• thanks for the advice tall Paul :-)

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    Blu,

    The game is DESIGNED to be played with VC’s in each theater, it’s incredibly important, or the allies will win 100% of games.

    In a “world domination” game, as you say, the americans will just spend 100% one way, and the other board won’t even matter.  Then when the first board is done, even if the other side has won, he can’t face off against the economics. Ever.

    The balance is critical to keeping americans builds and forces split.  Else, like a big stack of units, their forces are exponentially more powerful.

    2 destroyers for example, on each board, is less of a problem for a player, than 4 destroyers on 1 board.  Now multiply that with battleships, aircraft carriers, transports… infantry… etc.

    DO NOT PLAY WD.  Play VC!

  • TripleA

    I spend 100% in one way all the time. It just becomes a race. Nothing wrong with racing.

  • Customizer

    If you do decide to play the world domination version, as the Allies which Axis do you go after first?

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    Germany is the only threat.  Because it puts pressure on London and Moscow.

    Japan can take every territory on the pacific board except USA, and still be defeated in a WD game.

  • Customizer

    Gar,

    @Gargantua:

    Germany is the only threat.  Because it puts pressure on London and Moscow.

    Japan can take every territory on the pacific board except USA, and still be defeated in a WD game.

    ––Well said. But I wouldn’t allow the Japanese to take Hong Kong, Calcutta, and Australia.

    “Tall Paul”


  • Gargantua, i see what you are saying about VC’s and the pitfalls of playing world domination…… however, in my only game that we played of 1940 we got to the point of when the axis would have won according to the VC rules but kept going not because we wanted to make our own rules or planned to keep going before hand… but because we like to play till the last man standing… in our old games, if for example the axis have taken London and Russia we wouldn’t call game over until the axis captured the American capital and killed every remaining allied unit… furthermore the axis won in my 1940 game even while playing world domination… so in conclusion even if i layed out beforehand that we were playing VC, we would end up still playing afterwards… worst case scenario if the axis win with VC’s and then allies win the same game with world domination we will just call it a draw… your constructive criticism is well appreciated Gargantua and i will take this into account when playing my next game


  • @Gargantua:

    Blu,

    The game is DESIGNED to be played with VC’s in each theater, it’s incredibly important, or the allies will win 100% of games.

    In a “world domination” game, as you say, the americans will just spend 100% one way, and the other board won’t even matter.� Then when the first board is done, even if the other side has won, he can’t face off against the economics. Ever.

    The balance is critical to keeping americans builds and forces split.� Else, like a big stack of units, their forces are exponentially more powerful.

    DO NOT PLAY WD.� Play VC!

    Great points.
    I still think the Axis can win WD, if they follow my strat I posted earlier.
    Keep USA out of the war, and have Japan assist in taking Russia quickly.  If you get Moscow and Calcutta by round 6-8, along with getting Middle East NO’s, you have a game.
    But Garg is right - big advantage to Allies playing WD if you don’t modify anything else.  Axis can win WD but they are quite disadvantaged.
    You see, this game is pretty well balanced when the Axis has the ability to take a tremendous amount of pressure off Europe by threatening the 6 city Pacific win.  Without this ability, the Allies have a terrific advantage.  The only possible way to deal with that advantage is probably to keep the USA out until round 4 (as long as possible) and crush Moscow and India ASAP.  Failure to do this is death.


  • I had that all typed up when you posted, Blu

    You guys can play WD and it can work out ok, but you might need to modify the rules a bit

    Again, the game is slightly weighted toward the Axis with the VC rules in each theater.  Take that away, and I’m sure the game will be heavily weighted for the Allies.  You can compensate for that by bidding units or some other house rules


  • Gamerman, i will admit that since our USSR player was a little shaky and indecisive that he contributed to the axis win…… however, even if we had a solid Soviet player and more even teams i don’t see why the axis would need a handicap in WD…  my main reason being is that even though the VC’s don’t count towards a win in our game, almost all VC’s achieve an axis NO or hamper an Allied one (Egypt contributes to Italian NO, Leningrad/Stalingrad gets German NO, Japs getting Hong Kong can ruin Pacific UK from ever having their NO, Capitals consist of NO’s for opposing Soviet Union and Germany and for all powers ruin industry even without NO, Warsaw borders Berlin, etc.) and so even though capturing VC’s doesn’t technically contribute to a win, due to their importance they are often prioritized regardless… this is the humble opinion of a new(er) Axis and Allies player. I am sure Gamerman, Tall Paul, Gargantua, and Cow have exponentially more experience than I and I value your continued criticisms and advice and I would love to hear what you think is an appropriate Handicap or possibly Bid to the Axis since I can Guarantee we are going to play WD


  • Here’s an idea

    USA can’t enter the war unless Axis declares directly on her or attacks her holdings/units directly

    That is, Japan can take money islands and wail on UK/ANZ without bringing USA in the war before the end of USA3 (USA can’t attack until US4)

    In other words, USA won’t enter the war unless Pearl Harbor is actually attacked or Hitler stupidly DOWs them! (Implicit assumption is that Japan has attacked Pearl Harbor by USA3 which is why USA can declare at the end of USA3 per the rules)


  • Oh i see…… so by making it harder for the U.S. to enter the war the axis we be able to better fight in both theaters without the risk of the Americans intervening until USA4… I will remember that idea gamerman thanks :)

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    I would just play a VC game, because it keeps players more strategically interested, and minded. But… if and when the time comes, and the Axis look like they have it.  Play a WD Game then!

    If the Axis wins the VC call it a minor victory,  if they win the WD game, call it a major victory!

    That said…

    It sounds to me like most of your players are quite new? so the reality of the game balance that players like Gamerman and I are familiar with, may not necessarily apply to your game at all.

    Its like those olympic swimsuits that were a big scandal a few years ago.  At the professional level - the suit gave such an edge to the olympic swimmers that it made it impossible for swimmers who didnt have the suits to win.

    Link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer

    But Im sure that if the three of us jumped in the water for a race, suit or no suit, we wouldnt know the difference, and it wouldn`t apply to our game at all.

    So keep in mind that concerns about balance etc from Gamerman, myself, and others… probably means nothing in a game of mostly new players.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    And no, Im not saying Gamerman, or Cow, or Myself are Michael Phelps or anything lol.  Its just that after playing so many games at the same skill level, you start to see the patterns, and the petty advantages, that MUST be exploited. :)


  • FWIW I agree with Garg about this too

    Would probably still be a good idea to implement my house rule if you don’t want to play VC winning conditions at all.


  • All very good and valid points, I have learned a lot from all of your guy’s advice and will take it all into consideration in the future…. Thanks a million :)… P.S. that LZR razor olympic swimsuit is pretty interesting with the controversy over it, i never knew about it :p


  • Any time
    Always fun to think and talk about A&A strategy, and tell others about what’s been learned from experience
    Happy gaming to you and your buddies

Suggested Topics

  • 15
  • 3
  • 32
  • 3
  • 5
  • 94
  • 15
  • 3
Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

35

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts