I’ve been playing Axis & Allies a long time (since '87) and I would say that a player cannot over-estimate the importance of the conflict between Germany and Russia. You could say that the fate of the war hinges on how quickly Russia can be taken out. If Russia is wiped out relatively quickly, an Axis victory is much more likely. If Russia manages to hang in there for a long time, they can become an anvil against which the Western Allies can smash Germany, and Japan’s eventual fate is a foregone conclusion, fighting alone against three adversaries.
What I want to know is, how long do the Soviets usually hang around in your games? I’m a pretty good player with Germany, so if I’m playing against a real chump (and the dice are with me) I can be in Moscow in two or three turns. When I play Japan, I always make a point to snatch up the eastern USSR provinces to make my German ally’s work easier. Sometimes, I can even threaten Moscow.
On the other hand, I have a buddy who is a really good Russian player, and has hung in their against me for entire games now and then. How about y’all?
(I play the Allies too, but that’s for another poll :wink: )