Changes still needed to the game, IMHO


  • Granted, if UK SACRIFICES the Med, to stop a sealion, then germ would of had spend alot on trannies that won’t do much. to help the land battle on russia.  But they can be used to shuttle men from Egerm to Novgorod.  Not as ideal as a sealion success or skipped for barb, but still rather doable.  (depends if the dice roles are friendly or not).  But this means that italy would have more time to consolidate its gains and keep UK from easily kicking italy out(assuming us is goin 100% pacific).

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Blitz,

    If I had my druthers, there would be quite a bit of changes to the global situation.

    1)  Japan would have at least 1 more transport in the S. Pacific, preferably off the coast of the Carolinas.  This, and perhaps another submarine or two may be enough of a bid to balance things out there. (13-19 IPC, roughly equivalent to what others have said is needed, I only differ and say it should be in the water, not on the land.)

    2)  England would start with 3 more infantry, located on Scotland. (Give Germany a shot at killing them, but then Germany is pulled out of position a little in the process of doing so.)

    3)  All Russian naval units would be removed.  It was bad in classic, it has only gotten worse since, IMHO.  Replaced with a strategic bomber and infantry up to the equivalent in what was lost.  This would give Russia a slight edge over the Germans - perhaps - which might necessitate the Italians assist more on the Asian front.

    4)  One could only build Minor Industrial Complexes, regardless of who owned the territory.  The only time one could upgrade to a major complex is if one was upgrading their own capitol’s complex after liberation.

    5)  Attacking British/Australian controlled Dutch territories would not be viewed as an act of war by the United States (thus it would now be more probable that Japan would get the DEI NO at least for one round.)

    6)  America would collect its war time NOs when actually at war, not the round previous.

    7)  The British fleet would be relocated south of the Suez Canal, not north of it.

    E3) (the eight makes a face) The Italian fleet would be unified in the Adriatic Sea (between Greece and Italy.)

    Granted, not all of those should be implemented at the same time, perhaps the best six could be chosen and a die thrown, prior to Germany 1, to determine which would occur?  No idea.  Essentially what I am saying is that the game is not balanced and I do not feel that “bidding” is the solution this time.  Rather, I do not like the concept of bidding at all and only tolerate it as one would when one has to clean the sh!t off their baby’s @ss because you have too.  Not because you want too.

    As for increasing Russia’s defense in the rear.  Well, for one, I rarely see Japan moving into Russia these days.  That penalty is murder on Germany and Japan really does not have the equipment to spare.  I’ve given it a go a few times and I have gotten to TIM before stalling out and it’s never really paid off for me in the long run.  I cannot say I’ve seen anyone make it successful these days.  In actuality, I view the Japanese invasion of Russia as a throw-back to the old days of A&A and no longer a viable nor wanted strategy.  Perhaps if the non-aggresion pact was re-written so that it only applied to Russia.  After all, Japan won and sank the Russian fleet which is how it all started. (Another reason why I don’t think Russia should have a fleet.)

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Frank:

    No, I think you underestimate just how strongly Russia can defend itself.  There is just no realistic manner in which Germany can get Moscow before Japan is neutrallized and America has started landing in Arkhangelsk.

    Russia does not need a buff at all, unless you do so in a manner I mentioned above by removing Naval units and replacing them with ground units located east of Moscow.


    ghr:

    Germany won’t have a blockade in SZ 125.  All the good players have found ways to stop Sea Lion, with Sea Lion stopped, England is more than capable of preventing a German blockade.

    Likewise, Germany has no NO.  None.  Not a single one.  Since Russia has taken Norway and Finland, they do not get the Sweeden one, since they are at war with Russia they do not get the Russian one, and how in the blazing nine levels of hell are you getting units to Caucasus?  Find a decent opponent man!

    Germany is getting maybe 40-45 IPC, Russia is getting 40-45 and Germany has lost more units than Russia has.  Yes, you get the 19 plunder, you also lose a lot more than 19 in your opening attacks.

    Most of the time Germany does not even bother building the transports.  Sea Lion is readily blocked now that teh tactic has been revealed.  Thus, the German tactics have changed so that they nail what they can of British ships, take France and start moving over to face Russia.

    Russia sees this coming, sets up a minor attack force in the north that readily grabs scandinavia, and then stacks behind that neutral territory where it can pummel everything from one stack, preventing Germany from getting any closer.  I even have enough time and money left over to send half a dozen tanks down and get Iraq and C. Persia for Russia (England is glad to give it up, lol, of course, I am also England…)

    Germany could, theoretically, throw all they have into St. Petersburg, you are correct there.  You have purchased 10 transports and you have moved 22 units to St. Petersburg.  Yay.

