“Russia lost all its land.” How did that happen? That’s an important thing to know.
What side were you on when you won? Well, think of ways that the other side could have stopped you, and then use those tactics when you play as that side. One thing to remember about A&A strategy is that it isn’t side-specific. Allied or Axis doesn’t really matter. What matters is understanding the att/def ratios (very important to be able to calculate battles part way in your head), and understanding the important theatres of the game. A strategy that reads “Germany should take Africa to get more IPC” can easily read “Allies should hold Africa to keep Germany from outpacing Russia.” What’s the issue here? UK, Germany? No. Africa is what’s important, and you need to understand it’s value to both sides. Remember, everything in the game is either for you or against you. Depriving your enemy of gaining something they need IS a victory, because that’s one more territory against them for another turn.
Another hugely important concept is the cause/effect relationship of every action. Taking Africa doesn’t just get UK more land and money, it also deprives the UK of 1/3 of its money. Therefore India is much harder to defend and Japan can grow in Asia faster. Then Russia has a two front war to fight. On the other side of that, Germany must divert resources that could be used against Russia to take Africa, so Russia may get ahead of Germany on that front. Yay for Russia, until Japan comes knocking on the back door and they have to weaken the Eastern front just as Germany is strengthening it. Wow, that’s a long post. The bottom line is that everything you do will affect the game in other parts of the world, and understanding this cause and effect relationship is vital.
-Willy Wonka
(I’m sure I said something wrong in here, so wait for me to be corrected before you take it as gospel)
