Being axis is easier in these newer versions than the previous classic versions. The three steps it takes America to get to Europe is a HUGE help to the Axis. But here is my Germany and i can win 5/10 games doing this. turn 1 buy all infantry YES all infantry then take out the allied navy with German navy and fighters/bomber. Consolidate all Eastern German forces in one territory. Turn 2 buy again ALL INFANTRY again. Move the Infantry you bought turn 1 west so you can defend against Normandy invasion also move your fighters with the infantry in the west. All the forces you consolidated retreat west closer to Germany don’t worry the German battering ram is coming. Turn 3 buy all tanks move the infantry from turn two east and consolidate all forces in the EAST. Turn 4 buy tanks move the massive consolidated force south never separate the infantry from the tanks. turn 5 move tanks from turn 4 south with the main force. Turn 6 Russia should be like OMG i cant kill that massive force you should be able to take caucuss now. With japan my goal #1 is to take India at all costs if Japan has failed to do this use the German army in Caucuss to take India now you can separate the tanks from the infantry to take India. Russia will take your infantry you left behind but that is fine and retake caucuss that is fine too . now Japan is free to take Asia at will, Germany should begin to pound Russia wherever avail and take easy territories do not commit to a suicidal battle to Russia. By now the Allies can pose a threat to Western Europe. But Germany and Japan should be collecting massive IPC’s Russia is doomed here in a few turns they just cannot deal with a mobile Japan and Germany and defend itself on two fronts. I see a lot of German players go north i do not agree with this becasue there is nowhere to break out like there is in the caucuss and also if Germany can break out into Asia they can knock the allies out of asia as well. with the defense boost tanks have now they are the most affordable attacker and blocker in one land unit and with some infantry cannon fodder they are nasty on offense and defense. I go mass tanks with Japan and Germany. If you cannot win with the Axis in the newer versions you are doing something wrong. Either not attacking enough or buying aircraft or navy. Germany really doesn’t need a navy and has enough aircraft to hold the whole game as long as you don’t loose them foolishly. On paper the Allies have the advantage by getting 3 turns to axis 2 and also should have an IPC advantage. But Germany is so massive early and it takes Allies 4-5 turns to begin to be effective that’s your window with Japan and Germany about 4- 6 turns after that Allies begin taking the game in their favor. So you must get your objectives done in this time frame. If you just turtle forever with Germany you will loose. And i f Japan leaves India for too long its hard to take especially if UK buys a lot of fighters.
Is KBF (Kill Britain First) feasible for the Axis?
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We have played AA1942 several times, and usually the axis players will choose to invade Russia first, so is it feasilble to turn the way around and try to invade Britain first?
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We have played AA1942 several times, and usually the axis players will choose to invade Russia first, so is it feasilble to turn the way around and try to invade Britain first?
Only if the other player makes a miscalculation or if you get very lucky with the rolls. I’ve seen players buying 1 carrier and 3 transports for Germany and placing them on the Baltic, then attacking Gibraltar with the Med fleet. That would give them 5 inf and 5 arm plus 5 fighters (assuming Russia attacked Ukraine and won on R1) and 1 bomber. But the UK can buy 8 units and bring the armor from E. Canada, giving them 12-13 British ground units+ 3 fighters (2 UK, 1 US) + 2 bombers (UK + US) and the US can still move 4 ground units to the UK and use the cruiser to block the Med fleet.
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I don’t think even two or three rounds of buying will do you any good either. UK and US are making too much money for you to drop a sealion attack. Its really too bad as its cool to finally take Britain off the map.
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I recently played two games of Spring '42 against my cousin. On BOTH occasions, I captured UK on G2 and he conceded. My cousin would be the first to admit that he is a lousy A&A player, but I still took a lot of joy out of silencing his trash talking, even if only for a moment. It NEVER should have succeeded. It was entirely due to poor decisions on his part. Hobbes is absolutely correct. The UK would have to make GRAVE miscalculations (purchasing and combat), and/or have absolutely horrendous luck with the dice. Hobbes gave it in a nutshell. Let me flesh it out a bit for G1 and G2.
Let’s give Germany the MAXIMUM possible force to bring in for a UK invasion on G1 or G2.
G1 assault on UK: German 1 BOM, 2 FTR, 1 ARM, 1 INF versus UK 2 FTR, 1 ARM, 1 ART, 2 INF, 1 BOM, and the AA. Germany has 4% chance to win with 1 ARM or better (in order to capture, the standard OOL is changed)
G2 assault on UK: Let’s assume on R1, Russia went big into WR alone. Germany has all 6 FTR’s intact. On G1, Germany bought 1 CV, 3 TT, 1 ARM, and the SZ8 SS sank the SZ10 US fleet (50% chance). On G2, Germany could bring as much as 1 BOM, 6 FTR, 5 ARM, 5 INF, 1 BB bombardment shot (though the BB would be better used in SZ 9 to interdict/divert the new US1-built fleet hoping to liberate UK on US2. Let’s keep the BB bombarding UK, however, just to give the best possible odds for the Germans in the invasion of UK. With the sz10 fleet eliminated, the G1 naval purchases are placed in the Baltic rather than the Med. The UK player has to see the threat of a G2 invasion bearing down on them. The UK player, not being COMPLETELY inept, decides to shore up UK. UK purchases 5 INF 3 ARM, the SZ1 TT brought the ECan ARM over to UK. The BB stays put in SZ2 as Germany’s 3 SS, 1 DD, 1 CV have a 98.5% chance of wiping out the BB without needing to divert any air units from the invasion. Germany has 1 BOM, 6 FTR, 5 ARM, 5 INF, and the BB bombardment bearing down on UK, who stands with 7 INF, 1 ART, 5 ARM, 3 FTR, 2 BOM (1 FTR 1 BOM from EUS), 1 AA. Germany’s odds of capturing UK under this optimal condition would still be only 24.5%, and the US would be able to liberate on US2. If Germany parks the BB in sz9 to interdict/divert the US, a liberation by the US would be impossible, but the German odds of success at UK drop to 19% without having the bombardment.
Clearly, a G1 attempt is suicide. Assuming the G1 attack succeeded against the SZ10 fleet (50% chance of success) followed by a best case scenario G2 attempt after a G1 build of 1 CV, 3 TT, 1 ARM (19% chance of success while preventing liberation by US). By compounding the probabilities, your chance of a G2 assault of this sort succeeding is less than 10%. If Germany is missing a single FTR from their original 6, the odds are cut in half again.
IF you are playing against a lousy UK player, you might have better luck forgoing the naval build on G1 altogether. Germany can opt to smash the sz2 fleet, and hope the UK will turn around and buy 1 CV, 2 DD (or a similar navy heavy buy) and ignore the Baltic fleet on UK1 (2 big IF’s), allowing Germany to invade UK with 1 BB shot, 2 loaded transports, 6 FTR, and 1 BOM on G2. 83% chance of success without US units on UK. Long story short, unless you are playing inept opponent(s), a G1 or G2 invasion of UK is a suicide mission.