• What do you do as ANZAC, generally? One strategy seems to be building transports and land units to contest the DEI and have the US can open for you. Another strategy may be to build a navy to help the US, or build subs to kill Japanese destroyers and convoy raid.


  • Hmm,
    depends on the particular situation. In general (as you’ve already mentioned) there are three goals you should achieve:

    1. If Japan doesn’t attack on turn 1 or 2, try to get possession of the Dutch colonies (after consulting with the U.S. & especially India).
    2. Then try to fulfill your national objectives (if possible).
    3. Depending on the strategy of the U.S., either build a) sub’s to harass the Japanese convoy zones or b) build ships & fighters to strengthen the U.S.-Navy; If their marines capture an island with an air base, land your fighters there, so you can scramble in case of an Japanese attack.

    It’s a pity that YoungGrasshoper hasn’t got the time to produce one of his strategy videos this year. (YG: I’m very sorry that you have no time in the following months, but okay, A&A is just a hobby. Anyway, I’m looking forward for your next videos in 2016!  :-) )

  • '15

    It depends on a few things.

    1 - does Japan threaten an invasion?  If they do - even an unlikely one - you need to have fast movers, tanks and MInfs, to take care of any landings before Japan can land their massive air force there next turn.

    2 - is the USA parking its fleet off Queensland?  If they are, you need Inf, Art, and Transports.  USA breaks through the  blockers and you take the islands.

    That pretty much covers it for ANZAC most of the time.  I like to have a bomber in Queensland sometimes, but it’s not super important.  Rule 1 is don’t die, Rule two is hurt Japan’s money.  If you can hurt Japan’s fleet, the game’s almost over anyway.


  • Is there any merit in building a minor IC in Queensland, maybe when you have more income, so that you can build 6 units instead of 3? Or is it better to spend that money on more expensive units, like ships and planes?

  • Customizer

    @calvinhobbesliker:

    Is there any merit in building a minor IC in Queensland, maybe when you have more income, so that you can build 6 units instead of 3? Or is it better to spend that money on more expensive units, like ships and planes?

    I have done that before, but it’s like you said, when ANZAC is making more money. We had a game once where Japan was pretty much beaten down. The US had them cornered on their island, their fleet was at the bottom, and US subs were convoying and US bombers were SBRing so much Japan was making no money. So ANZAC had managed to get 2 of the DEI plus French Indo China. With their NOs they were making a nice chunk of change.
    Meanwhile, Germany was a MONSTER. They conquered half of Russia (Moscow included) and were slipping into the Middle East. UK was still in the game and slowed Italian expansion but there was such a strong Luftwaffe presence that UK couldn’t build a navy. Italy was doing well until the US got there and bitch-slapped them after neutralizing Japan. In 3 rounds Italy lost all the outside territories and their fleet and were relegated to building infantry to defend their capital territories.
    One mistake Germany did make was buying too many planes and not enough ground units to defend their territories. There were a lot of gaps that could be reached, both along the Atlantic and in the Med and the Allies started making a lot of little landings all over. Germany couldn’t counter them all.
    ANZAC wanted to get in on this so they built Minor ICs in Queensland and FIC and started building 2 land units and a transport at each of their 3 ICs and started trucking them west. It took a few rounds, but ANZAC started making landings in Europe to back up the US and Brits and they even took a couple of territories themselves.

  • '15

    Lately I’ve been building an IC in Queensland almost regardless.  Being able to build things there (like transports, especially) and being able to reach suer far right away is amazing.  And honestly, it’s no great loss if ANZAC saves their cash for a round or two to do it.  It’s only after the US has come to save the day that ANZAC has any hope of helping, but once that happens, they can make a massive difference.


  • I never build an IC in Queensland until ANZAC can afford it while still building 3 units in New South Wales. Saving for the Queens IC doesn’t make a ton of sense, because if you can’t afford more than 3 units, you could just build them from NSW and stage them off Queens the next turn where they would be built if you built the IC.
    An exception to this would be if the NSW SZ was under threat while the Queensland SZ wasn’t; then you’d build a Queensland IC so you could still safely build transports.


  • Well, is is even possible to threaten the Sydney sea zone without also threatening the Queensland sea zone?


