Messages

16

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 28, 2012, 09:50:59 AM »

I think the difference in our games and what you have found in your games is Scott's view of the "most likely path to an axis victory".   Scot is a "maximum force" kind of player who will efficiently muster the maximum available force to overcome one target while conceding just about anything else on other fronts.  He feels Africa is waste of resources and is a distraction for the real goal.  No subs, no airbases, no amphib attacks.   the axis can hold their ground well enough until the USA is into the war.  At that point Germany starts putting all their resources into defending vs the Western allies.  With Russian territories fueling the german war machine, they rival the USA economically. 

17

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 28, 2012, 05:22:22 AM »

and yes, france has gone poorly for the allies lately.  I've capitulated in the spring or 40, two out of the last three games :/

The game they survived until the Fall I did not kill enough Germans.  I figure you need to kill about 15 germans in the defense of France and Belgium.  We have started a new game, France surrendered in the summer and I did kill over 15 germans this time around   we'll see how this goes. 

18

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 28, 2012, 05:17:11 AM »

german air protects the Italian fleet.  No German resources are spent on subs or the med otherwise.  He just stacks Libya so as to not roll for Italian capitulation.  Max build the mech and armor and ftrs.  bombers when he can.  Italy pops out a ftr or a bomber every turn. 

Russia is forced to withdraw or be encircled, or if the reg inf catch up, get smoked in an attack.   I am pretty sure my problem is not making the german player pay in other theaters.  I have gone heavy in Africa and failed a few times. 

We were both top ranked axis and allies players in the clubs so its not like one of us is a lot better than the other.  We've been doing this stuff for YEARS.   We ALWAYS find the loopholes in games and find ways to exploit them. 

I am not saying the game cannot be won by the allies.  won't concede that.  But it is odd that russia can get trampled so badly. 

19

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 27, 2012, 04:48:27 AM »

The last game went to the Axis again.  :/    I split the Russian defense into 3 armies and tried to hold the Urals, the territorry on the Turkish border and Lenningrad.  Germany took heavy casualties taking Lenningrad and in assaults behind the Urals.  But ultimately Russia was taken out of the game.  They were left collecting 15-18 PP per turn and germany was able to turn the Leftwaffe back to the west since the russian factories were either taken or left out of supply.

Allies landed in France in early 1943.  They had a foothold and would eventually take Paris and Rome, but an axis victory was certain as the allies could not retake objectives in eastern europe.  At least we were able to drag it out into late 1944.

20

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 18, 2012, 02:17:02 AM »

one extra PP for a para unit is a worthwhile investment considering its special abilities.  It is still a boot an the ground.  Having 6 German/Italian bombers is not out of the ordinary for Scott.  Remember, Russia is pushed back to the Volga in 1942 and Germany is collecting over 100PP a turn. 

21

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 17, 2012, 07:54:24 AM »

We both almost always max-produce the para units.   Its only 1 extra PP to build.  Why wouldn't you build them?  Most dangerous piece in the game.  How do you defend the rear positions when there are 6-8 of them that can hit you anywhere at a given time. 

22

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 07, 2012, 04:46:39 AM »

The Russians can't get odds on the defense ANYWHERE.  That was my biggest concern.   finally gave up trying to hold Moscow, even for a little while.  Can't be done.  What I have decided to do was stand my ground in places where the German player has to spend his mechanized units, even if its a losing battle for me.  If you can take out 15-20 mech units, its worth losing 20-25 Russians, I think. 

No, I did not have the forces to hold Sevastopol and the forests necessary to keep Leningrad in supply.  Stalingrad is up for grabs.  My southern army will be stationed close to the turkish border.  The one thing Russia has going for them is that most of my armies will be in forests or mountains so that if the germans want to attack and capture any of the strongholds I choose to hold, they will need to bring most of their army.  Which means the other strongholds should be able to attack out of their prepared positions. 

On a side note, the most devastating piece the Germans have is paratroopers.  As if the mech component wasn't enough.....

23

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 06, 2012, 02:52:32 AM »

That wouldn't be very gamesman like.   I'll figure it out.   

I am just a little suprised you guys hadn't tried out the full onslaught of Russia. 

I think I am having a little more success this time around.  I think I'll be able to hold the northern forests.  Boy is it dicey though at first.

