• Y’all may think it’s macho to eschew the battle calculator, but if a game you’ve been playing for hours gets wrecked because you miscalculated a major battle that’s not much fun at all.

  • '19 '17 '16

    @Maddog77:

    Well….that’s close…I go by these golden rules of mine for Russia.

    1. Attack/counterattack when & where you can. 2) Defend Moscow. 3) Defend Moscow.

    I’m happy with that - the best defence is a good offence. Less often in A&A though. Where attacking helps to defend Moscow, you totally should.


  • Simon, watch out how many troops you draw away from Moscow in your games. Attacks into Scandanavia are rarely successful against experienced players and often result in trading valuable Russian infantry for far less valuable German infantry.  An Italian can opener makes it hard to effectively protect troops once they get trapped behind advancing German hordes.

  • '19 '17 '16

    @SubmersedElk:

    Y’all may think it’s macho to eschew the battle calculator, but if a game you’ve been playing for hours gets wrecked because you miscalculated a major battle that’s not much fun at all.

    For the record, I use the calculator once in a while, too. The issue is more that some players depend on it, and don’t understand what it really is or what it’s limitations are:

    1. Unless I’m mistaken, it tells you only who will have units remaining (i.e. “win” the battle), which is not always useful, and that’s only one example of it’s limitations.

    2. It makes us dumber. Unless it’s a battle for Moscow where there’s literally dozens of units involved on each side, or some uber-complicated naval battle or something, there’s no reason we shouldn’t force ourselves to figure it out.

    3. A few players see that “80%” or “90%” and think they’re entitled to a win and they’re not, and when they don’t win they cry for the next ten rounds about how they should have won the game because of that battle two weeks ago when they lost such-and-such a battle that the calculator promised them they’d win.

    The calculator is just a tool, and pretty limited one at that. I think it’s overrated and gets over-relied upon.

    Anyways, this thread is getting WAY off topic.


  • The calculator is just a tool, and pretty limited one at that. I think it’s overrated and gets over-relied upon.

    Anyways, this thread is getting WAY off topic.

    I couldn’t agree more

    And could you guys pound my alternate strategy some more?


  • @JeroldTheGreat:

    And could you guys pound my alternate strategy some more?

    your alternate strategy makes baby Stalin cry :-(


  • @JeroldTheGreat:

    Id like to challenge YGs solid defensive line and propose a new idea of Defend the North, Attack the South. The focus of this strategy is to overwhelm the axis with too many fronts, forcing Germany to distract too many of its forces away from Leningrad. By focusing power into Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and even Greece, many of Germany’s early game infantry and artillery will be wasted or extended too far south in an attempt to regain valuable Russian NOs. This strategy needs an unpopular UK Greece landing to help with pincer attacks and a lot of offensive buys but could prove to be a valuable fresh blood strategy if done right.

    Germany has the advantage of massive mobility and ability to add extra firepower with the air force.  I the UK goes to Greece on turn 1, I don’t think that it would be that much of a headache.  They already have 5 troops stationed in Bulgaria.  A couple of planes added to the fight will make it easy to destroy the UK guys in Greece.  It seems a big waste of 13ish IPCs that need to be used in to initially smack Italy in Africa.

    I also don’t see how a Russian army could get into Romania, Bulgaria, or Albania against a competent German player.  Anything standing next to Germany can be obliterated when Germany finally starts an attack into Russia.  It isn’t until R4 or R5 that Russia can even contemplate a significant counter attack.

    You must be playing against German opponents who have a balanced play with half the money spent on fleet.  I spend 90% of the money against Russia, leaving only a bit left over to purchase a few infantry to counter early land invasions.  I can always get to Moscow around G6, but often decide to divert around it for an economic victory.


  • @Arthur:

    @JeroldTheGreat:

    Id like to challenge YGs solid defensive line and propose a new idea of Defend the North, Attack the South. The focus of this strategy is to overwhelm the axis with too many fronts, forcing Germany to distract too many of its forces away from Leningrad. By focusing power into Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and even Greece, many of Germany’s early game infantry and artillery will be wasted or extended too far south in an attempt to regain valuable Russian NOs. This strategy needs an unpopular UK Greece landing to help with pincer attacks and a lot of offensive buys but could prove to be a valuable fresh blood strategy if done right.

    Germany has the advantage of massive mobility and ability to add extra firepower with the air force.  I the UK goes to Greece on turn 1, I don’t think that it would be that much of a headache.  They already have 5 troops stationed in Bulgaria.  A couple of planes added to the fight will make it easy to destroy the UK guys in Greece.  It seems a big waste of 13ish IPCs that need to be used in to initially smack Italy in Africa.

    I also don’t see how a Russian army could get into Romania, Bulgaria, or Albania against a competent German player.  Anything standing next to Germany can be obliterated when Germany finally starts an attack into Russia.  It isn’t until R4 or R5 that Russia can even contemplate a significant counter attack.

    You must be playing against German opponents who have a balanced play with half the money spent on fleet.  I spend 90% of the money against Russia, leaving only a bit left over to purchase a few infantry to counter early land invasions.  I can always get to Moscow around G6, but often decide to divert around it for an economic victory.

    More like I can barely find an opponent to play…
    Well, sounds like a bust so ill just disappear awkwardly back into the shadows for a while…


  • Rather than slink away into teh darkness, give it a try agains a flesh and blood player or even on Triple A.  Play with the idea and see if it works.  If nothing else, your idea may morph into another tactic.


  • Don’t hide:  plenty of players are willing to play online with TripleA.  I used to be a horrible player a couple years ago, and now I am just a mediocre player.  I am glad that so many people were willing to school me on proper gameplay tactics.

Suggested Topics

  • 28
  • 4
  • 59
  • 7
  • 3
  • 9
  • 7
  • 31
Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

28

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts