ABH and crockett36, (A+69) tutor game

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

@crockett36 revised-Russia.tsvg

Double check your non-combat moves for ANZAC as your capitol can easily be taken on Japan’s turn. Feel free to edit the units during this Russia turn as none of the changes will have affected the German decisions.

[crockett36]

@arthur-bomber-harris okay. Thanks

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

I opted for an overwhelming number of potential battles for Russia to consider, with the danger that any forces that remain after the attacks likely will get obliterated during the German turn. Tough decisions as there are so many potential territories to consider during R10. Without any air force, it becomes impossible to use effective hit-and-run tactics.

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

Also tough choices on how to combine your Atlantic and Med fleets as neither one is strong enough to survive by itself. I took Gibraltar with Germany and the economic consequences of not recapturing it this turn is quite huge, with the bonus lost for UK and bonus gained for Italy.

[crockett36]

@arthur-bomber-harris 1.28.22.tsvg

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

@crockett36 1.28.22 USA turn.tsvg

Fortunate dice rolling for Russia in those counter attacks. I edited the remaining art for Germany to be a bomber as I would have saved that to be the final casualty.

[crockett36]

@arthur-bomber-harris No credit for choosing raid over conquest? The game is on the knife’s edge. Good times.

[crockett36]

@crockett36 10.22.21abh.tsvg

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

I expected you to raid, just you got nice dice to kill almost all of the troops without accidentally winning the battle.

Did you post the wrong file?

[crockett36]

@arthur-bomber-harris yep

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

Also not sure why you still think that the game is on knife’s edge. The Allies have failed to create a second front in either W Europe or the Pacific. China and India are dead, and Russia will soon have to be turtling in Moscow as the last of her forces are dying this next turn.

The Axis have a larger income than the Allies, more forces, and shorter supply lines. Catching up in the game at this point would require a major blunder on my part.

[crockett36]

@arthur-bomber-harris alright. I resign. good game. I would definitely recommend changing the format. getting criticized after you’ve moved is no help whatsoever. It’s actually discouraging. Rather I would think advice before the dice are rolled would be better. Say the student presents his combat moves and you give a thumbs up or a think again. Maybe you could do the non coms completely.

From my perspective I overbought infantry in Russia and should have pressed in earlier. Then I overbought in the Pac to defeat the Jap navy. I succeeded on both of those fronts. India is a standstill.

Finally you were excellent at the gamey part of g40, bonuses, nicking 5 to 15 ipcs off the Allies every round and gaining that much for the Axis in bonuses.

Your thoughts, especially on the format of a tutor game. And thank you for playing.

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

We had the same issue with the other tutor games that there was no advice before the moves are made, and blunders in the first few rounds rapidly compound later on. Your partners had few suggestions until it was too late to matter, although I admit to having the same issue when I was trying to advise in the previous tutor game.

The actions in the Pacific affected options in the Atlantic as the United States had to spend heavily to prevent the capture of Hawaii, giving Germany the necessary breathing room from the disasterous G1 start of the game. I think the United States would have been far more successful if you had gone for the option to pressure Japan in the Money Islands, forcing trades of island and beefing up the IJN with money that was needed elsewhere. You moved to SZ6 on the second turn when the fleet should have been going down to SZ54.

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

I think if I were to do it again, I would have an A+100 bid and skip worrying about any advise.

[crockett36]

@arthur-bomber-harris Yeah, I’ve given up on the north pac strategy. Now I solidly move to 54. I’m up for a game whenever you are.

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

@crockett36 Let me know your desired bids for an A+100 game. Such critical decisions as you will need to establish a strong position in the first few rounds to overcome tactical mistakes later in the game.

[crockett36]

@arthur-bomber-harris fig in London, fig in Scotland, sub in 91, 98, 111, 110, 109, 106, artillery in Egypt, Sudan. 64 ipcs.

9 infantry in Nov, w uk, Stalingrad, bel, Moscow, kar, arch, Bryansk, Smolensk. 27

Infantry in sze, shensi. Kwei. 9 ipcs.

What do you think?

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

@crockett36 Think about it for another day as the decision is so critical. Have a plan of how you will use the forces in the first couple of turns to dominate a region(s), freeing up other units for desired operations.

[squirecam]

@crockett36

I’m not sure what the point of a 100 bid is, nor why you would purchase so many subs. The issue in this past game, as I saw it, was the failure maximize. You didn’t maximize any advantages an overwhelming bid could offer.

I would suggest you go back to the beginning and see the +69 bid and try a version of that. Do Gibastion and take out the IT fleet through mostly air power. Which is something that is impossible normally. Italy will have no bonuses and your Africa troops can then move east to help India.

If IT is on the ropes early, Germany must either let it hang or send troops down to protect it, which helps the Russians.

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

@squirecam The “fair” bid for the game with equal strength opponents is around 40. Perhaps even a bit higher as people have evolved the Axis strategy. A few minor mistakes will quickly squander the additional advantage of a 69 bid.

We will try a 100 point bid. If Crockett has smart unit placement and a strong few initial rounds, I might find myself needing to surrender early on. I would be happy with such an outcome as it will have shown strong improvement. More likely, there will be minor mistakes that accumulate into a competitive match as the Axis try dig out from the major initial disadvantage.