I’ve played about 20 face to face games.
The majority of them being 41 with Tech and NO’s
Anyone can win, It’s tight the whole way through and alot of fun. I find that new rules, pricing, and NO’s make the game open right up to so many different strategies and possibilities, that anything goes. FAR improved from AAR, which I believe if the allies play their cards strictly (assuming Axis bid 13 or lower) can win 90% of the time.
The biggest question I’ve faced is the TECH, Ive seen several games where the balance is compeltely swayed by a tech breakthrough. There can be too big a reward waivering on the roll of a dice. It’s worked for me and against me, even in games where you can have an economic lead of 20-30+ IPC’s you can still lose if you don’t play very conservatively, defending against the “what if” on your opponents tech roles.
However, that being said, TECH prevents the mathematical conclusion of “I make more then you so 30 turns from now you’ll lose”. It provides that last bit of hope for a losing player, to give them an edge, and put them on top; I’ve seen it be the make or break difference.