UK BB and EUS fleet should be hit.  The UK BB should go down no problem (1SS/2FTR/Bomber at most should do it).  Russian sub will submerge unless this is a light attack for some reason.  EUS can survive, but if you send both SS, you have the 2v1 advantage as Germany.  While Germany can hit both DDs, why risk having the Transports survive?  The lone UK DD/Trans will not hurt Germany too much…they can go after your subs, but I’d rather deal with the UK DD, than the US DD, FTR, Bomber…(granted, the UK Bomber can hit the SS w/the DD, but now your UK bomber is WAY out of  position.
To attack the Cruiser/Transport in the Baltic, I’ll just send the two FTRS (and the Bomber if can’t SBR) to hit it. Â Both FTRs land in WRus to protect the Soviets (with next move headed towards India on UK2 as second wave of 2FTRs will take their place on UK2) and the Bomber should land in Caucus. Â This gives you flex to attack anywhere with the Bomber (Germany, Italy, Japan stack on Burma). Â If you really don’t want to risk the UK forces, you can always use the Russsian SS and a FTR to hit the CA (if the CA is alone, maybe not so if one SS still in Baltic).
In response to Hobbes comments: Â I don’t play VC, so I don’t care if Russia collapses, as long as they can hold out till G5-6 for a KJF. Â I agree you need troops in Europe, but by UK3, India should be protected (and random remaining Soviet help in Asia) and with a large US invasion force at the Solomons ready to do the nasty on US3 (the DD/2Trans with a US2 Trans buy will give me 3 Trans to move to Solomons while I can either use the one trans at the Solomons to either strike Borneo/Phillipines or go back to WUS for more troops (with additional trans buy US3…let the shucking begin!). Â If this was VC, not sure how much it would change things, but the Phillipines would defintely fall before Moscow under this move. Â
Have seen the EUS DD survive both German subs, and now have seen the Med DD hold off the BB 4 times….frak ya Med DD!
Have seen the EUS DD survive both German subs, and now have seen the Med DD hold off the BB 4 times….frak ya Med DD!
The more you play, the more the results will tend to follow the theoretical odds. The unlucky (and very frustrating for some) part is when the failed attacks always happen to you when you playing the Axis, but that’s how dice work.
It’s also a matter of player perception - you are always more prone to remember a failed attack (because of its rarity) or a series of failed attacks than to remember ALL of the successful ones. So if you want to count the failures you should also count the victories as well, otherwise the series of failed attacks will just keep nagging on your head everytime you play and affect your strategy.
The funny thing is with the BB failing to beat the DD is that Germany will only have 3 units (the inf/tank/Bomber) and you get an excellent chance to eliminate it with ease especially if you have the Russian FTR there.
I did have the UK CV in 42.1 (which I used to kill the defenseless Japanese transport) take down a BB/FTR as well….that made my day!
No bid still trumps every other choice.
One question for the players who voted for Allied bid: did you consider the move of the Soviet fighter to Egypt on R1 when voting?
We played our 1st two games yesterday and the night before, both Axis wins. Still too early for me to say with any confidence about the game balance though. It’s a new game, with a  new set up and it’s going to take quite a few playings to exhaust all the ideas I saw from our first 2 games before I can start to make a call on game balance.
Certainly, reading the experiences of others in their games on here is something I watch closely until I feel I’ve seen enough myself through actually playing the game. My drinking partner Tim & myself logged about 150 actual playing hours on PAC40 before we sent in a final verdict on that one (OOB). We wound up playing about 18-19 hours the past two days. Another 5-6 game sessions like that usually lays it all out, one way or the other.
To be honest, the VC conditions seem doable in this version. We played total victory (which we almost always do), but the 9/10 VC conditions seem to offer another route to pursue.
Having never played with bids before, can someone explain the rules around how the allies can spend their money from bids? Are there limitations or can it be split up amongst the allies in any way they want?
Read the first post in the thread for an explanation of bids.
our bids have been 0, 0, 6, 10, 12, 13, 13. i bet it will settle in @ 9-12.
we play all bid $$ must be placed in 1 country, not inf all over the place, for example.
our bids have been 0, 0, 6, 10, 12, 13, 13. i bet it will settle in @ 9-12.
we play all bid $$ must be placed in 1 country, not inf all over the place, for example.
