Title: The game that wouldn’t end
Date: December 22nd, 2008
Special Rules: No tech No NOs
Victor: Axis by concession since it was 1am
Game Length: 8-9 rounds 6 hours
Bias: About Even. Three players – 1 Allies (Me), 2 Axis (One less experienced then me(Germany), 1 more experienced(Italy, Japan)
Description:
Germany and Russia did the normal dance, some crazy dice(should have been playing low luck) made the front stall many times when it should have probably pushed through. Italy mixed between Africa and Europe. Germany sent a little bit to africa.
UK built fleet and then started ferrying troops to W.E
U.S is what cost me the game. I saw a chance to try to sink the Italian fleet on US 2 using 2 bombers and 2 fighters vs their regular 2 cruisers and 1 BB. I had poor luck and ended up only sinking the 2 cruisers at a cost of all my planes. that really stalled US. I had planned on SBR on italy but after that I switched to ferrying to italy.
Japan did its regular Godzilla thing. I was able to slow it down quite a bit by moving some Russians to china and blocking india with UK. They ended up mostly going the north route which took them a while.
In the end Japan just got too big and I never could hold W.E and that darn Italian navy rebuilt somewhat and they finally secured the channel via Godzilla might and got the Japanese fleet through.
Africa was mostly held by the allies the whole game.
Observations: trying to sink the Italian navy on U.S 2 via air was too risky given the randomness of dice. I need a better way to take advantage of pressure I put on W.E for russia to push forward. As it was I wasn’t able to make good ground in the east. By the time they were running out of troops, UK’s income had been whittled down so much they could only make 5 inf a turn and hodling W.E became impossible
Title: Operation Sealion Turned (1941)
Date: December 21st, 2008
Special Rules: Tech ONLY
Victor: Allies by concession
Game Length: Five hours
Bias: About Even. Five players – 3 Allies (Me, Amber, Flint) and 2 Axis (Jacob, Sony)
Description:
Endgame: On UK1, Amber made a forced landing at Normandy. On G2, instead of retaking Normandy, the Germans (who had unlocked paratroopers G1) launched a bold invasion of London. High risk; high reward. Well, the invasion failed (the odds were 45/55 to begin with) and Germany lost her entire air force. The game ended with that (except for a Japanese invasion of the West Coast, which should have been successful but wasn’t), and the the rest of the rounds were spent going through the motions. Observations:
This game ended on a downer. Either way you had a lose-lose situation. If the Germans had succeeded in taking London (on the second round), there’s no way the Allies could have recovered. The Germans, by not being able to take London, sealed their fate. The game was doomed to end prematurely. Bottom line: Axis and Allies aren’t for cocksure, “me-first” players.
@TG:
Title: Operation Sealion Turned (1941)
Date: December 21st, 2008
Special Rules: Tech ONLY
Victor: Allies by concession
Game Length: Five hours
Bias: About Even. Five players – 3 Allies (Me, Amber, Flint) and 2 Axis (Jacob, Sony)
Description:
Endgame: On UK1, Amber made a forced landing at Normandy. On G2, instead of retaking Normandy, the Germans (who had unlocked paratroopers G1) launched a bold invasion of London. High risk; high reward. Well, the invasion failed (the odds were 45/55 to begin with) and Germany lost her entire air force. The game ended with that (except for a Japanese invasion of the West Coast, which should have been successful but wasn’t), and the the rest of the rounds were spent going through the motions. Observations:
This game ended on a downer. Either way you had a lose-lose situation. If the Germans had succeeded in taking London (on the second round), there’s no way the Allies could have recovered. The Germans, by not being able to take London, sealed their fate. The game was doomed to end prematurely. Bottom line: Axis and Allies aren’t for cocksure, “me-first” players.
THIS is the reason instant tech sucks.
Too much dice involved. Getting the tech, then trying to apply the just gotten tech.
sure, but that example wasn’t instant tech, right? just that the uk player left himself a bit open, all things considered, and the german player made an annoying decision to risk the game on a 45% chance of success. I don’t know, maybe he thought he was losing already.
stuff like that happens without any tech involved, too.
eumaies is mostly correct. Even though I was Russia, I said to the German repeatedly, “This is not a good idea. The odds against you. If this invasion fails, you will have lost your entire air force and the UK’s Navy will be looking down on you. This is not a sound decision.” And I was right. Even though Britain had left herself wide open, the British still won the battle with two fighters and a bomber remaining. And I don’t think you could really blame the dice.
Allies_Fly is also correct. Usually when a “novice” unlocks a tech they become fixated on it. This is sometimes correct. Other times you have the German building bombers when what they really need is tanks and infantry.
sure, but that example wasn’t instant tech, right? just that the uk player left himself a bit open,
My apologies, I glossed over the G1 development of paratroopers.
Based on that achieved tech, UK either made a mistake or intentionally left a 50-50 battle knowing it could lose the game for Germany if London was not taken, but may not lose the game for the allies if london was lost.
Now that I reconsider it, the German’s odds were more like 40/60. Even if it was 45/55, I still don’t make a attack unless I know I have a 60/40 chance of winning or can at least inflict a disproportionate amount of IPC damage (ex. 1 Tank attacking 4 parked Bombers) to the enemy. Germany losing the Battle of Britain was a HUGE IPC loss (at least 80 IPCs in fighters and bombers).
I’m not sure how paras would improve Sea Lion too much in G1. After all, it would add only one inf to the invasion. HBs or LRA would be better:
Paras: 2 inf, 1 arm, 2 fig, bomb (6 vs 7 in UK) -> 15 vs 23 punch
HBs: 1 inf, 1 arm , but HBs attack twice (5 vs 7) -> 18 vs 23 punch
LRA: 1 inf, 1 arm, 4 fig, bomber (7 vs 7) -> 21 vs 25 punch
Seems a bad move for germans. With paras, would be better and safer for the bomber improve the assault on Egypt
Title: Cannae (1941)
Date: December 24th, 2008
Special Rules: Tech ONLY
Victor: Axis by concession
Game Length: Six hours
Bias: Experience favored the Axis. Six players – 3 Allies (Kevin, Amber, Jeremy) and 3 Axis (Me, Sony, Flint)
Description:
Allies: Russia counterattacked and drove on East Poland and as far South as Romania. UK split IPCs between an IC in India and having their navy sunk by the German Luftwaffe each turn. USA bothered Japan.
Axis: Italy did its thing in Africa. Japan hulk smashed. Germany took Leningrad, built up a panzer reserve there, and after unlocking Mechanized Infantry, swung south and encircled several Soviet armies in Eastern Russia, while simultaneously putting pressure on Moscow.
Endgame: Without Allied help, Germany was too much for Russia and their front collapsed.
Observations:
“The Trap” was a textbook maneuver by the Germans. The Russians made the mistake of overextend themselves and were enveloped.
Title: UK beats Germany (1941)
Date: December 25th
Special Rules: NO’s And Tech (although tech never entered the game)
Victor: Allies by concession
Game Length: approx. 9 turns/7 hours
Bias: 1v1 both of us are experienced and have played for many years.
Description: Germany started off going after Russia but never got close to being a threat. Russia bought all inf and art for the first several turns and only lost Karelia to Germany once (on the second turn). Germany spent the game getting progressivly smaller while Russia moved forward with inf/art.
Russia bought their first 2 tanks on turn 7 then a fighter on the lastturn of the game. After the UK had captured Germany twice, Russia captured it the third and final time. Also, Russia was in position to capture Italy in one or two turns.
UK took Norway on the first turn, after that they invaded Europe every turn (once in NW EUR, three times in Poland, twice in Germany). UK built an IC in India around turn 4 to draw Jap away from Russia, it worked. UK attacked Germany all alone and won the game for the allies in my opionon
America went about 60/40 pacific/atlantic. US attacked 3 Jap carriers with one sub and took down a flat top, next turn US took out remaining 2 carriers 4 fighters crusier and destroyer. US needed to rebuild after that while Jap focused on China. In the Atlantic, US got Morocco on US1 but wasn’t able to do much more until the end of the game. Finally, US took North Africa and sank the IT fleet at the end of the game.
