L24 OOB Gamerman01 (Axis) vs FlyingBadger (Allies+51) #1

[gamerman01]

OK… it is pick on Badger time

I don’t have that many things, you did a lot very well.

You’ve played 57 games across all 3 versions since 2021, so you have much more recent experience than I
I’m just an old veteran, coming back in 2022 and only 15 games since then.

So you learned the first commandment of A&A play a long time ago. Thou shalt not blunder.
Anyone who doesn’t blunder is hard to beat.

[gamerman01]

I got bogged down last night. My first thing is about early China play, I know you must not lose Yunnan because Japan can stack it with air, but 7 men in was a little on the safe side, especially against a top player. 5 would have been plenty. But defending men against Japanese ground early is not bad.
But the China attack was a little lucky (only 1 man lost) and the Chinese defense on J2 was lucky (China got another hit in a 2nd round in what should be a 1 round battle) so the attrition rate was fine because of some luck
Same thing C2, 3 men against 1 mech when 2 is conservative, again, it’s nice to give Japan a little extra resistance and to make sure Yunnan is taken, but against a stronger player you shouldn’t take quite as much in as you did.
Especially because a retreat C2 left the survivors on Yunnan to be destroyed in 1 round and India had retreated, so no counter. This time, Chinese luck ran out and 2 infantry didn’t hit anything

I struggle to explain this very well, but you get it. Take a hard look at how you handle China and Yunnan in early rounds, because it’s a big deal. Also, there are 6 men in Kansu after C2 I guess to stop the 3 in Hopei from advancing, but you probably want those 3 to go west and not straight at India.

I think the rest of the observations may be shorter.

[gamerman01]

US1 is brilliant (what you chose) to build expensive boats in 10 when your production is limited to 3

But US2, there were 0 units purchased for the Pacific, so no stream of reinforcements coming

Your opponent is happy to see only 2 transports out in the Pacific, with no more coming

[gamerman01]

R2 aircraft to Ukraine, not needed for defense, maybe you had eye on Med or something but my notes say you couldn’t really take back Leningrad on R3 because the fighters would have to go 3 to get there. So there was no takeback of Leningrad, so Germany builds 3 artillery there G4, not good.
It was maybe a surprise the transport went over and landed a man instead of a tank coming up that maybe you would hit with inf/art, but the fighters to Ukraine was a slip unless there was some purpose I don’t see

[gamerman01]

After R3, I am very happy and surprised there are 60 1’s and only 4 artillery. Often a better offense is a better defense, that is, 3 artillery instead of 4 infantry, times at least 1 or 2
Germany built 2 ships G1 and another G2, so not coming all out at Moscow. Even then, artillery can be helpful to reduce German options. Anyway, 60 to 4 ratio is out of balance

[gamerman01]

R3 wondering if you should be sending a little something out to get the cheese communism NO’s to the south. I understand every unit is needed in Russia and it isn’t necessarily a good move, just making sure you seriously consider going after it.

My memory is not good about OOB games (this is only my 3rd since 8 years ago) but I know Ghostglider in the championship against me many years ago secured all 5, and Oysteilo this year went and got all 5, and they are great players and were very hard to beat because of that extra 17 per turn. Of course it’s tricky to pull it off and it takes awhile, but if you can keep Russia alive long enough, then wow

[gamerman01]

I’ll stay on the Europe side of the map first.

UK3 that is a very strong move on zone 92, I didn’t think you could do it. I was thwarted by the UK ground on Algeria preventing my air.

You have done a very good surround of Germany, Germany can’t hit 3 stacks on Bel/WUK well.

R4 I wrote that Russia could have moved into Ukraine and held it. Maybe here your infantry heavy army paid off, I don’t remember, but I remember that it was difficult for me when I realized you could actually take and hold Ukraine. Looking at it now that seems wrong, but there is UK air and Russia has a lot of fast units. I’ll trust my studies back when we were there.

[gamerman01]

R5 you pulled back to Moscow and Tambov.
My notes say you might have been able to defend both Moscow and Bryansk that turn. If I’m right, that’s a big deal. Italy/Germany walked into Bryansk G6 and then can just go South before the Allies can prepare

[gamerman01]

At I5 the Allies have strong pressure on Europe with 11!! transports and 7 UK air, at the same time producing 3 a turn in Persia
So this is a very positive observation

Although… when you build a Persia complex, you’re usually in big trouble if Germany makes its way down to it. Egypt is better, or using South Africa that is free, is excellent

But the Persia complex is fantastic if it doesn’t get taken over.
I didn’t keep notes about it except that it was great to have as of I5. You built Persia complex immediately, round 2! It makes so much sense because you can get badly needed units in the critical part of the board, but yeah, you’d better hold on to it or it usually just seals your fate.

And it does obligate you to spend at least 9 a turn there, and that takes away significantly from what you can produce at London

[gamerman01]

Yeah I’m looking at that now. That 12 that was spent to build it on UK2 was a big sacrifice. Your fleet was safe in 109 and could have been made even stronger. To 92 UK3, and it could have had more in it. The Allied fleet building up to 11 transports was very hard to deal with. What if it was 12 or 13

[gamerman01]

But, then, UK3 building 2 fighters and a mech is extremely helpful to Russia and that is very important. At the same time, UK3 zero units built in London. So not saying you’re wrong, just making commentary now.