24

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: September 05, 2012, 03:16:52 AM »

Obviously he knows what would bother his tactics more than anyone else.  And as good as I think I am at these games i am not so arrogant as to think that nobody can do it better.   But as of now the "Russia Crush" sure seems hard to beat.  Time will tell. 

This time i am trying to hold Leningrad and the forest territorry next to it.  I am fairly certain he will bypass it, take moscow in the spring of '42, then have an attack on the Urals in the autumn.  Most of the south has been given up but I'll try to hold Baku and Tblisi.  I should be able to have 30inf in the Urals by the time his army is ready to attack so at least I can make it painful for him.  The problem will be Russia having very little income by then.  We'll see how it goes though.  Hold the Forest and Mountain territories! 

25

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: August 30, 2012, 03:21:19 AM »

Done that.   But with the Russians completely lacking firepower they cannot take much advantage of that.  You wind up wasting your time as well as theirs. 

With the airbase rules the allies must be very careful as well.  Their aircraft take two turns or more to deploy around the world.  If you attempt the Dieppe Raid manuever you need to have the aircraft available to get back to the British Isles should the Luftwaffe completely redeploy to the Atlantic coast.   The Euro Axis have a huge advantage here as they can deploy their aircraft anywhere they need in a single turn with 100pct strength.  Allied aircraft are restricted to their airbase values. 

The biggest issue I have with the game so far is that the Axis do not seem to neeed to take any risks to win the game.  Brute force and overwhelming strength through 1943 push the allies to the brink and often over it.  The Russians cannot afford to even TRY to contest the German army.  I have successfully slowed them down for a couple seasons by careful positioning, but still find myself behind the Volga.

26

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: August 28, 2012, 02:12:49 AM »

This is all happeneing before the USA has mobilized.  1941 and early 1942.  UK is busy trying to hold as many objectives as they can.  They can execute a couple nuicance raids in Western Europe, but that is about it.  If every single RAF fighter ever built is kept in the British Isles, you could try and land and hold, but without the USA being ready you'd get pushed off quickly.  Risk losing ground in other front and be unable to hold objectives necessary to stay in the game.  Its not like you are going to take Paris.  Russia just crumbles too fast.

27

Rules questions from first edition / Re: clarification on mech phase attacks

« on: August 27, 2012, 09:07:26 AM »

If they begin their turn in the mountains they must first move out of the mountains.  In the initial tactical phase, move into the "plains"  THEN attack Baku in the mech phase.  So the armor may begin in the mountains but be on open terrain before they begin the mech phase.

28

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: August 27, 2012, 07:11:13 AM »

One strategy i have not tried is to NOT try and slow down the whermacht.  Concede Moscow in the Fall of '41 and try to stack stalingrad.  Fort down there and behind the river.  Set my defense behind the Volga immediately.  That seems like it makes things too easy for the germans though.

The problem I am having on the eastern Front is that the mechanized whermacht can encircle my army to easily.  I have to hold my ground in two territories.  The germans can hammer my army when its split in two.  not to mention the fact that any territory that is not defended by a pile of AA guns can be straeffed by 25-30 aircraft.  Can't afford to lose 6-7 infantry to one german inf every german turn.  Having 5 forts there makes it a wash, so my thought is that by forting down early in rear positions I could neutralize the straeffing issue.

One would think that if germany is putting this much effort into the eastern front that they would be vulnerable in other areas.  But when the luftwaffe can get anywhere in one turn but the RAF needs two turns or more, its not the case.  We play with airbase rules, btw.  The airbase rules make it so much more difficult to weed the Italians out of Africa.  And impossible to eliminate their fleet. :/

29

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: August 27, 2012, 03:46:49 AM »

The pendulum has swung significantly.  We are seeing nearly certain victory for the Axis in 1943 now.  If Germany purchases all its fts, Mech inf and armor every turn, as well as the paratrooper, Russia collapses to the Urals every time.  30arm 30mech inf and 25 aircraft in the wide open eastern front is unstoppable.   

30

After action reports from first edition / Re: basic game results

« on: August 15, 2012, 07:05:15 AM »

Axis are now doing much better in our games.  A full throttle Barbarossa can be devastating.  We have been playing with a factory in japan's "2" box at game start.   Pulls a lot of allied attention to the Pacific.  We really like the extra economic punch it gives Japan.  If the Axis are determined to have the advantage I'd prefer to add a little help to the Allies in some way rather than remove the jap factory.