  • Queens SZ is likely to be safe with American fleet stacked there, but either air can fly over or subs/fleet can go around Australia the other way. You don’t really want to have to retreat the US fleet to NSW SZ just to protect newly built ANZAC transports, especially because this would also delay US reinforcements from Hawaii.


  • Buliding the second IC once the ANZAC’s have some money can be very handy but you first have to get the money.  You need to coordinate with the UK-PAC to determine which DEI islands will go to who.  Try to get Celebs and Java  as well as Dutch New Guinie(sp?).  DNG is a key to a N/O for the ANZACs.  The other two islands bump your ICP’s to 17 with out your N/O’s being added in.  Once you have a nice flleet and transports, if the US fleet is in the Pacific and doing something to harrass the Japanese, the ANZACs can try for the Caroline Islands.  The naval base and air base are important staging areas for both sides.  If the US can do the heavy lifting as far as taking on the IJN, then the ANZACs can mop up the islands.  Bombers on Iwo Jima or Okinawa can be thorn in the flesh to the Japanese.

  • '13

    Many of the responses about what to do with ANZAC are situation dependent. They also seem to be more about what to do later in the game, but what about ANZAC’s starting strategy? Suppose Japan starts with Young Grasshopper’s opening move on J1: takes the Philippines, Borneo, starts the ground war with China, and leaves enough troops in the north to stalemate Russia. So we know the disposition of the Japanese fleet but not the US response. I’m thinking there are three general scenarios:

    • US spends 80% or more in europe

    • US splits their income

    • US spends 80% or more in the pacific

    What are some good opening moves with ANZAC for each scenario?


  • Assuming you have the starting transport in NSW SZ, I always use it to take Dutch New Guinea - the 5 IPC NO is too valuable. Japan has to go out of their way to take it back from you and its worth 0 to them so they may let you keep it. Whereas if you take Java or Celebes, Japan will go for it in force soon. I usually just sacrifice the transport and try to save the warships in NSW or NZ.

    If USA is spending heavily in Europe - even 50% in Europe - ANZAC needs to be focused on defense. 3 land units in NSW every turn until the USA has sufficient fleet to protect you. If USA is going heavy(ish) in Europe early, you’re basically punting on the Pac side of the board and just trying to keep them from getting that last VC until USA is back.

    The strategies are more varied if USA is going heavy Pac - basically you’ll want to support/complement them. But I’ll leave specifics for smarter people.


  • @Shin:

    Lately I’ve been building an IC in Queensland almost regardless.  Being able to build things there (like transports, especially) and being able to reach suer far right away is amazing.  And honestly, it’s no great loss if ANZAC saves their cash for a round or two to do it.  It’s only after the US has come to save the day that ANZAC has any hope of helping, but once that happens, they can make a massive difference.

    I agree, and have built a minor IC on Queensland in the past (been a while though). It’s not so you can build more then 3 units (prob won’t anyway), like you said it is so you can get your transports and war ships in the mix faster. From NSW you can only reach Java, from Queensland you can reach all the DEI and Malaya if the US opens things up for you (much bigger threat to Japan). Plus the US is probably staged there, and you have an air and naval base to boot. If Japan is threatening you can drop more ships (maybe a carrier) to turn the tide. You need to be cautious though, don’t build it turn 2 and get Japans focus on you if the US isn’t in the mix. Need to see where Japan is, what they are doing, and how big of a presence the US is going to have in the Pac. You certainly don’t want to build the Japanese an IC right next to your capital lol.

  • '15

    @cb4:

    Many of the responses about what to do with ANZAC are situation dependent. They also seem to be more about what to do later in the game, but what about ANZAC’s starting strategy? Suppose Japan starts with Young Grasshopper’s opening move on J1: takes the Philippines, Borneo, starts the ground war with China, and leaves enough troops in the north to stalemate Russia. So we know the disposition of the Japanese fleet but not the US response. I’m thinking there are three general scenarios:

    • US spends 80% or more in europe

    • US splits their income

    • US spends 80% or more in the pacific

    What are some good opening moves with ANZAC for each scenario?

    For options 1 and 2, it won’t matter what you do, because a competent Japan player will win by round 10.

