Tomorrow we are going to play our first Anniversary Game

[Noll]

Hello guys, we are Global40 veterans but we never played the Anniversary Edition (Although we played classic, revised, spring42 etc...).

I would like to know, wich scenario is the most fun to play? (41 or 42)
Is there a bid needed to balance things?
How long does a game lasts usually?

Thanks for the advices!

[Zhukov44]

41 is generally preferred--if you are used to Revised the difference is refreshing.  But 42 is good also.

Bidding depends on whether you play with national objectives.  Most here do play with national objectives.  In that case, the bid for 41 is generally to Allies and it's normally a placement bid of 6-12.  The bid for 42 (when played with national objectives) is about the same.  42 is a little harder for Allies than 41.

The game could last anywhere from 3 hours to 72 hours, depending on how tight it is.  Normally one side will come out on top though.  AA50 is probably no longer on average then any other A&A edition, except maybe 1942.

If you play with tech, tech luck can sometimes help decide a game early, or it could lead to back and forth struggle if the tech luck swings back and forth.

[axis_roll]

I agree with everything Zhukov is posted, with the exception of the length of the game.

Early on in getting your AA50 experience, one side will dominate, and the games will be quickly over.  We found the axis easier to play/win.

Even later, after you've gotten a good feel for the flow of an AA50 game, I have come to find that once one side takes an advantage, it is VERY difficult (barring weapons of course), to over come that advantage.

So instead of the momenteum/advantage curve being bell-shaped (like in earlier editions), I find it more like an inverted funnel:  rather steep on both sides.

[Cow]

I had a 24 hour game. I had holed up into just germany and italy allies around me... then I got IMRROVED ARTILLERY RIGHT WHEN I NEEDED IT. Broke the foothold on france saving italy. Japan had 1 tank for every unit russia had and some bombers... and I suffered humiliating defeat. had to attack again two rounds later, rome fell but not berlin so it was my win.

Low luck games 13 bid allies. dice games 1-11. Assuming you play with NOs.

without national objectives, bid is for axis so they can get extra africa income, but you should really play with national objectives.
~

AA50 is nice you can do lots of different things in 1941 and 1942. It is a bit easier to go pacific in 1942 with USA and easier for germany to go sea lion in 1942. However I have done both in 41 just for fun.

In 1942 usa has incentive to do pacific, you can do split income somewhat effectively by just dodging japan's fleet.

If you buy naval in 41 you tend to run out of ground forces... I would only do this if you know you can get italy the african bonuses... ie no bid placed in egypt so you can hit it round 1 with the odds in your favor. japan can drop 2 transports worth of men on burma round 1 and clear africa round 2 for you alternatively.

still you will find yourself short on joes. helps a bit to push karelia.

[Cow]

normal game, all allies rush europe. japan blows up, chucks tanks at russia with industrial complexes in india burma FIC and sometimes manchuria and borneo.

japan normally skips new guinea and australia and new zealand and hawaii (only 5 bucks collectively and you get bonuses elsewhere anyway) and japan just spams tanks and races russia while allies race berlin.

japan takes egypt and transjordan for italy to get +5. Some players will take the other islands including me when it seems like allies are stalling... like shuffling men to archangel... I may as well get the income edge.

Most games, germany will defend france italy and berlin... so you either have to do a double drop on northwestern europe or go back to back on france. UK can soften up france and usa can take italy or france right after (since italy goes between sometimes replaces lost men in france and at that point you go with the easier attack between france or italy).

I highly recommend russia gets a mix of infantry/artillery/tanks. 4 inf 2 art 2 tank or 5 inf 3 tank round 1. Sometimes a bomber buy in caucasus is good if germany took more than usual losses in his round 1 attack (so you can snipe a japan transport and land in australia or india)
~
as far as bids go. you can get an uk infantry in egypt (assume you play 1 unit per territory) a tank in eastern ukraine for russia... you can do sub in india (snipes japan transport). you can do fighter off bury (snipes japan transport and then flies home). you can do art in eastern ukraine and tank in belorussia (never a bad choice). Or artillery in bury and tank in soviet far east to attack manchuria round 1.

In your first game I suggest roll 1d6 and add 3 ipc for the allies bid so allies get an infantry or artillery minimum.

Axis can get diced on their first round so yeah an infantry in egypt is all you really need (makes the egypt attack a 50/50).

I don't like playing more than 1 unit per territory, because then you start seeing 3 inf in egypt and you are like "really dude?"

[axis_roll]

Excellent summary posts COW

[Global-commander]

normal game, all allies rush europe. japan blows up, chucks tanks at russia with industrial complexes in india burma FIC and sometimes manchuria and borneo.

japan normally skips new guinea and australia and new zealand and hawaii (only 5 bucks collectively and you get bonuses elsewhere anyway) and japan just spams tanks and races russia while allies race berlin.

japan takes egypt and transjordan for italy to get +5. Some players will take the other islands including me when it seems like allies are stalling... like shuffling men to archangel... I may as well get the income edge.

Most games, germany will defend france italy and berlin... so you either have to do a double drop on northwestern europe or go back to back on france. UK can soften up france and usa can take italy or france right after (since italy goes between sometimes replaces lost men in france and at that point you go with the easier attack between france or italy).

I highly recommend russia gets a mix of infantry/artillery/tanks. 4 inf 2 art 2 tank or 5 inf 3 tank round 1. Sometimes a bomber buy in caucasus is good if germany took more than usual losses in his round 1 attack (so you can snipe a japan transport and land in australia or india)
~
as far as bids go. you can get an uk infantry in egypt (assume you play 1 unit per territory) a tank in eastern ukraine for russia... you can do sub in india (snipes japan transport). you can do fighter off bury (snipes japan transport and then flies home). you can do art in eastern ukraine and tank in belorussia (never a bad choice). Or artillery in bury and tank in soviet far east to attack manchuria round 1.

In your first game I suggest roll 1d6 and add 3 ipc for the allies bid so allies get an infantry or artillery minimum.

Axis can get diced on their first round so yeah an infantry in egypt is all you really need (makes the egypt attack a 50/50).

I don't like playing more than 1 unit per territory, because then you start seeing 3 inf in egypt and you are like "really dude?"

I did not think complexes could be built on original chinese territories, or on islands.

[Lozmoid]

As far as I understand the rules for AA50, new Industrial Complexes can be built on territories or islands that
have an IPC value of 1 or higher.

And yes, they can be built by Axis powers on captured original Chinese territories.

[WILD BILL]

This is a great thread (thanks cow for your input). It's strange because we haven't played AA50 for quite some time (to wrapped up in G40 I guess). I bought 1942 II the other day, and we played 2 games. Then we decided why play the poor mans version (new 1942) when I have Anniversary. We played AA50 1941 first and it was refreshing. We are now playing the AA50 1942 w/tech. We play tech comes in play at the end of your turn. We also allow you keep only one dice if you fail (regardless how many you buy), but you have to pay 2 IPCs to use it later.

We took some other liberties too like moving the Chinese Tiger to Sinkang w/1 inf (never liked it starting on the front), using the straight rules from G40, and BB repair takes place in the beginning of your next turn instead of end of combat. We are also using the AAA rules from Alpha3.9 (or 1942 II if you will), and tanks cost 6 IPCs. Oh yeah we also capped all new IC builds at 3 units max, or tt value (trim down the East Indies/Borneo IC builds a bit).

We are having a great time! Its like the new 1942 game re-sparked Anniversary.

[Slackaveli]

what are "the strait rules from G40?"