Axis and Allies 1942 Edition Fact Sheet ( AA42)

The Allies have to work together to win, but it does take cooperation. And honestly, when I play…I typically ignore the Japanese in the Pacific (except for China, which I’ll explain in a second)

ROUND 1: (Russia) I actually move 2 INF from Novosibiask > to support the US troops in Sinkiang. I also move 2 INF from Evenki National & Yakut > Novosibirsk

(UK Round 1) i typically buy 1 Aircraft Carrier, 1 Transport and 2 INF.
*I consolidate forces around India, including 1 INF from Persia and Trans Jordan. My UK Ftr MUST destroy the transport in SZ59. In addition, I get the Transport and the Submarine out of SZ40 and move them> SZ 20. If I’m feeling daring, I’ll pick up 2 INF from Australia and load them on the Transport as well…though this is a risk because it can easily be attacked by the Japanese…but even this has some advantage to it. If the Japanese attack them, they will not be able to attack India for another round…and that is another Round to build up the Allied collation in Asia.
*If they have survived, the UK Battleship and Transport that was in SZ 2 needs to be moved > SZ 8. This is the focal point of the invasion for Western Europe.
*ALWAYS STRATEGIC BOMB GERMANY!

(USA Round 1) If I’m going to defend Asia, I’ll buy an Industrial Complex R1 along with Transports and INF. I’m different than a lot of players…as the US, I typically ignore the Pacific entirely (except for the Asia defense I’m working with Russia and the UK on.) I pull my Battleship and Transport out of SZ 55 and send them through the Panama Canal toward the East Coast. I also move the Destroyer in SZ20 back toward the East Coast.
*Bombers fly to the UK and the FTR lands on the Aircraft Carrier the UK just produced to help defend it. Once the Bomber is in place for R2…ALWAYS STRATEGIC BOMB GERMANY!  (You might even want to buy another US Bomber) By R3 the US and the UK should be taking out between 9-10 IPCs from Germany each turn…and that will become HUGE. Work together with the UK player on this and each round send another bombing raid on Berlin. I can’t stress this enough.
*If the forces in China have survived, pull them back to Sinkiang at the end of US Round 1. If Japan didn’t take out the US FTR in China, they are stupid and you have a gift!  Place your Industrial Complex in Sinkiang.

Now look at the Allies situation at the beginning of ROUND 2
*On Russia R2, Russia can pour 4 more INF into Sinkiang from Novosibirsk, pushing those defenses up to 8-10 INF (+1 FTR if you are lucky) The US Industrial Complex can produce 1 FTR + 1 ARMOR, which will make those defenses even better. By R3, Sinkiang could have: 2-3 FTRS, 2 ARMOR & 8-10 INF. This is a lot of firepower and will cause the Japanese some headaches for several rounds…which is all you need.
*UK has a force in India with swelling support. Again, this will force the Japanese to split their attention between the US and Russians in Sinkiang and the UK force in India. It will take them several rounds to capture both…which is all you need.
*You also have a growing fleet in SZ 8 with an Aircraft carrier, Battleship and some Fighters. A second US Battleship is on its way and should be there R3. This is strong enough to protect the transports that will be flooding in. Here is the time you are needing that the Asian collation has given you. Japan will be stalled in Sinkiang and India for a few rounds and as you are building an invasion fleet in SZ 8, it will force Germany to pull forces from the Russian front to defend Europe. Once I have enough US and UK forces collected, I begin pouring in the assault in waves. Transports continually resupplying fresh troops in SZ 8 in a chain from the US. (The transports are produced, loaded, moved to SZ 8, Invade Europe, & return to the US for another round of troops.

The Industrial Complex in Sinkiang is not defensible forever. Keep a close eye on when the right time to abandon it might be and fall back into Russia. This typically is a welcome relief as it will provide Moscow with some much needed FTR and Armor defense. Japan is going to get an Industrial Complex on the mainland of Asia eventually, so I don’t even worry that I’ve gifted the Japanese an extra one. What the Allies need is time, and this buys them 2-3 extra rounds.

Japan can be an economic powerhouse, and own all of Asia and most of Africa for all I care, as long as Berlin falls and Moscow is protected. Typically, about the time Japan is gaining some real power in Asia and breaks through the defenses, Europe is about ready to fall to the Allies. Once this happens, its really over for Japan as they can not beat all three powers alone, no matter how much their territory has grown. They Allies will simply take it all back, and concentrate on Japan.

When facing Germany I take the invasion of Europe in 3 phases: Phase 1 DESTROY THE GERMAN NAVY. Phase 2: DESTROY THE GERMAN FTRS (this will take awhile, and usually involves several German attacks against the growing Allied Atlantic Fleet…but it’s Germany’s only option to stop the build up of Transports. Eventually, Germany will lose their FTRS by having to attack this fleet. Of course, the Allies will have to keep building lost transports that the Allies will sacrifice to soak up the attack, but that is losing 8 IPCs (for a transport) for the German 10. (This gives the Allies a +$2 IPC advantage for this attack) Germany can’t replace FTRS as easily as the Allies can replace Transports.
Phase 3: D-DAY and invade Europe wherever practical!  (Only do this when Phase 1 & 2 is complete)

Game over.

