Lessons Learned Global 1940

Excellent point on strength distribution curve, something I’ve always been congnizant of but have never worded as well as you just did.  Any time I’m sizing up a battle that looks even or slightly skewed against me, the next thing I’m looking at is “Well, if we both lose ten units on the first strike, but I’m losing ten 1’s and he’s losing ten 2’s…”

The Allied carrier move is especially useful in the Pacific.  I almost always have at least one Anzac plane on a US carrier just in case Japan decides that a group of transports is “safe”

Do not drink too much during a gaming session. Especially a weekend match. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to waking up and not remembering how your armies got in such bad position. If your opponent was inebriated more than you were, you could wake up and find the opposite and be in very good shape. It’s 50/50!! I recommend that Fireball whisky never be invited to the gaming table.

@seancb:

Do not drink too much during a gaming session. Especially a weekend match. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to waking up and not remembering how your armies got in such bad position. If your opponent was inebriated more than you were, you could wake up and find the opposite and be in very good shape. It’s 50/50!! I recommend that Fireball whisky never be invited to the gaming table.

I always try and keep my sessions realistic… if you are going to play the Russians, I make you drink Vodka before each turn… America? Whiskey… UK? Ale… Germany? Schnapps… Japan? Saki…

As the designated driver for my games, I seem to be sweeping the contests…

@Wolfshanze:

@seancb:

Do not drink too much during a gaming session. Especially a weekend match. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to waking up and not remembering how your armies got in such bad position. If your opponent was inebriated more than you were, you could wake up and find the opposite and be in very good shape. It’s 50/50!! I recommend that Fireball whisky never be invited to the gaming table.

I always try and keep my sessions realistic… if you are going to play the Russians, I make you drink Vodka before each turn… America? Whiskey… UK? Ale… Germany? Schnapps… Japan? Saki…

As the designated driver for my games, I seem to be sweeping the contests…

I dunno, man… the UK player should probably drink London dry gin, unless he’s Scottish in which case he should drink whisky (spelled without an “e”, as it should be  :wink:).

@StuckTojo:

I dunno, man… the UK player should probably drink London dry gin, unless he’s Scottish in which case he should drink whisky (spelled without an “e”, as it should be :wink:).

God damn Grammar Nazis strike again. :-o

@Wolfshanze:

@StuckTojo:

I dunno, man… the UK player should probably drink London dry gin, unless he’s Scottish in which case he should drink whisky (spelled without an “e”, as it should be :wink:).

God damn Grammar Nazis strike again. :-o

The Scots and Canucks spell it without an “e”; the Irish and Americans spell it with an “e”…. except for Maker’s Mark, who spell it correctly, without an “e”…

Yes, I’m a whisky nerd…  :-D

@StuckTojo:

Yes, I’m a whisky nerd….  :-D

There are far worse kind of nerds to be. Whisky rocks (and I’m not referring to ice)!

Marsh

TIP: Use the FRENCH units!

French Units help to threaten Germany!

On France 1,2 retreat from Tunisia and Algeria to Morocco.

US picks up these units - needs  3 total empty TRs ( 1 more for the 2 Inf in London)  .

The threat is, that if US attacks W. Germany ,(UK does NOT commit to W. Germany, but to Normandy, Holland and Denmark)…, and same turn Italy kills W. Germany… thinking German forces can sweep through and take back Denmark…

hope you read the above line , carefully

Unless Italy has 4 land units survive the battle taking back W.Germ,  France, yes La France!, can kill Italians with 5 Inf + FTR…  even if 1 inf survives, then Denmark is safe…!!!

And if Denmark is safe, then Germany has to defend Berlin… and defend WELL!

Because,  if they do not… then  US will Kamikaze its Airforce  ( SBRS, FTRs and TB) on Berlin…  and MOVE its CVs into Berlin waters … even if the planes do NOT make it… because they give UK planes landing spots!!

And the real threat is UK taking all its troops from Normandy and Holland + its previous Build… which is important!.. and its planes from London… ( yes they have to be parked there!)  and take Berlin… game pretty much over.

I have done this successfully.

The important thing is the projected threat with the French helping with the 1-2-3 punch on Berlin.

99% of games, the Allied players, do NOT know how to use the French units worth 5xInf = 15 + 1xFTR = 10  (total 15+10 = 25 IPC build ) , this is not even counting the 1 Inf on W. Africa.

