Concerns and Balance Problems with 42.2

Let`s say a word or two about Axis bid strategy in the Balanced mode version of A&A Global.

Usually, players bid for Axis, so well stick to them first. Which nation is the best for giving bid to it? Which are the best bids for each nation? Lets see…

I) Germany

Definitely the best option for the Axis bid. It plays first, it has numerous attack options on it`s first turn, and it has to defend against UK ships and air early on.

What are the best bid options for Germany?

1) A sub (or two)

A sub is the best bid for Germany. Germany faces 5 UK navies that can be striked on G1. Having an extra sub (or two) really helps, especially since 2/5 of that navies do not have a destroyer with them.

2) Land unit/s for striking France

An infantry or artillery in Holland Belgium and/or Western Germany, a mechanised infantry or tank in Germany and/or Greater Southern Germany can really help while attacking Paris on G1.

3) Land unit/s for attacking Russia

If Germany goes after Russia on G1, it is good to have an infantry or artillery in Poland/Slovakia Hungary/Romania.
A mechanised infantry or tank in Germany or Greater Southern Germany can be of help too.
Also an AA gun in Romania would be of help to move it to newly conquered Bessarabia.

II Italy

The next Axis power to which is good to give bid to it is Italy. Why Italy? Because it faces severe threats on land, air and sea from UK eary on. Also, Italy needs more transports and sea units to strike at UK faster and stronger. Let`s see what the best bid(s) for Italy would be…

1) 2 marines

A very good bid that helps Italy to strike Gibraltar, Malta, Crete, Cyprus early on. It also can be used for striking and/or taking (depends on Vichy) territories of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Syria. It gives wideness to the Italy early on.

2) 1 transport, 1 infantry

A similar bid that helps Italy to strike strong early on with more land troops.

3) 1 submarine or 1 destroyer

A ship more can aid in the defense of sz 97 that is sometimes attacked by UK on UK1. It can also help in later Italian moves, both for attacking and defending purposes.

4) Land units to North Africa

An infantry or artillery to Tobruk and/or mechanised infantry or tank to Libya can help a lot to strike Britain strong early on. The unit in Tobruk can also help to defend Tobruk on UK1. That seen, it is a good idea to put an AA gun there, to help defend on UK1, and in later turns, since UK has a powerfull RAF group near.

5) 1 fighter

A decent help from the air in attacking & defending against UK in the Med.

III) Japan

Japan is the last Axis nation that U will be bidding with. But, still it also can benefit from the bid. Japan does not need air units. It does not need more sea units too.

It needs more land units to strike China stronger. So, the bids would be:

1) An infantry or artillery

Put it to Kwangsi and/or Kiangsi to strike Yunnan and Hunan more stronger.

2) A mechanised infantry or tank

Put it to Kiangsu to strike Yunnan and Hunan more stronger.

3) An AA gun

Best to put is to Kwangsi and/or Kiangsu to move it to Yunnan and Hunan and prevent Chinese to take those territories (easily).
It can also be put to Jehol to move to Chahar for the same purposes.

Setup Changes:
Add one German Fighter in Munich
Add two German Submarines in Sea Zone 22
Add one Ottoman Battleship in Sea Zone 20

Rule Changes:

British Empire may only build up to the territorial value in their India factory.

If a Capital or India is captured, the nation that captured it may build on it, but only up to half of the territorial value, if odd numbered, remove one value and divide in half from there.

Germany may declare an unrestricted submarine warfare anytime during the game, if declared, following all combat, all German Submarines may roll a die for a two or one to subtract IPCs from British Empire alone while the United States is neutral, in addition, role a die for the United States, if in itself is a two or one, the United States may enter the war immediately. Once the United States enters the war, the rule itself also will apply to the United States.

Tanks now cost 11 IPCs, but you get two of them.

Switzerland, if attacked, all true neutrals on the board become friendly to the opposite alliance.

The United States territory (the capital), once the United States is at war, increases it’s base IPC value by 5 every turn, at the end of the United States’ turn. (Basically, the United States territory would be worth 25 by the end of round 4, for example)

New Victory Conditions:

Central Powers win the game if they control at least four of, India, Moscow, Paris, Rome, London, Egypt by the end of United States’ turn, or if they captured the United States.

Allied Powers win the game if they control at least four of, Berlin, Venice, Budapest, Constantinople, Munich, Ankara, or by holding two Central Power capitals, both at the end of Ottoman Empire’s turn.

Thanks for the graphics, Black_Elk! Let me know if you have any thoughts, aesthetic or strategic, about this draft of a new map. I’m shooting for something in between 1942.2 and 1940 – I don’t want dozens of fidgity territories in the middle of nowhere that just require extra counting, but I do want to give people options to set up different kinds of front lines (and prioritize theaters) in new and interesting ways.

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Other than the Russian bomber added to the setup, I highly doubt any of my group will want house rules for a game that we just started playing… especially with my history of changing the Global rules… LOL. Nice idea, but I probably won’t be able to introduce house rules until my group gets board of the game in a year or 2 (maybe even 3).

Agreed. When the experienced player took axis it was over quickly, but the second game the experienced player took allies and it became a much longer game. I will give this a go again soon.

If anyone attempts this please post your thoughts on balancing the board.

All these problems are solved if you remove the extra movement and instead allow naval bases to shelter ships in harbour.
The ships can still be targeted by bombing raids; altogether this creates the mechanics for a much more realistic depiction of both the Taranto raid (and the copycat Pearl Harbor operation), and the general usefulness of Gibraltar (which by the way should not be a tt but a UK NB in Southern Spain).

For comparing out abilities, putting 600 subs vs 120 BB or 200 Cruisers vs the BB or whatever may help to show the statistical differences, but you’ll never have 600 subs or 40 BB in a real game.  Usually you will have them in a combined fleet of ships or you would prefer them to be.  They are often alone though.

I was thinking of the beginning setup of AAE.  In the Gibraltar Strait you have a Destroyer, which for all intents and purposes has the stats of a Cruiser in AA50.  To take that I have often see merely a fighter and a sub take it on, and the sub being sacrificed.  Or the Italian fleet comes over and lands on Gibraltar at the same time, having the BB absorb any possible hits.
  But at the outset of AAR, there is a BB in that strait and often a larger force is brought to bear, that because 2 hits are needed so the goal is to get them on the 1st round rather than give the BB 2 shots.

So there is a larger difference in the mental impact of a BB vs other ships.  There is a thread in the AA50 section about how a Cruiser/Destroyer combo is always more useful and versatile than a BB for the same cost. 
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=13648.0
Not advocating for/against on that, just pointing out the discussion at this point.  But in that you are talking ship combos, not all BB vs anything else.  For BB you get some additional mental agony for the opponent while you get some additional financial agony.

Awesome! Just throw 3x extra chips on the bottom of each unit? Sweet … It would take longer, just from sheer numbers, but it’d be bloodier, and that’d be fun :)