For various understandable reasons some attendees cancelled and we ended up with 6 players. So we played 2 games:
1. 1914
Played with 2 house rules: max 4 builds in India; land units move 2 if every territory is friendly. Powers were allocated at random:
CPs - Ste
Entente - Andrew (h0lym0nk) as GB, Italy & USA; Adam (Private-Panic) as F & R.
Which may have been a bit unfair as Ste had not played 1914 before!
R was able to consolidate it’s units and overpower a number of G & A-H attacks, eventually advancing into Galicia. G’s advances into France were successfully beaten back by F with GB’s help. And A-H were pushed out of Italy as it’s forces were diverted to the R front and to help G against F.
However, T had some success against GB, resisting GB attacks on Mesopotamia and advancing into Egypt. Also G went on the rampage in Africa, killing off most of the GB & F units sent to knock them out. G’s dreams of an African empire were short-lived, with the USA eventually arriving and creating their own instead.
G & GB navies cowered in their North Sea ports, neither able to find the courage to attack.
With R in Galicia, Italy advancing from the West and the arrival of the USA in Albania, Vienna was increasingly under siege. GB also eventually managed to push T out of Mesopotamia (with R help) and Egypt (supported by some Italian Infantry landings). Virtually all G’s forces were in the West facing F & GB incursions, but giving R space to expand.
The CP surrender was graciously accepted by the Entente!:blush:
2. Anniversary
Allies - Rob (Dran Black)
Axis - Dave played G; Simon as J; jointly played Italy
I was not in this game, but here is what I think I know!
J took India, but lost a naval battle with the USA in the Pacific. Furious J naval builds recovered some level of maritime parity, but at the cost of limited ground units being dispatched to Asia.
G struggled against R in the early stages, but by the end of the game had attained unit superiority on the eastern front. This was partly because some R units had headed south to recapture India.
The Allies managed to sink the Italian fleet, but at some cost. Consequently they only managed to take F once and promptly lost it to an Italian counter attack. In doing so they put their remaining Atlantic fleet in jeopardy.
G made significant incursions in Africa, but looked certain to lose them again, due to a GB factory in S Africa sending units north.
At the end neither side had sufficient advantage to claim victory. But it was agreed that the Axis were in a stronger position, with quite a lot more income, the possibility of making headway against R and the impending sinking of the Allied Atlantic fleet.
I invite my fellow players to post their own views on these games. Especially to correct my mistakes or fill in any gaps.
