What percentage is luck involved in a games outcome?

Allies won in round 9. Russia took all of Europe, Manchuria and Kwangtung. England took the Pacific , from India to Tokyo.

Welcome, General_Ram!

1. Yes, assuming that the sea zones the transport loads in and has to pass through on its way to offload are friendly and the sea zone in which it offloads is either friendly or is made friendly through sea combat.

2. Yes.  You may fight as many battles as you wish on your turn.  However, all combat moves must be completed before any combat begins, and each unit may fight in only one battle (although air units may be fired upon by multiple AA guns along their route, and units on transports may be indirectly involved in a sea battle before offloading for an amphibious assault).

I disagree with your analysis–from what it sounds like, UK1 was played quite well.  Ignoring Japan for a few rounds is not a problem.  As far as I can tell, the main factors contributing to Allied loss were
—not contesting Africa (big one!)
—losing the British fleet (carelessness + your luck)
—Panicking on the USA west coast–your landing in Canada could have been handled easily

Sounds like there was solid Russian play all the way through, and mostly sound Allied play, but with the aforementioned oversights.  If he had shut you out of Africa and not had to rebuild the USA fleet, I’ll bet Germany would have been about ready to collapse by the time Moscow fell.  Generally the Allies can win if Berlin falls even a round or two after Moscow.  I don’t think the idea of letting Japan go for a while and going full bore against Germany is wrong as a big picture approach, it just sounds like a couple of the details were botched.

Africa is not critical if the Axis is doing an “aimed spear” at Russia and can slow the Allied landings by a turn (usually throurgh AF threat to their fleet).  It is also contingent on Russia being afraid of a permanent loss of Caucuses (usually through a combined threat).  The “Aimed Spear” requires a strong Japan naval presence in the Indian Ocean immediately, which can mean risk from the USA in the Pacific if TOTAL naval dominance was not achieved via Pearl and the Pearl Counter.  It is also a risky attempt by Germany, since it involves a lot of ARM purchased on G1 (in advance of seeing the Allied moves that may or may not destroy the threat of an “aimed spear” attack).

Pre-LHTR Lend Lease is insane.  Non-LHTR Super-fortresses is also pretty crazy.

Colonial Garrison makes KJF much stronger.  Radar messes with things a lot.  Mobile Industry makes the Caucasus no longer a vital country, and increases the strength of a KJF.  Mechanized infantry lets you do a lot of stuff, as does fast carriers, as does island bases . . . really, MOST of the Allied NAs are quite good.

Germany’s Blitzkrieg is decent because it frees up fighters.  Japan’s Banzai is okay.  (Banzai’s not great against a KJF, and even for a KGF, you need tanks and fighters for that last push into Moscow).  Most of the Axis NAs suck.  It is usually a matter of HOW MUCH they suck.

How to abuse pre-LHTR Lend Lease - UK fighters, US fighters.  You haven’t seen “stupid” until you see Russia producing 8-9 infantry a turn with 14 fighters for backup.  No, seriously.  Russia just beats the hell out of everything.  LHTR changed this, thank goodness.

How to abuse Superfortresses - build bombers to strat bomb, go for tech dice on US3 or US4.  With heavy bombers, you shut down Germany.  LHTR limits total damage per turn, I believe, instead of total damage per bomber, so stops this from doing more than 16 IPC damage.

How to abuse Blitzkrieg - well, you take this fat load of tanks, and use 1-2 infantry to trade territories with Russia early.  Since you can use your tanks to trade territories without committing, now you can use your fighters for other things.  Like . . . getting EVEN MORE territory, or fighting off that Allied Atlantic fleet.

How to abuse Banzai - use a lotta infantry, surprise.

Canals are not zones.  They do not count as spaces for land or air.

@CrazyStraw:

Howdy.

I hadn’t weighed in on this thread, but I just got a story to tell.

Yesterday I played a game against a good player.  It was time-limited.

No joke, in a 5 round game I built 9tra 1car with Germany.

And it WON the game for me!

It was ridiculous!

It was absurd!

It was outrageous!

It was sublime…

So German boats can be good.  That would have been excessive in 99% of the games I’ve played, but yesterday it was exactly enough to get the job done.  Simple lesson: the Baltic is important.

I begin to see the value in LL / No Luck games and in non-time limited games.

My entire strategies in my tournament game had to change because of a time limit.  It caused a waste of two turns because I forgot to take into account that there was a time limit in each round.  (not a round limit, that would have been easy to work with, but a time limit.)

needless to say, I’m never making that mistake again!