Thought i’d add my tactics for the 1st German attacks in R1. A&A Europe.

Having played this version a lot, i think the African oil $$$ is vital for Germany, and it’s an easy target in 2 rounds. Germany are always fighting Russia for the low IPC borders in the build up arms race, they need that extra $$ as the Usa & Britain will be planning DDay and it’ll be on the way soon enough.

With the 12 IPC’s, buy 2 tanks and place them on Tunisia, buy another trans for the med, this is a quick dash tactic. Spend their remaining IPC’s on troops & art, and all at the start of the 2nd rnd

BB strikes Malta with transport carrying 1troop & 1art, object is to land on Malta, BB will take at least one hit from Fgtr, risky but the BB will probably hit and you have 2 shots at 2 in the landing.

Use the three tanks on Tunisia to blitz the 3 Brit units in Egypt, costly but it will almost eradicate the already weak British presence in Africa. They will be retreating after that.

Use the German Dstyr & sub in s atlantic to take out the Brit dstyr in Gibralter.
Use all the German subs and attack the Brit sea zones, i usually spead them out with the majority on the British BB. Use the bomber and 5 fgtrs too. It may cost 6/7 subs but the Brit navy will be 90% destroyed and will give Germany breathing space.

Attack Russia frugally on R1, smash into E Poland and use the transport to move units from Ger/Denmark too. Use one fighter in an E European attack and land it as near to the med as possible, likewise the bomber heads as south as possible after it’s done it’s work in the channel.

If you use everything possible with overwhelming force numbers on the first round, and throw the right dice, Germany will be in strong position with the oil dollar money on the way.

Germany on 44 IPC’s and above each round enables them to massively build up land units and armour, they need lots of tanks. Forget buying any more naval units for the rest of the game, use the subs to threaten in the atlantic and try to place them all together in a pack.

On R2, use the German BB / fghtr / bomber and destroy Brit E Med navy, landing units in Egypt & Libia with both transports if possible too. Africa will be overrun in R3.

The Usa will usually be paying the oil bill, and 5/6 IPC’s less will affect their buying ability, especially as they start with almost nothing too.

Turn the German BB round in R3 and slip towards the Atlantic, round up the remaining fleet and wait for a gap in the Allied convoys……

Germany need the oil money, that or really good luck on the dice!

Just as a thought for those who like the original World game and have the European game as well…

My war compatriots and i decided to introduce the extra pieces (and their respective rules) into the original world game. We used the European pieces (much nicer) and backed up the missing Japanese destroyers by using the Russian ones, as lets face it, they won’t be needing them!

We used the grey coloured AA guns from the World game as Japanese artillery, as opposed to the white ones in the new European game.

With that sorted, we used the same naval rules from the Euro game, which leaves some big opportunities for all navy’s, the Japanese almost invincible with BB taking 2 hits. Germany benefits from being able to buy a destroyer and guard Africa with their BB. Planes useless against subs unless a Destroyer present, the World game is enhanced with the introduction of the naval pieces, and we think more in line with the reality of the important sea battles.

Artillery adds a good dimention too, lots of possibilities and also a reality.

We didn’t introduce the bombing raid rules from the European game, we left that as it was. We also didn’t use the ‘Friendly Ally Rule’ either (US / UK units turn red when reaching Russia) as that was a disaster and not a reality.

It makes the game much more intense and evenly matched, even one side has had a bad first round (especially if an axis nation) there are opportunities to recover.

It’s still a long game, if you play the axis well, you can win with them.

Our tried and tested tips for first round stat

But the UK have to build a factory on India in the first round, its the only way to hold Japan back!

Russia to build 8 troops and place them all and the rest of their army / air force on Karelia. We play the rule where Russia does not attack on their first round
Russian navy should be placed in brit sea zone at end of their first go.

Germany to build a transport to place in the med, the rest on troops and destroy the Brit BB in Gibralter. Taking the Brit sea zone is a much tougher prospect for Germany’s first go now as BB take 2 strikes, so they will have to use most of their air force and the sub / trans.

