Concerning a bid:
We are starting game two, and I’ll try allies this time (axis sure was fun LOL). There is normally a bit of a learning curve for the allies. I think I will try to weather the storm and see what happens before I jump on the bid or swamping units around band wagon. I can see the point about getting more info for the tourney though.
To the German navy points:
It’s strange because as Germany I felt obligated to buy the carrier (or a couple destroyers) to beef up the Baltic fleet. The RAF can hit the Baltic (sz5) from England, and the BB in the Med is under a lot of pressure where ever it goes. I ended up buying a carrier G1 for the Baltic, then sprinkled in a dd and couple tpts later to keep the UK honest, and to keep pace w/English air power. G1 I used the Med BB to kill the UK cruiser in sz14 and also took Gib so the UK ftrs couldn’t attack me in sz14, only the Egypt dd & bmr can reach (your probably still going to lose it, but maybe you take a couple units down with you). It would be hard to save both German fleets (expensive), and you really need to kill at least one of the UK ships in the Med IMO. Building in the Baltic seemed to help take down Russia, but I could see the importance of a Med fleet too.
BTW the US sitting there w/dd & 2 tpts off E US in range of both subs is just Way To Funny (WTF). You have to hit that s**t (probably with both subs). I’m ok with the UK losing yet another BB in the Atlantic G1 (oh big surprise) but the mini US fleet going down feels cheap.
The US cruiser in 19 should be swapped for the US destroyer in 56.
So at least if Germany does attack the US transport fleet, the US can respond and attempt to clear its own waters.
The more and more I look at this I see the allies really got the shaft in this edition.
I am getting my game on Friday and since the only version I own is the 2004 revised edition.
I’ll probably be to lazy to adjust to the new rules so I will play 1942 2nd edition with the revised rules.
(I will wright a short review of how the game went when I actually play it)
This brings me to my point: many pointed out that the allies were fighting an uphill battle. But I think that the rule from revised specially the National Advantages will greatly help the allies.
Here are the main NA that I think will help the allies
USSR
1.Russian winter: All inf defend on 3 for 1 turn
2.Non Aggression treaty with Japan: You get 4 unit wherever Japan attack you
3.Mobile Industry: IC may be moved in any red territory (good to escape german capture)
4.Salvage: If Germany looses a tank and then retreats place one soviet tank in that territory
5.Land Lease: US and UK troop in red territory may be replace by red units at the beginning of the red turn.
6.Trans Siberian Railways: Allows infantry and AA gun to move 2 spaces in some specified tettitories
Also
Uk fleet could be saved by scrambling fighters from enigma decoded
USA would get +1 inf in any chinese territory
I will tell you more when I try this ruleset.
PS:Sorry for my english, I am from the french speaking part of Canada
Sorry I forgot to mention these are only the USSR NA
If you want to take a look at the UK and US Japanese and German one’s, look for the rulebook by searching ‘A&A revised rulebook 2004’
@WILD:
We just finished a game that went almost exactly how yours did. Russia did a a couple small battles. Germany kills the UK Atlantic BB, the US dd/tpts and built a carrier for the Baltic. The UK also tried to kill off the Japanese DIE fleet, and failed miserably. All UK units lost, and Japan kept the carrier & dinged bb. UK losing that much stuff round1 on the Pac side set-up very well for the axis, and the allies lost ground all game (Asia & Africa seemed like mere speed bumps). The US seemed under powered to compete w/Japan (with virtually no help from UK) even though they spent pretty exclusive Pac side. In a couple rounds the Chinese (US) were gone, India and Egypt fell. Japan was making about 40+, and Germany got into the 50’s. Early on Germany took Kar, then hit Moscow, but pulled out when inf stacks were depleted (Moscow would have held). Germany then took Caucasus as Japan started grabbing Russian land near Asia & the Mid east. Germany got its second wind (even though the Brits did some nuance landing parties in W Europe and crushed Moscow a couple turns later by reinforcing Kar through the Baltic w/3 tpts. The UK did build enough air power to kill the German Baltic fleet, but by that time the damage was done (Germany should have built another dd, but missed it). I think the game went about 6 rounds or so, and allies pulled the plug.
