Back from the holidays. Just in time. Please add me to the OOB tournament.

@trulpen yeah, BM is much tougher for the Japanese in China. I waste way too many men trying to suppress the rebellions. I hate it when an American bomber knocks off the lone defender and a Chinese soldier pops up in Tibet.

I had an unusual game where the Axis captured Egypt early. The Americans focused heavily on the European operations and the Allies were steadily making progress on that side of the map. I built up the Japanese air force and sent it on a suicide attack into Moscow around turn 8. Stripping off 15 infantry Allied units in Moscow can change a battle from a 95% chance of losing into a 95% chance of winning when the Germans get their turn. It also means that Germany will keep their air force intact, allowing them to reclaim any European victory cities if necessary.

The best part of this strategy is that the extra Japanese planes can hold the Allies at bay for several turns, forcing India to cower and Anzac + USA to be more conservative with their fleets. All of the planes can raid Moscow from a base in Sichuan, meaning that only one turn is required to setup the pivot from Pacific to Europe.

Of course the Russian AA’s shot down half of my Japanese raiders and the German tanks had their turrets pointed backwards, leading to an abrupt and unhappy end to a genius strategy.

looks like it is my turn to lose to Andrew.

@crockett36 Normandy should be left completely unoccupied by the time the Allies have a sizable landing force. As you mentioned, there can be considerable devastation to any Axis force situated in that territory and it cannot be reasonably defended without diverting from the main goal of crushing Moscow or heading into the Middle East/Egypt. Normandy or Norway will fall, it just is a matter of on which round and whether the Axis will be able to retake it with a counterattack of ground units supported by planes. France is the best place to have the Axis counterstrike infantry/artillery. Mechanized units can help counterstrike from W Germany. Usually, though, a wave of UK fighters add enough defensive might to Normandy or Norway to ensure that the Axis are unable to strike back.

Aircraft carriers and subs are the best investment for the US as they have dual purposes of defending the fleet and attacking/convoy raiding. Build enough destroyers to prevent German wolfpacks from roaming the Atlantic

@Myygames redo the whole Japan turn then including builds and combat. I don’t think it is appropriate to win because of a rule misunderstanding.

Normally I get victory via superior luck.

There is a sub-forum for house rules. You are free to change the game however you like when playing with your friends. I personally enjoy naval and air bases. They enhance the strategic options.

Incredible match. I thought Oysteilo had the W after the mid-game when Moscow was so strong and the Allies had a foothold in Greece. Such masterful comeback, Andrew. I haven’t seen such high-level play from two players in a long time.

If you are new to the game, whoever is better will win with either side. Usually one person has a very defensive personality, focusing more on not losing than pushing towards a goal. That will inevitably lead to defeat as the other person finds weaknesses and builds an income advantage.

It takes a large number of matches to have the natural Axis advantage manifest itself in face-to-face games. Don’t worry about the imbalance until you are able to predict what happens during the first six rounds of gameplay based just on the first round of dice rolls and spending. Fun game for both beginners and masters.

@Myygames thank you so much for the fun match. I learned so much playing against you. This was my first time attempting a Dark Skies for the United States in the Pacific and it was an interesting experience. I couldn’t recapture the Money Islands, but I could force Japan to spend so much income defending Tokyo and eastern China. I was curious if it would have succeeded in the long-term.

Crazy that only one single Russian fighter remained after the raid on Moscow. Very close ending

@crockett36 if I remember right, there was a narrow balance in the fleet battles and I needed every unit to discourage Japan from leaving the islands.

l23-oob-abh-x-vs-govz-a-42-g1-END.tsvg

Game History

Round: 1

    Purchase Units - Germans
        Germans buy 3 armour and 3 mech_infantrys; Remaining resources: 0 PUs; 

