Bids

I guess I have just been playing Japan for too long.  I am too set in my ways playing it in a manner that gives Japan a 40+ IPC per turn income by the end of J3…  And with unlimitted production of units and all those “wasted” tranny builds that allow me to land ALL of that production value in a single move either into Asia OR into North America if I choose, with no risk to my trannies to be able to do it AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN…

Xi kindly clarified for me in another thread that you couldn’t build an IC with money from the bid. Are there any other bidding related tournament rules?

what happens if you’re bid doesn’t divide exactly into new units? which country gets the remaining IPCs? axis players choice i presume? can you buy tech rolls with the IPCs? what about AAs (not that you’d want to, but still)? Can you place newly purchased fighters on ACs? can you place german units on japanese starting positions and vice-versa?

thanks for any info! 🙂

I asked the same basic question under Player Help. Look there and see if the answers I got help you.

you are more than welcome to come over and try all you want to

So what is the problem for the allies with a tranny fleet off Spain?  In order for it to be much of a threat, Germany has to stage forces in Western, or bleed off forces in Norway.  Either way, it severely weakens their position against Russia.  It also weakens Germany’s position for moving troops into Africa.

So UK hits that fleet with 2 figs and a bmb.  They score 2 hits.  The subs can;t fire back, the BB hits one, the tranny’s may or may not hit one.  The bmb fires again and sinks a 3rd unit, and is lost on the counter.  Let’s say Germany took 2 of the 3 losses as subs, so they maintain air-defense.  Then the US flies over with 2 figs and a bmb, killing 2 hits on the first pass, taking 1 or 2 hits in response.  They hit 1 more on the 2nd round, and lose another one.  Let’s say that was the end of their planes.  So the total is 6 Allied hits on Germany, 6 Germany hits on the Allies.  No planes in UK or US, right?  And Germany has a navy of ONE Battleship, period.

Germany also would have lost 2-3 planes against the UK navy on G1, planes that Germany can;t afford to replace.

So at the end of Round 1…
Germany has no fleet, has lost half of its Air Force, has delivered either no forces to Africa, or stripped forces from Norway and Western to send forces to Algeria.  So either Russia is going to take a weakened Norway, or Germany will not have forces in Africa and will lose a LOT of IPC’s from an India counter-attack un Africa.  The US built aircraft, and probably a sub or 2, on US 1.  UK probably built a few INF as a precaution, and a couple of figs.

In G2, Germany is stranded in Europe, has either lost Norway, or is going to lose Africa in UK2, has a Navy that can;t do anything except move into the UK Sea Zone for a last-ditch battle against the new RAF; or suicide into 1 or 2 US subs (if it doesn’t die attacking the subs, it will die when those new US figs take off in US 2).  With the lack of extra IPC’s either from lack of gains in Africa and/or from the loss of Norway, Germany is now barely building at a rate above Russia.  And unless that Battleship somehow managed to HOLD the UK Sea Zone, UK has a fleet re-built in UK2, defended by US figs in US2, and does not have enough air-force left to combat it in G3.  Even if they saved their BB and moved it to Gibraltar in G2 to use with the AF for a G3 attack, 1 BB and 2-3 figs plus a bmb against a carrier, 2 figs, 1-2 subs, and 1-2 tranny’s is a suicide mission for the Germans.

A far better use for a 2-tranny bid-buy with Russia RR would be Souther Europe placement to be more flexible and allow for a significant air/land/amphib strike on Caucuses, or strikes in Africa and Middle East.  You can still take out the UK Navy using subs and air-power, consolidate for your Karelia push in G2, while potentially creating a significant second-strike prong in Caucuses that Russia has to consider/counter rather than simply “building in Karelia”.  If you take Caucuses in force, Russia has to sacrifice SOMETHING, and it will probably be Karelia (since they won;t want it to be Russia).

The classic rule is IC’s that you do not start with are limited.

So if Ger takes Kar, they can only place 3 on subsequent turns when they maintain control of it at the start of the turn.

IC placement rules are similar to ftr/bmr landing rules.  It can only happen on territories you controlled at the start of the turn, prior to any purchases.

I would add that one reason why I thought your move was not wise was b/c it left Yak open to attack which isn’t a bad idea.  IMO the only way to defend against a bid of 2unit Asian bid is to either give up Yakut, or to get 8units there.  I will ignore China if it comes to that, or even better is to have bid an armor into Kwan and move 1inf somewhere else.  Once you made your Russian move you were more or less committed to Yakut and therefore not placing your ftr there was an invitation to attack.

Yeah, my intention was to land the UK ftr there.  I thought you’d do Syr and possibly leave the w med bb.  Which ment I would have reinforced Yak with the UK ftr.

I’m actually glad you did that move (not because of the outcome or anything like that), because I don’t see that a lot and it is nice to know that I better take into account that move in the future and that good players may indeed bypass Chi.

I guess, That’s why you play the game.  😄

Well there are two ways for the axis to win; either take two capitals or get an economic victory.  Yes, my plan would be to go after Russia.  I think 21 ipc might be a bit low to do this (I might give it a try for fun though).

Taking the US or UK isn’t realistically going to happen without acheiving what would be an economic victory anyway; so what is the best way for the Axis to do this - Russia or Africa?

In my opinion, Africa is not rich enough to justify a massive Axis attempt to hold in the early game - especially as the US/UK are always going to be able to send more resources there than the Axis.  They generally take Africa back before Japan gains enough in Asia for an economic victory. Additionally, if Germany sends too much resources there, the Russians become problematic.

If Russia falls however, then the Axis will soon have all Asia and for an economic victory then the Axis can take a look at Africa again.