  • '15

    @Shin:

    @cb4:

    • US spends 80% or more in europe

    • US splits their income

    • US spends 80% or more in the pacific

    What are some good opening moves with ANZAC for each scenario?

    For options 1 and 2, it won’t matter what you do, because a competent Japan player will win by round 10.

    Right. They will either win on their own outright, or, in some odd situations, come in through the Indian Ocean and middle east to help take or outright take Egypt, in addition to providing a massive can-opener against Moscow so the Germans, even with heavy distraction in the west, can still take it.

    A competent Japan cannot be ignored for more than a couple of rounds before you’re in big trouble. More than 4-5 rounds, and you’re looking at an extremely likely Allied loss.

    For the other points in the thread:

    A:
    Queensland mIC, as others have said, only if I am already producing 3 units/turn and have the money to spare (IE: I was going to save 12 IPCs). This entirely depends on the game, but often you’ll end up with quite a few money islands and maybe even both of your NOs. ANZAC can make good money, and when this is the case, I pop down mICs anywhere I can so that I’m putting pressure in the Pacific so America can sooner begin to shift focus to Europe.

    I oftentimes don’t even bother with attempting to retake India if Japan keeps more than one or two units there. The 8 IPCs/turn for Japan are good for them, yes, but I’d almost rather ANZAC get Borneo/Malaya, and, if possible, Kwangtung, and have that money concentrated into one economy. The 8 IPCs/turn can be greatly mitigated by ANZAC/US sub convoys once Japan is already in the process of collapsing.

    B:
    Someone said “fast movers” for ANZAC when you’re on the defensive. This is not required. Definitely not required. You can position your inf/art stack in South Australia. From there, they can retake any other territory. You can keep your planes/AA guns in Queensland on the air base, only moving those out of the way if you must. As an added bonus, you can pick up units from South Australia on your way to Java from New South Wales.

    The only time you’d want fast units is if the Japanese invasion is going to happen on the next Japanese turn, or if you were sending a transport with a tank up to mainland Asia so it could blitz around.

    C:
    ANZAC priorities:
    1: Don’t let Japan kill you.
    2: Annoy Japan.
    3: Aid the US.

    Don’t be the nerd that loses his capital. This is critical. Make sure you have enough land units (inf/art, see above) in South Australia to repel a landing. If Japan wants to kill ANZAC, and forgoes many other options to make this their goal, you cannot stop them. What you can do, however, is make it so expensive for them that if they try they’re effectively shooting themselves in the foot. Keep your planes alive. Only send them in to die if you have a damn good reason to do so. It’s actually very, very difficult for Japan to take ANZAC in the first 5, or even 6, turns of the game (without a Pyrrhic victory). By then America should be there to make it impossible. Don’t die.

    Taking the money islands from Japan is your main way of slowing down the beast. (Additional potential entertainment: If you’re playing against a pansy Japan that doesn’t J1, you can oftentimes send your starting ANZAC transport further west after you take a money island ANZAC 1, and have it off of Egypt. Being able to land your two ANZAC Egyptians in Greece/Turkey/Southern France or something is hilarious, especially if the Allies do a neutral crush, and gives the ANZAC a way to dump some of their money into Europe if the Pacific is already handled.)

    A competent Japanese player won’t let you snipe off a chunk of their fleet with the tiny ANZAC one. A competent Japanese player won’t let you nab a transport (or if he does, it’s a calculated loss, most likely for the money island NO for a +9 jump in IPCs that turn). That being said, always keep your eyes open to make Japan pay for any mistakes. Someone said having a strategic bomber was a good idea. If it comes about that you can afford one on a turn, I totally agree. Park that thing in Queensland and it can hit all sorts of sea zones. Keep Japan honest, and sting him when you can.

    As others said, dumping your 3 fighters on a freshly captured air base for the American fleet can not only be of huge help, it can be an absolute necessity. Help big brother out against a Japanese counterattack with some destroyers and planes!

    If America does strike on its turn, there might be 3-6 damaged capital ships left in the SZ that now represent the only remaining Japanese fleet. It’s your job to come swooping in to make sure those are dead capital ships.