    Combat Move - Germans
        Turning on Edit Mode
        EDIT: Removing units owned by British from United Kingdom: 1 infantry
        EDIT: Adding units owned by British to 110 Sea Zone: 1 submarine
        EDIT: Adding units owned by British to 91 Sea Zone: 1 submarine
        EDIT: Changing PUs for British from 41 to 32
        EDIT: Changing PUs for Americans from 52 to 54
        EDIT: Turning off Edit Mode
        1 submarine moved from 108 Sea Zone to 110 Sea Zone
        1 bomber moved from Germany to 110 Sea Zone
        1 bomber moved from Germany to 110 Sea Zone
        1 fighter moved from Norway to 110 Sea Zone
        1 fighter moved from Holland Belgium to 110 Sea Zone
        1 fighter moved from Western Germany to 110 Sea Zone
        1 tactical_bomber moved from Western Germany to 110 Sea Zone
        1 tactical_bomber moved from Western Germany to 110 Sea Zone
        1 tactical_bomber moved from Western Germany to 110 Sea Zone
        1 battleship moved from 113 Sea Zone to 110 Sea Zone
        1 fighter moved from Western Germany to 110 Sea Zone
        1 submarine moved from 117 Sea Zone to 106 Sea Zone
        1 submarine moved from 118 Sea Zone to 106 Sea Zone
        3 armour, 2 artilleries and 4 infantry moved from Holland Belgium to France
        1 mech_infantry moved from Western Germany to Southern France
        1 mech_infantry moved from Western Germany to Southern France
        1 armour moved from Greater Southern Germany to Southern France
        1 tactical_bomber moved from Germany to Southern France
        2 armour moved from Greater Southern Germany to France
        1 artillery, 3 infantry and 2 mech_infantrys moved from Western Germany to France
        2 artilleries and 6 infantry moved from Greater Southern Germany to Yugoslavia
        1 armour moved from Slovakia Hungary to Yugoslavia
        2 infantry moved from Slovakia Hungary to Yugoslavia
        1 armour moved from Poland to Yugoslavia
        1 fighter moved from Slovakia Hungary to Southern France
        1 tactical_bomber moved from Poland to Yugoslavia
        1 submarine moved from 103 Sea Zone to 106 Sea Zone

    Combat - Germans
        Battle in France
            Germans attack with 5 armour, 3 artilleries, 7 infantry and 2 mech_infantrys
            British defend with 1 armour and 1 artillery; French defend with 1 aaGun, 1 airfield, 1 armour, 1 artillery, 1 factory_major, 1 fighter and 6 infantry
            Germans captures 19PUs while taking French capital
            Germans converts factory_major into different units
            Germans win, taking France from French with 5 armour, 1 artillery and 2 mech_infantrys remaining. Battle score for attacker is 24
            Casualties for Germans: 2 artilleries and 7 infantry
            Casualties for French: 1 aaGun, 1 armour, 1 artillery, 1 fighter and 6 infantry
            Casualties for British: 1 armour and 1 artillery
        Battle in Yugoslavia
            Germans attack with 2 armour, 2 artilleries, 8 infantry and 1 tactical_bomber
            Neutral_Allies defend with 5 infantry
            1 tactical_bomber owned by the Germans retreated
            2 artilleries owned by the Germans, 6 infantry owned by the Germans and 2 armour owned by the Germans retreated to Slovakia Hungary
            Neutral_Allies win with 1 infantry remaining. Battle score for attacker is 6
            Casualties for Germans: 2 infantry
            Casualties for Neutral_Allies: 4 infantry
        Battle in 106 Sea Zone
            Germans attack with 3 submarines
            British defend with 1 destroyer and 1 transport
            Germans win, taking 106 Sea Zone from Neutral with 3 submarines remaining. Battle score for attacker is 15
            Casualties for British: 1 destroyer and 1 transport
        Battle in Southern France
            Germans attack with 1 armour, 1 fighter, 2 mech_infantrys and 1 tactical_bomber
            French defend with 1 artillery, 1 factory_minor, 1 harbour and 1 infantry
            Germans win, taking Southern France from French with 1 armour, 1 fighter, 1 mech_infantry and 1 tactical_bomber remaining. Battle score for attacker is 3
            Casualties for Germans: 1 mech_infantry
            Casualties for French: 1 artillery and 1 infantry
        Battle in 110 Sea Zone
            Germans attack with 1 battleship, 2 bombers, 4 fighters, 1 submarine and 3 tactical_bombers
            British defend with 1 battleship, 1 cruiser and 1 submarine; French defend with 1 cruiser
            1 submarine owned by the British submerged
            Units damaged: 1 battleship owned by the British
            Units damaged: 1 battleship owned by the Germans
            Germans win with 1 battleship, 2 bombers, 4 fighters and 3 tactical_bombers remaining. Battle score for attacker is 38
            Casualties for Germans: 1 submarine
            Casualties for British: 1 battleship and 1 cruiser
            Casualties for French: 1 cruiser
        Trigger Germans Conquer France: Setting switch to true for conditionAttachment_French_1_Liberation_Switch attached to French

