Americas fleet attacks Germany

@Gargantua:

Blu,

The game is DESIGNED to be played with VC’s in each theater, it’s incredibly important, or the allies will win 100% of games.

In a “world domination” game, as you say, the americans will just spend 100% one way, and the other board won’t even matter.� Then when the first board is done, even if the other side has won, he can’t face off against the economics. Ever.

The balance is critical to keeping americans builds and forces split.� Else, like a big stack of units, their forces are exponentially more powerful.

…

DO NOT PLAY WD.� Play VC!

Great points.
I still think the Axis can win WD, if they follow my strat I posted earlier.
Keep USA out of the war, and have Japan assist in taking Russia quickly.  If you get Moscow and Calcutta by round 6-8, along with getting Middle East NO’s, you have a game.
But Garg is right - big advantage to Allies playing WD if you don’t modify anything else.  Axis can win WD but they are quite disadvantaged.
You see, this game is pretty well balanced when the Axis has the ability to take a tremendous amount of pressure off Europe by threatening the 6 city Pacific win.  Without this ability, the Allies have a terrific advantage.  The only possible way to deal with that advantage is probably to keep the USA out until round 4 (as long as possible) and crush Moscow and India ASAP.  Failure to do this is death.

I had that all typed up when you posted, Blu

You guys can play WD and it can work out ok, but you might need to modify the rules a bit

Again, the game is slightly weighted toward the Axis with the VC rules in each theater.  Take that away, and I’m sure the game will be heavily weighted for the Allies.  You can compensate for that by bidding units or some other house rules

Here’s an idea

USA can’t enter the war unless Axis declares directly on her or attacks her holdings/units directly

That is, Japan can take money islands and wail on UK/ANZ without bringing USA in the war before the end of USA3 (USA can’t attack until US4)

In other words, USA won’t enter the war unless Pearl Harbor is actually attacked or Hitler stupidly DOWs them! (Implicit assumption is that Japan has attacked Pearl Harbor by USA3 which is why USA can declare at the end of USA3 per the rules)

I would just play a VC game, because it keeps players more strategically interested, and minded. But… if and when the time comes, and the Axis look like they have it.  Play a WD Game then!

If the Axis wins the VC call it a minor victory,  if they win the WD game, call it a major victory!

That said…

It sounds to me like most of your players are quite new? so the reality of the game balance that players like Gamerman and I are familiar with, may not necessarily apply to your game at all.

Its like those olympic swimsuits that were a big scandal a few years ago.  At the professional level - the suit gave such an edge to the olympic swimmers that it made it impossible for swimmers who didnt have the suits to win.

Link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer

But Im sure that if the three of us jumped in the water for a race, suit or no suit, we wouldnt know the difference, and it wouldn`t apply to our game at all.

So keep in mind that concerns about balance etc from Gamerman, myself, and others… probably means nothing in a game of mostly new players.

And no, Im not saying Gamerman, or Cow, or Myself are Michael Phelps or anything lol.  Its just that after playing so many games at the same skill level, you start to see the patterns, and the petty advantages, that MUST be exploited. :)

FWIW I agree with Garg about this too

Would probably still be a good idea to implement my house rule if you don’t want to play VC winning conditions at all.

Any time
Always fun to think and talk about A&A strategy, and tell others about what’s been learned from experience
Happy gaming to you and your buddies