[gamerman01]

My notes say, G6 it was an interesting advance (I made) to Bryansk. I realized the Russians could hold Ukraine, where usually you look at Germany holding it against Russia

[gamerman01]

G7 I cut off the allied fleet from England, probably indefinitely. The complexes in the mideast are great (you have 2 now) except they bleed London a lot and Germany can take the complexes over.

R7 STILL no artillery purchased. Reconsider Russian defense, that often the best defense is not so heavy on infantry, but needs to threaten some punch-back

The stack (East) to Novosibirsk feels wrong, but maybe it is needed to stop Japanese advance. Right now Russia has a huge slow defensive army, but Germany has no interest in going for Moscow. Will you turn it offensive? Will the Germans just take over the 2 UK complexes in the mideast and win?

UK7 I think Iraq/Persia is a lost cause (for the Allies) The fleet to Iraq takes them (the fleet) away from Japan. Taking Sumatra (from Japan) was going to be problematic (for Japan). Transporting 4 units to Iraq to die seems bad - India will have less defense. Germany is threatening to help Japan with the 6 victory cities. Japan has dominance now.
The 92 fleet with transports is dead because G can get all fighters there, build carriers at 93

Remember, if I don’t comment on it, I thought you did very well! And the vast majority of decisions, I am silent on

[gamerman01]

Now back to the Pacific,
J3
There is very little pressure on Japan, just the 54 and 26 fleets (and only 1 transport each)
(Looking at it now) I am wary of the Queensland strategy, because Japan is down there bullying India and China already. Everyone wants to snipe money islands and sometimes that works, but often it’s an exercise in futility.
Many think it’s dumb to stay North away from the Japanese fleet that’s picking on India and China, but Japan mainly builds from Tokyo, and US pressure on 6 can keep Japan from building what it wants.
I don’t know, South maybe is generally better, but it is something to think about, that the Japanese fleet is down there anyway, and Japan can build whatever it wants

[gamerman01]

C3 3 Chinese go at 1 Jap in Sui where 4 Japs are headed anyway and there is no counterattack
OK, I didn’t see this before. You should definitely pay attention to this one. So the combination of choices made on China rounds 1-3 definitely led to the Japanese advances and then taking Mongolia when the ground army got big at Kansu so Mongolia was prevented from joining the main Russian force (I think this will become a part of my strategy in future games)

The rest, after lunch

[gamerman01]

OK so again, I don’t know that it was the wrong move, but observing,

US fleet to 54 US3, which is basically what everyone does
That’s when, J4, I took Midway and even had - wait a minute - there was no Pacific purchase US3 either, no wonder I had trouble in Europe early

@gamerman01 said in L24 OOB Gamerman01 (Axis) vs FlyingBadger (Allies+51) #1:

But US2, there were 0 units purchased for the Pacific, so no stream of reinforcements coming

Your opponent is happy to see only 2 transports out in the Pacific, with no more coming

US3 2 transports at 54 and only a destroyer in 10, so Japan takes Midway and Aleutians J4?! and set up to even take Hawaii J5. So US fleet back to Hawaii US4 and fleet and air built California

[gamerman01]

So it was mainly due to skipping Pacific purchase US2 and US3 and moving to Queensland that gave me the North Pacific foothold I never gave up

J5 Japan has Alaska too, and US can’t take it back without burning a transport
Japan takes stranglehold on Midway
Now US is on defense at Hawaii and nothing at Queensland

China is stuck at Tsi while Japan has blown by,
India is in total defense mode with 17 inf/3 AA at Burma, Japan has landed New Guinea and no Australian transports

Not being harsh, just letting you draw your own conclusions from my observations - no US purchase on Calfornia US2 or US3 and questionable decisions China 1-3 I guess gets you this

[gamerman01]

US5, fleet is pinned at California, 2 transports burned to get Aleutians and Alaska, no other US transports in the water
So yeah, Gamer piling on you here

But you are prioritizing the Europe map and that can’t be criticized as long as you don’t lose in the Pacific. The German Russian front is of utmost importance, and that is what you addressed with your strategy of fast strong Allied fleet in Europe, immediate Persian complex even producing some planes.

And now you have to wonder if Russia had sent some units down to Africa if the situation would be better

[gamerman01]

J6 I made a mistake not realizing a double destroyer block protects Hawaii when I made my move (seals off Carolines) but the US fleet is not a threat because there are 0 transports. Still, I want to keep it from advancing.
You decided to go single destroyer at Midway, and fleet to 13, so I am putting you in bad and odd situations I think largely just becasue you didn’t build US2 or US3

[gamerman01]

The double destroyer block was probably the better choice, and fleet could advance to Hawaii

UK6 I was surprised you didn’t take Malaya

J7 another compliment - 17 US planes and 5 carriers is a good ratio. People don’t realize, you want more than 2 planes per carrier and 3 to scramble, because out there you may lose some planes as casualties, and there may be more than one airbase to land on or islands to defend, and Australia

However, the lack of transports, subs, and destroyers is a serious weakness now