Hi
I have had my first game, and my opening statemet is “wow”. This is a really good variant, and if anyone hasn’t bought one yet, i would highly recommend it.
I won’t talk about tactics too much, as you will all find your own in your own games. However, USA by the end of go 2, should own 2 full islands and be prearing for a push on the third!
Set up is really easy and takes just 10 minutes. There is no IPC money to worry about. The layout is simple and learning time is a couple of reads of the rulebook and a first game to run through whilst using the rulebook.
What i do like is the size of the sea zones. You can have a large fleet in a zone and it fits easily. A&A Pacific was too crowded and at times you had to use markers which i didn’t like. With this game you can see all units on the board all the time. I also like the way you move a type of unit then your opponent does. This is a great idea. How many times have you played someone at Pacific, who spends ages moving ships about and then doesn’t want to do that move so you have to try to remember all the zones they moved from so you can put all the units back! When you move one type of unit at a time, this situation doesn’t occur. Also, planes move a set amount, then a set amount at the end of each turn. This is great because you don’t have to remember how many moves a plane has left, as you have to do in other A&A’s.
There are no amphibious assaults to worry about. Land units don’t move unless you load or unload them. Axis and allies can occupy the same island. Art can fire on ships, and ships can fire on airfields. These ideas were all winners for me. It adds such a twist to the game, and gives you alot more variant to gameplay. I would describe this version of A&A as a complicated game of chess, with endless moves.
At the end of go 2, we discussed the previous turn. I had a USA fleet but the japs sent a bomber to it. I then sent 4 fighters to intercept the bomber from carriers from another sea zone. The japs then sent 6 fighters to escort the bomber. I lost all 4 fighters, but the japs lost 1 bomber and 3 fighters. Their 4 fighters left did no damage on my fleet, so to intercept them in the air was the right thing to do. However, after this move, we realised that the japs should have ignored my fighters and gone for my carriers instead as they were only escorted by 2 destroyers, a cruiser, a sub and 2 transports. Then we discussed other ways the move could have gone. In the end we could have honestly had 10 or 12 different moves on that go. This is what i mean when i say this game has so many variants. Because of that i am sure this game could keep you occupied for a long time. I am a big fan of other A&A’s but unless you play variant rules i generally find my games can be a bit the same (e.g World version - if Japs build 2 factories on the mainland and churn out 6 tanks a go, generally it is over for the allies). As far as Gualdacanal goes, i can’t see an agreed way of winning yet. (We didn’t finish our game. We had a few moves each to discuss, learn the rules etc).
I think the cost of the units, and the amount of points you earn to buy units is well balanced. Both sides think they can win, even after a few goes. The war can still swing any way depending on strategy.
On that point i think this is a far more strategic game. Because battles are not done where basically one wipes the other out, or the attacker withdraws, you can have opposing sea units in the same zone for go after go. And the same for land units.
The battle box idea is good. No more turning over the lid to use as a box to throw the dice in. No more dropping the dice either. It is simple to use, and by throwing a 1 the attacker can choose the casualty. This is really handy especially if you are targeting 2 transports and one has cargo……
You have to return damaged ships to base for repair and pay a supply token to repair them. This is better as Battlehsips that sustained damage in a battle, don’t miracuously repair themselves at sea. You force an opponent to send the ship back for repairs, so it is out of the game for a move or 2. Also, subs are more important. They are quite cheap, but with subs you get to choose your target. Handy if you see a carrier, and it’s planes wouldn’t be able to land if you sunk the carrier…
With this game you also get proper storage space in the box for all the components. The board itself is very high quality. My only quible is that could have put more grey discs in the box, and fighters. Fighters rule the game for me. Also, subs are more important than you may first think…eg. one idea is to get a pack of subs toegther and move fighers over thm to protect them on the air attack phase. The subs can then target certain ships in a fleet. This is just another another way to play, but may be worth a try.
With A&A Bulge i found as the USA that i had too many supply tokens. This game is balanced more. You have to balance new units with buying supply tokens. They are cheap but you don’t get many points to buy things. My advice for the first couple of goes, is protect what you have and invest in some supply tokens.
In all this game is a winner for me. I have played A&A since i was a kid. I was disappointed with D-Day and the Bulge, but they have got a winner in this game for me. The VP’s are easy to add up. You don’t have to spend time counting land zones to see if your IPC’s are right. Quickly you can work out what you have to spend. Whether you win, depends on your purchases, strategy and a bit of luck with the battle box. Sounds obvious i am sure, but when you play, you will see what i mean.
The rules are good, but i did find that some were not clear. I have asked for clarity on these in another posting. For example, AA guns are in the game, but not mentioned in the rule book. Of course you could say that you use AA guns as in other games, but if this is your first purchase, you wouldn’t know that and may struggle to understand when you use AA guns.
I am playing again very soon, and can’t wait.
Hope you find this posting useful.
Thanks.
