AAE40 is a wonderful game like AAP40 ( edited out thanks to only 4 fighters)


  • I got this game Friday night and immediately set it up and got my first real look at what this game was about. It was much better than AAP40 in terms of quality. The map looked nice and the player aids were thick like AA50 and the game had some real dice (not those dreaded “Halloween dice set” ala AA42. The new pieces are really nice and the color for the French is spot on perfect.

    Unfortunately, some of the powers are short of pieces with UK basically close to depletion after her setup.  Germany seems short of artillery, fighters, and bombers. This would be based on the remaining units in her box once the setup was complete. Too me this is not a great deal as I bought 6 copies and have many copies of the other games. I was very pleased that the rules did not contain typos (Cal Moore not used in this game for once) and seemed to be presented quite well.

    I really like that they included (I made this suggestion before) an official IPC tracking sheet that players can copy from the rulebook and print out to keep track of each players income gains and loses.

    I setup these pieces and prepared what I consider the best German moves:

    At first I didn’t consider Sealion because too me this is a “cheapo”, so I just played out perfunctory moves that seemed getting the best gains and avoided the loses from the exchanges.

    Germany builds:
    1 CV, 1 AP, 1 Infantry, 1 Armor = 30 IPC or better 1 CV, 2 AP!

    Germany Combat moves:

    1. Attack France with 5 Armor, 4 Mech, 2 Artillery, 6 Infantry, 2 fighters, 1 Tactical Bomber
    2. Attack SZ 109 with 1 SS, 1 Fighter
    3. Attack SZ 110 with 2 SS, 1 Fighter, 1 Tactical Bomber
    4. Attack SZ 112 with 1 BB, 1CA, 1 Bomber, 1 fighter
    5. Attack Yugoslavia with 3 tanks, 1 artillery, 10 infantry (try to kill 4 defenders and retreat—hit and run)

    Germany NCM:
    Transport 2 infantry to Norway (basic shuck: 2 Infantry Germany-Norway-Finland)
    2 Infantry from Norway goes to Finland
    1 Infantry in Romania goes to Bulgaria
    Anything else not used into Poland

    Germany placements:
    CV in SZ 112 with 2 fighters on it, 2 AP in SZ 113 or 114

    Now it was time to look at what UK might counter, as Russia is basically neutral for up to 4 turns:

    Builds: largely dependent on outcome of naval battles around UK and the German builds. If they built transports, the threat of Sealion is real, so infantry are the best defense and we must consider all these German naval forces as a real issue. It seems like no matter what UK decided to build in terms of a naval force that this would be destroyed by all these German subs and surface forces…… so I must buy infantry. I got 29 IPC, but the possibility of a German sub remaining in SZ 109 costs me 2 IPC leaving 27-29.

    I must build all the infantry I can… which is either 8 or 9 and nothing else in reach of UK to support it further.

    The only real attack I can do is against Italy:

    UK attacks SZ 95 with 1 CV, 1 CA, 1 DD, 1 Tactical Bomber, 1 Fighter. It does not make sense to also attack the smaller Italian fleet (the exchange on both attacks would largely remove my naval presence in the Mediterranean–-which is a condition for Italian NO’s. Italy can’t counter my fleet in SZ 95 and must waste 10 IPC for a destroyer, of which I just finish off the next turn as the rest of the Italian fleet. Oh joy!

    Then I began to look at how Germany follows up really anything UK CAN do and eureka!

    The game is BROKEN!

    Germany Just builds her CV and 2 AP on G1 and now has 3 transports:

    She merely attacks Yugoslavia minus the 3 tanks/ 3 Infantry and moves them in West Germany

    (Now it’s just 6 infantry and 4 artillery attacking Yugoslavia)

    3 tanks and 3 infantry load up and land in UK along with the entire Luftwaffe, which is 6 fighters, 3 tactical bombers, 1 bomber, along with shore shots of 4 and 3 from Kriegsmarine.

    UK defends with 3 fighters and 9-10 infantry total.

    The result is German victory and all UKs income goes to Germany.

    Latter Italian fighter in North Italy can land in UK

    Germany now has 2 more turns to build up infantry to protect its new assets and USA or Russia has no say in the matter. Germany can turtle UK faster than USA could retake. France is gone and it really does not matter what Italy does.

    Germany with these 2 turns of shuck infantry can start with a lot of fodder, then on turn 4 build only tanks and smash Russia.

    UK will never get back UK and game is broken.

