Who will win?

@MeinHerr:

@ChocolatePancake:

Yeah, the main problem I see with this strategy is it doesn’t matter if the Allies capture Tokyo first. The Allies win condition is to capture all 3 Axis capitols, and the Axis can still win on the Europe half if Tokyo is in Allied hands.

So, it doesn’t really matter if it takes Germany a turn or two after Japan falls to take Egypt.

I must confess, truly, i was in error.  Never saw the rulebook on that one. The games I played, usually if G to Moscow… or US took Tokyo… the other players conceded…  Thought Victory conditions of Allies mirrored that of Axis  (either Berlin+Rome or 8 VC… in Europe… or Tokyo or 6 VC in Asia).

It is laughable… i agree, but honest confession is proper here.

I agree that the allies win conditions are laughable. I’d like to see a win condition that states either Germany or Japan in allied hands is a victory, but I still don’t see how the allies could win with this strat. It would take too long to take Tokyo. Egypt would be in German hands at least 2 turns before tokyo fell. Like many have stated, all Japan has to do if he see’s Russia doing a crazy tactic, like you described, is all out defense. Then Germany takes Egypt turn 10-12 100%.

@SS:

:cry: KISS  :cry:

Said otherwise, to lose IPCs in Convoy Disruption Phase, the enemy need to capture one of your originaly held valueless Islands AND put in the surrounding SZ a single submarine (-2 IPCs) or warship (-1 IPC).
Those penalties cannot be cumulative, even if there is more units in SZ, it is either -2 IPCs or -1 IPC, no more no less.

For instance, once Guam taken by Japan and having as many IJN Subs as you want in the surrounding SZ of Guam, it will cost 2 IPCs to US until all IJN Subs move elsewhere or are sunk by Allies.

A different NO, simpler but probably costlier to original owners, based on my suggestion made earlier:
All valueless Island groups controled by at least one stationed unit (Ground, Air, operational Air Base or Naval Base) gives 2 IPCs.
But cost 1 IPC to any original ex-owner, this penalty applied during Convoy Disruption Phase of this ex-owner.
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=34839.msg1355089#msg1355089

(The way I play Germany:)
Create 1 huge army that marches into Russia and arrives in Bryansk G5, ready to attack Moscow G6, together with purchases from G5 (aircraft in Berlin/fast in Ukraine). Purchases in G1/2/3/4/5 are always aimed at maximally reinforcing this marching ‘deathball’, like ghr and Demandr described.

Russia has no choice but to surrender Leningrad+Ukraine and Germany should gladly take them with some token forces (1 to 2 inf + air).

What the Allies CAN do about this (very generally speaking because of all the variables): Russia retreats into Moscow while building a lot of inf + ART(!). RAF helps to defend it. UK + USA getting strong at Gibraltar/London + Middle East and, very important, setting up ‘bomber command’. Comes G6 Germany cannot attack Moscow because it is too heavily defended. Luftwaffe is tied into Russia (making life easier for the allies preparing for DDay) because otherwise Russia begins counter-attacking, ending the German presence there. Germany can take Caucasus + Stalingrad but NOT in force because then the Russians can break out where it is most effective, attacking and destroying the German army defending Bryansk if there is still some there. If there is not, because all the Germans are in Caucasus/Stalingrad, what is to stop Russia from retaking Leningrad, Ukraine and all those juicy eastern-european countries? Nada.
Too bad this game has no ‘out-of-supply’ rules as this is exactly what happend in Russia, starving the massive German army in Stalingrad.

In the pacific, the USA + ANZAC have Allied task number 1: prevent an Axis (Pac 6VC) win. This does not mean Japan has to be killed (though you can certainly try), but Hawai + Sydney must be held. If Japan crushes India this is an easy job. If Japan clearly invests in taking Hawai/Sydney (luckily the USA goes after Japan so can react), the task is more difficult, but India will be safe  longer and can even become strong strong strong if Japan focuses too much on Hawai. Most Japanese players I have seen, invest heavily into taking India and Middle East and THEN they try to take Hawai/Sydney. This gives the USA breathing space to invest around 20% per turn into the Pacific, spending 80% of its income into Europe. By the time Japan is ready to invest into taking Hawai the USA can switch to near 100% into Pacific (depending on the Japanese investments) without a problem because its forces in Europe are already massive.

Note that I am using the LL system in my games (and posts) to predict/dictate what major powers must do to stay alive. The LL system is usually pretty accurate and if the dice screw you up, well, then it’s the dice, not strategy, that cost you the game.

The US does not have enough income to represent its realistic capablities
A real problem is that its a power that relies exclusively on transports to get to the action (japan also, but japan can build ICs on the coast, USA cant build ICs anywhere worthwhile)
Transports that need a fleet to protect them.

The best thing that could be done to help the US is to give them some extra infantry in the mainland. To ease the burden of having to buy so many high cost units.
Maybe like 4-8 more infantry.
The US really didnt have a manpower shortage, and the draft had already begun by 1940.

The 4-8 infantry would allow the US to maybe buy another bomber and Cruiser over the course of the first few turns, while still able to fill its transports.
I always feel the US shows up in a theatre with 3 units too few to really scare the axis player. They show up with enough that the axis can attack, and trade away planes for boats.
Setting back the US by a little, and the axis by a little more.
When in reality, the US should show up and the axis be very afraid to attack the US transports and fleet, and have to use its air units defensively. So that by turn 6 or so the US is the major allied agressor on the board. Not just the boogyman.

@jim010:

For defensive power for my money, and allows for fht swapping at sea.

That’s a pretty big deal right there.

It sounds like this became a three-way war:  USSR vs US & UK vs Japan.  I assume that the US and UK were still at war with Japan in the Pacific?

I played a game a while back that was kind of similar.  Basically, Japan never went to war with USA or UK but just attacked China and Russia.  On the other side, Germany and Italy never attacked Russia and only fought with USA and UK.  Well, Germany and Italy ended up getting pounded into the dust.  Japan actually made good progress capturing all of China and getting close to taking Moscow.  One reason for this is most of Russia’s heavy stuff was up against the German border and it took time to get it all east to face the Japanese.  Once Japan got through that 18 infantry, there wasn’t much to stop them from making quick progress.  Once US and UK got finished with Germany and Italy, they decided to side with Japan and declared war on Russia to rid the world of Communism.  Once that happened, Russia fell pretty quickly.  The large US and UK forces that were already in Europe just leap-frogged each other taking Soviet territories and closing in on Moscow from the west while Japan closed in from the east with their massive air force.
One strange thing was here Japan had this huge and powerful navy which was basically useless.  All those ships ended up clustered in SZ 6 and just rusted away from inaction.

I think he means an i-phone app.

maybe you could have multiple people play a country, with each controlling a portion of the countries’ forces to have teamwork included in it.