Getting started

[Motdc]

I just go into minins myself (I’m still waiting to play my first game, my wargamming friend and I are working through Band of Brothers first to set the tone, and then we are going start playing AAM).

I started with 1 original started and one 2-player starter (I think that was in the 30 dollar range).  Not quite enough to play.  Well not exactly true as you could play with that, but not quite enough to yeild several army configurations.  That’s half the fun of the game is doing different the builds and seeing how they work.  I then picking up a combo special online where you get 2 of each booster (so that 10) for 59 dollars.  That was enough to add some variety.  Finally, you can pick up whole sets of commons and uncommons on eBay for 5 dollars to fill out the core of your forces. Â

So long story short, if you are splitting everything with one or two people you can play for what a regulare board-game costs.  If you are footing it yourself, then your looking at 100 dollars to get going well.  (But they are like potato chips…“I bet you can’t buy just one”…I picked up a second of those booster combos  :-D )

Mot

[losttribe04]

Yeah I just looked at the list of units and stats. There are 48 diffrent units listed!!!

Band of Brothers is bad a**! My wife even liked it. Its about as cheep as getting started in AAM.

What would you guys consider as good fodder units and good auxiliary units? I mean there are a lot to choose from I don’t want to get stuck buying a legion of the crappy INF that don’t have rifles and have to attack with knifes. (I hope there isn’t a unit like that but you get my point.) And what would be a good auxiliary units be by that I mean like what a fighter is to the A&A games its versatile gets more blood for the buck and if you do your move correctly won’t get killed.

And yet another question. How do you deploy your troops in AAM? Do they all start on the board like in the other A&A games, or do you leave a bit of mystery flanting your versatility of units waiting to be called at a whim?

-LT04

[dezrtfish]

Well, if your like me you’ll be hooked and spend more money than you wanted to.  As an example I have 16 M4A1 Shermans, I don’t even like them very much…

Anyway, afew of the younger guys on budgets I’ve seen just specialize in a specific country ie Germany or West Europe allies.  Then trade off units to build a good specific army.

You’lll find with builds it’s about what units work good together as well as balencing cost vs effectiveness.

for example a Tiger I is 63 points and 11 Mosin Nagants are 63 points.  with proper tactic either one could come out on top, but say there is very little cover, the Mosins may be in a lot of trouble conversly in the forest that Tiger is dog food.

So… what I am saying is get a starter pack and some boosters and study the cards, I think this is a game that is varried enough to not really have a clear cut single winning strat.

Good luck and have fun…

[losttribe04]

OK here’s another NOOB question what are points and how do they work?

-LT04

[dezrtfish]

Each unit has a point value.  Basicly it’s the value of the unit.  Big Tanks are worth more points than little infantry.

BTW there are 48 units in set 1, there are 5 sets I think a total of 228 pieces, (some pieces are obstacles and not actual units) :)

[losttribe04]

OK so you determin a magic number to start then you can add as many units as you want as long as you don’t go over that number?

I keep asking all these questions b/c I know how addicting all A&A games are. I want to be 100% sure at least one of my buddies invests into AAM b/c I hate to have $100 plus invested and be all dressed up and no place to go.

-LT04

[dezrtfish]

That’s the basic idea, in the standard rules they use a 100 pt game.  That is a good starting point, bu tif yo uwant to get into using more of the big point units you eventualy move up to the 200, 300 or more point games.

[Motdc]

Damn, I wish we had some AAM games posted on here so you could review them (we’ve been working on that in another thread).  I think everyone would be hooked once they saw a game in action.  Heck, I’d like to review some real games before taking on my friend, though at least he doesn’t know what he is doing either!

Mot

[dezrtfish]

I personaly am a little thick some times, so it took me a good 4 or 5 games to get the rules strait.  There is still a bit of ambiguaty at times, I guess because I tend to think out of the box.  But as long as you and your friend(s) are amicable it’s all good.

[losttribe04]

OK I bought a “two-player starter set” and a “booster pack” this morning. I am less ready to play the game now from  reading the directions then I was before I bought them. HELP

1 ) Can an allied army have soldiers from any allied country fight for one player? Or are you supposed to keep like soldiers with like soldiers (i.e. Russians with Russians and so on)

2 ) How the hell do you get started!? I got the maps the starter box came with do you lay them down side by side, or do you only use one at a time?

3 ) Do you both place your units at the beginning?