    Check my numbers they are sound and this is broken

    I do have some solutions to correct this:

    UK should start the game with Radar technology. Its fighters also perhaps might defend at 5 (only in UK)… of course Radar technology should also offer both bonuses because having radar means you can react to attacks by knowing where they are coming from and in what strength. I have no idea why this was not part of “radar tech” but it is as it is.

    Another idea is reconfigure the setup because frankly its not historical in the slightest.

    I will post what it should look like as I had previously studied the forces and their deployment globally spring/summer 1940.

    UPDATE: Germany has 4 fighters not 6, this is a major issue/flaw in this analysis. I would like to point out that their is some real value in this exercise. What may that be?

    If Germany builds her CV and 2 AP it forces UK to bring her carrier to protect UK and saves the Italian navy!!!


  • US can liberate UK.
    Where did Germany get 9 planes? It starts with 8 and loses some in taking out the 2 BB. If a British BB survives, the German fleet will probably die


  • Forgot to mention:

    ON G1 Germany might go with a CA and 2 AP, which gets it another 3 on SB. The problem with this is UK might crash its 3 fighters into your fleet and build one sub and the rest infantry. This would be the case of UK hedging its bet, but both protecting against Sealion but buying a sub on the off chance German naval is sunk and the transports are blocked.

    This would present much better odds to UK in order to save them because we are now talking 3 threes against four, and 2 threes ( still favors Germany but its real close)

    Obviously the benefit is you got another 3 coming in on SB and you know about 2 of your planes are gone from AA fire.

    Too me its playing too close to the fire, so i don’t really think its the best but only something to consider.


  • Keep in mind that if Germany captured the UK, the Major IC becomes a minor, so it can only build 3 defenders on the next turn


  • US can liberate UK.
    Where did Germany get 9 planes? It starts with 8 and loses some in taking out the 2 BB. If a British BB survives, the German fleet will probably die

    No USA is neutral and prohibited from doing that.

    Also, the setup shows 3 tactical bombers, 1 bomber, and 6 fighters. Go look at it. also look at the rules regarding USA neutrality.

    USA can’t do anything till its at war.

    Also if you look at my attacks these are very good. Only REALLY poor rolling can produce a result of keeping a UK battleship

    I considered this as well and it too fails:

    1 BB and 3 fighters against German BB, 1 CA, 1 CV, and 2 fighters = 4/3/3 vs.4/3/4/4 results in NOPE try again.

    Then UK loses its fighters and Sealion is even easier for Germany.


  • Keep in mind that if Germany captured the UK, the Major IC becomes a minor, so it can only build 3 defenders on the next turn

    Thats fine, it has 3 transports to shuck to UK on G3 and then upgrade the minor to major ( thank you UK) and thats only 20 IPC.


  • The DD/AC at gibralter can reach the german boats, or block the strait.  That gives the UK atleast 1 DD, 1 AC, 3 fig, 1 tac vs the german fleet.

    They can also just park the dd and/or ac in the SZ near GB to soak the shore shots and to draw some of the German airforce away (possibly).


  • @Imperious:

    US can liberate UK.
    Where did Germany get 9 planes? It starts with 8 and loses some in taking out the 2 BB. If a British BB survives, the German fleet will probably die

    No USA is neutral and prohibited from doing that.

    Also, the setup shows 3 tactical bombers, 1 bomber, and 6 fighters. Go look at it. also look at the rules regarding USA neutrality.

    USA can’t do anything till its at war.

    Also if you look at my attacks these are very good. Only REALLY poor rolling can produce a result of keeping a UK battleship

    I considered this as well and it too fails:

    1 BB and 3 fighters against German BB, 1 CA, 1 CV, and 2 fighters = 4/3/3 vs.4/3/4/4 results in NOPE try again.

    Then UK loses its fighters and Sealion is even easier for Germany.

    6ftrs? There’s 1 in Norway and Holland, and 2 in West Germany. Where are the other 2?


  • The DD/AC at Gibraltar can reach the german boats, or block the strait.  That gives the UK atleast 1 DD, 1 AC, 3 fig, 1 tac vs the german fleet.

    They can also just park the dd and/or ac in the SZ near GB to soak the shore shots and to draw some of the German airforce away (possibly).

