• '10

    I have a trip all planned out for the end of Feb. with a cabin and plan on holding an AA1942 weekend.
    I’ve been wanting to do one of these since I bought the game and can already taste the sweet hops aroma of the beer and good times.

    I would like some help on one thing, though. I will have five people to play, but I will be the only one who has really played before. I was hoping to maybe get some tips on how best to teach some new players.

    My plan as of now is to do a setup on Friday night, go through the explanations of rules and everything and then play a round (or two) Friday evening. The real game would then start on Saturday.

    I’m hoping to maybe show a few of the guys how to play before hand, and am making some folders that will include more country-specific strategies and options.

    Any help on how you guys would teach a group of players would be really helpful.

    Also, what country do you think would be best for me to play with four people that haven’t played before?

    Thanks in advance.


  • Best keep it as simple as possible so they don’t get lost.  The out-of-the-box rules are not written in a way that is easy for new players to the game to understand, so perhaps put something together that’s more organized and concise, with examples.  Then give some broad strategic tips:

    General:  Control territory to gain income.

    Russia:  Protect Moscow.  Infantry are the best defense.  You will want to hit back as well, so get a few artillery and tanks.  Be sure not to risk your valuable fighters.

    Germany:  Beat up Russia, take control of Africa if you can, prevent the Allies from taking Africa back and/or landing in Europe to help Russia.  Air units can help against naval or ground targets, infantry are cheap fodder for the attack and good for defense, and tanks are cheap mobile units that attack hard.  Subs are useful against naval targets, especially if the Allies didn’t build destroyers.

    UK:  (for advanced player):  Use UK military assets throughout the world to limit early Axis expansion as best you can.  Later, get units to the ground in Europe.  Fleet should be carriers and destroyers, and transports to move cost-effective ground units to Europe and/or Africa.  May produce an industrial complex to help problem areas.

    Japan:  Beat up Russia, prevent US from destroying your fleet, land units in Asia and push to Moscow as much as you can.  You start with a powerful fleet, but need transports to move units to Asia.  You may consider building an industrial complex in Asia to help produce more units.

    US:  Either help UK in the Atlantic, or concentrate on destroying Japan’s fleet in the Pacific and controlling the islands.  Carriers are destroyers are important in the Atlantic, subs may be important in the Pacific.  You’ll likely want 3 to 8 transports for the Atlantic, or at least 2 in the Pacific, depending on whether you choose to help in the Atlantic or Pacific.

    I’d say play UK.  It’s a bit overwhelming to new players to consider all of UK’s assets all over the world.

  • '10

    Thanks Bunnies. I agree about the new players having trouble getting the rules as written. I kinda already started doing what you’ve done. Going into some detail about each country’s standing at the beginning of the game, some ideas for possible buys and then some strategic stuff. I think sometimes I’m putting in too much information. I guess I’m trying to find that nice medium between allowing sometime to build an Armada with the Soviets and explaining Hobbes’ Fortress Europe strategy.

    By the way, every time I see your name I’m reminded of an old John Cusack film One Crazy Summer (also starring a pre-boob job Demi Moore). He draws these “cute and fuzzy bunnies” that are always out to mess up his plans. This has absolutely nothing to do with this post, of course, but I always picture these diabolic little rabbits looking innocent but hatching some scheme. That or I just watched “Holy Grail” again recently.


  • You can have a free for all game just for fun and getting used to the units/turn order. Each player picks a territory (or even all need to choose islands) to place its capital and places 1 unit of all type (1 IC, 1 AA Gun, 1 inf,  1 BB, etc). Capitals are worth 8 IPCs, all other territories are 2 IPC and contain 1 neutral inf (or even none to speed up things).

    I’d say UK is a good choice to you, although Russia might be also good.


  • @Col.:

    I have a trip all planned out for the end of Feb.

    Also, what country do you think would be best for me to play with four people that haven’t played before?

    You should come play here in Montreal.  :wink: We don’t allow handguns so if you beat the inexperienced players, you’re less likely to get shot. Also, we have very good beer.

  • '10

    @Hobbes:

    I’d say UK is a good choice to you, although Russia might be also good.

