MOVED: Strengthen Germany, Contain Japan: 5 Ways To Make Axis And Allies a Better Game

@wanguskhan

They may reprint it again, preserving all the errors and the illogicially ordered setup charts.

Comp for WW1 is $350-600 now.

Been a while since I played my AA50 game……

What I used was plastic grooved strips for the edge of paneling or wall board from Home Depot (very inexpensive). You can just use them across the top and bottom of the map to keep it together better.

For my g40 game I built a custom table that the map fit into (so it can’t move). I retrofitted an old pool table so the map it inset about 4 inches below the rails. Over the rails is felt covered plywood that is used for unit cases and dice rolling etc…

what are “the strait rules from G40?”

Also…
All units are expendable, if the expenditure accomplishes something. Most units will be expended, but the challenge is to have them go in a way that they gave their money’s worth. Another important aspect of the game, which should be apparrent to a veteran player, or one with intelligence, is shielding of units. Some units (the more expensive ones) need to be protected by the less expensive ones. Infantry need to take hits for tanks, Destroyers and Cruisers should take hits for carriers… etc. Being able to scrape your expensive and better units out of a fight is essential for continuing operations and saving money. Make your enemy bleed more than you do.

@oztea:

The following straights are added to the game board, unlike canals, a player needs only to control one territory to control naval access to the adjacent sea zones. Submarines and air units may move normally.

Gibraltar – No units may cross the border dividing sea zones 12 and 13 without control of Gibraltar Denmark – No units may enter or exit sea zone 5 without control of Northwest Europe Dardanelles – No sea units, not even subs, may enter or exit sea zone 16 without control of Turkey

I play with this in all my games, alot more fair

1. I find the Coastal Guns rules (Surface Ships ONLY – subs can pass freely. You NEED DDs to restrict the passage of subs.) from AARHE much more useful for Gibraltar and the Channel passage issues.

To pass Gibraltar, Sz 1 to Sz 2 or vice versa, all Axis Surface Ships ONLY are subject to fire from the Fortress Guns at Gibraltar - Hit on a 1 or 2.

To Pass through the narrowest point in the Channel, between Dover and Pas de Calais, all surface ships - either side - are subject to gun emplacements of the other side (that also spent the war firing on each other - yes, they were quite long ranged) - Hit on a 1.
[Note: With Historical Setup you can even re-enact the ‘Channel Dash’ of the BB’s Scharhorst/Gneisenau [http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/battleships/index.html ] and their accompanying Destroyer escorts.
Set up 1 BB and 1 DD in Sz 7 {1941 Scenario} to re-enact the Dash. For {1942 Scenario} both set up in the Baltic and the BB has a Damage Marker underneath.
To reflect the surprise of the British, the guns only get to fire at the BB’s, not the DDs.  :wink:

2. Agreed, although Norway must also be controlled to enter Baltic.
Although, while I always play it that way, Allied subs are free to pass through the Kattegat if they survive a Mine Roll [1-3 Sink, 4-6 Pass].  8-)

See also [http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=15710.msg517854#msg517854 ]

This works really well when you add the following NO that was curiously omitted from AA50 - and honestly, anyone who believes the NO objectives are biased towards the Axis should look at Italy’s NO.  [The UK & USA just suck up the IPCs with their generous NOs.]
Germany:
•  Gain 5 IPCs if Axis control Baltic [Sz5] - with no Allied naval units present, plus control the following adjacent territories: NW Europe, Germany, Poland, Baltic States, Finland, and Norway.
Allied subs, even Russian, can be real thorns in the Axis side - although at least the German Navy does not just roll over and die so easy anymore, especially with AA Cruisers / Old BBs (incl. captured BB’s/Cruisers fitted out for AA role).  :-D

You could also go further, if anyone plays with the Soviet Baltic Fleet accurately represented as the Eastern Baltic entrance (S of Finland) was also heavily mined by Germany/Finland during the 1st week of the attack from June 41.
[But thats a topic for a future thread. wink

3. Agreed. To do otherwise is just inaccurate as even the Main UK fleet in WW1 lost BBs just entering the Southern end of the Dardanelles.  The turks have the length of the Dardanelles heavily fortified with Forts and Mines.  Certain Suicide for any attempt to pass.  :roll:

PS: Don’t forget to check out the following Improved China Mod:
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=15626.0 ]

Clever thread title… +1 karma.

Edit (title is completely relevant to your post - sorry, was reading very late at night)

I second Dondolee’s thoughts.  When starting out bear in mind how the game is ultimately won - for the axis, by taking Moscow before the allies can take either Rome or Berlin.  It’s a race to see who holds out longer.

Japan should efficiently grab land in the first two or so turns, build up factories in South Asia (rounds 1-4) and then ply tanks and infantry through India > Persia > Caucasus > Moscow.  Send enough troops through China and Siberia that you’ll have enough to punch through, but sending the bulk of your force on the southern route.  As you play more games, take note of which strategies allowed you to occupy territories faster and get a better flow of troops to russia.

Italy and germany’s role is to stay rich and keep russia poor.  They generally don’t have enough power to crack russia without some early luck, so you just need to treat 'em rough and keep 'em honest.  Never let russia get their 10 IPC objective - this is a death knell.  While you want to deny and pressure russia as much as possible, your main task is to not let UK/US kill you - a tough balancing act of agression/defence.  There are many ways to skin this cat, but piles of infantry and scattering of tanks are the best place to start from a learning perspective.  You’ll soon find the limitation of infantry - while extremely cost effective, they can only be in one place at a time.  It’s hard fighting two wars that are 5 spaces apart. While boats and planes pack less punch for the money, they can threaten a much larger area.  Once you get a handle of the flow of the game, you’ll find many ways that german planes and boats can improve your effectiveness.  As dondoelee points out, this is playing with fire and you expect to get burnt a few times while you figure it out - start simple.

Cheers

@sala33:

so planes can’t shoot subs if there is enemy Destroyer presant in same sea zone in the whole game, or is it just in this only situation with the AC.

Enemy destroyers don’t keep planes from hitting subs.  Friendly destroyers enable planes to hit subs.  If there is no destroyer friendly to the firing air unit in the battle, the air unit’s hits cannot be applied to subs.  This is always true, whether for attacking or defending.

@sala33:

Okay, Reversing the question my original question, if you’re attacking AC with fighters on board, do you use your fighters on AC in battle as well…?

You move your own fighters independently of the carrier.  They take off before either unit moves, so they both begin movement in the same sea zone.  Both fight in any battle(s) they end up in, which could be the same one or different ones.

Fighters on your carrier that belong to another power on your side stay on the carrier when it attacks and are treated as cargo.  They may not fire and may not be taken as casualties.  If the carrier they’re on is destroyed, they’re destroyed along with it.