Central Powers Frustration

[vonclausewitz]

So my Axis and Allies 1940 group started playing 1914 in November. We have played 5 games so far. The central powers have only won one out of the five. Now our group has some more experienced and less experienced players but all have played 10-15 games of 1940. That is why we found it very frustrating that the Central powers can’t seem to get decisive wins. We had the three best players play the central powers twice and they only won once. Our group has come to the belief that unless the allies make really stupid mistakes E.G. Russia stacking Poland R1, France attacking Spain F2 or France attacking Germany F1 in Belgium its very hard for the central powers to win. If the allies just pull starting stacks back and launch counterattacks in strength with consolidated artillery and air supremacy they can decimate the CPs starting stacks and continually buy time by reinforcing contested territories with just enough to slow the CPS down. The only time the CPs won was with Austria buying a fighter, getting every unit it had into Romania and Galacia A1 except 12 inf and 4 art it left for Serbia and Italy defense and then throwing that whole force into Ukraine A2 makeing Russia pick between contesting Moskow and fighting a massive stack on defense with air superiority. The Germans also threw the Berlin and Silesia stacks at Russia. Russia threw everything into Ukraine but it still took 2 turns for the Russians to run out of troops and the Austrians and Germans had just enough to wipe Moskow turn 6. The French made some dumb counterattacks so the Germans managed to hold them off and thus the CPS had bigger armys and more IPCs by turn 7 and we agreed that they were probobly going to win. However for that to happen everything went right for the CPs. It seems if just one thing goes wrong the CPs will lose. Notably if the CPS do poorly enough on the front they are not pushing they still lose because even if they take Moskow or Paris, their territories are very IPC rich so if for example the French manage to take and hold Ruhr and Alsace for three turns thats 27 IPC and if the Russians take Budapest and Galacia the same occurs. Just contesting is enough to massively decrease CP production. Thus even if the CPs take Moskow or Paris it seems easy for them to lose if they do badly enough on the front they are not pushing. We thus saw France get to 40 IPCs after Moskow falling. Is anyone else haveing these kinds of problems?

[Chacmool]

You mentioned that in its first turn Austria threw everything into Romania and Galicia. How many units awaited the Italians in Triest and Tyrol?

This beautiful game is unbalanced and should get fixed with national advantages. Especially USW needs to get much more impact.

[Flashman]

I’m betting the Allies have lost a lot of games they could have won due to inexperienced Allied players not realizing how handicapped the CPs are in the long game, and so conceding too soon. Until the Germans physically move into Paris they might always be at the point of diminishing opportunity due to American arrivals.

I’m amazed the CPs win at all under OOB rules; I’ve yet to decide if the PTR are sufficient to balance the game.

[vonclausewitz]

Austria was a little risky and only left 6 inf and 2 art in tyrolia to defend against italy well sending the 6 inf and 2 art in Trieste into serbia. MY first turn buy as Austria was 5 art and one plane. I left one inf in the capital for that.  I as Austria was hopeing that the 6 inf and 2 art sent into serbia would be enough to take it out. I knew that the the Italian player was very conservative. so he would either turn 1 be attacking 6 inf and 2 art vs. the same force in tyrolia or walking into trieste with that force to be counterattacked by Vienna, serbia, and Tyrolia forces. This would buy me the time to get the serb force back to triests turn 2. Thus giveing me parity with the italians again. The problem was going to be I3 because Italy could then get the Rome group to venice. thus on turn 3 Germany and Austria went into Switzerland, flanking ITaly makeing Italy commit to attacking the swiss group I3 and away from Austrian land thus giveing Austria a couple more turns to pump troops into Russia. This game was some what of an outlier because CP got very good dice rolls in Africa and were still walking around it turn 6. Against an italy player that was aggressive this strat may not have worked. I think the CPs would have won this game because even though it may have been hard for Germany to take Paris with Austrias IPCs it was in a position to begin a move on Rome turn 6 and it had such a massive stack the italians probobly would have died next and then brit french U.S. would be in trouble.