Pre order is the way to go….

@Captain:

NO NO NO a thousand times No!

1.) Japan was already heavily committed in a land war in China
2.) Battle of Khalkhin Gol in 1938 left the Japanese feeling reluctant to engage the Soviet Union in a land war
3.) Japan did not have huge mechanized armies, The Japanese army was not the Wermacht. Fighting and staying supplied in Siberia is a logistical nightmare.
4.) Japan was forced into a defensive posture within 6-7 months of the US finally joining the war, making offensive operations after this point limited and costly.
5.) The Soviet Far east did not contain the resources Japan needed for the war, The Dutch East Indies and French Indo China did.

If Japan made a serious attempt to invade the Soviet Union, via Siberia they would have lost the war very very quickly.

Captain, I agree wholeheartedly-espcecially your comment about the heavy Jap committment to China, I would if you’ll permit me, also add that the bulk of the Japanese Army in WW2 was not only heavily committed agains the Chinese, but there were very sizable forces guarding against a possible
Soviet attack in the far east, despite the Jpanese-Soviet non- agression pact!

So let’s turn this around and say instead- What if the Japanese removed forces from Mancukou and thus had more forces available at the begining of these campaigns: Say another 1-2 regiments on Iwo Jima, another division on Guadalcanal, another 1-2 diisions on Okinawa, another 1-2 divisons to defend the Philipines….

Think about it…

WW2 favorite general- Big fan of Chuikov, CG 62nd Army, Stalingrad, later 8th Guards, Shock Army AND he conquered Berlin.  A ruthless SOB, who threw his men into the meat grinder without counting.  Not a brilliant tactical leader by any stretch (compared to Manstein for example), but he understood the Blitzkreig notion of the Schwerpunkt.

Read Antony Beevor’s Stalingrad, by far the best work on the subject

I just pre-ordrered mine from: http://www.boardgames4us.com/

Sweet Jesus! has it really been 6 years (oh yeah gray hair now-)  The personal issues I described pulled me away from it, but I don’t see why we can’t pick up where we left off.

When I play tested this with some AAE rookies, well they didn’t work as a team (I was the axis). A combination of bad dice rolling by me especially in the east, and their lack of team work ensured the war went into 1947!  In that particular game, Italy was the real “winner” as the Allies were not really able to dislodge them from North Africa, until fall, 1944.  In any event, that particular game was AAE as it is supposed to be set up but with the following changes:  Italy was her own power of course allied to Germany.  The German Territory stayed at six Ipcs, Vichy France is activated as it’s own power collecting 3 Ipcs, which they hand over to the Germans anyway  , N. Italy was worth 4 ipcs instead of 2.  Added to the Italian fleet was 1 sub, and 1 additional trans. North Africa looked like this: Spannish Morrocco- undefended and no one collecting the Ipc, Algeria I french inf, Tunisia 1 French Inf (oh and Vichy had 3inf).  Italy had control markers on Corsica and Sardinia. The Western Med SZ had the Vichy Fleet: 1 Battleship, 1 Destroyer, 1 sub.  The rule was- if an allied power attacked the Vichy Fleet each piece rolled a die prior to combat the results were 1-2,  join the allies (and be available for the attack) 3-4 join the axis (and be available to defend), 5-6 “scuttle” and the piece is removed from play.  Some other changes were, Germans could build inf up to the Ipc value in Finland, Hungary, and Rumania.  The USSR could build inf up to the Ipc value in any territory it controlled at the start of the war. So, I put the '39 version on the back burner, just to play test some things. I think it would have been different against experienced players.  Almost forgot - The Axis could “lend” units to each other (like Allied Patriotic War Rule-Soviets can claim a piece and replace it with one of their own). And Axis could “split” the oil money.  It was fun but like shooting fish in a barrel if you know what I mean.  Anyway, I promise to work on the set up and post the results here for all to share, comment, bitch and moan about etc.  Take care, God Bless.

Wow this site changed a lot-It’s been years since I was here and am really happy that my boy GG is a moderator now.  Let’s get this thread going again!