Unless the Russians leave Karelia wide open…which they won’t of course…

Use one fighter to attack Egypt with the troop and tank backed up, win that and Africa is going to yeald plenty of $$. Germany need the African money to hold the western coast and the east. Germany don’t attack Russia, they hold with equal numbers.

The UK have to build a factory on India in the first round, its the only way to hold Japan back! They will be poor but their outlet is India. Build sea units in prep, if they still have a BB at the end of round 1, get it out of the way until the Usa are ready. Build and prepare and niggle the Japanese in the east.

Japan…Pearl Harbour first, then wipe out the US west coast BB and head back. They have to buy 2 transports on their first go and more after, they need transports, unless they can build a factory on Manchuria without the Russian threat, which they can’t for a couple of rounds. They can take that fleet into the Atlantic if they want…confusing, but bad news for the allies.

Usa…Fleet build up…forget the west coast, carrier and destroyers and tons of transports, they probably won’t have too much bother from Japan after they’ve cleared the Pacific, bar an invasion of Alaska…For the Usa, it’s ‘Germany first’ They can go for Africa after a couple of rounds along with the British…depending where the Japanese go with their fleet!

Good luck, has anyone else tried this way? like to hear opinions.

Never have time for weapons development, buts its still in the rules!

Ahh haa
Thanks for letting me know about that rule, we forgot to read that there has to be one unit on an occupied zone at the start of the game. Hence my attack from lybia with the extra 4 troops and the tank blitz is no longer viable…

I shall have to think up another deadly first stike in africa the, as i still believe that the oil money is very important for a german win…

How about a transport off the coast of tunisia to start with? is that still premittable?

humm

The key to winning with the axis in the world game is how well the japs do against russia. My game is to hold a large german front in e europe and constantly reinforce it, as there will be loads of russians stacked up on karellia round after round.

Go south with the germans and take the money from the british empire in africa, hold a german fleet if possible off gibralter to prevent the americans form making a decisive landing on morocco. Even build a german factory on egypt and hold africa while the japs take oz and help out in the south. the germans as always are fighting on 3 fronts and need that extra african money.

If the japanese get into a protracted battle with the usa in the pacific the axis will eventually lose, they have to send land units into russia, build a factory on manchuria and keep taking russian territory. Sooner or later the russians will need to pull back and defend moscow.

The best first move for the uk is to build a factory on india, after that they have a serious foothold in asia, otherwise the japs will overrun the whole continent and be collecting tons of ipcs.

The americans should only concentrate on the western / atlantic war defending the brit sea zone with a carrier and loads of transports…the germans cannot afford the air loses or the subs to deal with the sea battles. They have to hold, hold, hold europe and take african points, sitting tight until the japs arrive.

I’ve played some games that end up with 5 jap fighters defending the german capital, along with a big stack of german troops and german fighters hanging on, while a big japanese army makes its way towards moscow from the east…

Its rarely the germans who win, unless the russians don’t defend karellia properly. the war is usually won by the japs or by sheer american numbers, built up for 5 rounds culminating in a french invasion which is impossible to counterattack without huge and irreplaceable loses for the germans.

We dont allow russia to attack 1st round, as its over for the germans and not an even game from the start. but weapons development adds an extra gamble to the game when someone is prepared to gamble. We also play the game that allows an allied country to buy any weapons developments from their ally for 5 ipc’s…If the axis get lucky with increased unit production or long range aircraft it makes an interesting, dynamic game. super subs are the throw one doesnt want in round 5 for any nation, as lets face it by then they’re all at the bottom of the oceans anyway!

I should get tha pacific game as kamikaze fighters are allowed…yippeee!

The oil money is very important to the germans, they will need every ipc they can muster, and to make the usa pay each round will slow down their inevitable fleet take over in the atlantic.

There are plenty of german / italian units in the med to take care of the spead out brits in the oil regions. If you place those 4 extra troops on lybia and use the tank to blitz from tunisa to take out the 3 brit units on egypt 1st round, then the oil money is the germans after that. Vital to take out the brit fighter on malta using a BB and 2 land units first go, then deal with the brit fleet in the med on round 2, after that the allies have nothing to defend the oil regions.

If you pull that german BB into the atlantic the yanks will use subs, destroyers and their air power to finish the german threat in the atlantic soon enough.