I agree with all the others. Our first game went almost exactly like the post above.
It seems to me that the Allied powers are far too weak. It only took germany a few rounds to get into the 50+ IPC range.
So some red flags that we are seeing so far.
Honestly, I don’t think its even fair to play as the allies in this edition.
I am receiving this game soon and am going to introduce my friends to axis and allies, so I don’t want the game to be so one-sided that everyone playing allies hates the game. Would making the axis capture 10 VC instead of 9 do anything to balance it out?
I don’t know if that would solve the issue. (adding one more VC needed for the Axis)
The German attacks on the UK and US fleets are so advantageous to the axis that it puts the allies in a really weird position in the early game.
I mean, it’s 1942 by now, and quite often the US and UK literally have no boats in the Atlantic by G2.
The US just doesn’t have the IPCs to get the ball rolling in BOTH the pacific and the atlantic after losing so much material.
And the UK really can’t EVER get the ball rolling if Germany doesn’t want them too (by keeping the sea zones around the UK under threat of attack)
Honestly, what might help every power, would be if victory cities could scramble one plane.
That helps the US fleet off the Atlantic seaboard. It helps the UK fleet in the north Atlantic, it helps the German fleets in the Mediterranean and Baltic. It helps the UK fleet at India. It helps the Japanese fleet in its home waters. And helps US fleets off the west coast and Hawaii.
Im really going to start pushing for the VC Scramble as a house rule.
(one plane only of course)
I wish it was in the damn rulebook as an optional rule……like interceptors.
Without scramble, we are back to the days of revised, where naval units really have no where to hide. Especially now considering the board got smaller and fighters can get pretty much all over a whole ocean.
The G1 attacks on zones 7-11 ate actually so good….wait…they are TOO good.
Really makes the allies totally helpless in the Atlantic for 3 turns
Well - now - we have just a few plays under our belts here, let’s not go and start saying the game is unblanced and the Allies have no shot to win.
I have seen this script before and people WILL find a way to get the Allies into the game and be competitive. Every game seems to go through these initial wild swings of concern…
MM
So some red flags that we are seeing so far.
- The UK attack on the Japanese fleet looks good, but is a trap.
Well US transports used to defend at 1, which made a 2 SS vs 1 DD 2 TR a bit of a toss up.
Now its 2 SS sinking 22 IPCs worth of boats without blinking.
Well US transports used to defend at 1, which made a 2 SS vs 1 DD 2 TR a bit of a toss up.
Now its 2 SS sinking 22 IPCs worth of boats without blinking.
Which is kinda what really happened to US ships in 1942……
As to balance…eh its early. A few MONTHS of playing will be needed to determine a bid, not a few games.
Well US transports used to defend at 1, which made a 2 SS vs 1 DD 2 TR a bit of a toss up.
Now its 2 SS sinking 22 IPCs worth of boats without blinking.
Which is kinda what really happened to US ships in 1942……
As to balance…eh its early. A few MONTHS of playing will be needed to determine a bid, not a few games.
Completely agree. The overall changes look balanced at first sight and the Allies continue to have the steeper learning curve.
Just now getting back into Axis and Allies with the 1942 2nd edition after a many years of hiatus. Just curious to know what an Allied “Bid” is that everyone is talking about.
People bid so as to play the Axis. You say I will give you 6 (IPCs to spend) and your opponent says: I will give you 8 if I can be the Axis. Goes on until one side gives up.
The Allied player then gets to choose how to spend his bid and where he wants to place it.
Could buy a UK Destroyer or 3 Inf for Russia. Some bids go above 20(for Anniversary).
Some people insist on it.
Well it wouldn’t be so bad if the UK wasn’t losing a BB and Trans also.
Well it wouldn’t be so bad if the UK wasn’t losing a BB and Trans also.
One of the most common German openings on 1st Edition is to attack the UK BB+transport, the Med cruiser and destroyer and Egypt. Here you can inflict even more damage to the Allies at sea but Egypt/Africa are safer - it is a matter of deciding what to do with the UK Indian Ocean resources.
