@Krieghund Thank you!
The Axis Advantage is Bigger Than You Think.
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Karl –
Nice of you to acknowledge this. I do concede the game we started about a year ago. Yes, the inevitability of an axis win turned me off the game for about half a year. Keep in mind that it could have been even worse than it currently is. I think that Italian can opener ability which forces the Russians back into Moscow instead of coming out to fight at Stalingrad for the oil fields is the main reason.
I have recently started playing games against myself using the now available Triple A software that makes this easier and I won’t play until I figure out a way to beat the axis playing myself as the allies, or at least until I figure out how to work the bid so that it’s even.
Again, I think that the key is the Italian can opener. Sorry, it’s not the early german attack since I can crush my allied self with my axis self even allowing the allies to declare war first on every front. Simultaneous movement (all axis go followed by all allies go) would solve a big chunk of this in my opinion, but can openers are a big part of the game.
Brian
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I realize that the Russians could create bigger blocks to try to stop the Italians from can opening, but that’s just too expensive and places the Russians on the losing side of a war of attrition.
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I completely agree with the Gibraltar airbase suggestion.
I also wish that the Axis were not able to produce inside Russian territory. At least the Italian can openers would have to be replaced with Italian mechs coming in from Italy instead of Ukraine.
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Russian scorched earth? Axis powers yield only half the ipc value of conquered territories?
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The next strategy that I’m going to try is an all out Kill Italy by UK and USA. Maybe I can cut off the can openers this way. I don’t believe that it will be successful however. I won’t let myself take Italy so easily.
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It’s funny, the Italian Can Opener is still used but no longer such a game changer as in the past. Right now I am seeing the Axis go J1. J1 is fairly devastating for the Allies. I have to figure a good response. With J1, Japan can cut India off at the knees and keep Anzac weak, meaning only the US can do anything about Japan. The US going full tilt against Japan means Germany can plow the USSR or prop of Italy. A true strategic dilema for the Allies.
Right now I am starting to believe the only way for the Allies to win is to “Press the Flesh” with the Axis. By that I mean maneuver the allies into any and all combat situations even if the odds are against success. The idea is obviously to wear down the Axis and hope eventually the Allied monetary superiority will allow the Allies to prevail.
There are two tricks to it. One is that the monetary superiority will only last about 4 rounds or so, and if the Axis are able to break through and get the DEI or the middle east, even with diminished forces, the Axis can still win. So there is a role reversal here. The allies must act with haste while the Axis can actually act more cautiously as they build up their power.
The second trick is obviously while seeking battles they will lose, the Allies have to do so with measured caution. You can’t just through away units, and have to make some serious calculations about how much the Allies are willing to trade off against Axis units – say 3 allied infantry for every 2 Axis?
Lets face it. Defense is poor in Axis and Allies, and the dice can be very unfriendly to defenders. But them’s the breaks I suppose.
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Anyone ever find out a good bid idea?
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Bids on the boards are coming in around 12ish for Allies.
Bids are problematic for G40. So many critical battles happen in the first round that a strong bid could really screw up the game dynamic. If Germany fails to kill the UK fleets round 1, they will be severely set back. Imagine a 20+ bid used to beef up sz110 or France for that matter.
As I have said, and will say again, what is needed is to beef up the UK with another NO, and more units for the USSR, say more infantry off in the hinterlands. This wouldn’t affect Germany’s first moves but would provide the needed bump for the Allies later in the gameto keep up with the Axis.
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Does anyone do a bid, but just add it to a powers starting income instead of plopping down units to the set-up before the game starts.
Say allies get a bid of 10 IPCs (maybe allow a split between to powers or econs in case of UK). Decide what power(s) will get it, then when their turn comes up, add it to their starting income to purchase units as normal. That way it doesn’t effect the first turn so much.
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Hmm, that just isn’t how its done, but you raise a good point.
Traditionally all bids are placed on the board pre-start.
Yet, not sure an extra 10ipcs would really do anything. Round 1 is the critical move for G40. After that the value of that money goes way down. I think you need a long term solution – an extra NO for the UK and more units for the USSR.
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I know that units added to the set-up can really screw things up. If the bid was added to the starting income, then units would be mobilized at the end of the powers turn that gets the bid. It would be helpful, but not overwhelming. Say UK see’s a Sea Lion threat, they could use the allies bid (10 IPCs) when their turn comes up to add another fighter to England. If that ftr was added to say Scotland before the game starts, the Germans would need to account for it when attacking the sz111 fleet.
UK could also use the extra income towards an air base for Gibraltar, or an IC for Egypt. So it could have a lasting effect.
**Would need to stipulate the bid must be used in the first round of play.
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Bids are problematic for G40. So many critical battles happen in the first round that a strong bid could really screw up the game dynamic. If Germany fails to kill the UK fleets round 1, they will be severely set back. Imagine a 20+ bid used to beef up sz110 or France for that matter.
If bids make an opening too risky or impossible, then try another opening. Bid variation keeps things interesting.
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Bids are problematic for G40. So many critical battles happen in the first round that a strong bid could really screw up the game dynamic. If Germany fails to kill the UK fleets round 1, they will be severely set back. Imagine a 20+ bid used to beef up sz110 or France for that matter.
If bids make an opening too risky or impossible, then try another opening. Bid variation keeps things interesting.
Yeps. That is why I do not do 12 bids for dice games.
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Do the standard rules apply where you can only place bid units in a place where you start with a unit? Also only 1 unit per territory?
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Check the G40 league rules.
My understanding is that you can place bid units only in zones with preexisting units of the power to which you are giving units.
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Great topic, Karl, just found this when doing a search for a rules question, and have read every post.
It’s interesting that a year later, you are 10/10 as Axis and 20/18 as Allies in league play.
Probably the vast majority of these games involved a bid of 6-12 of units placed on the board immediately.So you have had more success with the Allies than the Axis even without the Gibraltar airbase, an infantry taken away from Egypt (since Alpha2), and no additional Russians……
Just mentioning a few indisputable facts… :-D
Allied win pct in the league this year is below .450 and Axis is above .550, even with these 6-12 bids.
The advantage exists at all levels of skill, as well.
Top players have completed 250 games and these are the win %
With Axis, .813
With Allies, .717Tier 2 in the league, 273 games played
With Axis, .651
With Allies, .537Tier 3, 310 games
Axis, .394
Allies, .316Tier 4, 122 games
Axis, .118
Allies, .113Almost all of these games had an Allied bid between 6-13.
Apparently that’s not enough, as Karl could see a whole year ago. Maybe he’s right about that 15.
And yes, I agree the UK should have the no subs NO, but instead of Russian infantry, I would submit that the Russian lend-lease NO should be easier to get. Or, they could have 1 NO for No allies in Russia and a 2nd NO for no warships in 125 and Archangel is Russian -
Gamerman01 I suggested, a while ago, a russian NO for allied control of persia.
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We have just started a house rule that allows the choice of 4 different Allied booster packages that change the initial setup, they are all worth 15$ in units. You can view them in the House Rules forum. I’m considering making it 6 and the allies roll a dice to decide which one they must take.
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@Young:
We have just started a house rule that allows the choice of 4 different Allied booster packages that change the initial setup, they are all worth 15$ in units. You can view them in the House Rules forum. I’m considering making it 6 and the allies roll a dice to decide which one they must take.
Cool
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@Young:
We have just started a house rule that allows the choice of 4 different Allied booster packages that change the initial setup, they are all worth 15$ in units. You can view them in the House Rules forum. I’m considering making it 6 and the allies roll a dice to decide which one they must take.
Cool
This is what I came up with…
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=31981.msg1190605#new
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