Have decided to keep Jap fleet by Asia and not venture further East than Phillipines, which looks like US’ 2nd move.
By Russia going East I meant he has sent Kazak, Novo and Eventi’s 4 into China, possibl anticipating Chinese void. I made my IC in EI and am regretting not doing Manchuria.( Who is ever happy eh?)Am hoping to finish game in 3 weeks when my friend next works in Hereford.
Thanks for heads up.
Germany attacking Egypt on round 1 is not really an option anymore. Not only does the UK have an extra unit there, Germany cannot send anything but the bomber to help. Yes, they can bring over 2 units on the transport - kill the defending DD (though, no fighters can reach) and attack. It is not as good a chance as it was before.
Germany can easily kill off the UK fleet (if you call it that) with the BB, can hit the US and take out those 2 trannies and also hit the Cruiser in the Med. When I played this weekend, we decided to use 2 units and the BB to hit Russia - but - it might have been better to have then hit the DD and land units in Trans-Jordan.
I played Japan and put a complex in Manchuria. After taking out all of the US forces in China (which, if you forgo an attack on Hawaii is pretty straightforward), you then have 3 tanks a turn running through the middle of Asia causing problems for Russia very quickly.
Again - I am not coming to any conclusions yet - just in two games so far, under the tournament conditions used, the Allies seem to have an uphill battle on their hands.
MM
We just finished a game that went almost exactly how yours did. Russia did a a couple small battles. Germany kills the UK Atlantic BB, the US dd/tpts and built a carrier for the Baltic. The UK also tried to kill off the Japanese DIE fleet, and failed miserably. All UK units lost, and Japan kept the carrier & dinged bb. UK losing that much stuff round1 on the Pac side set-up very well for the axis, and the allies lost ground all game (Asia & Africa seemed like mere speed bumps). The US seemed under powered to compete w/Japan (with virtually no help from UK) even though they spent pretty exclusive Pac side. In a couple rounds the Chinese (US) were gone, India and Egypt fell. Japan was making about 40+, and Germany got into the 50’s. Early on Germany took Kar, then hit Moscow, but pulled out when inf stacks were depleted (Moscow would have held). Germany then took Caucasus as Japan started grabbing Russian land near Asia & the Mid east. Germany got its second wind (even though the Brits did some nuance landing parties in W Europe and crushed Moscow a couple turns later by reinforcing Kar through the Baltic w/3 tpts. The UK did build enough air power to kill the German Baltic fleet, but by that time the damage was done (Germany should have built another dd, but missed it). I think the game went about 6 rounds or so, and allies pulled the plug.
Well, for Russia, there are a couple of problems - first is that fighters from the UK cannot make it to Moscow directly - so gone are the ideas of shutling fighters over easily. Secondly, since Karelia is not next to Moscow, infantry stacks in Moscow are no help in taking back Karelia. Further - with a carrier purchase (and a tranny on round 2), Germany can easily funnel units into Karelia - Germany is also 2 spots away so tanks can blitz right on up. In my mind, it makes it very hard for Russia to hold onto Karelia - especially if the UK offers no help in that part of the map.
MM
I bought 2DD on G1 so as to prevent UK killing my Med Battleship and now look too powerful there. UK took advantage and built 2DD to join his Canadian one after sinking my Baltic fleet.
Now on UK2 he can build a 2nd TT and land in Norway or Belgium(know which I’d do).
I think my obsession of helping keep Italy alive in Global clouded my decision and I am going to Pay for it.
Otherwise, I think Axis look good to win most games.
I think adding a couple of lend lease destroyers to the british home fleet would be a good bid. One at the very least.
Interesting stuff.
Yeah,
That was my thought as well. UK needs to get a minimum bid of 8 to by a destroyer in the hopes of even having a chance. Other wise, the UK should never have a fleet to do anything in the Atlantic. And the US gets its units killed by the two subs floating out in the Atlantic as well, then they come back and kill the remained of the UK fleet on T2…
The lack of scramble really hurts the UK.
I know we have a lot of experienced players, but isn’t it too early to be calling for a bid…I’m hoping to get my first crack at this weekend, but in the words of Gul Dukat  “…I will find a way to defeat it. There is no dilemma that cannot be solved by a disciplined, Cardassian mind.”
Oh, I agree with you in general - I am far from declaring anything.
I am just saying that with GenCon in 2 weeks, my guess is that an Allied bid will be the norm if anyone has played and seen some of the initial conclusions we have…
I will still want to play several more times with no bid - I enjoy a challenge!
MM
Concerning a bid:
We are starting game two, and I’ll try allies this time (axis sure was fun LOL). There is normally a bit of a learning curve for the allies. I think I will try to weather the storm and see what happens before I jump on the bid or swamping units around band wagon. I can see the point about getting more info for the tourney though.