    To counter, I have taken Poland, Hungary, S. Germany, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Yugoslavia for the Russians giving me +23 IPC to counter the 7 IPC you got for St. Petersburg and NO.

    You’ll have, perhaps, 24/25 units there next round, I will have over 60 units in Belarus and Arkhangelsk (combined total) with plenty of firepower to prevent you from getting closer to Moscow.  However, you will not have units in Range to liberate south Europe because you just dumped them all in St. Petersburg.

    I actually prefer if my German opponent does this!  This is wonderful!  Stalin is greatly pleased as he now no longer even needs Churchill, let alone not needing Roosevelt!

    And yes, that can all be taken in one round, or two depending on where Germans are.  What really matters here is you blew 70 IPC on Transports in a failed Sea Lion attempt and are now scrambing to find a purpose for them.  Then, to top it off, you put them in SZ 115 where they are too far away to pick up units from W. Germany, Denmark or Norway and return to SZ 115 that same round.  And, if that wasn’t bad enough, you just moved a major portion of your army into a location that is easily blocked.  And if you claim you do not move all that, then why bother doing any of it?

    So really, it all comes down to Germany has to go in by the traditional method, Infantry Push and that’s going to be a long, LONG, dragged out nightmare for Germany.  Quagmire comes to mind…  First I stop you in E. Poland, then N. Ukraine/Belarus, then Bransk (dont need stuff in Smolensk, I can hit Belarus from Bryansk just as easy).  Since all you have is the one transport, a minimal defense of St. Petersburg is enough.  And the Caucasus is probably the safest square on the map!  You’ll never get through S. Ukraine and Rostov…you might TAKE S. Ukraine and Rostov, but you’ll never get THROUGH Rostov to Stalingrad or the Caucasus.  Russia has too much defensive firepower for that to become a reality.


  • I tend to agree with doing away with most of the Russian fleet. I though most of the Russian fleet in WW II was old US lend lease destroyers. I’d rather see a Sub and Destroyer in SZ 115 and a destroyer in SZ 127.


  • Eh, clearly u and I have not faced the same players as axis.


  • Ill try your method next time im rus, ill tell u how it goes


  • We’re in two team games together…


  • @Geist:

    We’re in two team games together…

    I was talking to Jen…


  • Oh ya, she’s not in our games.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @Geist:

    Oh ya, she’s not in our games.

    Lol, no.  I am not in your games.

    As for the Ruskie fleet, I mean, it’s not unbalancing having it there, but if we’re going to make it stronger than it already is (which is strong enough, imho) then we need to kill that BB at a minimum to offset the value of pieces on the board…


  • @Cmdr:

    Frank:

    No, I think you underestimate just how strongly Russia can defend itself.  There is just no realistic manner in which Germany can get Moscow before Japan is neutralized and America has started landing in Arkhangelsk.

    Russia does not need a buff at all, unless you do so in a manner I mentioned above by removing Naval units and replacing them with ground units located east of Moscow.

    Germany Units

    43 Infantry Starts with 35 Infantry +8 G1 when Germany takes Finland and Bulgaria.
    8 Artillery
    8 Tanks
    4 Mechanized Infantry
    11 Planes
    Total 74 and lots of attack power.

    Russian Units

    27 Infantry, not counting the units located by Japan because they are too far away to effect the Eastern front for the first six turns.  They usually end up fighting Japan one way or the other in most games I play.
    3 Artillery
    2 Mechanized Infantry
    2 Tanks
    3 Planes
    Total 37 and almost no attack power.

    By utilizing its starting 2 to 1 unit advantage Germany is very capable or tearing up Russia if the German player decides on operation Barbarossa after France and the US does not pose a threat to Germany.  Not to mention Alpha +2 also upgraded the Factory in Germany to a major making it easier to build mass amounts of units to send in Operation Barbarossa.

    The Germans will lose a few units smashing France and build the Baltic Fleet G1 but then on G2 they are free to spend about 70 points on the Eastern Front because US is going mostly Japan first.  They will always be able to produce more units to attack Russia than Russia can to defend because unless the US attacks Europe there is no reason for the German economy to not be much larger than the Russian one.

    With the Baltic fleet built and the starting units in Finland and Norway for Germany it will take a sizable force for the Russians to take Norway.  If they do this they are now even more outnumbered by the Germans and that means Germany will eat more of the Russian economy and capture key points such as Stalingrad, Leningrad, and the Ukraine Minor.  Also the Baltic Fleet and the Air Force will then just take Norway right back from Russia insuring Germany keeps it’s five point bonus.

    Russia will also never see their five point bonus if the German player keeps a sub in Sea Zone 125.