    I was thinking Russia at first as well. I guess I figured that I wanted to have as little affect on the outcome of the game as I could, and Russia is more handcuffed than others. The UK makes sense because as Bunnies said, they can be overwhelming.
    I guess really, though, who I play as isn’t as important as how I play.

    I also like Hobbes idea about the free for all. Maybe set-up two countries in Africa and three in Europe/Asia to duke it out for a couple rounds.

    Thanks for the ideas guys.


  • run a few mock battles… to get use to the di values for each unit and the special combat scenarios… like fighters needing to land with only 1 space, sub sneak attacks, amphibious assaults, strategic bombing etc. etc.  maybe even have a certain IPC amount to let them purchase units for the mock battles so they understand the monetary value. then run a full game… but make it a discussion game where everyone can speak on every countries turn but you pick a di roller for each country.  then play a serious game with a person per country


  • @Keredrex:

    run a few mock battles… to get use to the di values for each unit and the special combat scenarios… like fighters needing to land with only 1 space, sub sneak attacks, amphibious assaults, strategic bombing etc. etc.   maybe even have a certain IPC amount to let them purchase units for the mock battles so they understand the monetary value. then run a full game… but make it a discussion game where everyone can speak on every countries turn but you pick a di roller for each country.  then play a serious game with a person per country

    That’s actually a pretty good way to do it. Like many other games, there’s nothing like playing to learn.

    I’d throw in this mock games maybe explaining 2 common strategies for each country: Norway or WE+UKR for Russia, Navy vs all land for Germany, Atl vs Pac for US…


  • I think it may be frustrating for new players that begin to understand the depth of the game.  Once you start breaking down detailed strategies (round 5-6 timing, etc), things rapidly slide into a morass of explanation of mechanics, timing, capacities, cooperation, etc. etc.

    It’s enough for them to begin to understand simply the rules of the game.  What does it mean, a unit attacks at one value, defends at another?  What is all this sub surprise attack business?  Destroyers?  Industrial bombing damage?  AA gun shots?  Naval bombardment?  So many rules, so many things to remember.  Telling them more than that will confuse them, and confused people become angry.  And you wouldn’t like them when they’re angry.

    To that end, I think it would be best NOT to go into specific strategies such as Norway offloading, navy benefits for the Germans, and so forth.  Yes, have some mock combats, yes, give some vague ideas as to what units are best to build for each power, yes have a mock game for two turns then restart (if they want to!).  But NO to anything more than the ABSOLUTE minimum.

    The idea is not to convert them overnight into A&A powerhouses.  The idea is for everyone involved to have fun, and allowing them to mostly do their own thing, with a very minimal bit of guidance, will be the way for them to do that.  They will take their own initiative, and have fun even if they do make awful horrible mistakes like a Russian battleship at the Caucasus.

    If this were a training camp, I’d say yes, indoctrinate them from day 1 on what it really takes to kick ass.  Fill their minds with rage at their opponents and fear of failure, drum lessons into them by the hour, and whip them when they fail!  yes . . . whip them . . .

    Anyways!

    It’s not a training camp, so let them stumble on their own.  Like any proud parent, you might find it difficult to watch them crash into the furniture as they learn to walk, but they have to learn to WALK before they learn to RUN.  Trying to train a year-old toddler to run a full marathon is ultimately futile.

    BTW, one fun thing you can do for very little expense is have a trophy made.  Ribbons, trophies . . . people like things like that.  Obviously because you can club the losers to death with them, or shine reflected sunlight in your opponents’ eyes . . .

  • '10

    That’s what I’m worried about doing, Bunnies. I got the feeling that once I start going into some detail that I’ll just keep going on and turn every question on plane movement into a lecture.

    I’ve been thinking about leaving some stuf out all together, notably, strategic bombing. It just feels like something I can leave out for less confusion that isn’t a game-killer by not being there. I think the sub surprise attack and plane movement will be the hardest to fully explain so they understand.
    One thing I just remembered was how hard it was to distinguish between some of the naval units when I first started playing. I have a picture printed out that someone made that helps with that, but that’s just one more thing to add to the confusion.

    The more I think about it, the more I think I need to get with at least one of the guys and teach him a little. One - to help me out, and two - to make it so I’m only teaching two or three guys instead of four.

    “And you wouldn’t like them when they’re angry.”

    Luckily, no investigative reporters named Mr. McGee are invited.

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