Does anyone else think tanks are too expensive?

compared with infantry?

I think the game would be better balanced if infantry were 4 IPCs and tanks were 6 IPCs or something close to that ratio.

@Grigoriy:

Well, the difference is the same, I really think it’s all right the way it is.

No it’s not the same! You have to consider the ratio. With infantry at 3 IPCs and tanks at 5 IPCs you can build 5 infantry for every 3 tanks. With infantry at 4 IPCS and tanks at 6 IPCs you can build 6 infantry for every 4 tanks. 4 tanks versus 6 infantry have a much better chance of winning than 3 tanks versus 5 infantry.

@waraxis:

I agree too the costs are fine. It is balanced!

Here is what an article from Avalon Hill says:

Because infantry is cheap, the defender can always build up the defense faster than the attacker can build up the offense, IPC for IPC. No combination of infantry, armor, fighters, and bombers totaling 30 IPCs will beat 30 IPCs’ worth (10 units) of defending infantry. Against that defense, the attacker needs to spend at least 38 IPCs, split about equally between six infantry and four armor, in order to reach a 50/50 chance to take the territory. Even if that attack succeeds, odds are that the attackers will lose so many units they won’t be able to hold the territory afterward. To reliably win the battle and have enough surviving infantry to protect the armor against counterattack requires an assault force of at least 10 infantry and four or five tanks – a minimum of 55 IPCs in the attack, almost two-to-one against the defenders.

http://www.avalonhill.com/default.asp?x=articles/strat/aa20020724

How is that balanced?

I think changing the relative cost of infantry and tanks will not only help balance infantry and tanks but also help balance Axis versus Allies.

@TG:

Tanks should really be worth only 4.5 IPCs. However, rather than using a half an IPC, I much rather let the value be rounded up to 5 than down to 4. 4 IPC tanks are very scary indeed.

Maybe you could have a rule where they are worth 4.5 IPCs and that you round up. So if you buy one tank, it costs 5 IPCS and if you buy 2 tanks it costs 9 IPCS and if you buy 3 tanks it costs 14 IPCs etc. The MIT House rules have a feature like that for industrial technology. Under the MIT house rules industrial technology makes infantry cost 2.5 IPCs, rounded up. I think that’s a good rule because 2 IPC infantry are just unstoppable. They’d probably even make good attackers at that price.

@waraxis:

Here’s a idea how about upping the stats for the tank to attack of 4.

Will that be balanced then?

I think so! I think it might make for a more interesting game too. But I don’t know; I haven’t tried it.

@MistaBiggs:

Tanks can definitely fire on aircraft…

That’s what I had always thought too. But now I’m wondering how do they actually fire on aircraft? Are tanks equipped with rocket launchers or something?

These prices could be used for any A&A game or variant but obviously affect bidding.

Inflation-

Inf 4
Rtl/Mar 5
Arm 6
Sub 10
Trn 10
Ftr 15
Dstr 15
Bmr 20
Ac 24
Bshp 32

Good for high income games/variants. Ground attack units (Rtl/Mar/Arm) are now proportionately cheaper, all other ratios pretty much the same. Buying less units means more strategy in purchasing and deployment.

Deflation-

Inf 2
Rtl/Mar 3
Arm 4
Sub 6
Trn 6
Ftr 8
Dstr 8
Bmr 10
Ac 12
Bshp 15

Good for low income games/variants or if you want to roll lots of dice. Ground attack units (Rtl/Mar/Arm) are now more expensive, you need to increase the arm attack to a 4 or the defense to a 3. Bmr’s, Ac’s and Bshp’s are now a little bit proportionately cheaper.