Jedi Mind Tricks?

[kdfsjljklgjfg]

Just wondering if you guys use any sort of intimidation or mind tricks to screw with your opponents?

For example, not using many tokens, so that your troops clutter the space more and seem like a bigger force than they are, or keeping a lot of red chips together so that your opponent just sees a big clump of red under your units and it seems like you have a lot.

[Strikers]

Perhaps not like that, but yes there is some value in playing mind games.

[Young Grasshopper]

I never do, but I play a guy who took his entire American fleet once (ton’s of ships, carrier based air units, transports and infantry cargo) and made a huge pile in one sea zone that looked like rubble, I hated it and he wouldn’t let me arrange it, he only did that one game though.

[McMan]

One of my friends uses “fighter piles” instead of chips, comparing it to Tuskan Raiders marching single file to hide their numbers. As for me I slip my control marker onto all of my enemies’ capitials as often as I can. They get quite flustered. It’s great fun when they focus intently on one part of the board and look up to find the entire Soviet Union controlled by Germany.

[knp7765]

One time I was playing Germany and had 10 tanks facing Moscow.  The Russian player had 24 IPCs to spend on defense and was about to buy 8 infantry to add to the 6 they already had there.  I just concentrated really hard and said “You don’t want to buy 8 infantry”.
He replied, “I don’t want to buy 8 infantry.”
Then I said, “You want to buy 2 bombers.”
He replied, “I want to buy 2 bombers.”  Then he did.
Next turn, I attacked his 6 infantry and 2 bombers with my 10 tanks and Moscow was mine.  HAAA ha ha ha ha haaaaaa!

[Hobbes]

@knp7765:

One time I was playing Germany and had 10 tanks facing Moscow.  The Russian player had 24 IPCs to spend on defense and was about to buy 8 infantry to add to the 6 they already had there.  I just concentrated really hard and said “You don’t want to buy 8 infantry”.
He replied, “I don’t want to buy 8 infantry.”
Then I said, “You want to buy 2 bombers.”
He replied, “I want to buy 2 bombers.”  Then he did.
Next turn, I attacked his 6 infantry and 2 bombers with my 10 tanks and Moscow was mine.   HAAA ha ha ha ha haaaaaa!

I keep trying to convince my friend that a battleship is a perfect buy, specially for Russia but it never works…  :cry:

[i rock]

What i do is aimlessly ramble on about random stuff, to conufse and in rage my opponent (only works in non online matches)

[Hobbes]

@i:

What i do is aimlessly ramble on about random stuff, to conufse and in rage my opponent (only works in non online matches)

I sometimes also use that while playing online… I start writing propaganda phrases like ‘The Bear has awaken’ or 'Rommel comes out victorious!" to demoralize and mislead my opponents.
The best one though is when you make a casual mistake, like going KFG and leaving a US fighter on Hawaii and afterwards make it seem as if it was actually planned and see them start reacting to it. Priceless  :-D

[Young Grasshopper]

When my opponent is still looking at the Europe board after he is finished taking Russia’s turn, I will say something like “Japan will purchase 10 Strategic bombers and 5 battleships” just to make him loss focus while strategizing.

[Gargantua]

Often I plan my purchases before it’s my turn - any good axis and allies player should.

Sometimes when it doesn’t matter  (Russia buying 8 infantry) I put them out beside my tray, under my money, symbolizing my future buy.

HOWEVER… sometimes I plan a fake buy,  you know, a German aircraft carrier and two fighters…  usually I try to do this RIGHT after the end of my turn, for all to see.  Then you get responses like “Well you’re going to be building planes and ships, you must be coming for the UK, I’ll just build 8 more men”

Etc etc… :P

[Jennifer]

@Young:

I never do, but I play a guy who took his entire American fleet once (ton’s of ships, carrier based air units, transports and infantry cargo) and made a huge pile in one sea zone that looked like rubble, I hated it and he wouldn’t let me arrange it, he only did that one game though.

Because you refused to play him again if he did not promise not to pull that shtick again, right?  I’d hate that!

Table talk is a facet of good game play!  If yer not insulting and intimidating your opponent, you didn’t play right!

