Progression of Play

@cernel said in Playing in 2017 still, General Strategy/Discussion:

That submarine is making a battle with an average +10 value swing there (140% the value of the attacking force!), which is more than sending it to kill the lone British transport

Actually, sending the German submarine which is in the North Atlantic to kill the transport next to Eastern Canada (average +7) instead of taking the shot against the 1 cruiser and 2 transports next to Eastern United States (average +10) is some less than a -3 difference since, if using it to kill the British transport, then nothing can kill the submarine on the same round, whereas the 50% chance of the submarine surviving next to Eastern United States implies the ability for the Americans to make a battle with 1 destroyer, 1 fighter and 1 bomber (or even more units) against 1 submarine, which is an about +4.4 value swing, to be reduced to +2.2 on the account that the submarine will be there only 50% of the times. So that covers at least most (2.2/3) of the difference between the two options the submarine has if you actually think that having that submarine alive next to Eastern Canada at the start of the second German turn is actually worth its value or more. Opinions?

In any case, the battle next to Eastern United States is certainly a good option which your opponent may take and, in this case, it will be a 50/50 on either:

Germany having 1 less submarine for nothing. America having 1 less cruiser, 2 less transports and having to invest units to kill 1 German submarine, with slightly more than a 1/6 chance also to lose 1 destroyer in the process.

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.

McLovin, that is probably one of the funniest posts i’ve read on this board. I’d add that perhaps Nutbar should put a few pieces in Switzerland and the Sahara; that should be helpful.

@McLovin1985:

@skinny1:

@McLovin1985:

@calvinhobbesliker:

I remember playing this, but the map is very small: it’s about the same size as one of the panels of Global 40

Tell me about it…. I’ll never understand why they put the IPC counter ON the board… Should’ve been seperate like the oringinal, made more room to make the countries a little bit bigger.

Thats why I’ve recently bought AAP40, next week AAE40! Then you’ve got to worry about the board being too massive and not how small it is haha.

I think the reason they put the ipc tracker on the board is to have less things in the box to intimidate a new player which is what the game is geared towards. See this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXeGoWcfxbk&feature=related  After watching this I understand why AA42 does not have as much in the box as Revised did. Overall it is still a great game and my favorite WWII themed game.

Hahahaha, from that point of view yes I understand. I think the only way to truely understand the game fully is to learn from someone first hand in person.

That is how I learned. My uncle and brother used to play the 2nd edition in the 80s but I was too young and it didn’t appeal to me. A few years ago I wanted to try the game so I bought a used copy from ebay and had my uncle come over. I have been hooked ever since.

If you have the A&A Spring 1942 board and can leave it set up you could play right here in these forums i believe.  there is a forum dice roller that works well.  Im down to play that way if you want send me a message.  ( I cant install anything on my work computer so i cant do the Triple A games unfortunately)

@Granada:

Although I can see the argument that for the experienced players the AA50 is more attractive and for everyvody there are too little changes to revised. I think actually Spring 1942 is actually quite different game to revised because of the change of the transport rules you cannot use many startegies developed for the revised.

Anyway I still cannot understand why the community would not give the Spring1942 more support.

The basic strategy is the same for the Axis: kill Russia as quickly as possible. The Allies might have a better shot if they decide to go after Japan, and both KGF and KJF strategies might have similar odds of succeeding, although this is highly debatable. From what I’ve seen so far Allied players are sticking to KGF (I haven’t played against a KJF yet and it is my standard Allied strat), which is harder to accomplish because of the German subs and airforce, plus any Japanese planes sent to Europe, and the transports’ lack of defense.

AA1942 is a bit like the ugly duckling. AA50 and AAP40 are new and bigger, plus there’s the stigma of being seen as the new rules being stuck on Revised along with a few map changes.

@Zhukov44:

Anybody have solid numbers on SZ2 strike odds?  Roughly calculated I’m guessing it’s 25% that the German fighter lives.  I think, in general, this is an excellent attack for Germany if the fighter survives.  But if the fighter dies, it may be debatable whether it was worth it, given that those 2 planes could have been used elsewhere and the Kraut sub could have gone for the defenseless transport.  The 25-30% chance that Germany gets the BB without losing any planes makes this eminently tempting.

Anybody aware of a web-based calc for the new rule-set?

The only problem with that is the US destroyer and a plane and bomber can take out the sub. It would be a sittin duck. If I wasn’t going after the battleship, that sub could go for the cruiser by Gibralter, that way you don’t risk losing a plane. Or I wonder if it would be wise to try a conservative approach and keep the subs together for a round two attack. You could get three subs and a whole lot of planes for a round two attack in the Atlantic.

nice game.

had my first game of 42, was the axis.  Did the Bomber buy 1st round, scared the UK with the new sub rules as the baltic fleet moved into the Atlantic.  Scared the US away till turn 3 from landing in Africa and was able to combine on turn 2.  Pulled back Japan’s navy, killed the Indian fleet, then turned back on the US Fleet.  On turn 4 I was able to destroy both US fleets in the Pacific and Atlantic and took Australia.  A few Allied troops in Africa and had left India’s IC alone except for buffering around it.  Turned on Russia through China and after suckering the allies into throwing everything at Caucaus after i left most of the German army out to dry there, 2 Jap tanks were able to blitz from Sinkiang to take Moscow.  Allies gave up as the Axis ruled all but the North Sea.  Not too wacky of dice, save the loss of my German SBR bombers over Moscow.  
 I haven’t played AA50 much, but I am lovin’ the naval rules applied here!

gotta admit too that those new Russian ship sculpts are absolutely beautiful…sitting in the box never being used.