    OK thats fine. UK can move:

    1 CV, 1-2 fighters, 1 DD to stay in SZ 110 and Germany has 1 BB, 1 CA, plus planes

    Lets look at the numbers:

    UK defending: 2/4/4/2 vs 4/3 and whatever planes it needs, plus the subs 2-3 of them ( think i might lose 2 perhaps 3 from G1 attacks)

    Now this means UK has two less fours defending UK leaving 9-10 infantry 1 tactical bomber, and 1 fighter

    Germany in that case needs to allocate vs the 12 point UK threat with about 18 points of its own and could do it with 16 because the BB takes 2 hits as well as her Carrier

    I suggest Germany uses 1 BB, 1 CV, 1 CA, 1 tactical Bomber, 1 fighter, 1 bomber = 18 points which is a total of 8 hits  vs UK fleet of 12 points and 5 hits. This will do the job

    Germany now has for sea lion:

    3 tanks, 3 infantry, 5 fighters, 2 tactical  = 35 points  13 units  vs UK of 9-10 infantry 1 tactical , 1 fighter = 27 points 11-12 units

    Its still broken.

    if UK buys all naval with 27-29 IPC… say what then?  UK now has just 2 infantry and 2 planes defending and instead UK built a navy for Germany to defeat.

    Germany can take out UK with 3 tanks 3 infantry plus just a few planes, the rest will attack the UK fleet.

    I think UK might go with what kind of fleet vs a potential German fleet of 1 BB, 1 CA, 1 CV, up to 6 fighters, 3 tactical, 1 bomber. I just think we are just shifting the numbers around that they are not going anywhere.

    I will look at the rules for subs and how this interacts with transports.


  • 6ftrs? There’s 1 in Norway and Holland, and 2 in West Germany. Where are the other 2?

    Yes that is correct!  only 4 fighters not 6.

    OK this is MAJOR issue. Good catch.

    Well at least its not broken right?


  • @Imperious:

    6ftrs? There’s 1 in Norway and Holland, and 2 in West Germany. Where are the other 2?

    Yes that is correct!  only 4 fighters not 6.

    OK this is MAJOR issue. Good catch.

    Well at least its not broken right?

    Yes, it’s good.


  • 2 house rules my group used to blosk this after we figured this out 2 days ago was that when london is taken US goes to war because cmon… if it was the US congress would totally go to war… and Canada can still buy thing with their $7… not a lot for england but it helps


  • @Sloan:

    2 house rules my group used to blosk this after we figured this out 2 days ago was that when london is taken US goes to war because cmon… if it was the US congress would totally go to war… and Canada can still buy thing with their $7… not a lot for england but it helps

    Canada only gets 6 IPCs in Europe… unless you were playing Global?

    I really like that House Rule though. Helps the Allies recover from a Sea Lion, if only just a little bit.


  • Okay I feel better.


  • The game is BROKEN!

    I bought 6 copies

    doh!


  • IF G1 builds are a CV and 2 TR and with good outcomes in the g1 naval attacks
    then

    UK must build 9 inf
    They will have at min.  11 inf (one french) 3 fig, maybe 1 tact in the UK
    (If the G1  sz 106 attack fails, then 1 arm, 1inf extra)

    vs

    Likely G2 Sea Lion attempt of 3 inf, 3 Arm, 2 fig, 2 tact, 1 bomber.    (BB and CA fire support could be blocked by UK DD)

    Germany would have to lose zero aircraft on G1 to give G2 Sea Lion a above avg.chance of more then a flip of the coin

    If I am wrong, I would just add one more UK inf in the UK at the start ……Before making major changes to the game


  • yes now i prefer the two step deal for sealion defense.

    UK blocks with CV,DD, 2 fighters on sea, and builds a 9 Inf land force. Germany cant take them both.


  • @Imperious:

    yes now i prefer the two step deal for sealion defense.

    UK blocks with CV,DD, 2 fighters on sea, and builds a 9 Inf land force. Germany cant take them both.

    Every turn UK can delay the sealion is very valuable, but is buying DD’s etc for that not worse in the long run? (meaning it is less land defence in the long run)

    Haven’t really counted it all out (and yeah, i have lost UK to Sealion without buying extra naval forces, i did go for the italian fleet and maybe i should have taken the planes from the Gibraltar AC to UK instead … )

    Edit: french fleet can be really valuable here too, by the way.


  • On UK 1 they build the 9 inf, not naval.

    The ships from Gibraltar move to block, but these are lost if Germany tries anyway.

    The advantage is your getting some German air exchanged.

    The latter problem is if they don’t attack, you still have a buy a fleet and make it save because Germany will still have subs and UK needs to kill them to get its NO’s


  • @Imperious:

    On UK 1 they build the 9 inf, not naval.

    The ships from Gibraltar move to block, but these are lost if Germany tries anyway.

    The advantage is your getting some German air exchanged.

    The latter problem is if they don’t attack, you still have a buy a fleet and make it save because Germany will still have subs and UK needs to kill them to get its NO’s

    If the fleet attacks Italy, they take out the Italian navy in addition to german air

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