[Jennifer]

@Gargantua:

Often I plan my purchases before it’s my turn - any good axis and allies player should.

Sometimes when it doesn’t matter  (Russia buying 8 infantry) I put them out beside my tray, under my money, symbolizing my future buy.

HOWEVER… sometimes I plan a fake buy,  you know, a German aircraft carrier and two fighters…  usually I try to do this RIGHT after the end of my turn, for all to see.  Then you get responses like “Well you’re going to be building planes and ships, you must be coming for the UK, I’ll just build 8 more men”

Etc etc… :P

That sort of works online too!

Germany 1:  Buy AC, 2 Transports.  Watch the allies freak out trying to save England.  Keep in mind, 3 transports in Global 1940 is just good common sense for Germany.  Of course, it’s nice if you have them LATER, but when you can convince the entire American armada to flee the Pacific so they can race to the defense of London….nuff said.

[Jennifer]

@Hobbes:

I keep trying to convince my friend that a battleship is a perfect buy, specially for Russia but it never works…   :cry:

What’s wrong with a Battleship for Russia?  I did this a lot in Alpha 2!!  Build a nice fleet and snicker at the Germans. (Sure they are pressed in on you, but if your goal is to crush Germany and you’re willing to give up Russia - slow the Germans, but you know you’ll lose Russia, why not?)

Biggest I had:  2 Loaded Carriers, 5 destroyers, 3 submarines, 3 battleships and 2 cruisers (with 2 strategics in England.)  Well, I had 4 infantry, 3 artillery, armor, 2 strategics on England with 4 transports.  Figured I could nail a stack to weaken it, let the Americans finish it off and have the British zoom in to take Berlin….

[Hobbes]

@Cmdr:

What’s wrong with a Battleship for Russia?  I did this a lot in Alpha 2!!

We usually play AA50/42  :-D

[Jennifer]

@Hobbes:

@Cmdr:

What’s wrong with a Battleship for Russia?  I did this a lot in Alpha 2!!

We usually play AA50/42  :-D

I dont remember a lot of Anniversary, but I can say this, Russia plopping down 2 or 3 Battleships a round is a good way to mind trick your opponent into giving up no matter what game of Axis and Allies you are playing.

[Hobbes]

@Cmdr:

@Hobbes:

@Cmdr:

What’s wrong with a Battleship for Russia?  I did this a lot in Alpha 2!!

We usually play AA50/42  :-D

I dont remember a lot of Anniversary, but I can say this, Russia plopping down 2 or 3 Battleships a round is a good way to mind trick your opponent into giving up no matter what game of Axis and Allies you are playing.

Russia earning 40-60 IPCs is quite a tall order for Spring 1942 or even Anniversary, but I think I get what you mean - with that kinda buy the Axis will have to take some notice.

[special forces]

Potential buys have no effect in our playing group, but we do try to make our opponent insecure, insinuating they made a mistake.
By saying things like “so you finished your combat move, right? right?”, or "“oh, you’re going to attack X? interesssstingggg”.

[Hobbes]

@special:

Potential buys have no effect in our playing group, but we do try to make our opponent insecure, insinuating they made a mistake.
By saying things like “so you finished your combat move, right? right?”, or "“oh, you’re going to attack X? interesssstingggg”.

With some people that kinda of comments can backfire… instead of making them insecure they can realize you’re only trying to mess you up and ignore them all together. Of course, it can also distract them a false sense of security…  :-D

[special forces]

@Hobbes:

@special:

Potential buys have no effect in our playing group, but we do try to make our opponent insecure, insinuating they made a mistake.
By saying things like “so you finished your combat move, right? right?”, or "“oh, you’re going to attack X? interesssstingggg”.

With some people that kinda of comments can backfire… instead of making them insecure they can realize you’re only trying to mess you up and ignore them all together. Of course, it can also distract them a false sense of security…  :-D

Indeed!

We’re still on the phase of “mmmm, did i do something wrong?” (we’re slow players, and abit paranoid, so for now it works fine… these comments just prolong the game of course…)

[salan]

Sometimes i’ll point out to the wife some potential conquest that really isn’t my intended target, to get her thinking about my potential attack lanes so that she divides her attention from attacking me and defending herself :)