On Topic,
You make some good points SUD.
It is my perspective that the Allies should almost always win regardless of bid.
This goes back to when my brother and I use to fight just to be the Axis b/c of the challange (pre bid days).
So my general default view is the Allies should always win, so being a non club player (not having to worry about rankings and such), I’m more willing to debate giving a higher bid to provide the Allies with a challange. BUT, I’d also be more willing to take less as the Axis, to keep the challange of being the Axis. Also I have the freedom to put conditions on the bid in either case.
However I can see how in Club play, you can’t, thus it may require different bidding styles, which would lead to a slightly lower amount then what I would expect if I’m looking at a lone game or two here.
Example, I can say, I’ll beat a 23 bid that isn’t PE, BUT in Club play, I’d never blindly give an opponent 23. Why? For fear he played PE.
I’d like my odds better at say 20 with the Axis, then giving up 23 where my opponent my play PE. I’ve often said, my style of play would change slightly if I were to play in a club. Just like it changes when I play ADS or LL or 2nd or 3rd.
So, yeah this type of phenomenon could lead to a lower bid.
I think the big difference from my point of view, is I’m looking at what I would play at and can take each individual game separately (not playing in a club), but the Clubs have no such luck, it can’t distiguish game from game, it simply takes the Avg bid (of whatever ruleset) and shows it to you.
I can already tell you that, while I’d be willing to give players here 22, 23 to test something, I’d never do that in a Club. So if my club bidding would be slightly lower, so would other players, thus you get the 18-19 bid avg.
Also, you are right that 1-2 inf long term don’t make a difference. The best Example of this would be say a rd 2, rd 3 SBR on Mos by Ger. Say Ger hits a 5 IPC shot and a 4. That right there is equivalent to 3 inf, or a Jap SBR. And the more obvious, extra hit on a trading situtation when it is 2 inf, 2 ftrs vs. 1 lone inf.
