@WILD:
We just finished a game that went almost exactly how yours did. Russia did a a couple small battles. Germany kills the UK Atlantic BB, the US dd/tpts and built a carrier for the Baltic. The UK also tried to kill off the Japanese DIE fleet, and failed miserably. All UK units lost, and Japan kept the carrier & dinged bb. UK losing that much stuff round1 on the Pac side set-up very well for the axis, and the allies lost ground all game (Asia & Africa seemed like mere speed bumps). The US seemed under powered to compete w/Japan (with virtually no help from UK) even though they spent pretty exclusive Pac side. In a couple rounds the Chinese (US) were gone, India and Egypt fell. Japan was making about 40+, and Germany got into the 50’s. Early on Germany took Kar, then hit Moscow, but pulled out when inf stacks were depleted (Moscow would have held). Germany then took Caucasus as Japan started grabbing Russian land near Asia & the Mid east. Germany got its second wind (even though the Brits did some nuance landing parties in W Europe and crushed Moscow a couple turns later by reinforcing Kar through the Baltic w/3 tpts. The UK did build enough air power to kill the German Baltic fleet, but by that time the damage was done (Germany should have built another dd, but missed it). I think the game went about 6 rounds or so, and allies pulled the plug.
I agree with all the others. Our first game went almost exactly like the post above.
It seems to me that the Allied powers are far too weak. It only took germany a few rounds to get into the 50+ IPC range.
So some red flags that we are seeing so far.
Honestly, I don’t think its even fair to play as the allies in this edition.
I am receiving this game soon and am going to introduce my friends to axis and allies, so I don’t want the game to be so one-sided that everyone playing allies hates the game. Would making the axis capture 10 VC instead of 9 do anything to balance it out?
I don’t know if that would solve the issue. (adding one more VC needed for the Axis)
The German attacks on the UK and US fleets are so advantageous to the axis that it puts the allies in a really weird position in the early game.
I mean, it’s 1942 by now, and quite often the US and UK literally have no boats in the Atlantic by G2.
The US just doesn’t have the IPCs to get the ball rolling in BOTH the pacific and the atlantic after losing so much material.
And the UK really can’t EVER get the ball rolling if Germany doesn’t want them too (by keeping the sea zones around the UK under threat of attack)
Honestly, what might help every power, would be if victory cities could scramble one plane.
That helps the US fleet off the Atlantic seaboard. It helps the UK fleet in the north Atlantic, it helps the German fleets in the Mediterranean and Baltic. It helps the UK fleet at India. It helps the Japanese fleet in its home waters. And helps US fleets off the west coast and Hawaii.
Im really going to start pushing for the VC Scramble as a house rule.
(one plane only of course)
I wish it was in the damn rulebook as an optional rule……like interceptors.
Without scramble, we are back to the days of revised, where naval units really have no where to hide. Especially now considering the board got smaller and fighters can get pretty much all over a whole ocean.
The G1 attacks on zones 7-11 ate actually so good….wait…they are TOO good.
Really makes the allies totally helpless in the Atlantic for 3 turns
Well - now - we have just a few plays under our belts here, let’s not go and start saying the game is unblanced and the Allies have no shot to win.
I have seen this script before and people WILL find a way to get the Allies into the game and be competitive. Every game seems to go through these initial wild swings of concern…
MM
So some red flags that we are seeing so far.
- The UK attack on the Japanese fleet looks good, but is a trap.
Well US transports used to defend at 1, which made a 2 SS vs 1 DD 2 TR a bit of a toss up.
Now its 2 SS sinking 22 IPCs worth of boats without blinking.
Well US transports used to defend at 1, which made a 2 SS vs 1 DD 2 TR a bit of a toss up.
Now its 2 SS sinking 22 IPCs worth of boats without blinking.
Which is kinda what really happened to US ships in 1942……
As to balance…eh its early. A few MONTHS of playing will be needed to determine a bid, not a few games.
Well US transports used to defend at 1, which made a 2 SS vs 1 DD 2 TR a bit of a toss up.
Now its 2 SS sinking 22 IPCs worth of boats without blinking.
Which is kinda what really happened to US ships in 1942……
As to balance…eh its early. A few MONTHS of playing will be needed to determine a bid, not a few games.
Completely agree. The overall changes look balanced at first sight and the Allies continue to have the steeper learning curve.
Just now getting back into Axis and Allies with the 1942 2nd edition after a many years of hiatus. Just curious to know what an Allied “Bid” is that everyone is talking about.
People bid so as to play the Axis. You say I will give you 6 (IPCs to spend) and your opponent says: I will give you 8 if I can be the Axis. Goes on until one side gives up.
The Allied player then gets to choose how to spend his bid and where he wants to place it.
Could buy a UK Destroyer or 3 Inf for Russia. Some bids go above 20(for Anniversary).
Some people insist on it.
Well it wouldn’t be so bad if the UK wasn’t losing a BB and Trans also.
Well it wouldn’t be so bad if the UK wasn’t losing a BB and Trans also.
One of the most common German openings on 1st Edition is to attack the UK BB+transport, the Med cruiser and destroyer and Egypt. Here you can inflict even more damage to the Allies at sea but Egypt/Africa are safer - it is a matter of deciding what to do with the UK Indian Ocean resources.
except in 1st edition the transport defended and could be taken as a casualty.
I saw it coming…the game is “unbalanced” :roll:
There will never have balance is a game like this. It is impossible. The fact is there are three countries vs two…talk about imbalance, its there from the get go.
If you want to just keep doing the same strat for every A&A game that comes out, well, dont buy new games with different map set-ups. Play the Original and stick to the super,ultra-boring UK1-Aircraft-Carrier-US/Europe Shuck, Jap-Factory-in Manchuria-JTDTM-“Infantry Push Mechanic”…zzzzzzz
I have been playing since the mid-80’s and I have tried dozens of different strategies, some bad, some terrible,some that went exceedingly well. If you just do the same thing over and over and over you are missing the real joy of this game.
Guess what? This isnt a real war. Its a board game. If you lose, you can play a different strat next time.
Sometimes losing is just as fun as winning. If you take chances, even when the odds are against you, thats what keeps the game fresh. Its about having fun, not saving the world.
amen brother
One thing in the game I played as the Axis, in hindsight, was to also use the BB to kill the UK destroyer. If you do that, you kill every naval unit in the Med / Atlantic on the board except for a single UK tranny and dd off the coast of Canada. Pretty potent first turn kill for Germany. Plus, as mentioned before, Germany can easily set itself up to prevent the UK from putting boats in the water for at least 2-3 more turns.
What I want to try is a KGF strategy whereby the US is spending their cash on the Atlantic and providing cover for a UK fleet to appear.
MM
