Axis biased

[Bigtiti]

so is the game axis biased or not? i think people have been playing the game by now, so i would like some opinions…

[Cow]

It takes the forum a long time to figure out these questions, because it takes longer for them to play by forum than in a FTF game.

with that being said, don’t worry about it and have fun.

[dcolson91]

I’ve played two games so far, and it seemed to be axis favored if Japan decided that it would ignore the allied islands altogether (instead going straight for India) and if Germany played aggressively only on its eastern front (instead of going through Africa). Russia has so few points, and Britain can do so little in buffering India with an IPC value of 1, that a fast attack from both axis powers was able to charge through Russia before America could really get into the game. If you’d like game specifics, feel free to ask.

Game experience: about 3 years of classic, 1942, and Pacific 1940

[Jennifer]

Dont worry, people will eventually say it’s allies biased, then neutral, then we’ll figure out a bidding system that makes the game fair.

Give it time.  There were some outrageous bids for allies in Anniversary that I remember, now it’s called down to like 7 or 8 I think and the game is fair.

[sgtwiltan]

Historically, it should be as the Axis were on the rise and practically unstoppable (with the exception of the new Roman Empire). Eventually it will shift to the Allies as the US production capacity becomes overwhelming.
The US practically provided more tanks than All of the tanks Germany built during the whole war. Trucks, AFVs and Airplanes for Lend lease fed the other allies to continue fighting.

[robbie358]

Putting history aside for a moment, my opinion is that it is Axis-biased.
This is based on three games played, and the bad guys took all three.

We’ll try a few different Allies strategies to see if they can pull it off.  We haven’t seen USA go all in vs. Germany yet.

[Variable]

Are we talking victory from 2 capitols or from one non-Russia capitol?

[dcolson91]

@Variable:

Are we talking victory from 2 capitols or from one non-Russia capitol?

When I play with my roommates, we play to the point when we can safely “call” a victory. If the Axis has defeated Russia, and the Allies don’t have a firm basis to attack German or Japan, we will usually call the game an Axis victory.

Our third game (tonight) was an Axis victory by our standards. Despite the fact that this isn’t technically a victory as defined by the rules, we usually know whether or not the US and UK forces have a chance of winning without Russia.

I will say that rolls were certainly not with the Allies tonight  :cry:

[dcolson91]

@robbie358:

Putting history aside for a moment, my opinion is that it is Axis-biased.
This is based on three games played, and the bad guys took all three.

We’ll try a few different Allies strategies to see if they can pull it off.  We haven’t seen USA go all in vs. Germany yet.

We haven’t tried this approach either. We were really hopeful that 1941 wouldn’t end up being synonymous with the 1942 2nd edition, where KGF was the only way to hit the Axis efficiently before Russia was taken. We tried a few combinations of US/UK attacks on both fronts. I think that, for the Allies to have a chance, it’ll result in the landing of US troops from Western Canada onto Western Europe (via SZ10 to SZ8) continuously with UK landings mixed in.

[sgtwiltan]

You have to give it to Larry for knowing his History.
The ebb and flow of A&A follow the ebb and flow of WW2.
Germany was hampered by the threat of the opening of a third front in Europe using up valuable divisions that could have been used in Russia.
Not until 1943 did the Russians have to fight the war in something besides survival mode.
Not many people know but the Russians and Japanese fought a short War prior to the invasion of Poland.
The Russians used massed tanks to destroy the Japanese at Khalkin Gol.
The Japanese left the Bear alone after that as the demands of the war against the US was more than Japan could handle against industrial juggernauts.
A&A is definitely a good game to introduce the military history of WW2 at the strategic level.

[UrJohn]

@WILD:

@XRJohn:

I think it’s fine for the Axis to have the advantage in this game. This is the introductory game. Let the newest player in your group play the Axis. He or she should have more fun with the easier and better side.

Exactly, if you want new players to get hooked let them kick a little A$$

This is a little conversation Wild Bill and I had over on the 1941 section of Larry’s forums.

[Mallery29]

Has anybody had a legit Allied victory (no real bad Axis moves/die rolls)?

[Koningstiger]

@UrJohn:

@WILD:

@XRJohn:

I think it’s fine for the Axis to have the advantage in this game. This is the introductory game. Let the newest player in your group play the Axis. He or she should have more fun with the easier and better side.

Exactly, if you want new players to get hooked let them kick a little A$$

This is a little conversation Wild Bill and I had over on the 1941 section of Larry’s forums.

If it’s slanted 60-40 or even 70-30 I can live with that, but I honestly don’t see how the allies can win at all  if not for horrible Axis die rolls or terrible moves. Russia only has 7 IPC to start with as very soon that’ll be down to 4 or so, which means they can only buy a single infantry! Then the Germans take Moscow. probably have a higher income then the US by then and then it’s only a matter of time until the Axis take London. This might still be postponed for quite some time, I suppose with some help from the US, but will in all likelihood eventually happen. Japan can gobble up the few remaining British IPC territories and they won’t be able to do anything in Asia anyway if they’re completely absorbed by fending off Germany.

[oztea]

Allies are gimped by the low piece count.
US should start with WAY more infantry to offset the cost of constantly buying naval units.

Soviets need like 3 or 4 more infantry.

[Witt]

A DD off Washington would suffice.

[D_Runyon]

I played a solo game that ended after 6 rounds with an Axis victory (Moscow/London, with Japan holding Alaska and threatening the USA). The Soviets did have some bad dice rolls when defending Moscow and swapped their capital back and forth with Germany a couple times before being completely wiped off the board, so I wonder if their “gift” of IPCs to Germany was strategically sound. The USA lost its entire fleet (with the exclusion of two transports in the Atlantic), so Japan parked carriers off the coast of California. It seemed too easy for the Axis side, although I’m not the sharpest strategist.

[Witt]

I think most of us have decided it was possibly designed Axis biased as it is meant to be an introductory game and it is fun for one side to wreak havoc. We more experienced players should play the Allies and let the new players have fun attacking and making gains as the Axis. We could still win. Also because of the small number of units involved, dice rolling can change things dramatically. Winning and losing will be close sometimes.

[Gargantua]

White starts with too many pawns in chess.  Black clearly needs another 2 knights.

[Witt]

Sometimes Garg you make no sense at all. Try the Queen’s bloody English!

[Yavid]

@Gargantua:

White starts with too many pawns in chess.  Black clearly needs another 2 knights.

I agree completely lets start a petition.