  • '21 '20 '18 '17

    Building a 2nd MiC is a waste of money.   Cash is not the big limiter with ANZAC its that you only get to produce 3 units, which is fine as long as you take timing into account. Â

    ANZAC cannot either win or lose the game for you, they are mostly a sideshow.   However, that sideshow does come down to helping at two/three crucial junctures

    1. you can try to shuttle your planes early game to India to avert disaster, but this may cause a disaster rather than avert one if Japan amphibs your LZ
    2. you can build a fleet slow and steady while you build income, until you have a fleet about the size of the 2-3 japan will have.  You can either use this fleet to sacrifice on your turn to soften up japan navy (but then they consolidate before US can go).  You can also use some of your smaller ships to screen out key invasions or attacks on American fleet since Axis only has 1 team on the eastern board (unless they shuttle over bombers from Romania to china).
    3. you can build a ton of planes, keep the ones you have, and then have the US player overbuild carriers and give you plenty of places to land them.   Wherever America is sitting, blank carrier spaces/airbase spaces can be filled in a rush by ANZAC fighters.  This is a good move but you cant really go on the offensive with either team very well its more of a proactive defense.

    You should also consider that if you either save your money on t1/t2, or fail to buy any infantry or armor and the rest of your guys depart for the DEI, you are very easy to defeat on land and once Japan sees this may change their plans to go after you. They can only do this if they control phillipines or carolines en masse.  Only building 3 units you can’t really change directions and you sure cant ward off an invasion without America to help (remember America cannot hang out in your territory until war is declared, even the sea).

    Good Luck.

  • '21 '20 '18 '17

    Right, I was going to add that to point 2, but editing my comments puts a bunch of fun characters in there…so I didn’t bother.


  • I love the annoyance of retaking islands.  Every time you grab one, you force Japan to spend 14 PUs to get it back, and you gain 4 PUs for that round yourself.  Furthermore, there quickly becomes a time when Japan cannot safely produce more transports back in the homeland because they are too vulnerable to American attacks.  At that point, it becomes too tough to refill the fleet with units for island campaigns.  This is the situation where the Japanese economy goes to hell.  They aren’t dying quickly, but they lose the ability to dominate the Pacific if the US has built up a good fleet, the Chinese are finding weak spots to attack, and India is still alive and gaining two units a round.  The final straw is American convoy raiding with submarines.  Japan cannot build more destroyers in safe areas, and trading a destroyer for a sub becomes a losing proposition.

    This doesn’t mean that Japan is easy to contain.  It requires quite a bit of early USA money.  Otherwise the whole strategy falls apart because Japan can protect their transports when retaking the islands, can threaten to grab Australia or India, and can smash the Allied fleet if it comes in range.  The tricky part is for the Allies to spend just enough money in the Pacific and then start transitioning to Europe.  One round too late and Germany is an unstoppable beast.


  • Something missing, unless I overlooked it in the thread.

    I often build bombers or send fighters away from the Pacific.  I can move a bomber from NSW to Brazil in one move.  ANZAC goes between Italy and Germany, so use that fact.  ANZAC is the Italy killer.  Take out the forward Italian can opening units with ANZAC air.  Sometimes players get Persia or Iraq with ANZAC, or Saudi Arabia, and build an IC.

    ANZAC air can also take out an Italian destroyer blocker in the Mediterranean, and then the USA/UK can wreak havoc.  Can open the can opener (Italy)


  • But to answer the original question, at least partially,

    build an infantry and a transport on round 1.  After that, try to build 3 units every single time you can, and yes buy a minor for Queensland if the opportunity presents itself.

    ANZAC is not just a side show, they are the Allies’ Italy.  ANZAC can be crucial to your success.

    The 3 fighters you start with can be sent to India ASAP, from where they could stay there or go harass Italy.  Or they can stay in Australia and wait for the USA to take a critical island group (especially Carolines) thereby adding 3 fighters to the defense IMMEDIATELY, that the USA cannot possibly do herself.  ANZ destroyers can save the USA buying those destroyers.  ANZ subs can invite yellow subs to venture out to kill them, and then you can kill the Japanese destroyers.  Japan has limited production capacity too, and destroyers are very expensive.

    There’s even more that ANZAC can do (IC on Brazil?), but I’ve revealed enough valuable intelligence for one day

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