    Non Combat Move - Germans
        Turning on Edit Mode
        EDIT: Turning off Edit Mode
        Turning on Edit Mode
        EDIT: Turning off Edit Mode
        1 tactical_bomber moved from Yugoslavia to Southern Italy
        1 tactical_bomber moved from Southern France to Northern Italy
        1 fighter moved from Southern France to Northern Italy
        2 bombers, 4 fighters and 3 tactical_bombers moved from 110 Sea Zone to Western Germany
        1 cruiser and 1 transport moved from 114 Sea Zone to 113 Sea Zone
        3 infantry moved from Norway to Finland
              Germans take Finland from Neutral_Axis
        1 armour moved from Romania to Bulgaria
              Germans take Bulgaria from Neutral_Axis
        1 submarine moved from 124 Sea Zone to 112 Sea Zone
        EDIT: 2 armour, 2 artilleries and 6 infantry moved from Slovakia Hungary to Romania
        3 aaGuns, 3 artilleries and 11 infantry moved from Germany to Slovakia Hungary
        1 infantry moved from Denmark to 113 Sea Zone
        1 aaGun moved from Western Germany to 113 Sea Zone
        1 infantry moved from Denmark to Western Germany
        1 infantry moved from 113 Sea Zone to Norway
        1 aaGun moved from 113 Sea Zone to Norway

    Place Units - Germans
        3 armour and 3 mech_infantrys placed in Germany
        Turning on Edit Mode
        EDIT: Removing units owned by Germans from 110 Sea Zone: 1 battleship
        EDIT: Adding units owned by Germans to 110 Sea Zone: 1 submarine
        EDIT: Turning off Edit Mode

    Turn Complete - Germans
        Total Cost from Convoy Blockades: 1
            Rolling for Convoy Blockade Damage in 93 Sea Zone. Rolls: 6,1
        Germans collect 39 PUs (1 lost to blockades); end with 58 PUs
        Trigger Germans 5 Swedish Iron Ore: Germans met a national objective for an additional 5 PUs; end with 63 PUs
        Objective Germans 1 Trade with Russia: Germans met a national objective for an additional 5 PUs; end with 68 PUs

I noticed that I was supposed that I had accidentally missed an inf from Romania to participate in the Yugoslavia strafe. Okay with me making the edit to switch a Romanian instead of a Slovakian infantry?

Wont affect the dice roll.

L23 OOB abh(x) vs GovZ (A+42) G1 Scramble.tsvg

L23 OOB abh(x) vs GovZ (A+42) G1 start.tsvg with bid added

Fighter in Moscow, Inf in Yunnan, Fighter in Scotland, Subs in 110 & 91, Cash: 1 to Russia, 2 to US, 4 to G.B. I wouldn’t mind it being low luck. Thanks for the game. Good luck.

China did their job. I wasn’t satisfied with the effectiveness of the United States in Asia. So much spending and Japan was still a strong country. Perhaps more subs and fewer bombers.

I had hoped to keep my fleet next to Normandy and have an economic war there. I soon realized it was going to become impossible to sustain it from my side so headed to Greece. Should have done it earlier

@crockett36 with the bad dice roll, I was very happy. Usually I am content with equal unit value change for China and Japan. I came out way ahead thanks to luck.

If I was not attacked that round, I would have retreated to Yunnan the next turn. I could not stand toe to toe with Japan on this game since it was a J3 DoW. I would have had to retreat further west in subsequent rounds, losing my sweet bonus.

@crockett36 that is a tough question. I don’t think it was an awful idea, but I wouldn’t have done it myself. The bigger mistake was having too much devoted to deter the American fleet in the first few rounds and just a little bit too few air units to force a Chinese retreat. After that point, there was no easy decision for Japan.

@Myygames if you had a couple more bombers, you could have followed up the Moscow attack with an affordable London attack. That would have been game over for me.