I played 3 games ( Japan 41-42, Soviets in 42)
I render this game heavily slanted toward Axis in a way that is unimaginable. I am truly sorry but its true.
for starters:
IN 1941 Germany can create quite easily a tank drive straight toward Moscow. The Soviet factories are huge problematic points that prove a weakness in the Soviet position and make it much harder to “give up land for time” because frankly nothing can stop German tanks from taking Karelia factory, while the Soviets by even trying to defend Moscow or the factories face an unmitigated task of stopping the Panzers from multiple defensive points.
So the Soviets are divided by protection of her factories, which weakens the overall structure of her defense allowing either the Italian and or German to choose which weak point to pick off next.
Italy is like a ‘can opener’ or an elite commando team that can follow the German player in with her fighters ( she can build one fighter a turn) and also attack and prep by landing troops in the black sea or following the German victors by placing her fighters in recently captured territories…something that Germany didn’t have before.
Further their is a game breaking uber “can opener” feature where Japan brings in 4 fighters easily from FIC after Germany takes Caucasus.
BY turn 2 Karelia falls, this weakens Caucasus because the Soviets need to now defend Moscow… that’s where the “can opener” Italy starts working by softening up Caucasus, then Germany takes…then japan brings in fighters.
Soviets losing 2 factories will soon lose Moscow.
Another huge problem is Moscow is 6 IPC and not 8, so it builds say 8 infantry but can now only place 6
Germany can just basically ignore the UK fleet and use its fighters on the Soviet border.
In another game i played Japan 41:
I used my Japanese strategy in 1941 and it was clockwork. everything worked. It was a joke bigtime. I played Japan and i did better than Germany and these were very good players. Japan has 5 transports and they are like an octopus and the allies are like bugs and i was Raid.
BY turn 3 India was abandoned by UK… I didn’t even take it. I was too busy killing allied assets on the map. I made my land grab on turn 1-2 and just cleansed the Pacific of plastic that was not burnt orange.
I also played the Soviets in 1942…
I barely beat back the German Panzers that took Caucasus and Karelia. He had 4 tanks vs my 2 tanks and 2 Inf. I should have lost. UK had to bail me out by hitting 6 tanks in the Baltic states. This was a placement error on my opponents part. If he used his strategy with more precision the result would have been different. The Soviets basically cleared out all the German land units by exchanges. IN that game Italy didn’t play the “can opener” and they basically didn’t coordinate well with Germans.
The Soviet player needs to be have some air units: 1 bomber in 41 and 1 fighter in 42
Also, the Soviets should be able to move her factories so she does not have to protect them if she cant. Germany used this point to prove that she cant.
Placement rules need to change for home territories like Moscow.
Germany can elect to follow my strategy for 2 bombers and then use 3 bombers against Moscow and make it impossible. Thank god nobody tried that.
The Soviets need some kind of reserve force that they secretly place and consists of offensive units.
I would also build a UK factory in India in 1942. Its a good decision.
IN 1942 the US player had a potential to crush the Japanese because of all the ships they start with. I suggest they go against japan in 42, and against Germany in 41.
I need to make some house rules to fix this mess.