Bidding??

It really depends on who are winning those games. If the guys who “always play allies” also “always win” it might be time to give the axis a boost to even out the advantage. Typically players bid for the axis, and the one with the lower bid gets to play them. (General consensus is that the Axis are underpowered)

There are different ways to bid, and I’m not the one to lecture on the different types. But say you guys go for an auction type of bidding and you and your friend say something like “we want to play allies this time, if we are to play axis yet again we want 6 ipcs in units”. For instance you place 1 inf in ukraine and 1 inf in manchuria. Your opponents can then go on and underbid you with 5 ipcs etc.

You can only place a unit in a territory that power already owns, meaning you can’t put a german guy in manchuria - he’ll have to be japanese. There are other versions too “half placement” meaning you only get to place half the bid as units on the board the rest as cash in hand, or “one unit per territory”.

Get the idea?

@axis4ever:

We want to be the Axis powers up front and yes, it’s difficult to win with them. Therefore, do we just like, get extra pieces to even the score?

There’s two perspectives on this.  One is, as you state, extra pieces are added to initial game set-up to even the score.

Another bidding system (called the FIDA bid, initials of a number of online A&A clubs), splits the bid into at no more than 50% of the bid can be added as initial set-up extra pieces; the rest is cash to be split amongst Germany and Japan (you can give all the $ to one side if you want)

An example FIDA bid would be 15:  inf, tank in Libya (Germany), $2 to Japan, $5 to Germany.

Common bids in games here (that do not use the FIDA requirement to split the bid with a maximum of half placed up front and the rest as cash for turn 1 purchases) run $5 to $9, with the average running in the $6-$7 range.

And that is the TOTAL amount that the two Axis playes would then split between them as they chose.

Well with 1 IPC you could get 2 transports and an IC on japans first turn, but I wouldnt advise building an IC on J1.

@axis4ever:

Thanks guys…that helps

If my friend and I want to be the Axis…there’s no point in bidding though since everyone will just bid 1$…

What would be a fair amount of money to expect to receive for the Axis to split…$15?

This is counter-intuitive, the axis lose in your games most of the time, but everyone will bid only $1 FOR them?

If you are saying up front that you want the axis no matter what, then what incentive do you give to your opponents to “let you have extra IPC”?  I guess if they too realize that the axis always lose, they might agree…or maybe not.

The best bidding IMO is when you are bidding what you are willing to play the axis for - if your opponent will play axis with 6 extra IPC, then you better be willing to play them with only 5 extra IPC or end up playing the allies.

@Cobert:

Well with 1 IPC you could get 2 transports and an IC on japans first turn, but I wouldnt advise building an IC on J1.

As a counter, I storngly recommend buying a Japan IC on J1 along with the 2 TRN (with $1 IPC of bid going to Japan)

I have had very good success with a J1 IC.

The purchase of an IC on J1 is risky, because you have to committ to the IC before you’ve secured your position on the Asian Mainland.  If your attacks go badly you could end up with an IC you can’t hold.  Also you haven’t seen the US opening move, are they going for a Pacific Strategy?  What happened in the attack on Pearl?  There are just too many variables on J1.

As I have argued with Jen, if if the US goes KJF, the J1 IC still allows you to send forces to Asia, though a much diminished amount, even if you have to go hard-core Naval builds.  And maintaining a flow into Asia is critical to Japan in terms of revenue as well as creating a 2 front war for Russia.

@axis_roll:

There’s two perspectives on this.  One is, as you state, extra pieces are added to initial game set-up to even the score.

Another bidding system (called the FIDA bid, initials of a number of online A&A clubs), splits the bid into at no more than 50% of the bid can be added as initial set-up extra pieces; the rest is cash to be split amongst Germany and Japan (you can give all the $ to one side if you want)

An example FIDA bid would be 15:  inf, tank in Libya (Germany), $2 to Japan, $5 to Germany.

Actually, in FIDA, this bid would not be allowed.  the Inf/tank is 8 IPC, which is more than 50% of the 15 bid.  In this example, you would be able to place inf, rtl at the most.

@Wazzup:

@axis_roll:

There’s two perspectives on this.  One is, as you state, extra pieces are added to initial game set-up to even the score.

Another bidding system (called the FIDA bid, initials of a number of online A&A clubs), splits the bid into at no more than 50% of the bid can be added as initial set-up extra pieces; the rest is cash to be split amongst Germany and Japan (you can give all the $ to one side if you want)

An example FIDA bid would be 15:  inf, tank in Libya (Germany), $2 to Japan, $5 to Germany.

Actually, in FIDA, this bid would not be allowed.  the Inf/tank is 8 IPC, which is more than 50% of the 15 bid.  In this example, you would be able to place inf, rtl at the most.

Whoops!!

Math error… math error.

Thanks for pointing that out.  My description says <= 50%, but my example was incorrect.