Who makes out better with the bid?

@Mazer:

Use the bid on an AA gun?  No, seriously?

The only possible worse bid would be a sub that couldn’t defend itself against air attacks in a land-locked body of water, like say, maybe, a Caspian sub.

Snort.  OK, +1 karma to you for that, considering where you are coming from :-)

Ukraine Heavy attack (3 INF, 1 ART, 3 ARM, 2 FIG)

Option 1:
AA Bid to Ukraine ($5 of the bid)
92% Russian win, with an average of 2 ARM, 2 FIG left

Option 2:
INF bid to Ukraine (only $3 of the bid)
86% Russian win, with an average of 2 ARM, 2 FIG

Net result:
For $2 less, I decrease the Russian win percentage by 6% by buying an INF instead of an AA; AND as Germany do not have to risk my FIGs to AA when I want to liberate it on G2.

WIN/WIN/WIN (cheaper/better odds/less future risk) for Germany to NOT buy an AA, but to place an INF instead.

@Mazer:

Come to think of it, from Paper #07:

Appendix D: What Do You Mean You Can’t Destroy the AA Gun?  Your Guys Can’t Find Any Rocks?

Whatever happened to sweet, scorched earth?

In the old versions of AA, you couldn’t have multiple AA guns in the same territory.  That meant that if Germany lost Western Europe, the Germans would have their own AA gun firing at them on the retake.  We didn’t like that.

We liked destroying things as soon as they were going to fall into enemy hands.  Putting an AA gun on a defenseless transport was the only legal way to do it.

In AA4, you can just move the gun back to your capital with any other guns, so it’s less of a big deal.  But why can’t you just blow up your own stuff?  You can’t just push it into the ocean?  I mean, you have guns and bombs and stuff, why not just stomp on the AA guns with both feet, like a monkey?

Caspian Sub scientists have been working around the clock to answer this question and they have made a tremendous discovery: the gray plastic pieces are completely indestructible.  You will notice that an IC is never destroyed, AA guns are not destroyed, and plastic chips are simply recycled between you and your enemy.  We do not know what goes into the gray plastic, but be warned that the gray plastic is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.  Apparently it is made of the same substance they use to make the black boxes in airplanes, only it’s gray.  The only way to put an AA gun out of commission is to hide it under the ocean.  And notice that even that doesn’t destroy it; it simply cannot hit planes anymore.  If possible, build your own units out of this substance.

---

Okay, Mazer’s getting good karma for that.  It was cute and made me smile!

@ncscswitch:

Ukraine Heavy attack (3 INF, 1 ART, 3 ARM, 2 FIG)

Option 1:
AA Bid to Ukraine ($5 of the bid)
92% Russian win, with an average of 2 ARM, 2 FIG left

Option 2:
INF bid to Ukraine (only $3 of the bid)
86% Russian win, with an average of 2 ARM, 2 FIG

Net result:
For $2 less, I decrease the Russian win percentage by 6% by buying an INF instead of an AA; AND as Germany do not have to risk my FIGs to AA when I want to liberate it on G2.

WIN/WIN/WIN (cheaper/better odds/less future risk) for Germany to NOT buy an AA, but to place an INF instead.

We need an option 3 with an armor bid to Ukraine. (Artillery would be same as infantry, except the threat of more firepower on counter attack if not destroyed.  However, the AA Gun costs 5 IPC, the Armor costs 5 IPC and the Armor defends better.)

Just a thought.

Believe it or not, an ARM Bid yields the same median results as an INF bid…

86% Russia win with 2 ARM, 2 FIG left.

Wow.  I’da thought the +17/18% increase in the chance of getting a hit over the infantry would make it significantly better.

There are differences in the above and below median ranges, but they are minimal; negligible with the additional cost factored in.

@ncscswitch:

There are differences in the above and below median ranges, but they are minimal; negligible with the additional cost factored in.

Makes me wonder if a psychological component could be brought to play there with the armor vs infantry.  Then again, 50/50 isn’t too hot in my opinion, better - for me - to bid 2 infantry in Ukraine and tip the scales more.

Personally I like to give the bid to Japan as a transport in sz37

I think a Mediterranean transport sucks too much of Germany’s resources into Africa and doesn’t generally survive long enough to be of much use against Russia. As far as troops to Germany those are of use so long as they are on the board. I don’t think Russia attacking Ukraine is a bad thing for Germany and as far as Africa is concerned killing the tank and fighter in Egypt is the priority.

Japan still buys 3 transports for Japan to have 4 dedicated to Japan on round 2. The bid transport is therefore able to earlier start clearing islands and pick off English IPCs.

SZ 37 is not a help in taking Hawaii, a44.  The idea of the transport for Japan, IMHO, is to take out a third American fighter.  Otherwise, I’d rather have ground forces in Asia for Japan (or Africa/Europe for Germany.)