Well, the disadvantage of that method is that if Russian puts 2 inf and 1 tank in Buryatia, for instance, then it can attack Manchuria on R1, which can really then unbalance the game. The ladder rule for Revised was that you could only place 1 unit per territory/SZ, on spaces where you already had units present.
Several players have expressed the need for the Allies to have a bid on Spring 1942, 2nd Ed. for reasons of game balance. I personally haven’t felt the need for it so far but I’m curious to see what may be the most ‘common’ bids, please feel free to add suggestions to where to �place them (1 UK infantry on Egypt, 1 artillery on Caucasus, etc.).
If you are playing victory cities then the game is horribly unbalanced. It is too easy for the Axis to get the 9 cities. Leningrad, Moscow and Calcutta are easy pickings by the Axis by turn 5 to 6.
I like an allies bid of at least 10.
IMO, the two most critical plays for the Allies bid is either (1) support the EUS fleet with a 2nd destroyer, or (2) support the British attack on the EI Japanese fleet on turn 1 with a destroy or a sub, and an artillery for the amphibious attack on EI.
You shouldn’t waste an allies bid on the Soviets.
Of these, I believe (2) is more critical.
If the Japanese don’t lose that EI fleet, then I have found that Calcutta easily falls by round 4-5. So the game really is decided on turn 1 by a 65% percent attack by the British on the EI fleet. That percent has to be raised, or the game is very tilted to the Axis.
Against an opponent of similar skill and experience, I don’t see how the Allies win this version without a bid.
If you are playing victory cities then the game is horribly unbalanced. It is too easy for the Axis to get the 9 cities. Leningrad, Moscow and Calcutta are easy pickings by the Axis by turn 5 to 6.
IMO, if both Moscow and Calcutta fall by turns 5/6 then you don’t know how to play the Allies.
If you are playing victory cities then the game is horribly unbalanced. It is too easy for the Axis to get the 9 cities. Leningrad, Moscow and Calcutta are easy pickings by the Axis by turn 5 to 6.
IMO, if both Moscow and Calcutta fall by turns 5/6 then you don’t know how to play the Allies.
Actually, it is quite possible if turn 1 (1) the US transports are sunk off of EUS, (2) the British navy is decimated, (3) the British fail badly on the 1st turn 65% chance attack on the East Indies Japanese fleet.
Those are all either very likely, or quite possible.
Combine those with a bad Russian turn 1 failed attack on the Ukraine, the loss of Karelia by turn 2 to 3, and Moscow easily falls depending on how few British fighters are in Moscow on turn 5.
IMO, if both Moscow and Calcutta fall by turns 5/6 then you don’t know how to play the Allies.
I agree. The Allies need to use very different strategies than in the past, which is why I imagine a lot of people feel the Allies are at a disadvantage. The game may be called “Second Edition,” but you have to treat it as an entirely different game.
I think a 9 bid for allies. Now after playing enough games. Allies stand no chance.
I see that the sensible and experienced people here are gauging this game at around 8-12IPC bid. Sounds good. I will have to try it. Thanks.
What have people been putting their bids into? I feel I’d take allies with an 11 bid all day, but would be hessitant to take a 10 bid or lower.
a 10 bid I’d get a UK inf for egypt, an inf for karelia (to go to west russia), and an artillery for caucus (to save a tank). I used to like the US destroyer bid, but if I don’t get that ifantry in egypt then Germany just takes out egypt and ruins my day. Those who say you can just send a Russian fighter there don’t understand how bad that is for russia. That allows Germany to take and hold Karelia the first turn, and makes it more costly to take Ukraine. That is why an 11 bid would be so powerful. You could bid for the US DD and a UK inf for egypt.
I prefer using 6 bucks of a bid to add a sub for the UK in the Pacific to help knock out Japan’s fleet of the bb, ac and 2 fighters…if I have enough left over, I will add an inf to Egypt to protect my fighter and/or an extra inf somewhere for Russia.
MM
Great idea with the sub!