Italy stayed in Africa and finally beat UK in Egypt. They ha a sizeable navy but had a hard time on land.
Japan went like normal. Manchuria build up then go for Moscow, kill off the Chinese, then India.
Observations/Recommendations: Both of us were evenly matched, but I (the allies) had horrible dice rolling with 7 cruiser off shore bombardments in a row missing plus three more cruiser naval batlles also missing. On the other hand, I did massive damage to IC’s (always rolling a 5 or 6 with a single bomber) and after buying 1 researcher I won tech on the same turn (improved shipyards, they never came into play). Germany played consevatively and never went after the UK fleet except for G1 when they took out the lone destroyer. Russia stopped the German offensive and pushed forward as stated above.
I didn’t like how fast China fell. There was nothing I could do. By turn 3 it was over. Also, my opponent didn’t like the IPC value limitation of how many replacements could be placed on the capitol IC. He felt this hurt Japan. I agree to a point. I had the same problem with the UK, but to a lesser extent. Germany suffers from this too.
We had a good game. This was my opponents first game of AA50 (My second) and to my knowledge he never played Revised. I think that put him at a disadvantage.
Title: Italy captures Stalingrad (1941)
Date: December 27th, 2008
Special Rules: Tech and NOs
Victor: Axis by Victory Cities (12)
Game Length: 4 Hours
Bias: About Even. Seven players – 3 Allies (Ben, Amber, Jeremy) and 4 Axis (Me, Jeff, Danica, Matt)
Description:
Axis: Japan Hulk Smashed. Italy expanded to South Africa and India. Germany captured Leningrad.
Allies: UK+Russia focused on Germany. USA on Japan.
Endgame: Just as the Allied SBR campaign picked up, the Axis made a rush on victory cities. Italy was able to take Stalingrad via sea invasion to end the game.
Observations:
Italy again tipped the scales in the Axis favor. Two Italian transports (with an option for three) operating in the Mediterranean feels right. After about three games of USA focusing solely on Japan and losing, I think the Americans need a new battle plan. Japan’s navy is way too powerful in 1941.
Title: Timid Germany dooms Axis (1941)
Date: December 26th, 2008
Special Rules: none (base game)
Victor: Allies by concession
Game Length: 6 Hours
Bias: About Even. 5 players – 3 Allies (one player moderate experience, other 2 strong) and 2 Axis (strong players)
Description:
Our first AA50 game for all players involved.
Germany wanted to try to maintain the baltic fleet to control finland/norway so they bought an A/C. Germany did not take out UK BB in sz2 and that eventually cost them. No Anglo Egypt attack on G1 either. With little pressure on Russia, a bomber and 6 inf was R1 buy for power and range to help the russian inf in china that was an allied game plan. Japan over-extended to push on India and a US 6 sub buy and a few bombers kept Japan’s expansion into china slow.
UK bought a navy UK1, took norway and sank an empty German carrier UK2.
Early navy and UK IC in South africa on UK2 to keep ITaly from growing too big too quickly doomed the axis to minimal pressure on russia.
Observations:
Germany needs to try to take out as much of the UK atlantic fleet as possible (less pressure on WEU) and push on the ground after russia.
Title: Operation Torch comes early (1941)
Date: December 26th, 2008
Special Rules: none (base game)
Victor: Still in progress. Three rounds completed.
Game Length: 4 hours
Bias: About Even. 2 players – Each side had a strong player
Description:
Second game.
Germany took out as much of the UK atlantic fleet as possible: sub, ftr, bmr on sz2, sunk, lost sub and sub, 2 ftr on sz12, UK sunk, no losses to germany, sz8 dd sunk, no losses to Germany. Germany pushes into russia hard, only loses 2 inf taking Baltic states, E Poland, Ukaine. No Anglo-egypt sudan.
Russia tried to counter attack baltic states and was repulsed. Bad dice! W/d with 1 tank to karelia. 6 inf, art, tank fail to take out 2 inf, art, 2 tank.
This made Russia go into fall back mode out east. Still think you should push all 7 inf in bury R1 and then an orderly w/d after that. Japan walked in and started taking easy cash continuously.
