Spring 1942 1E Balance

@dmaldon9:

I’ve noticed that the Axis in this edition seems to have a slight edge and wins 90% of the time with decent strategy and rolls from what I’ve experienced.

A&A Spring 1942 is supposed to be quite well balanced from what I’ve experienced (and read). If allies are at a disadvantage, it is minimal.

To balance the game out, a bid is often used.
@Guerrilla:

In AaA Original and Revised the game setup and IPC amounts are geared in favor of the Allies. Players created a bidding system to give the Axis some extra starting cash to balance the playing field, since the Axis needs as many units as they can muster early on in the game.

Bidding:

In a “Bid Game” Each Player secretly writes down a number that they “bid” to play the Axis. After all players have written down a number all players reveal them simultaneously. Whichever 2 have the lowest number are the axis (those who think they can use the least amount of Extra IPC’s to win the game). The lowest bidder can choose which country he/she is (Germany or Japan). This Cash Can be used to purchase units immediately that can be placed in any “Controlled” Territory or it can be saved for later purchases.

Start Game

If you and whomever you are playing with are convinced that the Allies are at a disadvantage by default, you can create a bid to fix it. Start with something small (Net for allies of no more than 10) and see where that lands you.

somehow I remembered I was told that Allies are in slight advantage in this edition…but I could be wrong…

After my first 2 games, I felt the same way. However, after many more games, I just don’t see it as unbalanced. In my opinion, the most determining factor to who wins or loses is execution, and purchasing strategies. If as Russia, you buy bombers for instance, you’re going to have a very tough time early, and Germany will probably take Moscow by turn 4 at the latest. If nobody tries anything risky, and everything goes by the book, it is very tough for the Axis to overcome their economic disadvantage. Furthermore, if you don’t play efficiently, you may set yourself back a few turns. Make sure you’re moving every piece to the most optimal spot EVERY TURN. If you forget to move troop X to spot Y, you give your enemy too much room for error. For instance, last game I was Russia. The German player got too caught up trying to be cute. THis game me 2-3 solid turns of infantry build up, and that was enough to win me the war. I had a dominant defenssive front, and they could not advance. Game.

I always make sure the USA buys a certain amount of IPC’s against Japan. And those purchases can only be used against Japan. It gives a more authentic feel to the game. And it makes yhe Allies fo something else than Europe 1st every move.