The Allies playbook: Standard openers and suggestions for sequential rounds

  • '17 '16 '15 '14 '12

    Eqqman, the rule used to say “UK/ANZAC” but my new rulebook says “Japan considers movement of units into China by any other allied power as an act of war against it.”.

    YG, I agree - If Russia stacks Amur Japan should just stack Korea on turn 1 and then move everything back to Manchuria on turn 2.  If that happens to be a Combat Move rather than NCM because the Russians actually went into Manchuria, then great!  Japan takes India and USA sits in z101 til round 4 (unless Japan attacks UK/ANZAC/USA J1 instead of J2).  A smart Japan player would not attack Amur, and also would not declare war on anybody for the first turn.  Then again a devious Russian player might do this as a bluff and leave Manchuria alone R2 but go into Korea instead on R3 while the Japanese airforce is off fighting in Calcutta.

    EDIT: but that’s just my reading of the rulebook and I could be wrong.  But if I am wrong I don’t see what else they would mean all those times they use the word “unprovoked”; one would assume there is also a “provoked” situation or they wouldn’t specify one kind of DOW as being unprovoked.  The political situations for UK, ANZAC and USA each have a clear statement that they must be at war with Japan before their units can enter China, but there is no restriction at all like that in the Russian political rules.  Nevertheless, they clearly state that Japan will consider the movement of any allied unit into China to be an act of war.  So unlike the other allies, Russian units can enter China even if Russia is at peace with Japan, but Japan will consider it an act of war anyway.  Why would they bother writing these rules in this way unless Russians going into China with or without a DOW is precisely the provocation they are taking about?  The writers seem to have paid a lot of attention to the situations between Japan, Russia, China and Mongolia so I do not think this grey zone is an oversight.  Thus, the rules are that if Russians enter China, Japan can make a declaration of war against UK/ANZAC that is not “unprovoked” in terms of the $10 NO and American neutrality rules.       :|

    If I am wrong, I apologize.

  • '12

    You might have missed my point.  If Russia hands Japan a DoW R1, then the unprovoked clause is moot for any Russian actions that follow since Japan is already at war before they occur.

  • '16 '15 '10

    Variance I think what that passage means is that if Russia moves units into China its an act of war.  That’s all.  Similarly, if UK moves into China its an act of war.  Officially, UK or Russia would need to declare on Japan to be able to do it.

    Japan and Russia being at war has no effect on UK and Japan’s political status, even if Russia and UK are already Allies against Germany.

  • '12

    @variance:

    So imagine this.  Russia sends a tank/mech to Sikang R1.  Seems innocent enough, but Japan feels provoked by this act of war and immediately declares war on Russia, UK and ANZAC but does not declare war on France or USA.

    Again, all moot if Russia declares war beforehand on R1.

  • '17 '16 '15 '14 '12

    Well I asked Krieghund and he says I was wrong.  Sorry guys but I was mistaken.  If Russian units enter China it does NOT mean anything with regards to the political situation of the other allies.

  • Sponsor

    @variance:

    Well I asked Krieghund and he says I was wrong.  Sorry guys but I was mistaken.  If Russian units enter China it does NOT mean anything with regards to the political situation of the other allies.

    Way to go dumb ass!

  • '17 '16 '15 '14 '12

    yeah I know.  I am an idiot.  :-)

    But I did ask what a “provocation” is and he explained it to me:

    In the case of Japan regarding UK/ANZAC, the only provocation would be a declaration against Japan by UK or ANZAC. Of course, the reciprocal declaration by Japan would be purely ceremonial in such case.

  • Sponsor

    I was just kidding with that dumb ass comment, I was trying to see what it would take for you to flip the board…. just kidding again.


  • Cow, what’s the best way to set up Russia to protect the southern territories in G5+

    Caucaus, Volgograd are worth big bucks to Germany and even with a big inf stack in Bryansk the axis can push you back to Moscow and take the south with Tanks?

  • TripleA

    I do that to people when I can’t take russia for some reason (fighters flying in) causing me to delay the Russia attack. Not much you can really do about it to be honest.