Here’s the beauty of this game. Allies goal was to sink the Italian navy as soon as possible. UK bought 2 cruisers and an A/C to join their sz9 DD and tpt in sz8. German baltic Cruiser sunk at no cost to UK air force. US would add 2 ftrs, dd and tpt to sz8. US bought 2 bombers and ftr.
UK 2, algeria was taken (inf, tank), moving into sz13, US would add inf, art 3 ftrs 4 bombers to algeria US2. Italian navy had no where to run. US3: sunk Italian navy with 4 ftr, 3 bombers (1 bomber did some ground clean-up), losing 2 ftrs in process, but italy now out of med. Some german and italian ground units remain in africa, but soon should be mopped up by allies ground units.
Japan has become very strong almost entirely eliminating China due to bad dice and russia in full retreat on R1 onward. Germany took and held Karelia G3. UK3, carrier, ftr and 3 transports in sz3 taking norway.
Observations:
Allied plan worked! US has 4 bombers in (3 caucasus, 1 algeria)
US 3, bought 2 ftrs and some subs for the pacific. Not sure how that navy will be utilized. Australia will probably fall J4. India fell J3. US bombers probably will be needed to slow down German pressure so Russia can fight Japan as they close in.
Should be a good game to finish. Axis winning 60-40 at this point (best guess)
Looks like you have a good game on your hands. :)
Title: British Capture Berlin, Twice (1942)
Date: December 27th, 2008
Special Rules: Tech + NO
Victor: Axis by Concession playing to 13 victory cities
Game length: 5 turns/ 6 hours
Bias: 1 expeirenced Axis player aganist 1 new Allies player
Discription: Japan focused on China while holding off US and sending six aircraft too Eastern Ukraine on J2. Soviet Union massacred Japanese fighters while losing many infantry. Germany massed tanks capturing Lenigrad on G1, Stalingrad on G2, and Moscow of G3. Britian captured Berlin on UK3. That turn they collocated both Germanies income aswell as the defeated Soveit Union’s, combined with their normal income it equalled something like 120 IPCs. Germany took Berlin back with paratroopers they had received the turn before,
but was not able to fortify Germnay so the UK again recived Germanies 70 IPCs. On I4 the Italians captured India and the following turn atempted to attack australia, but some bad dice doomed the attack. German rolled back in to Berlin and maid sure their homeland would never be taken again. On the fifth turn the US and Japan fought a massive naval battle of the shores of the Phillippines. After the Japanese won the Allies conceded the game.
Observations: I was very pleased with the game. I surprised that such a new player could do so well, taking one of my capitals twice. Moving the six fighters from the pacific too europe is very costly and risky, you lose all that firpower in the pacific and if you get a few bad dice rolls in Europe that could cost you the game. Techs did not really play a big part in the game. The other thing i noticed is that when Japan lossed its firepower to Europe, Italy picked up the slack by taking calcutta and also attempting the capture of Sydney. I was very annoyed when I lost 160 IPCs to Britian, and wondered if their should be a rule, where you can destroy your own IPCs or blowup your capital.
Title: Operation SeaLion Lite (1941)
Date: December 28th, 2008
Special Rules: Tech + NO
Victor: Axis by Concession playing to 15 victory cities
Game Lenght: 7 turns/ 8 hours
Bias: 2 experienced Axis players against 2 experienced Allied players
Dicription: Germany muddled around in Russia on G1 while building a Crusier, bomber, inf and art. On G2 however they took Lenigrad while sneaking the transport in the med to seas zone 7 which the UK forgot to occupy. one infantry, a tank, 4 fighter and 2 bombers conquered London, but where forced out on UK2 by forces which attacked Norway on UK1. That was definiety the climax of the game, as it dragged on for another five turns. Japan and the US built extremely unnecissary navies which ended up never fighting each other, as the US retreated to the Atalntic in an attmept to quickly deliver a knock out blow to Germany. The Allies plan never really materlized and in their one good batte to take back Lenigrad they got bad dice and it failed. On the final turn the US was not paying attention and although they had built 10+ infantry in the western United States the Japanese Navy supported an amphibius landing which took yet another vicotry city. The allies could have lasted a few more turns, by decided to concede.