To the German navy points:
It’s strange because as Germany I felt obligated to buy the carrier (or a couple destroyers) to beef up the Baltic fleet. The RAF can hit the Baltic (sz5) from England, and the BB in the Med is under a lot of pressure where ever it goes. I ended up buying a carrier G1 for the Baltic, then sprinkled in a dd and couple tpts later to keep the UK honest, and to keep pace w/English air power. G1 I used the Med BB to kill the UK cruiser in sz14 and also took Gib so the UK ftrs couldn’t attack me in sz14, only the Egypt dd & bmr can reach (your probably still going to lose it, but maybe you take a couple units down with you). It would be hard to save both German fleets (expensive), and you really need to kill at least one of the UK ships in the Med IMO. Building in the Baltic seemed to help take down Russia, but I could see the importance of a Med fleet too.
BTW the US sitting there w/dd & 2 tpts off E US in range of both subs is just Way To Funny (WTF). You have to hit that s**t (probably with both subs). I’m ok with the UK losing yet another BB in the Atlantic G1 (oh big surprise) but the mini US fleet going down feels cheap.
The US cruiser in 19 should be swapped for the US destroyer in 56.
So at least if Germany does attack the US transport fleet, the US can respond and attempt to clear its own waters.
The more and more I look at this I see the allies really got the shaft in this edition.
I am getting my game on Friday and since the only version I own is the 2004 revised edition.
I’ll probably be to lazy to adjust to the new rules so I will play 1942 2nd edition with the revised rules.
(I will wright a short review of how the game went when I actually play it)
This brings me to my point: many pointed out that the allies were fighting an uphill battle. But I think that the rule from revised specially the National Advantages will greatly help the allies.
Here are the main NA that I think will help the allies
USSR
1.Russian winter: All inf defend on 3 for 1 turn
2.Non Aggression treaty with Japan: You get 4 unit wherever Japan attack you
3.Mobile Industry: IC may be moved in any red territory (good to escape german capture)
4.Salvage: If Germany looses a tank and then retreats place one soviet tank in that territory
5.Land Lease: US and UK troop in red territory may be replace by red units at the beginning of the red turn.
6.Trans Siberian Railways: Allows infantry and AA gun to move 2 spaces in some specified tettitories
Also
Uk fleet could be saved by scrambling fighters from enigma decoded
USA would get +1 inf in any chinese territory
I will tell you more when I try this ruleset.
PS:Sorry for my english, I am from the french speaking part of Canada
Sorry I forgot to mention these are only the USSR NA
If you want to take a look at the UK and US Japanese and German one’s, look for the rulebook by searching ‘A&A revised rulebook 2004’
@WILD:
We just finished a game that went almost exactly how yours did. Russia did a a couple small battles. Germany kills the UK Atlantic BB, the US dd/tpts and built a carrier for the Baltic. The UK also tried to kill off the Japanese DIE fleet, and failed miserably. All UK units lost, and Japan kept the carrier & dinged bb. UK losing that much stuff round1 on the Pac side set-up very well for the axis, and the allies lost ground all game (Asia & Africa seemed like mere speed bumps). The US seemed under powered to compete w/Japan (with virtually no help from UK) even though they spent pretty exclusive Pac side. In a couple rounds the Chinese (US) were gone, India and Egypt fell. Japan was making about 40+, and Germany got into the 50’s. Early on Germany took Kar, then hit Moscow, but pulled out when inf stacks were depleted (Moscow would have held). Germany then took Caucasus as Japan started grabbing Russian land near Asia & the Mid east. Germany got its second wind (even though the Brits did some nuance landing parties in W Europe and crushed Moscow a couple turns later by reinforcing Kar through the Baltic w/3 tpts. The UK did build enough air power to kill the German Baltic fleet, but by that time the damage was done (Germany should have built another dd, but missed it). I think the game went about 6 rounds or so, and allies pulled the plug.
I agree with all the others. Our first game went almost exactly like the post above.
It seems to me that the Allied powers are far too weak. It only took germany a few rounds to get into the 50+ IPC range.
So some red flags that we are seeing so far.
Honestly, I don’t think its even fair to play as the allies in this edition.
I am receiving this game soon and am going to introduce my friends to axis and allies, so I don’t want the game to be so one-sided that everyone playing allies hates the game. Would making the axis capture 10 VC instead of 9 do anything to balance it out?
I don’t know if that would solve the issue. (adding one more VC needed for the Axis)
The German attacks on the UK and US fleets are so advantageous to the axis that it puts the allies in a really weird position in the early game.
I mean, it’s 1942 by now, and quite often the US and UK literally have no boats in the Atlantic by G2.
The US just doesn’t have the IPCs to get the ball rolling in BOTH the pacific and the atlantic after losing so much material.
And the UK really can’t EVER get the ball rolling if Germany doesn’t want them too (by keeping the sea zones around the UK under threat of attack)
Honestly, what might help every power, would be if victory cities could scramble one plane.
That helps the US fleet off the Atlantic seaboard. It helps the UK fleet in the north Atlantic, it helps the German fleets in the Mediterranean and Baltic. It helps the UK fleet at India. It helps the Japanese fleet in its home waters. And helps US fleets off the west coast and Hawaii.
Im really going to start pushing for the VC Scramble as a house rule.
(one plane only of course)
I wish it was in the damn rulebook as an optional rule……like interceptors.
