I recently played a game with a new group, and they had a few changes that altered the game dramatically. They edited units so that they “represent” real units during the war. For instance, they changed German tanks to Panzers and made them 4/4/2’s for 8 IPs. They gave Russia 2 free INF at the start of their turn to place at an IPC before mobilization. They made Japanese fighters into Zeros making them 3/3/4’s for 8 IPs. British AA guns hit is increased to 2 while in London. Lastly, American transports get to move one space after offloading, but cannot pickup or dropoff during this move. This was my first exposure to these rules. In my opinion, the US transport rule made shuck-shuck much faster. These rules clearly favor allies, but definitely changed the game. Give me your thoughts, changes, etc.  :mrgreen:

Moderator’s Edit: Added [Spring 1942] to title

Hey guys, I have noticed that there is very little going on in these boards anymore, and I was hoping to talk some AA 1942. Lets talk about recent games we have played, risky strategies that have paid off, and other relevant topics. For starters, I has hoping to find a solid German strategy for Africa, without sacrificing too much on the eastern front. Is it worth trying to conquer Africa? How long can you hope to hold it before it is futile? If allies go KGF, is it worth it for Japan to try to take Africa? If Japan can shuttle enough troops to Africa, and set up an IC in S. Africa, would it be worth it to do so? Japan making it to Africa would obviously mean they have taken India. Would an IC in South Africa be enought to stall, and/or shut down Atlantic fleets? Just some questions off the top of my head. Anyone visiting without an account should make one, and get in on this!

After my first 2 games, I felt the same way. However, after many more games, I just don’t see it as unbalanced. In my opinion, the most determining factor to who wins or loses is execution, and purchasing strategies. If as Russia, you buy bombers for instance, you’re going to have a very tough time early, and Germany will probably take Moscow by turn 4 at the latest. If nobody tries anything risky, and everything goes by the book, it is very tough for the Axis to overcome their economic disadvantage. Furthermore, if you don’t play efficiently, you may set yourself back a few turns. Make sure you’re moving every piece to the most optimal spot EVERY TURN. If you forget to move troop X to spot Y, you give your enemy too much room for error. For instance, last game I was Russia. The German player got too caught up trying to be cute. THis game me 2-3 solid turns of infantry build up, and that was enough to win me the war. I had a dominant defenssive front, and they could not advance. Game.

When reviewing these boards, I have seen many posts about going all Pacific or all Atlantic with the allies (America in particular). When playing as either UK or US, I find that it is almost impossible to avoid half the war. In my most recent games, the decisive blows of the war were a collective assault on the southern Japanese islands. Borneo and E. Indies are a treasure trove of IPC, and are a great launching point for an attack on Manilla and Tokyo. By using the combined India fleet, land pressure from India, and the US pacific fleet, you can cut the Japanese out of this crucial area by US 3/4, creating a massive advantage. As Japan, you have several options for playing. Build navy and focus on America, build a mainland IC, and attack Russia/India, or somewhere in between. Attacking India/Russia is likely more detrimental to the allied cause, because Russia is the main line of defense in Europe. By going north and scissoring Russia with Germany, or south and taking India, the axis put Russia in a horrible spot. This is why taking some heat off the Japan/Rus front can be vital. Russia can hold off Germany for a max of probably 5/6 turns unaided before they fall. More if UK/US can fly over some fighters. This gives US/UK time to swoop in for Borneo/E Indies gaining a total of 8. This drops Japan to a min. of 22, effectively crippling their navy, and forcing them on the defensive. At this point, the US and UK, have probably landed in N. Africa and Norway. Now you shuck over troops, and roll to Berlin.