked by the USSR, Japan must decide to concentrate its forces against the territory of ONE opponent. In our playtests it was best to concentrate against the USSR. Japan needs a strong air force to act flexible. If the USSR is engaged with Japan Germany should attack it immediatly after the fall of France even if the weather is bad. << 2) If an armor unit blitzes through an empty territory and then to another empty territory where it ends its movement, can the non-phasing player react with air/ground units to the first area (now empty since the enemy tank blitzed through) and/or the second area (where the enemy tank is now sitting by itself)? The way we've been playing it is that after all phasing player movement, the non-phasing player can react to spaces that were blized through, to prevent control from changing, and also to places where there wouldn't even be a battle unless the non-phasing player reacted (for example, into the area where the blitzing tank ended up by itself. << You cannot react at all on MOVES of tanks through or into unoccuppied areas. The way you played is wrong. No defenders, no reaction (exception see invasion). > 3) For purposes of this question, assume there are three areas, all lined up in a row, A, B, and C. Thus A and C aren't adjacent. In spaces A, B, and C there are non-phasing player units. If the phasing player moves a single ground unit into space B, would that prevent reaction movement by armor from A to C, assuming C was also being attacked? And what if all three were attacked, would you be able to react OUT OF a space under attack? >> Why that complicated? A force inferior in numbers can only "pin" as many units it has committed. All other units, owner's choice can react. Why not read rules section 10.2? > 4) And what about air units, if you had two of them in a space alone, and the phasing player moved into the space with some ground units, is there combat at all, or are the air units simply forced to retreat before combat? >> There is no retreat before combat in BG Could the air units use reaction movement to reinforce a different battle? Only if the attackers are inferior in number > 5) While Japan isn't at war with Britain, what if Japan plays a coup in Norway card, taking control of Norway, and Germany takes over Denmark...does this fulfull the requirement that both Denmark and Norway be controlled by the "enemy side" for purposes of prohibiting movement by Britain or other allies? Or does Japan need to be at war with Britain to prohibit movement? >> As long as somebody is neutral to someone else no inhibition of movement is possible. Which also means that Italy can move through Gibraltar as long it is neutral <<6) When a neutral country is taken over by force, do the conquering major powers decide who controls it, thus also getting the income? << YES Can you switch control during play? YES if both players agree >I know it says Italy takes control of Axis associated countries, but does this mean that if Japan plays a coup card, that Italy controls the newly associated country? >>The latter is wrong understanding of the rules. OF CORSE ONLY THE PLAYER OF THE COUP CARD GETS CONTROL OF THE COUPED COUNTRY IF THE COUP SUCCEEDS. Anything else is ridiculous. The rules just state that Italy controls former neutral countries that are ATTACKED by the Allies.