    If the Allies decide to send the US to the Pacific first and stay there until Japan is neutralized they will pay a heavy price in Europe.  Moscow may still be technically alive when the US player makes it out of the Pacific (Though I am not convinced Japan can’t keep them there quite a long time if the US player wants to stay until Japan is neutralized) but Moscow will be on it’s deathbed.

    This does not even touch on the growth of Italy, lockdown of Cairo, and anything it sends towards Russia.

    The Allies may be able to neutralize Japan first as a viable strategy but there are great costs in doing so even if they are successful in the Pacific.  If they are not careful they risk losing 8 victory cities on the European side of the board.


  • @Cmdr:

    Granted, not all of those should be implemented at the same time, perhaps the best six could be chosen and a die thrown, prior to Germany 1, to determine which would occur?  No idea.  Essentially what I am saying is that the game is not balanced and I do not feel that “bidding” is the solution this time.

    6 out of the 7???- I respect your opinion but you’re crazy- its not gonna happen unless several games results come in reflecting that (besides your games)- and at this time they don’t.

    Right now your lucky if 1 of these will make it.  Narrow this list down to your top three.  I’ve already given my opinion.  I agree that the game is Allied advantaged but not nearly as extreme as you claim it to be.  I just suggect the addition of Hong Kong and Manila to the #4 NO for Japan in the current Alpha+2.

    Some of your opinion on the setup are pretty exteme on these points you give.  Not gonna refute them right now because of time- I’ll let Frank T and the others do that.

    Jen, why don’t you just play some of these guys and get some game results to prove your point, then they may join you in your proposed changes???  Again, less talk- more game results.


  • Jen I have never played a forum game before but I have probably played at least 20 games of Alpha +2 by playing my friend Chompers in person.  We play sometimes twice a week and we drink lots of Red Bull as we play for 12 hours at a time when I am not working.  We also played about 20 games of OBB and I certainly agree OBB is broken in the Allies favor.  I also played Spring 1942 for about a year before Alpha came out.  I have learned a lot playing him but probably don’t have your level of experience yet.

    That being said I would be interested in playing as the Axis against you in a forum game with you being the Allies. You could show me what you think is broken by ganging up in the Pacific against me early and then I would have a chance to test my counter moves.

    I am having trouble figuring out how to play by forum.  I am so used to looking at the board for all possible moves and counter moves and I am afraid I will miss things playing by forum with out the board to look at.

    That being said if you are interested in a game by forum and would be able to help out in what I need to play I would like to test our difference of opinion out.

  • '10

    @Frank:

    I am having trouble figuring out how to play by forum.  I am so used to looking at the board for all possible moves and counter moves and I am afraid I will miss things playing by forum with out the board to look at.

    Don’t sweat that Frank. I had the same problem when I first started on forum with AA50. I planed my moves off the board and then reconciled Battlemap. I was using battlemap exclusively by US 2 so it doesn’t take long to make the adjustment. :-D

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @Battling:

    @Frank:

    I am having trouble figuring out how to play by forum.  I am so used to looking at the board for all possible moves and counter moves and I am afraid I will miss things playing by forum with out the board to look at.

    Don’t sweat that Frank. I had the same problem when I first started on forum with AA50. I planed my moves off the board and then reconciled Battlemap. I was using battlemap exclusively by US 2 so it doesn’t take long to make the adjustment. :-D

    Agreed.  I still pull out a board for some games because it does give you more information, I feel, because the brain is more attuned to seeing things with the peripheral vision that you might miss if you have to scroll the map around.

    @Frank:

    That being said I would be interested in playing as the Axis against you in a forum game with you being the Allies. You could show me what you think is broken by ganging up in the Pacific against me early and then I would have a chance to test my counter moves.

    Let me finish losing to Gamer iwth my Axis and then sure.

    @questioneer:

    6 out of the 7???- I respect your opinion but you’re crazy- its not gonna happen unless several games results come in reflecting that (besides your games)- and at this time they don’t.

    No, pick the best 6 and then roll a die to figure out which ONE to use.  Gives the bidding players the randomness they want, gives those of us who want some staticness the sameness we want.  It doesnt have to be 6 from the list either, it could just be 6 changes, the Axis player rolls a die on Germany 1 and that is the “boon” that they get.


  • Okay that will give me time to research how to play by forum.


  • @Cmdr:

    No, I think you underestimate just how strongly Russia can defend itself.  There is just no realistic manner in which Germany can get Moscow before Japan is neutrallized and America has started landing in Arkhangelsk.


    ghr:

    Germany won’t have a blockade in SZ 125.  All the good players have found ways to stop Sea Lion, with Sea Lion stopped, England is more than capable of preventing a German blockade.

