@Spertixx I am located in Antwerp and I have 2 friends (also in Antwerp).
We have solid A&A experience (mostly 42nd edition but between the 3 of us we own more than 5 editions, including Global and AA 50).
We would welcome a “4th guy” with a similar skill level. We tried introducing newbies but the difference in XP seems hard to bridge…
Are you on Twitter / X? You can find me there under the same username.
@Spertixx I am located in Antwerp and I have 2 friends (also in Antwerp).
We have solid A&A experience (mostly 42nd edition but between the 3 of us we own more than 5 editions, including Global and AA 50).
We would welcome a “4th guy” with a similar skill level. We tried introducing newbies but the difference in XP seems hard to bridge…
Are you on Twitter / X? You can find me there under the same username.
@Nowhere man The default option is indeed to have the Dardanelles open (according to the rules FAQ)
I’m aware of the historical situation (I have Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History to thank for that) but I see A&A as a strategic area control game, not as a military simulation. Since Axis won the last game we’ll probably play the next one with Dardanelles closed, as a matter of balance.
@Doucheman
@DouchemanMacgee:
Not much of a compromise, NOs on and Dardanelles open are both majorly advantageous to the Axis.
I never did the math on the NO’s rule tbh. Since the OP’s strategy called for play without NO’s I figured it would help the Allies. Looking back at the game I think you may be right it benefits the Axis, at least in the first few rounds before US can start pulling its weight.
@DouchemanMacgee:
Minor imperfections but you have the gist of the strategy down. Good job.
I forgot to mention in the post that Japan did take out the Flying Tiger squadron.
What else would you change in Japan’s turn one?
@DouchemanMacgee:
While I’m not fond of the Dardanelles being open, in this case I don’t think it made a terrible impact on the game one way or the other, at least not yet. A Battleship buy, though?
Italy and Germany ferried 2 land units each from North-Africa to the Ukraine (without amphibious assaults though). But that’s 4 units who wouldn’t have made it to that front with the Dardanelles closed.
The battleship buy was a fluke. I debated it for a moment because a carrier in the Baltic Sea might reduce my fighter mobility in Southern Europe. I decided to opt for the carrier anyway but forgot to change the purchase, only noticing after battles had already taken place.
@DouchemanMacgee:
I guess a “middle Earth” kind of strategy (the one that’s used in G40 to control the Middle East with UK Europe/Pacific coordinating heavily) could be valuable here to get the Japanese out of India, but it would take a dedicated effort from the UK/USA.
I agree but considering the time constraint as the Allies player I would take the risk of placing the factory in Egypt.
@DouchemanMacgee:
I don’t have an AA50 map in front of me (I’m at work), but wouldn’t the Solomon Islands be a better staging point for the USN, so it can threaten the money islands?
My mistake, they did stage at the Solomon Islands.
Anyway, I think your conclusion is spot on. The value of this strategy is the fact that 3 Axis powers focus everything on Russia which can force the hand of even experienced players.
Great thread - I had to try this strategy!
I just played the game as the Axis against a skilled opponent who frequently bests me. In a compromise, we played with open naval passage at Dardanelle but also with national objectives.
I’ll give a fairly detailed overview of R1 and then summarize the rest of the game.
Round one:
Japan buys a factory and a transport. They ignore the US fleet at Pearl Harbour and China on the mainland. Japan does attack the British fleet in the Indian Ocean.
The factory goes in Burma and 3 fighters + a bomber land there. Two more fighters are on a carrier next to Calcutta (all within range of Eastern Ukraine).
The USSR buys an assortment of land units and a fighter. They attempt to take back Eastern Ukraine and Ukraine. They conquer the latter but get unlucky in Eastern Ukraine.
Germany buys mostly tanks and a battleship. They conquer Karelia and the Ukraine. At sea they take out the British fleet off Ireland. They also take 2 guys from Morocco and ferry them over to the Ukraine. Finally they reinforce the tank that survived in Eastern Ukraine.