4 ) Does cost = points?

5 ) Any tips for getting your maps to lay flat? I think I’m going to stack my encyclopedia set on them to keep them from wanting to fold back up. Didn’t know if you guys / gals had better methods.

6 ) Can you mix units from set I, set II, and so on?

This game looks awesome and overwhelming all at the same time. I hope with the help of you kind strangers together we can muddle through,

-LT04

[dezrtfish]

1. That is personal preference. Some tounament games even allow mixed axis and allies on the same team.

2. Again it’s preference, the maps line up to be as large as you want.  I’ve heard of games with 20 maps or more.  Generaly the more units you use th more maps you use.  ther are a couple diferent examples of configureations in the rule book if I remember correctly.

3. Generaly in a head to head game you roll to see who places first.  if your playing defence vs offence defence generaly places first.

4. Yes

5. I folded all my map the opposite of the way they came for a few minutes and then stacked them flat under a box.

6. Definately, that’s why it is so hard to give an answer to what the best strategy is.

To start off just build 100 point or even 50 point armies and play on a small map.  You’ll catch on fast…

[losttribe04]

Thanks for the info dezrtfish, I know the boxes say 2 players but have you ever tried 2 vs 2 or other combinations of players?

I appreciate the help,

-LT04

[dezrtfish]

Yep, infact the Stalingrad senario I am working on will probably be 5 or 6 players.

[Audacity]

Just play a couple of simple scenarios as outlined in the Start Here booklet.  Then you’ll want to add more and more rules from the detailed rules.  You won’t learn it all in one day.  You and your opponents just need to keep the rule books handy and ask questions as they come up.  It’s far better to play for the fun of the game than to win.  this way you can discuss rule issues with your opponent without feeling like you are giving away tactics or battleplans.

[losttribe04]

When placing your units are there any rules? Like can I put one unit in the NE corner of the map and another in the SW corner (not that I would want to split up the force like that)?

Thanks for the help again,

-LT04

[dezrtfish]

I believe the rule book has setup rules for diferent types of battles, I think for a head to head its 5 hexes in from one side of the map.  The rule book isn’t very big read it through a couple times and then just play…

[Motdc]

It does say that without overriding scenario rules that you place within 5 hexes of your side.  What it doesn’t say is whether (for the 6 pre-defined layout in the book) you put the maps width-wise or length-wise.  It would seem width wise would allow for more manuvuering space (which is bound to be more fun, plus make you decide on trad-offs like going strong on one side or the other and trying justa holding action on the opposite side).  But when doiing it width wise one opponent is one or two hexes from the objective.  How do you all play?

Mot

[losttribe04]

And yet again more noob questions,    :roll:

1 ) As far as common, uncommon and rare go do any of you prefer to have rare units? Also lets say you were going hard core Germany and got a rare tank from Japan would you keep it due to its rare status? I ask b/c I wanted to build a US army and in my starter box I got 2 rare Axis tanks (1 Germany and 1 Japan).

2 ) Do all the boxes come 50/50 Axis Ally split? Can you buy Axis boxes and Allied boxes? I’m assuming no b/c yet again Avon Hill enjoys hold AAM players over the barrel as we discussed earlier.

3 ) When you guys trade here do you buy and sell or do you one for one swap or both?

-LT04

[Motdc]

Well I’m pretty new to this game too, though I’ve been studying up to be able to create that play-by-email version of the game so I’ll try and answer your questions:

1.  Ignore the rarity of your units when you build, just build the army as you want it.  The majority of your army will be common and uncommon.  By the way, most rares are tanks.  Apparently rarity is determined as much by how much it actually costs to manufacture the model as it is anything else.  There are plenty of sucky game-play-wise rares out there.

2.  Dunno about the axis/allies split, that’s a good question.  I’ve never counted them.  You can’t buy axis only or allies only.

3.  I’m sure you can find people willing to buy, sell, and trade.  eBay is a good place to pickup units too.

Mot

[losttribe04]

Hey,

Do any of you guys use that stupid rule of year. I read in the instruction book under the section “Historical Army Limits” the players pick a year and anything made after that can’t be used. You could so cripple an unsuspecting enemy to the point of forfit for not having half enough points to play. I think its a stupid rule don’t think I’d ever use it. Its hard now to get units you want b/c you can’t just pick them up off the shelf, that would be way to hard.

-LT04