    Likewise, Germany has no NO.  None.  Not a single one.  Since Russia has taken Norway and Finland, they do not get the Sweeden one, since they are at war with Russia they do not get the Russian one, and how in the blazing nine levels of hell are you getting units to Caucasus?  Find a decent opponent man!

    Germany is getting maybe 40-45 IPC, Russia is getting 40-45 and Germany has lost more units than Russia has.  Yes, you get the 19 plunder, you also lose a lot more than 19 in your opening attacks.

    Most of the time Germany does not even bother building the transports.  Sea Lion is readily blocked now that teh tactic has been revealed.  Thus, the German tactics have changed so that they nail what they can of British ships, take France and start moving over to face Russia.

    Russia sees this coming, sets up a minor attack force in the north that readily grabs scandinavia, and then stacks behind that neutral territory where it can pummel everything from one stack, preventing Germany from getting any closer.  I even have enough time and money left over to send half a dozen tanks down and get Iraq and C. Persia for Russia (England is glad to give it up, lol, of course, I am also England…)

    ***it sounds like your strategy has stagnated.  Sealion is a bust, so why try it? now Germ can’t hold Scandinavia, Russia captures Scandinavia.  Perhaps it might be advantageous for your German strategy to build a few trns to outflank the Russians?

    Germany could, theoretically, throw all they have into St. Petersburg, you are correct there.  You have purchased 10 transports and you have moved 22 units to St. Petersburg.  Yay.

    To counter, I have taken Poland, Hungary, S. Germany, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Yugoslavia for the Russians giving me +23 IPC to counter the 7 IPC you got for St. Petersburg and NO.

    ***So to counter a 1 turn naval grab of Novo…Russia has taken Greece?  Thats close to 3 turns after barbarossa, and that’s with German falling back.  I don’t see it.  And you forgot West Germ and parts of France.  Seriously, if Germany can’t even stall the Russian Bear I think you’re doing something wrong.

    You’ll have, perhaps, 24/25 units there next round, I will have over 60 units in Belarus and Arkhangelsk (combined total) with plenty of firepower to prevent you from getting closer to Moscow.  However, you will not have units in Range to liberate south Europe because you just dumped them all in St. Petersburg.

    ***no you won’t, you just lunged your entire army into the Balkans. cmon Jenn, they can’t be everywhere at once, choose one, north to Scandinavia or south through the balkans.

    I actually prefer if my German opponent does this!  This is wonderful!  Stalin is greatly pleased as he now no longer even needs Churchill, let alone not needing Roosevelt!

    And yes, that can all be taken in one round, or two depending on where Germans are.  What really matters here is you blew 70 IPC on Transports in a failed Sea Lion attempt and are now scrambing to find a purpose for them.  Then, to top it off, you put them in SZ 115 where they are too far away to pick up units from W. Germany, Denmark or Norway and return to SZ 115 that same round.  And, if that wasn’t bad enough, you just moved a major portion of your army into a location that is easily blocked.  And if you claim you do not move all that, then why bother doing any of it?

    ***would love to know the super secret method of getting Russians in Greece and Albania the first round of Barbarossa. :roll:

    So really, it all comes down to Germany has to go in by the traditional method, Infantry Push and that’s going to be a long, LONG, dragged out nightmare for Germany.  Quagmire comes to mind…  First I stop you in E. Poland, then N. Ukraine/Belarus, then Bransk (dont need stuff in Smolensk, I can hit Belarus from Bryansk just as easy).  Since all you have is the one transport, a minimal defense of St. Petersburg is enough.  And the Caucasus is probably the safest square on the map!  You’ll never get through S. Ukraine and Rostov…you might TAKE S. Ukraine and Rostov, but you’ll never get THROUGH Rostov to Stalingrad or the Caucasus.  Russia has too much defensive firepower for that to become a reality.

    I suggest trying this, a cv, dd, sub build G1.  Follow with 1-2 trns on G2.  Now you can outflank the Russians and you’re fleet will survive long enough to do so.  Rest of your purchases will go to Russia.  Nice thing about this G1 build is it forces UK to respond with a few ground units in order to stop a sealion…which is never coming.

    I put my comments in the quote, annotated with a '

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Yes, that build is standard for a non-sealion and a sealion Germany.  The other standard is a major complex in Romania.

    Neither really works well.


  • I added to # 54


  • I’m a little surprised that Sealion or Romanian Major are the two “standard strategies” for Germany. I wouldn’t use either one if I really wanted to win Europe.

    I’ve found that buying mechs almost exclusively for the first three turns as Germany (with a little left over for subs or whatever other little things you might need) puts too much pressure on Russia for them to handle. If they turtle to Moscow, grab their other victory cities and head for the Middle East/Caucus money. If they try to defend everything, position your full force in the middle and attack the weakest of the three cities, of just go for Moscow.

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