• I have played 3 complete games (2 Allies : 1 CP), 1 nonfinished game(looked bleak for CP), and currently on round 4 of 5th game(if Germany dont get some really good dice in Moscow starting on G5 they are screwed)

    The balance to me seems to be skewed a bit towards the Allies (This also seems to be the general consensus)

    What would be your lowest bid to play as the CP ?


  • I’ve been wondering when this would be to posted. Imho, it’s still way too early for a bid…

    How much would it take to tilt the balance, anyway? I have a hard time believing 2 or 3 infantry would make much of an impact on any front, considering the amount of soldiers being thrown into the meatgrinders.


  • I would rather remove or replace a couple of French ships: Battleship at Brest become a Cruiser and take away one of their 3 Transports.
    Does anyone know why they have 3, same as UK?
    I think balancing the Navies somewhat would give the CPs a fighting chance.

    I agree that the Ground units are best left as they are.


  • While I would very much miss France’s second battleship, youra suggestion does make a lot of sense, Wittman. The CPs’ navy would definitely survive a lot longer without it.

  • Customizer

    @wittmann:

    I would rather remove or replace a couple of French ships: Battleship at Brest become a Cruiser and take away one of their 3 Transports.
    Does anyone know why they have 3, same as UK?
    I think balancing the Navies somewhat would give the CPs a fighting chance.

    I agree that the Ground units are best left as they are.

    Yeah, I don’t quite get why the French fleet gets so many transports either. UK really needs transports but most of the French action is all on land. I guess if they wanted to ship a few troops down to their African colonies but they can’t afford to send too many or Germany will smash them.

  • Customizer

    Use them to bring the Canadians over. But I agree France has too many.


  • Flashman, that is exactly what my friend did after I sank the Canadian one.
    Was a good move, but seemed a big cheeky. Almost as if that was their purpose!

    I do not know the 1914 figures for navies (transports), but makes sense that Great Britain has more then the other nations as it still owns much of the globe and has always ruled the seas. In the game most powers have one, which seems fine.
    Germany has colonies and no transport.
    Come to think of it, why has Austria got one?


  • Yeah i think Germany needs a transport added to its starting navy,

    Maybe UK originally had more transports but for balancing purposes they were converted to French?

  • Customizer

    UK needs minimum 4 transports to feed Karelia and Picardy/Belgium. Assuming the Germans attack the main fleet, these need to be assembled off Wales B1 with a new Battleship, the French surface fleet from Brest having already sailed there.

    France needs to activate Portugal, occupy Spanish Morocco, keep one inf in West Africa to block German expansion, and push everything else into the front against Germany. Use the med BB to damage the Austrian navy before follow up attacks by Britain and Italy.


  • @Flashman:

    UK needs minimum 4 transports to feed Karelia and Picardy/Belgium. Assuming the Germans attack the main fleet, these need to be assembled off Wales B1 with a new Battleship, the French surface fleet from Brest having already sailed there.

    France needs to activate Portugal, occupy Spanish Morocco, keep one inf in West Africa to block German expansion, and push everything else into the front against Germany. Use the med BB to damage the Austrian navy before follow up attacks by Britain and Italy.

    Going a little off topic lol


  • No Bid

    More fun to play the Central Powers anyway.

    Kim


  • Some stats on naval power in 1914:

    Total tonnage of naval strength:

    British: 2.2 Million
    Germany: 1.0 Million
    France: 0.7 Million
    Russia: 0.3 Million
    Austria-Hungary: 0.2 Million

    British military doctrine at the time was to be able to field a navy that was greater than any two other powers combined.  (This is partly why the German naval build-up, although still far less than the British naval power, was so threatening.)  A&A is a game, you have to balance it and make it interesting, but the lack of British naval power, especially relative to the other powers, is a little bit off.


  • Thank you for those figures Aristokles. Had no idea Germany was second.


  • So France could use a massive reduction (both for historical accuracy and game balance) in naval setup.
    Russia could too, maybe remove one of its cruisers in sz 21

  • Customizer

    Also, Turkey had no modern warships in August 1914. It was only the arrival of the Goeben & Breslau in Constantinople that gave them a pair of modern cruisers, and incidentally triggered their entry into the war.

    To be historically accurate, these units should begin as German cruisers in SZ18.


  • @Aristokles:

    Some stats on naval power in 1914:

    Total tonnage of naval strength:

    British: 2.2 Million
    Germany: 1.0 Million
    France: 0.7 Million
    Russia: 0.3 Million
    Austria-Hungary: 0.2 Million

    British military doctrine at the time was to be able to field a navy that was greater than any two other powers combined.  (This is partly why the German naval build-up, although still far less than the British naval power, was so threatening.)  A&A is a game, you have to balance it and make it interesting, but the lack of British naval power, especially relative to the other powers, is a little bit off.

    Simply counting tonnage does not suffice to reflect naval power of the nations.

    1. It was the time of Dreadnoughts and Battlecruisers! These mostly defined naval power!
    -> Figures in August 1914:
    Dreadnoughts: UK: 22, Germany: 15, USA 10, France 8, Austria-Hungary 6, Italy 3, Russia NONE (again: NONE!!!)
    Battlecruisers: UK 9, Germany 5 (all others none)

    2. Many ships were too old already thus being regarded as “unfit for high seas duty!”
    -> This is especially true for Russia and Turkey, but also for France and UK (almost all their submarines were old “garbage” and could only be used as costal submarines!).

    Naval power UK:G in the North Sea was about 3:2.
    Behind those 2 powers: Long time nothing! Then USA!


  • Thank you xxstefanx.
    Germany had double the number of Dreadnoughts than France? Again that is badly reflected in the game.
    Russia too makes no sense then.
    Flashman had already explained about the Turks.

    I would be happy adding one to the UK(Home Waters), adding a second to Germany, leaving US and Austria as they,'then removing Italy’s and Russia’s one and reducing one of France’s to a Cruiser. (Turks should lose a Cruiser too and maybe give Russia and the Italians a Cruiser to compensate.)
    Will have to put those changes on the map, so I can see if it could help with balance. It will certainly change things in the Med.

    Needless to say, we are no closer to knowing about the Transport numbers, or why France has been given three!


  • Thinking about it, we cannot take away Italy’s Dreadnought or Austria will attack their fleet. The stalemate is a good starting position as Italy should not even be at war!

    Maybe it would be simpler to take a Transport from France and reduce one of its Dreadnoughts to a Cruiser.



  • One must not forget the Battlecruisers!
    Though nominated “Cruisers” they could hardly be seen as one! In fact, they were fast Battleships:
    Slightly less armour, but superior speed. They could outrun all dreadnoughts so that they were used in separate scouting squadrons with massive firepower!
    (see Doggerbank or Jutland for instance)

    In terms of a game they are supposed to be a new WWI specific unit type with the following stats:
    A=4, D=4, M=3, Hits 1,5, Cost same as dreadnought

    Of course this would only be for a next BIG global WWI game with diplomacy, technology, cavalry, etc.!!
    (I assume A&A 1914 is a success already!)

Suggested Topics

Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

44

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts