Assigning players to countries axis

In the forums here and at GTO, I have often read that the general consensus is that the allies had the advantage in Revised, but the axis have the advantage in Spring 1942.  I read of leagues where every game started with an allies +6 bid.  Everyone I play with (offline) feels the allies have the advantage in both, with the exception of one friend who feels the axis have the advantage in Revised.  I have begun to warm up to the axis in Spring 1942 lately, but I don’t know that I would go so far as to say they have the advantage. In my circle of family and friends, I am the most experienced A&A player. I know I ought to expand my horizons and play against some better players, thereby giving me the opportunity to learn more. Regardless, here is my question:

Do you think the Axis truly have a real advantage in a casual game without a fixed time limit, or is it only an advantage in a tournament setting with victory cities being the first deciding factor? I see it as clearly possible, if not probable, that the axis grab India and/or Karelia without losing any of their VC’s and time runs out, even if the allies are stronger militarily. The allies could be positioned to trounce the axis in the following round or two, yet lose because the axis hold 7 or 8 VC.

What are your opinions on the matter?

If you feel the axis have the advantage even in a long game, please explain why (perhaps citing a bit of your typical strategy). And please, let’s avoid the sarcastic joke strategies that have plagued some threads.

Being axis is easier in these newer versions than the previous classic versions.  The three steps it takes America to get to Europe is a HUGE help to the Axis.  But here is my Germany and i can win 5/10 games doing this.  turn 1 buy all infantry YES all infantry then take out the allied navy with German navy and fighters/bomber.  Consolidate all Eastern German forces in one territory.  Turn 2 buy again ALL INFANTRY again.  Move the Infantry you bought turn 1 west so you can defend against Normandy invasion also move your fighters with the infantry in the west.  All the forces you consolidated retreat west closer to Germany don’t worry the German battering ram is coming.  Turn 3 buy all tanks move the infantry from turn two east and consolidate all forces in the EAST.  Turn 4 buy tanks move the massive consolidated force south never separate the infantry from the tanks.  turn 5 move tanks from turn 4 south with the main force.  Turn 6 Russia should be like OMG i cant kill that massive force you should be able to take caucuss now.  With japan my goal #1 is to take India at all costs if Japan has failed to do this use the German army in Caucuss to take India now you can separate the tanks from the infantry to take India.  Russia will take your infantry you left behind but that is fine and retake caucuss that is fine too .  now Japan is free to take Asia at will, Germany should begin to pound Russia wherever avail and take easy territories do not commit to a suicidal battle to Russia. By now the Allies can pose a threat to Western Europe.  But Germany and Japan should be collecting massive IPC’s Russia is doomed here in a few turns they just cannot deal with a mobile Japan and Germany and defend itself on two fronts.  I see a lot of German players go north i do not agree with this  becasue there is nowhere to break out like there is in the caucuss and also if Germany can break out into Asia they can knock the allies out of asia as well. with the defense boost tanks have now they are the most affordable attacker and blocker in one land unit and with some infantry cannon fodder they are nasty on offense and defense.  I go mass tanks with Japan and Germany.  If you cannot win with the Axis in the newer versions you are doing something wrong.  Either not attacking enough or buying aircraft or navy.  Germany really doesn’t need a navy and has enough aircraft to hold the whole game as long as you don’t loose them foolishly.  On paper the Allies have the advantage by getting 3 turns to axis 2 and also should have an IPC advantage.  But Germany is so massive early and it takes Allies 4-5 turns to begin to be effective that’s your window with Japan and Germany about 4- 6  turns after that Allies begin taking the game in their favor.  So you must get your objectives done in this time frame.  If you just turtle forever with Germany you will loose.  And i f Japan leaves India for too long its hard to take especially if UK buys a lot of fighters.

I recently played two games of Spring '42 against my cousin.  On BOTH occasions, I captured UK on G2 and he conceded.  My cousin would be the first to admit that he is a lousy A&A player, but I still took a lot of joy out of silencing his trash talking, even if only for a moment.  It NEVER should have succeeded.  It was entirely due to poor decisions on his part.  Hobbes is absolutely correct.  The UK would have to make GRAVE miscalculations (purchasing and combat), and/or have absolutely horrendous luck with the dice.  Hobbes gave it in a nutshell.  Let me flesh it out a bit for G1 and G2.

Let’s give Germany the MAXIMUM possible force to bring in for a UK invasion on G1 or G2.

G1 assault on UK:  German 1 BOM, 2 FTR, 1 ARM, 1 INF versus UK 2 FTR, 1 ARM, 1 ART, 2 INF, 1 BOM, and the AA.  Germany has 4% chance to win with 1 ARM or better (in order to capture, the standard OOL is changed)

G2 assault on UK:  Let’s assume on R1, Russia went big into WR alone.  Germany has all 6 FTR’s intact.  On G1, Germany bought 1 CV, 3 TT, 1 ARM, and the SZ8 SS sank the SZ10 US fleet (50% chance).  On G2, Germany could bring as much as 1 BOM, 6 FTR, 5 ARM, 5 INF, 1 BB bombardment shot (though the BB would be better used in SZ 9 to interdict/divert the new US1-built fleet hoping to liberate UK on US2.  Let’s keep the BB bombarding UK, however, just to give the best possible odds for the Germans in the invasion of UK. With the sz10 fleet eliminated, the G1 naval purchases are placed in the Baltic rather than the Med.  The UK player has to see the threat of a G2 invasion bearing down on them.  The UK player, not being COMPLETELY inept, decides to shore up UK.  UK purchases 5 INF 3 ARM, the SZ1 TT brought the ECan ARM over to UK.  The BB stays put in SZ2 as Germany’s 3 SS, 1 DD, 1 CV have a 98.5% chance of wiping out the BB without needing to divert any air units from the invasion.  Germany has 1 BOM, 6 FTR, 5 ARM, 5 INF, and the BB bombardment bearing down on UK, who stands with 7 INF, 1 ART, 5 ARM, 3 FTR, 2 BOM (1 FTR 1 BOM from EUS), 1 AA.  Germany’s odds of capturing UK under this optimal condition would still be only 24.5%, and the US would be able to liberate on US2.  If Germany parks the BB in sz9 to interdict/divert the US, a liberation by the US would be impossible, but the German odds of success at UK drop to 19% without having the bombardment.

Clearly, a G1 attempt is suicide.  Assuming the G1 attack succeeded against the SZ10 fleet (50% chance of success) followed by a best case scenario G2 attempt after a G1 build of 1 CV, 3 TT, 1 ARM (19% chance of success while preventing liberation by US).  By compounding the probabilities, your chance of a G2 assault of this sort succeeding is less than 10%.  If Germany is missing a single FTR from their original 6, the odds are cut in half again.

IF you are playing against a lousy UK player, you might have better luck forgoing the naval build on G1 altogether.  Germany can opt to smash the sz2 fleet, and hope the UK will turn around and buy 1 CV, 2 DD (or a similar navy heavy buy) and ignore the Baltic fleet on UK1 (2 big IF’s), allowing Germany to invade UK with 1 BB shot, 2 loaded transports, 6 FTR, and 1 BOM on G2.  83% chance of success without US units on UK.  Long story short, unless you are playing inept opponent(s), a G1 or G2 invasion of UK is a suicide mission.

You can try this:   http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/52059/oldschool-charts  Not sure if this is what you are looking for. It gives the steps but not an explanation. The only thing wrong with this but is easily fixed is the US starting income. You could also try this: http://files.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/4hyb4h8s4w/AnA_reference.jpg? but I think it will be the same for you. I have some in my group that forget a couple of the steps and the charts in the first link above has been helpful in remembering the steps to play.  Enjoy AA42. This is the only game, besides Revised, that I have in the AA lineup and really enjoy it.

I just reread your post and saw that you have already checked out BGG but not sure if you saw the two items that I linked.

@Hobbes:

@Bunnies:

I just say if they want advice they can ask me for it.

Then . . . I laugh like so:

“Nyehhehhehehehe!”

Oh rabbit, please take me down the hole ;)

Hey, a new player won’t know if its good or bad advice, so have at it.  like i tell my kids , half my advice is good, half bad.  I just don’t know which is which until you try it out.

@Stickfliss:

4. A lot of our games end in a similar fashion. London, Tokyo, whatever that Japanese capital on that island is, and the US capitals remain in their owners possession. In other words, whoever controls the entire European and Asian continent mainland wins. I’m fine with that outcome, except that it happens every single time. What kind of other strategies are there? I once built up a decent German navy and accomplished a landing in Canada while Japan landed in Alaska. But both those forces were destroyed and only served to distract the US for two turns. So what I’m asking, are there any other more interesting strategies to be tried? Like a Sea Lion, or capturing the Japanese home islands (or even taking the US)?

In other words, the game is about Moscow or Berlin falling first. There isn’t much it can be done regarding that. It is really a matter of geography that makes it impossible for the Axis to win by conquering Washington or London instead of Moscow. A Sea Lion against the UK is impossible unless the UK player makes serious mistakes and a Japanese invasion of Alaska is usually a mere distraction.

It is possible, however, to go for a Pacific strat where the Allies try to get the advantage over Japan and kick it out of mainland Asia and the money islands (DEI, Borneo, Phillipines) while keeping Germany at bay from Russia. It is also very risky though and hard to pull, if the Japanese player knows how to deal with it.

@Viceroy:

@kcdzim:

…
A) 1 sub, 1 bomber, 1 fighter to the north atlantic UK BB & transport
B) 3 fighters to the Med UK cruiser
C) 1 bb, 1 transport (loaded) to the Med UK destroyer
D) Amphibious assault from said transport, plus a fighter, a tank, and an infantry against Egypt.
E) Attacks on whatever territories of Russia are important or weak, depending on what they did.
…

Each battle may be rolled in any order though strategic bombing missions and naval battles in seazones with an amphibious assault are always prior to any other attack on those affected territories. In this case, C is ALWAYS rolled before D.

Once all battles have been rolled and completed, you move onto Non Combat Move phase. You cannot have another round of combat after this, so you cannot for example (as germany again) have a battle in West Russia and then attack Moscow with those units that just had a battle in west russia - all combat moves are done, and then all battles are done. Effectively, all combat moves are simultaneous and then all battles are simultaneous.

Other than amphibious assaults, there should be no point where you stage battles (attack one territory in order to attack another territory).

yes but for an opening turn the transport cannot be loaded, there fore this couldn’t happen.

Sure it can.  You can load a transport, move it, and unload all in the combat movement phase, even in the first turn.  Germany does start with a transport in the med and a bomber (bb) capable of reaching the UK destroyer to take it out clearing the assault for that transport (which you load from france).

I take back what I said about forgetting Africa.  With the new transport rules, it is much easier to fend off Allied convoy’s, especially for the first few turns.  I did some testing (having the new TripleA now) and this is what seemed to work best:

-Take out see zone 2 with sub and whatever air needed.  Leave Canada transport for Baltic fleet as it won’t have much of an escort with sea zone 2 dead
-take out battleship in sea zone 13 with remainder of air that can reach.
-grab 1 inf and 1 tank from Southern Europe, land in Egypt with all land forces that can reach and fighter that can reach from eastern front.
-take Karelia with Norway troops and reserves.
-consolidate on Karelia, Belorussia and Ukraine

Hold Eastern line (trading if need be) until Japs storm in back side.
trade Baltic fleet for any UK1 fleet build
Keep majority of air in Western Europe and buy a bomber a turn (for 3 turns).  Sink everything

Eventually Japan storms in as usual, and it takes 3+ turns for a large enough fleet to hold off Germany’s air.

Another thing I tried was taking the Japan fleet in the East Indies and spare fighters and take out India fleet, then move through Mediterranian see to hold Gibralter with the German Battleship.  This bought an extra turn or two of holding off allied fleet.  You don’t need it in the Pacific anyway assuming you destroy the Pearl Harbor fleet.

It caused me to lose all but Kwangtung on Asia initially, but I ferried so many troops in after the first turn it didn’t matter.  The allies have no supply line in eastern Asia to stop you, and with half the Japan fleet in the Atlantic with the German boats left, it made African and Western Europe landings impossible.  They only thing the Allies can do is Norway landings, which take twice as long from the US.

I’m not sure of a good Allied counter to this.  I did have the PC move the Russian sub to sea zone 2, which helped take out more units in that battle (still only lost a fighter and sub).