Playing by E-mail?

Try posting in Find Players and Game Discussion Forum…might be easier to find a game there

I continue to play classic as it is used in a summer historical gaming program that I teach in.  The 6th through 10th graders pick up the rules pretty quickly, and generally we can play enough in the time alloted to determine a probable winner.  We have just purchased the 2004 edition, and after my initial review of the game, we might work some aspects, mainly the destroyer into the Classic game rules.

I am not a fan of the new board, as it looks depressing, and the though of staring at it for several hours over a 5 day period is even more depressing.  The use of victory cities makes the game much more complicated for a beginning gamer, while the classic game of focusing on the capital simplifies the game greatly and clarifies what each players objectives are.  I am not a fan of the National Advantages either, especially as some of them are incorrect historically, and it one case, totally wrong.

All of the weapons development focuses on increasing attack capabilities, nothing increases the defense capabilitiesl.  By the end of the war, with the development of the Hedgehog and Squid antisubmarine projectiles, and use of larger depth charge patterns, the Allies were killing over half of the subs attacked, and aircraft were using sonobuoys, homing torpedoes, and Magnetic Anamoly Detection gear to locate and attack submerged subs.

There is no consideration of the proximity fuze used by the US and UK from 1943 on, which drastically increased the effectiveness of anti-aircraft fire, to the degree that between intercepting fighters and anti-aircraft fire, the Japanese were taking losses of 90% of their aircraft in conventional attacks.  Also, the British and the US shared all information relating to radar with each other during the war, so if the British get to use radar for their antiaircraft, so should the US.  Also, radar allowed for far better positioning of intercepting fighters, so in theory, your fighters should be able to defend at 5 with radar, rather than 4.

Japanese tanks were not exactly potent, to say the least, yet Japanese tanks have the same attack as the Sherman, T34, or Panther.  The Allies loved to see a Banzai charge, as the normal casualty exchange ratio started at 10 to 1 and at times hit 700 to 0 (Merrill’s Marauders in Burma).

The Germans did attempt to use the Stuka in the Battle of Britain as a strategic bomber.  After one week, it was withdrawn because of heavy losses.  When they tried again with fighters later, the British had a field day shooting them down, and German fighters never had the range to really attack anything significant in Britain.

Overall, I do not regard the Revised Edition of the game as an improvement over the Classic edition.  We will likely incorporate the destroyer into the classic rules, most likely using the destroyer rules from Axis and Allies Pacific.  The units will also prove useful in expanding the Axis and Allies Europe game to five players, and for my expansion of the Pacific game, as we will now be able to distinguish between Indian and Australian units, or use the odd color of the UK units for the Dutch.

Dude there is more than one axis and allies game. I like the original. (haven’t played any of the others)

qand whats this crap about super mega addict crap

Our Forums! Check out the games forum (Will be moving this topic when you reply and say you’ve seen the message. Please reply if you read this).

Although I have not played A&A this way. I know that the Zone has a game room for A&A. I believe the CD is required. Here is the link:
http://zone.msn.com/axisandallies/default.asp?blnHBRedirect=True

Playing against the AI in Iron Blitz using Axis:

G1 Standard builing of a Transport and Infantry works. The AI usually boats its Russian Transport to join the UK Transport off Canada, leave them alone. Hit the UK SZ with 4 Fighters and the Baltic Fleet. Send a Fighter against the Sub. And your Bomber & Sub against the Battleship. Take West Africa with the Algerian, Blitz out and back with the Lybian Tank, land a Fighter in Lybia, the rest and the Bomber in WE (The AI never builds enough in Kar to ever worry about him hitting EE). Move 2 dudes from Sth E to Lybia. Move everything to EE. Build 4 Inf in SE, the rest in Ger. Collect 34IPC.

J1 Build 3 Transports, save 1IPC. If he built the India IC, ignore it for now, he never uses it right. Hit China with everything, leaving 1 Inf in Man & Burma. Hit Hawaii with Bomper, 1 BB, Sub, 2 Fighter (have to have kamaze attacks on to be allowed to use the 2nd fighter). Bring the Jap Trans to the Solomon Is with 1 Inf from Wake. The Phil Trans with 1 Inf from Phil & 1 Inf from Caroline to Sol Is, Carrier and BB to Sol Is, land Fighers on Carrier, land Bomber in Sol. Land mainland fighters in Burma.

G2 Lots on Inf. Often UK Blitzes over to Algeria, Hit the tank with 2Inf & Figher, Hit Egypt with Tank 2 Inf. Bomp US SZ, usually US only has 2 Trans there, so you usually win without loss, Fighters against any ships in range (often 1 Trans in UK and 1 Trans in Baltic, so 2 Ftr each). Boat 4 Inf from SE to Lybia, move rest to EE, and 2 more into WE. Build 4 in SE and rest in Ger.

J2 Build Inf, save atleast 3IPC. Take Arg with the Pacific fleet from the bottom SZ (where you threaten both Bra & SA from). Boat 2Inf to Burma and 1 Inf + Tank to Man. Depending on losses in China, leave one Inf there and move the others to Burma.

Things to look for from now on:
Ger is looking to boat another 4 dudes into Persia each turn from now on (The AI always leave your fleet alone, but make sure you still keep them together). Other than that, just lose your Air Force taking out what Transports you can and always build all Inf each turn. Jap will win the game alone if Ger holds up the way the AI plays.
Jap will be able to take Bra, US never defend in well enough, and the build a Complex there the build 3 Subs the following turn. Jap will also be able to get the Indian IC the following turn and Soviet Far east safely as well. Sit your fleet in the US SZ, the US sends all his planes to Europe, you he cant very well clear you away. And the following turn hit the UK seazone with the Fleet and the 3 new subs, after this he cant build anymore transports ever. Make mabey 1 or 2 more subs each turn as needed, but start putting money back into the Indian IC with 3 Tanks and Jap Inf + Trans to get them to the main land ready for the win.

Just IMO,

Bad Play = US goes into the Pacific
Bad Play = Germany overextends itself (Early Karelia attack)
Bad Play = Britain overextrends itself (ICs in both SA and India)
Bad Play = Russia not prepared for the Japaneese
Bad Play = Japan Not performing Pearl Harbor Turn 1

Again, just my opinion for each country.