  • '17 '16 '15 '14 '12

    That’s a good question Jeff and I agree with Cow that there might not be a good counter to it (yet).  Germany can push the Russians back without even firing a shot if they go in hard and fast.  If Germany went into East Poland on G1 the Russians will have evacuated Novgorod through Archangel (or died in Belarus), and as of round 4 a lot of them will be up in Vologda so forget about attacking Bryansk R4. Now suppose Japan were to do the suiyuyan airbase thing and land 20ish planes on top of the Germans as soon as they get to Bryansk. With Japanese planes holding the fort in Bryansk, the German mech/tank army can then sweep down to Caucasus and beyond starting G5.  The Russians can sit in their turtle shell and get SBR’d every turn while the Germans build up artillery in Ukraine for the final apocalypse.  Escort fighters are important if they sent allied fighters to reinforce, but Germany should have several bombers by then.  This is all contingent on Japan NOT declaring war on USA before round 4.

  • TripleA

    Well yeah, the allies don’t have nearly as many strategies as the axis. Bids are getting ridiculously high and I am starting to come around to it.

    For low luck games, 15 sounds about right. For dice games I am coming around to the 10 range. Sadly.

    For right now I am just trying to gather allied attack plans (as opposed to the reactionary ones that depend on what the axis do).


  • I leave 1 infantry in Amur and link up in Sakha. If germany doesn’t attack, I leave a mech in Turmenestan so UK can take east persia on round 1 and Russia can take Persia on round 2. Round 3 Russia can take Iraq, load an infantry on a british transport, so they can take Italian Somaliland on round 4. The territories in Africa are worth a boatload to the Russians. Tobruk, Libya, Ethiopia, Italian Somaliland, Persia, and Iraq. That’s 18 ipc. As Germany and Japan creep into the motherland, Russia can generate an income between 37 and 43. Instaed of going early to china with the russians I head to the middle east. One thing I find useful in pulling off this strategy is a russian bomber on turn 1. Also the Uk needs to cripple Italy to pull this off. I’m a firm believer in attacking Tobruk, Ethiopia, sz 97, and sz 96 on UK’s turn 1. It means taking an infantry and an artillery from India to take out Ethiopia, but my plan isn’t to hold India, which is an impossible task if Japan attacks the allies round 1. My plan involves scrapping over India long enough for the USA or ANZAC to come in and save the day. Hell even the Russians can get in on saving India, but I think their best if they use those resources to hold onto their gains in the middle east and Africa. Cow’s Japanese strat has me running games by myself trying to figure out the right strategical counters.

  • '17 '16 '15

    How does russia take persia on rd 2?  Aren’t they still neutral?

  • TripleA

    They don’t unless Germany goes to war with Russia. I like being prepared.


  • I’m fairly new so If what I’m about to go into is “old hat” then politely ignore me and I’ll figure it out.

    I was attempting to teach a friend how to play.  I was explaing the roles and basic “general purpose” of each nation.  When I was done with my explaination he turned to me and said,

    “Well if the Chinese are restricted as to how far they can move from China, then why not just go around em?”

    This got me thinking, especially after reading this opening turn for Russia.  WHAT IF, the Japansese just plain retreated from mainland Asia.
    A measured and controlled withdrawl from Asia.  Leave it to the Chinese and Russians.  The amount of IPC can be made up by focusing on obtaining all of Borneo/Celebes/Java etc.  When I looked at the board it looked like I was leaving behind a total of 18 IPC’s and gaining 24 (including bonus from NO).  Pplus your not loosing all those IPC at once, I said measured and controlled withdraw.
    This would save any income invested in cutting down those Chinese Inf that seem to sprout up forever.  That would also free money which could all be diverted into the Japanese Navy (which begins at an impressive size to start). 
    Then begin the slow and methodical expanition into the Pacific. This would allow for two things to happen.  The US would have to over invest in the pacific, leaving them to neglect by choice the atlantic and European Campaing.  O maintain a balanced spending approach and face an imenant threat to an Fran and a potential Japanse victory.

    Thoughts or am I insane


  • I began a test game with this Strat and have some photos.

    Can’t post them yet, but this is how its been working out.

    I took the approach that this would be executed in a worst case scenario where the opposing Allied players were famialr and would adjust accordingly to abate the move and counter it.  (I found countering it extemely difficult)

    J1, J2, and J3 were all spent on buying transpo and minor support craft.  Russia quickly took Manchuria and Korea.  The China was slower to advance.  I was able to withdraw all Units save for 2Art 6Inf.

    J2 I circled the Philipines and Borneo.  J3 I took all of Borneo/Java etc and the Philipines Dow on US and UK/ANZAC.