In their opening round the UK buys a factory and some ships. They take out the German fleet in the Black Sea. Facing pressure from the Japanese in Burma they decide to consolidate in Trans Jordan and leave 3 men + the AA gun in India. Their factory goes to South Africa.
Italy purchases infantry. The land units in North Africa get shipped to the Ukraine to meet up with the tank from the Balkans. Africa is pretty much abandoned now by the Axis powers. The Italian fighter from Rome goes to reinforce Karelia.
The US opts for a Pacific purchase; a carrier, fighters and a transport and rallies at Wake Island. On the European front they regroup off the coast of Brazil.
I have a picture of the situation at the end of each round but I’m curiously not allowed to post links. :? :? :?
Round two:
This is the time to move the Japanese fighters to Europe. Japan tries to kill two birds with one stone by giving air support to secure India (en route to Eastern Ukraine). The AA gun rolls snake eyes; both planes crash and burn, leaving only four planes to secure the front near Moscow.
The USSR reacts with a defensive purchase but goes on to attack the Japanese fighters and German land units in Eastern Ukraine. They take heavy casualties but manage to capture the territory. There are no more Japanese fighters in Europe.
The Germans decide to leave Caucasus to the Italians but do take back Eastern Ukraine. In non-combat Germany advances into Belorussia. Moscow is now seriously threatened.
The UK strengthens their fleet in the Channel, creating pressure on France, which swaps hands a few times this turn.
Italy stretches itself very thin by capturing Caucasus, taking the factory with just the one tank to spare. Their income is up to 20 at this point.
The US fleet in the Pacific doesn’t advance but receives reinforcements from San Francisco. The US purchase goes to reinforce their fleet in the Atlantic Ocean, committing them to a war on two fronts.
Round three:
Japan is still working on recovering its fighter stash but does break out to Africa with a small fleet and a transport that captures Egypt (securing the Mediterranean bonus a round longer for the Italians). For now they stay out of range from the larger US fleet. Tokyo is defended by 3 fighters and some 8 infantry. The Chinese mainland is still completely ignored.
Russia has not been reinforced by the other Allies and doesn’t have a whole lot of options. They reinforce and pull everything back on Moscow.
This is the moment of the truth for the Germans who can attack Moscow with superior numbers. Moscow falls and it cost the Germans only infantry. Eight or so tanks remain on Moscow, all planes survived the attack and fly back to Karelia.
The Brits can theoretically take back the Caucasus from Italy but decide to pull back on Africa rather than going up against the Germans with the Japanese in their backs. the British fleet pulls out of the Channel and heads to the Mediterranean.
The Italians respond by purchasing a carrier (they already had 2 fighters) and positioning themselves next to the British fleet.
The US advances to the Philippines, threatening both the Japanese factory in Burma and the Japanese capital.
Round four:
The Japanese fleet regroups under India, regaining the strength to face off against the US fleet.
The Germans use their Moscow bonus to splurge on a subs, destroyers and transports (they already had a sizable fleet), aimed directly at London. They use their bombers to take out some British and US ships that were kept behind in sea zone 8.
The Brits have few other options than to attack the Italian fleet. A lone British battleship is the sole survivor of this naval battle.
With all fronts looking bad, the US decides to make a final run at Tokyo, which was sloppily defended with 2 fighters and 8 infantry. The Japanese survive, but barely.
The Allied player recognizes the defeat and throws the towel.
=============
So is it unstoppable? Probably not but is a very, very good strategy. It’s worth noting that the Axis had the element of surprise, the Allied player had no idea I was going to pit this idea against him. Next time this will be a lot harder.
My preferred counter would be to focus all the Allied efforts in one place, just as the Axis is doing. Kill Japan First is tempting but I doubt that Tokyo can be seriously threatened before R4. And by then the Germans could already be staging Sea Lion.
So Europe then. Italy is the weakest link there if you can neutralize its navy. From a Russian point of view, we agreed it’s better to ignore the Japanese fighters and focus all Russian pushback on the Germans.