• Customizer

    I convinced a friend who doesn’t have any copies of any A&A game (but enjoys them) to pick up AA1942 last night, and we had a go at it.
    Since he had played AA50 once before, we didn’t have to read the rules.

    Managed to play 7 full rounds in 4-5 hours, and while i am not sure how fast that is, it sure seemed fast, or at least a lot faster than aa50 (especially since this was our first time playing 1942, and he has never played revised so he spent a lot of time examining the board positions).

    We flipped a coin and I got to be Axis.  I figured since I was a bit better player than him, I would buy some navy as Germany just as a waste of money since he refused to take a newbie bid.  I bought a med cruiser first turn, and a med destroyer the second turn.  This, plus the fact that he didn’t do operation torch til the third usa turn, made sure that I conquered Africa (although he never was in a position to kill my med BB and transport, so I guess it was completely un-needed)

    As russia, he bought a lot of tanks, but used them conservatively for the first few turns.  First turn he only attacked west russia, and he left 6 infantry and his 2 fighters in Karelia.  I seized on the opportunity to kill Russia’s air force and hit Karelia with everything that would make it, I think it was 4 fighters, a bunch of infantry, and like 6 tanks or something.  While destroying his airforce was great, those defensive rolls on the fighters sure hurt me, and he slammed me with 7 tanks to take back karelia the next turn.  I took the opportunity to kill some Russian money by hitting his tanks back, but after that Germany was firmly on the defensive.
    England Took norway the first turn, as well as destroying my puny baltic fleet.  The second turn they helped out Russia by taking karelia back for them.  The third turn they built a factory in Norway, and just in time too.
    The new rules for submarines really helped out Germany in this game, since none of my submarines died until the 6th round.  I moved them all 3 to the sz under france.  When america moved their navy on the third turn to drop off in algeria, I attacked their navy back on the fourth turn with 3 subs and my destroyer.  Managed to roll well, only losing one sub and destroying america’s navy of 2 cruisers, 1 destroyer, and 2 transports.  It also happened that during the third turn I moved all 6 of Germany’s fighters to france, and the bomber to Berlin, so that on the fourth turn I also attacked the UK navy.  Because of the new rules on transports, I was able to really hurt him, sinking 2 battleships, 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, and 2 transports.  He rolled well though, and i lost 4 of my fighters. 
    America went about 50/50 pac/atl.  It actually benefited him a lot because he made it look like he was going 100% pacific.  Japan attacked hawaii with everything that could make it, which was unneeded, which meant i lost a Battleship and Cruiser the next turn to America.  The UK moved their fleet to the Suez, meaning that Japan’s navy had to chase them there, leaving them way out of position to help in the fight with america.  Because of this, Japan started building about 70/30 navy/army.  Japan also put down a factory in FrenchIndoChina, as well as buying 2 transports the first turn, which ended up being about 1 too many transports.  By the 5th turn, Japan’s Suez fleet had made it back to the Carolines, and I was able to wipe out the American fleet, losing only my 3 submarines.  However, America had switched to building bombers for a couple turns, so it really felt like I had wasted way too much money on Jap fleet.  Because of the little money I was spending on army, and that I was dropping off and producing guys in FrenchIndoChina, meant that Siberia remained untouched.  I kept a minimal force in Sikang, but sent most of my guys to Persia, where I was able to take Caucasus from the Russians on the 5th.  Russia took it back the next turn, and then took Persia the very turn after, but I redoubled my efforts with the Japanese army after the American navy was destroyed.  I even managed to push into Siberia. 
    By the end of the 7th turn, Japan was making 42 a turn, with 4 transports, and 2 factories, in India and FrenchIndoChina.  Germany had all of Africa, and so was making about 38 a turn, but was also spending around 15 per turn on repairing damaged factories in Italy and Berlin.  Russia never made less than 24 per turn the entire game, and was making 31 per turn for a long time, but they were about to start making less than 24 as the UK accidentally took over some German territories that normally go to Russia, and Japan pushed Siberia.  The UK dropped below 20 for a turn or two, but Germany let them take some German territory in the East, hoping that it was better for Germany for those to go to the UK than Russia, and so by the end UK was back up just under 30 again.  USA remained at 38-40 for most of the game.
    In the end, we projected that the Axis would win, but that it would take another 4 turns minimum to actually see it.  The main reason being that Germany was firmly in control of Africa, with 7 units total on the continent, while America was rebuilding atlantic fleet and did not have the transports to take it back.  Japan would also have a med fleet in 3 turns.  Despite an effective German income of around 23, they had enough infantry to hold on and even push Russia back into Belorussia and the Caucasus.

    Overall, a great game.  We never had any problems with wacky dice the entire game.  Even when someone rolled good or badly, it wasn’t so good or so bad that it ruined anything, while anytime someone rolled well, they would roll badly later.  My only complaint was that despite about 20 strategic bombing raids on Germany, my AA never hit a damned thing the entire game.


  • Wow, sounds like a great game.

    Thanks for the update.


  • nice game.

    had my first game of 42, was the axis.  Did the Bomber buy 1st round, scared the UK with the new sub rules as the baltic fleet moved into the Atlantic.  Scared the US away till turn 3 from landing in Africa and was able to combine on turn 2.  Pulled back Japan’s navy, killed the Indian fleet, then turned back on the US Fleet.  On turn 4 I was able to destroy both US fleets in the Pacific and Atlantic and took Australia.  A few Allied troops in Africa and had left India’s IC alone except for buffering around it.  Turned on Russia through China and after suckering the allies into throwing everything at Caucaus after i left most of the German army out to dry there, 2 Jap tanks were able to blitz from Sinkiang to take Moscow.  Allies gave up as the Axis ruled all but the North Sea.  Not too wacky of dice, save the loss of my German SBR bombers over Moscow.  
     I haven’t played AA50 much, but I am lovin’ the naval rules applied here!

    gotta admit too that those new Russian ship sculpts are absolutely beautiful…sitting in the box never being used.

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