What are the skills needed to play each specific country?

On second thought, #3 is a “tactic”, not a “strategy”.

You should probably skip #3.

You can try this:   http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/52059/oldschool-charts  Not sure if this is what you are looking for. It gives the steps but not an explanation. The only thing wrong with this but is easily fixed is the US starting income. You could also try this: http://files.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/4hyb4h8s4w/AnA_reference.jpg? but I think it will be the same for you. I have some in my group that forget a couple of the steps and the charts in the first link above has been helpful in remembering the steps to play.  Enjoy AA42. This is the only game, besides Revised, that I have in the AA lineup and really enjoy it.

I just reread your post and saw that you have already checked out BGG but not sure if you saw the two items that I linked.

Take, for example, the not-immediately-obvious Japanese air to Ukraine/West Russia/Caucasus trick.

I recently played a game against my friend, where I was the Axis, and I think that the above move probably won me the game. On G1 I threw pretty much all of the available ground units and fighters at the Caucasus in attempts to capture it… this turned out to be a vital move in crippling the Russian deployment options… later on in the game you only have one “front”/IC to worry about. I also moved 1 or 2 fighters to Norway to harass the various allied ships that were not yet organized into a fleet. On J1 I flew 4 fighters to the Caucasus… later on in the game these fighters are even more valuable becuase they can be used to shore up the holes in your German lines, especially when you are pushing to Moscow. Using this joint J and G strategy, I didn’t even have to devote many of my IPCs to attacking Russia as Japan.

Overall, you definently have to be agressive as the Axis right out of the gate.

If you have the A&A Spring 1942 board and can leave it set up you could play right here in these forums i believe.  there is a forum dice roller that works well.  Im down to play that way if you want send me a message.  ( I cant install anything on my work computer so i cant do the Triple A games unfortunately)

Hobbes is correct.  The destroyer must be in the battle, not just in the sea zone.

if the US thinks that the Pacific ocean is haunted get up to the Far east transport to Alaska and scare them build a factory there fight for West Canada and tell Germany to get an Industry in Brazil and then from West Indies they can land everyone up in there and do the rest so just do that

Yes I know - and it has a seperate Forum - there is one Forum for the new 1942 Pacific Game and one for the older Version - both have separate Forums.

@WTFchris:

Why do you guys put factories on Asia?  Seems like a waste to me.  Japan only has enough income to buy 8 units for transporting anyway (can increase to tanks and inf later with more income).

If you spend 15 on IC, then you put 3 units there a turn, but you aren’t using Japan IC fully because money shortage.  You gain no movement either (except through China corridor, which will be almost defenseless in a turn or two).  You can drop from Japan to Buryatia which is just as close to Russia as any mainland IC.  why waste 15 IPCs?  I also build no ships until I see US pacific fleet amassed (which rarely happens).  Since you took out Hawaii fleet (doesn’t matter what you lost as long as their’s is gone), they are not within reach for 2 turns.  Only build boats in response to US massing.

I have made India IC though as income increases and you can’t spend all your money at Japan IC.  This allows for pressure on Caucus at same time as northern pressure.  Then I just mass at Yakut and India until I have enough to hit either Russia IC.

I think your reasoning applies very well to Revised…but I’m not so sure about this game.  It may well be that transport tactics that work well in Revised will apply here (for instance I think popular Germany tactics like the Lurch are still applicable here), but there are a couple problems…

It’s hard to buy transports if UK is applying pressure.  If UK has a bomber, sub and possibly a fig in range of 62, Japan can’t drop any new transports w/o keeping a bb and a loaded carrier in 62 or buying some surface navy.  Going with a factory (or 2) on J1 allows Japan to go after the Allied navies without having to worry about protecting convoys.  The alternative is staying in 62 and going after Pearl with air/subs only…I’m not crazy about that option but it is an option.

The one area where factories are superior to transports in terms of mobility is being able to drop 3 tanks at a time that are already situated on the mainland.  My impression so far is that tank heavy strategies are more tempting for Axis since Germany is frequently defeated quickly in Africa…giving Allies the advantage in the long game.  Meanwhile, it takes longer for the Allies to set up an Atlantic shuck than in Revised…so Russia is more vulnerable to being tag-teamed by the Axis.