@Young:
How did long range aircraft “save you”?, I might understand if you got heavy bombers, but you must not have been that bad off if you liked the 1 extra movement point on planes.
My window to take Moscow was originally planned to be G8-J9. My Atlantic Wall was a complete failure in this game, though, so the Luftwaffe was decimated and whatever was rebuilt was needed to hold WGer, as western Europe was getting swamped by Allied ground troops. The Soviets were earning well, so every turn was decreasing my odds.
I had to rely on a no-air 0% G7 suicide against Moscow with a J7 follow. The G7 went better than expected in number of units killed but I couldn’t hold the landing spots (and he eliminated all Japanese ground units within striking distance of Moscow) for the Japanese planes on R7. J7 I spent my only 20 IPC (Japan was getting convoy-raided into the stone age) on rolls hoping for long-range aircraft (11% chance of hitting).
Then I eliminated all the defenders in Moscow with my Japanese air while I swept out the one territory I could with my Japanese ground forces, forming a cute little spot for my one remaining German tank left on the board to take a now undefended Moscow.
Without sucking out on that 11% chance, it was time to concede. As it is, it’s still a battle to hold the 8th VC for a turn. But the Axis have a chance now, and they didn’t before.