    I’m on Round J9 with 60 IPC in the bank for Japan.  I managed to make landfall on south Africa with Japanese forces.  The US have been backed into the Alaskan Corner, and the Russians are duking it out in Russia.  UK has been reduced but still formidable in India but lacking in Atlantic due to US slow spending in Atlantic to fend off Japanses in Pacific.  I’d say its working but its not refined yet.  I have been logging each purchase and move for a formal review later of the entire offensive manuever.


  • I’d say giving up China is generally a bad move. It’s not that hard to neuter the Chinese and there is a lot of money to be made there, but the biggest problem is that you are giving up two VCs from the start (and India will be hard to reach as well.) This means you will be completely unable to achieve Pacific victory without capturing San Francisco. If I saw that as the US I would actually go almost full Atlantic and leave Japan to their hemisphere. They can make a lot of money but they cannot win the game, and will eventually fall if you can defeat Germany quickly.


  • Here is my allied open vs a standard axis open. I call it the KIF (kill italy first)

    US

    Point is to treathen Italy from turn 1 and force germany to protect it, it is however very flexible, strong and can quickly adapt to kgf (d-day, norway). To get the required staying power against luftwaffe you need to borrow the z10 fleet to the atlantic and move it to z89 with US. Your US buy will be 3trannies,2sub and a carrier (or a dd if germany subs r a pain). The goal is to get all US/UK ground troops into action asap in europe and create a 2front war (all generals nightmare)

    Round 2 you most probable have to go all pacific and continue that way during the rest of the game to prevent japan victory.

    Russia/China

    To pull this extreamly offencive europe move US needs russia’s help to prevent japan early India takeover. Send all soviet mec,tnk and air to kazakhstand r1. Combine them with china if needed r2 in Szechwan. That will make japan wet their pants because they cant hold yunnan nor treathen burma or szechwan with an airstrike. You might considder a offencive buy with russia to (like 3 mec, 4art and 3inf r1). Place mec in stalingrad. Dont worry much about germany as he still have to move his inf all the way to russia, and youll be back by then with your flexible fast moving units.

    UK

    UK build 9inf r1, kill italy fleet, then build big trannyfleet l8tr shielded by US, they leave the seafighting to unclesam  :-). Dont loose egypt. Pacific they stack burma 100% and build 3inf 2mec (or just inf).

    Anzac

    Anzac is hard, but you can always box in as your goal is to prevent japan victory (being so strong in europe). I build tranny turn 1 to get the +5 NO turn 2, but thats up to you.

    Remember flexibility, mobility and offencive moves is the key to KIF strat, force your oponent to respond to you, not vice versa. Get Axis of balance and watch them slowly die as you economic is far stronger.

    Im not going to bother explaining the KIF any more, but if you check out the save file you will most likely understand how this strat work.

    Note that it has 6bid to allies (sub med) and that is not usable against japan dow r1. And bid over 10 should give allies a small advantage by brit fgt in scotland that unbalance germany even more.

    erwinrommelalliedstrat.tsvg

  • '12

    @ErwinRommel:

    Here is my allied open vs a standard axis open. I call it the KIF (kill italy first)

    To get the required staying power against luftwaffe you need to borrow the z10 fleet to the atlantic and move it to z89 with US. Your US buy will be 3trannies,2sub and a carrier (or a dd if germany subs r a pain). The goal is to get all US/UK ground troops into action asap in europe and create a 2front war (all generals nightmare)

    Round 2 you most probable have to go all pacific and continue that way during the rest of the game to prevent japan victory.

    I’ve been going a step farther by also bringing the fleet from Hawaii.  SE Mexico gets a Naval Base US1 so that everything hits Gibraltar US2 if Japan goes for the J2 DoW.  If Japan chickens out and goes for the J4 DoW to try and help the European Axis, so much the better- the Pacific gets a few more rounds to build up a new fleet that only needs to hold Hawaii and do little else.  A strong showing in the Atlantic is likely to discourage Sea Lion which allows the UK to make the Egypt IC UK1.  If it doesn’t discourage it, then you’re already in a good position to be ready to try and liberate the UK.

    I agree this probably won’t be as effective against the J1 DoW, but maybe it is.  If Japan gets pulled east with the lure of a thinly defended Hawaii it might help the other Allies contest the DEI.

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