Observations: You need to pay attention! the Allies kept getting attacked in ways they did not expect until it was too late. It was really sad when the US homeland was attacked. Also the UK player did not have an excuse for lossing the UK on G2, especially with the the new amphibius assault rules.
This game also shows though you do need secrecey and unexpected attacks in order to win decisivly. other that that, I noticed how hard it was hard for Germany to bring up infantry in order to protect its tanks, I definitly need to work on how to effectly use German and Italy to take out Russia. Techs wasted most peoples money except for Japan, which got Supersubs, Radar, Long range aircraft, and Jet fighters, giving them even more of an advatages against the US.
Title: British Capture Berlin, Twice (1942)
Date: December 27th, 2008
Special Rules: Tech + NO
Victor: Axis by Concession playing to 13 victory cities
Game length: 5 turns/ 6 hours
Bias: 1 expeirenced Axis player aganist 1 new Allies player
Discription: Japan focused on China while holding off US and sending six aircraft too Eastern Ukraine on J2.
Nice to know the “Unbeatable Strategy” isn’t – and this vs. a new Allied player. Guess it just takes seeing things from a different perspective.
Though I’m still having a hard time getting the 6th FTR to Eastern Ukraine. Can someone walk me through the logistics behind this without Long Range Aircraft tech. The one in Japan just keeps running out of gas for me. :?
Thanks for the AAR!
I noticed how hard it was hard for Germany to bring up infantry in order to protect its tanks, I definitly need to work on how to effectly use German and Italy to take out Russia.
I am pondering the same thing. I still have yet to play my 1st game (Can’t wait for the 10th of January!), but from my test plays it looks like that after G2 there’s practically no german inf left in the eastern front.
Things I have been pondering about:
Buy an extra tranny, to serve as abridge into Cauc, but that would require more naval investment to protect it.
A IC in Poland? It only saves you 1 step, but does guarantee a constant flow of inf from G2 into the front.
Hope for mech inf, so they can travel along with your Pantzer?
I honestly have no clue, so for the 10th, I am just hoping I can send in enough tanks there to even out the losses against the commy bastards dug in in the front.
Title: Axis Rally (1942)
Date: December 29th, 2008
Special Rules: Tech and NOs
Victor: Axis by Concession
Game Length: 6 Hours
Bias: Slightly Axis. Six players – 3 Allies (3 experienced) and 3 Axis (1 strong, 2 experienced)
Description:
Axis: Japan traded navies with the USA and made headway in Russia. Italy smashed, taking Africa and following up with Stalingrad. Germany moved in on Leningrad, while fending off UK’s navy.
Allies: UK+Russia focused on Germany. USA was able to contain Japan, while also sending the occasional bomber to Europe.
Endgame: With the Pacific stalemated, a combined German-Italian pincer was able to capture Moscow. Allies conceded thereafter.
Observations:
Very tight game. UK and USA were able to SBR Germany for 15-20 IPCs a turn, while conducting amphibious invasions of Northwestern Europe and France each turn. Italy was able to retake most of the Allied gains, while Germany focused on wearing down Russia. Due to a combined Axis effort, Russia was only making ~15 IPCs a turn. One of the big Allied mistakes was that they never made a serious attempt to retake Africa or Norway. Allies seem a lot stronger in 1942 due to their beefier navy.
Title: The Grind
Date: 12/??/08
Special Rules: 1941 set. Tech + National Objectives
Victor: Draw
Game Length: 8 hours
Bias: 6 player game, both sides had: 1 experienced player, 1 so-so player, 1 brand new to learn the game player
Description: Japan and Italy and Germany attacked Russia. USA and UK tried to help Russia but were too slow. Instead USA and UK were focused on Pacific. UK built India factory. USA later took Japan’s factory in Manchuria. On the same turn that Russia lost Moscow and was eliminated, Japan lost its last fleet, was reduced to only it’s home island and Okinawa. So the game now would essentially become a 2 vs 2 battle. Germany and Italy vs USA and UK. We were playing to 15 cities and no team ever got closer than 12. We think it could have gone either way.
Observations/Recommendations: Our first game and it was a doozie! We were exhausted. Overall I like the new ruleset.
