Hard to beat Allied strategy

[billcallaway]

Firstly, this game is fun. Even though I feel it’s unbalanced we want to keep playing over and over (for now). The first thing we do when we get a new AA game is try to see what can break it. The “game winning strategy”.

Here is what we found, more or less.

Luck can change things a lot, but basically it doesn’t seem to matter too much what the Axis do if the Allies do this strategy. I would love if other people played and tried to see if it can be beat.

Russia - first 3 turns every IPC and unit that can get to Finland does. And take Poland and Baltic states. Build infantry only except for special units the whole game. Leave 1 infantry on every territory leading up to the cities. Have every city with maximum fortresses and infantry by the time the enemy is at the gates of the VCs. No need to build fortresses until you they close. Build max special units every turn. 15 infantry in the East at all times.

UK - max commando every turn. The threat of paratroops every turn keeps Germany busy… Every unit it can get in Egypt the 1st turn (or 2 depending on Italy’s moves). Sit and wait for Italy to attack your navy or move theirs. It’s basically win/win for UK. UK keeps open their convoy boxes and only makes a landing in Europe if they more or less safe. Generally they land in Norway because it’s safest but sometimes Africa which really hurts Italy from both ends. Start to Take South America immediately. It ends up being about a free bomber every turn around turn 3. get rid of german subs. It’s over 2nd turn with german subs anyways now.

Canada - bomber every turn. Off to Germany it goes.

India - max infantry/commando - UK must build 2 infantry also there a turn no matter what. Keep the Burma road open. Sometimes bombers and fighters must be built in S.A. and flown to India to get this done. Paratroop threats keep the Axis busy. Commandos really good now that they cost 4.

Anzac - destroyers/transports if Japan out of the way. commando every turn, planes and sometimes subs if Japan is within range of striking the Anzacs with their planes but no destroyers. Eventually Japan gets too busy and about every 3rd turn the Anzacs can break out. And die of course, but it keeps Japan busy and usually costs them a bonus. Taking a Japan island stops the DEI bonus and that is their goal always.

South Africa - only build infantry there 1st and maybe 2nd turn. Depends on how much navy survived around England.

China - depends on how aggressive Japan is. Don’t lose the Burma road. Nothing else really matters. With Japan as a rule I throw everything at them at once from China/US/Anzac/Russia/India. Generally around turn 6 or 7 or 8 when India is about to get in trouble. Even if India falls some other Ally breaks out on that turn for a couple turns. Destroy veterans if they get careless.

US - maximum lend lease every turn no matter what. Never more than 20 IPC to any single empire because it can be devastating if captured or even if lost. 20 IPC to Russia every turn!. Up to 50 IPC a turn into the Allied hands adds up fast. Sometimes on the first turn Russia in the war they have 48 + 6 IPC bonus + 5 IPC bonus + 6 IPC in territories + 20 lend lease. If they get 20 IPC on their 2nd turn in the war they are getting more than Germany can throw at them because of the UK messing around in Norway or might land in Europe. Finalnd very hard to hold now for Germany… The US puts their entire navy in the Atlantic except for a couple destroyers and subs to deal with convoy boxes. 2 - 6 marines a turn lands in Africa but the US keeps open their convoy boxes with destroyers and maybe subs if japan too close. buy bombers to touch convoy boxes with destroyers. It’s about 30 - 40 IPC a turn to keep the convoy boxes open and if Japan doesn’t deal with it every turn their can get in trouble fast. It ends up helping the Anzacs a lot if Japan lets the convoys stay open and US dumps 30 IPC a turn into the Pacific. Only build infantry/marines/tanks in the East to land in Africa. It doesn’t hurt much but eventually it adds up and Italy is screwed (as they should be).

That’s about 75% of the strategy. It works now basically because Germany and Italy are too weak navally now (or something).

I would like to see what others do with this strategy.

Basically it comes down to lend lease and fortresses maxed out that is the big swing. But I like that. Axis only capture lend lease about every 3rd turn and then its usually only 10 IPC but sometimes they can capture 20IPC 2 turns in a row. Oops…Germany has an extra 40 IPC. but it’s fun.

[General 6 Stars]

I agree with the lend lease and forts. Played 3 games and never sent that much lend lease money. So Bill, you probably found the right moves. The game is flawed if it comes down to that. I like the forts but maybe only allow 1 per territory and/or have Germany get lend lease on a 1 or 2. If you lowered lend lease then would have to change setup maybe. In other G39 games I have never seen US get to lend lease that much money.

Don’t get me wrong.  Its a great game!  Hopin we can get it worked out.

[ghr2]

How much fleet does Germany kill round 1?  What does he take and when on the mainland?

[Warwick]

One basic balance change would be to place the Axis as the default winner rather than the allies. I would use a 2 trigger system to determine Axis victory

1. Expansion trigger - Axis need to take 10 or 11 cities to qualify. This is basically the historical limit of Axis expansion (10) or +1 (11 cities).
2. Production level - Must maintain a certain amount of production by a certain turn.

For the second piece this means functioning factories. For example, Japan surrenders on any turn that ends with Japan having less than 20 factory slots. (2 fully functional major factories.) This would reasonably approximate the historical point when Japan did surrender. To achieve it you would have to reduce Japans point total to below its starting point and bring Japan under Strategic bombing. (or successfully invade Japan’s home island.)

A similar rule against Italy would cause Italy surrender on any Italian turn ending with Turin or Rome is in allied hands. This would very much simulate the limited support Italy had for this conflict. This is especially true since German troops could not help to retake the space if lost before the Italian surrender would trigger.

A victory system like this would place to burden of attack on the Axis initially but then shift that burden to the allies in the second stage of the war.

I would alter the lend lease rules to be new points to the allies. For example, on turn 3 place 1d6 in each UK convoy zone set to 1. These points are added to each UK nation. (SO +1 canada, +3 or 4 to UK, + 3 FEC) The US can not do any form of Lend lease by the current rules. On turn 4 place 2 dice in the Murmansk convoy zone. On turn 5 and onwards increase the value of the dice by 1 per turn. For historical purposes a dice could be placed in Persia for the Russians as well that increases in the same manner.

This would eventually lead to the Axis defeat, however now all they have to do is last until a certain point and still win the game. Balancing then becomes setting this turn correctly (and the levels of lend lease) to reward good play by the Axis or the Ally player.

[General 6 Stars]

So if Axis lands in these convoy boxes they get the money? Then subtract the money from allies income ?

[Warwick]

Axis would not get any money but Subs would interdict the whole value of the space. So one sub in the Murmansk convoy spot could cost the Russians 14 IPC

[Warwick]

Turn 3 - Murmansk convoy box is worth 4. 2 Normally plus 2 for lend Lease
Turn 4 - Murmansk worth 6. 2 Normally 4 Lend lease
Turn 5 - Murmansk work 8. 2 and 6

The convoy box would behave as per all other rules. If during income collect phase it is enemy occupied then you loss all the points.

England/US would have to actively place DDs in the box to fight off subs

[Tigerman77]

The Fortifications should only be 1 per territory.  I want to say this was changed so more would be used but they prove to be too strong in numbers.

[billcallaway]

Yes, 2 forts was key to India/Moscow defense. UK almost has to build in the Commonwealth against JAPAN now. Which of course helps Germany.

[ghr2]

What do you suggest for the allies then since you can’t build a lot of fortresses?  Especially against Japan.

[General 6 Stars]

Lend lease what else.