I would add one point to your comments : do people know how to use the bid efficiently ?
When you speak of your 19 and 21 bid for instance, it was including expensive units like a fgt in Buryatia (just memories, I might be wrong). Imagine 1inf in Egypt, and 5 or 6 units on the russian - german front… suddenly Germany has to worry !
As I do not want to play always the same side, I started bidding higher. At this time, the bid (in my games) usually finishes between 9 and 11. I think that if you reach 14 or more, the axis player will need some new strategy to have a chance.
Since I arrived on this forum, I believe that the axis play improved. The allied one too, but not so much. So at this date, yes, allies need a bid help.
I remember playing the allies with a 0 bid on my first games here, including league games in 2010. I would not try that anymore. That makes me believe that the axis play improved.
I stop here, teaching is waiting…
Yoshi