• HM

Correction - 2 French Inf go on to UK TR on the turn the 3 N. African French Inf get on the US TR…. so the US TR next turn moves to SZ 112 with the rest of the US attacking fleet… and the UK TR (with 2 FR inf) joins it on UK turn…  Now all 5 French Inf can attack… W. Germany -  with FTR from London…

This helps the US and UK in 4 ways:

1. They do not have to spend $ to buy troops to load in the 2.5  TRs
2. They force Italy to commit more forces in N. Italy/France to take back W. Germany
3. If W. Germany is taken by French , then on Germany turn, it will have to spend BIG $$$ to defend Germany… which means , money NOT spent against USSR… it usually involves retreating FTRS back to Germany
4. In event W. Germany is not taken back by Axis after the French take it…, with Holland, Normandy free, Paris can be liberated by UK… and on French turn, France gets to build in Normandy and Paris… making it harder for Axis, as they have to then take back W. Germany… and then Paris… and Moscow will probably never fall. Allies can park lots of planes in Paris and make it very expensive for Axis to take it back… and if Italy gets too cocky… Rome may fall …

Using France as a blocker against Italian can-opening, interesting.  One of those tricks that you don’t build a strategy around but keep up your sleeve in case it’s ever needed.  Although France can probably only attack with 4 inf, since Tunis is almost always killed.
Another French trick I keep up my sleeve in case the opportunity ever arises (though it never has yet) is if I ever stage my Brit fleet off 92 on UK1, and if it’s otherwise safe from an Italian attack, then I would leave a space open on the carrier.  That way if I have guys still alive in Normandy, they can attack whatever’s left in Marseilles, if feasible.  Not a significant game-changer, but you still need to fight tooth and nail for every inch.

@Wolfshanze:

I always try and keep my sessions realistic… if you are going to play the Russians, I make you drink Vodka before each turn… America? Whiskey… UK? Ale… Germany? Schnapps… Japan? Saki…

There was a discussion along those lines over here:

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=22076.0

The French gambit sounds all well and good; but is not always applicable. For example in league play, Balanced Mod has taken a firm hold and the Vichy option is usually taken by the Axis.

I tried that French infantry assault on West Germany playing TripleA last night, thought it was a neat tactic to get those ground units into the action earlier, lets France go on the offense for a change.

Bumped**

Too many good tips.

Thanks all for the above tips…
Being quiet is a HUGE thing. Yes, when introducing someone to the game it’s helpful to point out undefended transports. But shut up in a game with others your level. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve messed up from just saying “wow” or “oh boy” and then they look harder and see what it is. But the flip side is that you can sometimes make people switch their minds about certain moves by acting surprised and happy as if they’re making a big blunder (don’t over do it). Just wear your game face and don’t let opponents see you react.

@Gargantua:

You could call this a Tips and Tricks thread, or a Strategy Thread, but I figured the best thing to call it, was:

The “Lessons Learned” Thread

11.  Taking a French African territory nets the axis +1.  Taking a British African Territory nets the Axis +1 but the Allies -1. so net +2.

I love when the Axis takes an African or Asian French territory. That means when Allies take it back, they now get the IPCs from it whereas before they could not.

@Stonewall:

Being quiet is a HUGE thing. Yes, when introducing someone to the game it’s helpful to point out undefended transports. But shut up in a game with others your level. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve messed up from just saying “wow” or “oh boy” and then they look harder and see what it is. But the flip side is that you can sometimes make people switch their minds about certain moves by acting surprised and happy as if they’re making a big blunder (don’t over do it). Just wear your game face and don’t let opponents see you react.

I once heard second-hand about a particular workplace-relations case in which the management representatives met with the staff representatives and made a proposal to them about something.  The staff representatives discussed it among themselves, then went back to the management representatives and basically said, “Okay, we agree.”  The management representatives, puzzled over this unexpected reaction, returned to their office and double-checked their own proposal because they were worried that they might have missed something and that the deal might accidentally have been more advantageous to the staff than to management, which wasn’t its intended purpose.  Their attitude was basically, “Gosh, did we just go wrong somewhere without realizing it?”

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

@taamvan:

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

Sun Tse’s words are very applicable in the context of real warfare, but his recommendation is unfortunately harder to pull off in an open-system game like A&A in which everyone can see what forces everyone else has and what their location is.

If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

Know thine enemy as thyself, etc etc

Agree with you sir, in this type of game deception takes the form of the openly unknown and the openly unseen.  Your play shows your intentions and what is possible, the surprise comes when your opponent STILL doesn’t “see it coming” over a period of some hours of play!

Chess is the same way.  Nothing is truly hidden, and all you have each turn is 1 unit of fresh information to attempt to discern what your opponent is trying to do.

The best players of chess play it like poker;  your opponents know your preferences and predilections and it is your job to lure them into the trap of assuming you will act in the same was as before, or the same way the last grandmaster did, or the same way they would.