You cannot prevent an allied build up of fleets, its all they can really spend their cash on for 3/4 rounds. If the allies dont do this then the germans will overcome russia with sheer power and oil cash within 4 rounds.

To me, the oil money is the way to victory for those crafty germans…

Having played A&A world for years, myself and my 2 wargame partners have been trying our hand at A&A Europe…

We are pretty ruthless players, whichever side any of us play, and we believe that going into battle heavy handed and v strong is a defining aspect of these games. You want to wipe out the opposition by sheer numbers and leave a big force to defend behind.

Some innitial comments on A&A europe, it is very hard for the germans to win, and nearly impossible if one allows russia to use allied aircraft as their own, once parked in russia by both allies. The russians end up with 3 bombers and around 5 fighters and can always use these in big battles to back up those constant border fights with the germans as the allies keep building up each round. therefore we took that senario out of our games, to make the uk & usa work hard to save russia. It makes the game far more even, though still difficult for a german victory.

Heres a way to play those nasty germans.
I believe the only way to win with germany is to gain the oil money cash asap, as they will always be trying to grab a couple of points from the russians each round, only to lose them next turn. the germans need money to win, and they have to make the usa pay for that oil money in africa.

Buy 4 troops with your extra 12ipcs and place them on lybia (the russians should in return place 4 extra troops on leningrad to hold that factory from a german attack 1st round) if russia lose that factory on round 1 they are in trouble…

Spend the 40 ipcs on troops and art, do that for the first 2 or 3 rounds, your gonna need loads of land units, build up and wait until you start buying tanks.

Use the tank from tunisa and blitz through…5 units against 3 british, you should win thus knocking the uk out of africa, despite anything they may counterattack, there is too much in the med for the german / italians. Use the german battleship and take i art & 1 troop to attack malta…vital to take care of the brit fighter straight away.

Use the sub down south and the destroyer to take out the brit destroyer in gibralter. use all other the subs (passing thru the convoy zone in the atlantic too) and all but one fighter on the british fleet surrounding the uk. you will lose the majority of the subs but you need to knock the allied fleet build up right from the off. The germans need breathing space for a few rounds and the only way to do that is to win a pyric victory in the atlantic…

Attack all the russian fronts including a dodgy battle against the 5 units on the ukrane, use the spare german fighter here too, and the 2 tanks that can reach. Use the german transport to send a couple of land units into the baltic states and wipe out those grey russian fronts. you won’t hold them all but the germans need to hit russia hard on the first round, as they have a big army to move forward on their turn. One thing the russians have is numbers, but their cash is limited as is their tech strength.

Forget the allies, hit russia every time and wait for the inevitable allied fleet and the expected normandy invasion…

On movement phase push every available german unit east and park the bomber within range of the african campaign, and get a fighter near too.

After that, keep the pressure on africa and get the oil money, it will be the usa that end up paying for it, and an extra 4,6,8 in the german coffers makes a big difference to the russian front.

Unless the usa spend all their money on transports and destroyers for 3 rounds to re-take the atlantic, with the help of the uk, they will not get there in time to help russia who will be fighting the germans on their own for 3 / 4 rounds. it is vital for the allies to get their fighters over to leningrad to defend from round 1 on…this is why its so inportant for russia to hold leningrad innitally.

The germans can literally empty france and push every unit east if they conquer the brit fleet 1st round. If they end up with a few subs, perhaps they can get a couple more to annoy the allies further, but the main battles are in the east.

If the germans arent at the gates of moscow by round 5, they’re probably finished, as history decided…tech weapons werent enough they need tanks, art and tons of troops.

Weve had some mamouth battles, pieces stacked up high and it always boils down to german gile, astute purchasing and the oil money…

Remember, go in really heavy and destroy the enemy in one round of dice throwing, the ruskies cannot afford the losses.

There are a number of senarios weve tried including taking britain with a german fleet and 3 rounds of attempted landings on the uk…this one worked (took britain on the 3rd round, and their cash) well when i tested it…until my opponent used the brit airforce in a suicidal first attack as soon as the germans built a fleet in the north…job done and a waste of german money! dont bother with that one!

Good luck, should you decide upon this mission!