Movement Rules

Four points I guess:

1. I usually stack Ukraine with Russia. Trying to attack the Central Powers will lead to what actually happened in World War 1, Russia getting steamrolled and politically collapsing.

2. It seems to me like your France isn’t playing aggressively enough in the face of Germany focusing on Russia. You didn’t mention the French once if your report, when it seems to me like you could have made a serious push for Ruhr, which would have either crippled the German economy or forced it to actually send units West.

3. If Russia is proving a challenge for you, you can always march troops from India -> Persia -> Sevastapol to keep the Russians alive. Even under tournament rules there’s nothing stopping the UK from dumping it’s entire income in India and rampaging across the Middle East. The Ottomans shouldn’t be able to put up too much of a fight unless you’ve got a really strong Ottoman player. This gives you free reign to either wipe out the Ottomans or prop up the Russians long enough for the Americans to win the game for you.

4. If the Italian front is stalling and Americans aren’t needed in France, you can send the Yanks to Italy instead. If you’ve established Allied naval dominance and the Austrians aren’t putting up any serious fight in the Trieste/Venice region, a steady line of Americans will probably be enough to ruin Austria’s day, or at least force them to divert troops away from Russia.

Personally I like the whole contested concept in 1914 as making this a&a game so different to the ww2 ones. Vive la difference!  :-)

Yes.

My own thoughts on balancing the game:

1. Use the Tournament Rules WITHOUT the starting setup changes.
2. Added Political Rules: (a) Germany must attack Belgium on Turn 1, (b) Italy is neutral on Turn 1 (no offensive actions, but can move into Albania to mobilize) unless/until attacked, and © the US joins on Turn 6, not Turn 4.  Thus, each turn is half of a year (Fall 1914, then Spring 1915, etc. - which also makes tanks at Turn 4 makes sense.
3. Strategic Movement: one or more units in one (1) space of home territory may be moved together to any other space of home territory that is not enemy-occupied or contested which is connected by a line of unoccupied, uncontested home territories from the first.  This may only be used once per turn per country, and is in lieu of other movement that those units could make.

Obviously, those crazy people who actually get 8 living, breathing people together to play the game will not like the US at Turn 6, but they can always find one person to not invite and have the US player also be the Russian player.

On a side note: the 2 movement rule seems to better the central powers on the Eastern front but might allow the allies to put pressure on the Germans right away

It’s actually the other way around. Once you have played a few games you’ll see.

Kim

I don’t agree with the two space rule change for land units. Land units in World War 1 were not mobile and if you are looking for a game with full mobility the original axis & allies WOII games are a much better choice.

However I do see the potential of limiting the capacity of producing units in India to 5. Playing UK is much harder as you have to keep producing units in India to keep the Ottomans away and also have to build a navy in the west to threat the Germans. The UK simply lacks the IPC to help the Russians in this scenario since a decisive victory against either the Ottomans in the East or against the German navy in the west is very hard to accomplish. In the two games we have played with this rule Russia Revolution has occurred.

@flashman

I am sure when the Second Edition comes out, many of these concerns will be dealt with, especially with a more streamlined and clearer rule book.

If not by Avalon Hill, then maybe Eagle Games. They did a good job, with Conquest of the Empire( I basically stuck with the old set of rules), and, Shogun(kept most of the old rules).

Along with any new minis/collectable minis.

As for a new follow up game, for example like Jutland, or, Lawerence’s adventures in the Mid-East , is pure speculation.

My best bet would be a tie in game like Axis & Allies 1915 and The War of the Worlds(H.G. Wells Novel could be given as a treat inside the game box).

Alas any reissued game would probably have those DAMX Zombie theme to it, thanks, Pellulo

PS I would never ever RoundRobin the latter.