Being axis is easier in these newer versions than the previous classic versions.  The three steps it takes America to get to Europe is a HUGE help to the Axis.  But here is my Germany and i can win 5/10 games doing this.  turn 1 buy all infantry YES all infantry then take out the allied navy with German navy and fighters/bomber.  Consolidate all Eastern German forces in one territory.  Turn 2 buy again ALL INFANTRY again.  Move the Infantry you bought turn 1 west so you can defend against Normandy invasion also move your fighters with the infantry in the west.  All the forces you consolidated retreat west closer to Germany don’t worry the German battering ram is coming.  Turn 3 buy all tanks move the infantry from turn two east and consolidate all forces in the EAST.  Turn 4 buy tanks move the massive consolidated force south never separate the infantry from the tanks.  turn 5 move tanks from turn 4 south with the main force.  Turn 6 Russia should be like OMG i cant kill that massive force you should be able to take caucuss now.  With japan my goal #1 is to take India at all costs if Japan has failed to do this use the German army in Caucuss to take India now you can separate the tanks from the infantry to take India.  Russia will take your infantry you left behind but that is fine and retake caucuss that is fine too .  now Japan is free to take Asia at will, Germany should begin to pound Russia wherever avail and take easy territories do not commit to a suicidal battle to Russia. By now the Allies can pose a threat to Western Europe.  But Germany and Japan should be collecting massive IPC’s Russia is doomed here in a few turns they just cannot deal with a mobile Japan and Germany and defend itself on two fronts.  I see a lot of German players go north i do not agree with this  becasue there is nowhere to break out like there is in the caucuss and also if Germany can break out into Asia they can knock the allies out of asia as well. with the defense boost tanks have now they are the most affordable attacker and blocker in one land unit and with some infantry cannon fodder they are nasty on offense and defense.  I go mass tanks with Japan and Germany.  If you cannot win with the Axis in the newer versions you are doing something wrong.  Either not attacking enough or buying aircraft or navy.  Germany really doesn’t need a navy and has enough aircraft to hold the whole game as long as you don’t loose them foolishly.  On paper the Allies have the advantage by getting 3 turns to axis 2 and also should have an IPC advantage.  But Germany is so massive early and it takes Allies 4-5 turns to begin to be effective that’s your window with Japan and Germany about 4- 6  turns after that Allies begin taking the game in their favor.  So you must get your objectives done in this time frame.  If you just turtle forever with Germany you will loose.  And i f Japan leaves India for too long its hard to take especially if UK buys a lot of fighters.

I would say the only reason to have your planes out of France would be if they are in a KJF mode (with the exception of a FTR in Germany for IB protection.

For the rule To see the differences between the Revised, LHTR and Spring 1942 check the attached .pdf, made by Krieghund.

Map & setup changes:

UK Battleship on SZ13 replaced with a Cruiser UK Destroyer on SZ35 replaced with a Cruiser US Destroyer on SZ10 replaced with a Cruiser J Destroyer on SZ50 replaced with a Cruiser Formosa (J) and Iceland (UK) have been added to the map Western Canada now only borders SZ64 (on Revised it bordered Central US, SZs63 & 55) Central US now borders Eastern Canada and Panama instead of W. Canada and Mexico

Can one of the moderators please make this a sticky topic?
A&A_1942_&_Revised_Editions_Rules_Comparison.pdf

Take, for example, the not-immediately-obvious Japanese air to Ukraine/West Russia/Caucasus trick.

I recently played a game against my friend, where I was the Axis, and I think that the above move probably won me the game. On G1 I threw pretty much all of the available ground units and fighters at the Caucasus in attempts to capture it… this turned out to be a vital move in crippling the Russian deployment options… later on in the game you only have one “front”/IC to worry about. I also moved 1 or 2 fighters to Norway to harass the various allied ships that were not yet organized into a fleet. On J1 I flew 4 fighters to the Caucasus… later on in the game these fighters are even more valuable becuase they can be used to shore up the holes in your German lines, especially when you are pushing to Moscow. Using this joint J and G strategy, I didn’t even have to devote many of my IPCs to attacking Russia as Japan.

Overall, you definently have to be agressive as the Axis right out of the gate.

Normaly 2 arm is not a problem, ofc depends i mean if he go all out tanks r1 Im still ok, round 2 if he went all out tanks again i just move tanks back from Yak, and then the allies will win.

They are the medium sized ones from Litko.  The small ones are too small.

Something else I’ve been pushing for for years is a wider Atlantic ocean. Make it a minimum two turn hop over the pond and the Germans might just have a realistic chance of stopping the US from pumping in troops here, and perhaps force them to think about a Pacific assault.
Making subs cheaper might have helped, but then anything that delays the Axis from moving maximum units to Caucasus/Moscow ASAP seems pure folly… that damned capture the capital rule really does narrow down the options when playing to win at all costs.