2015 League General Discussion Thread

[gamerman01]

@Adam514:

@Gamerman01:

I think the “new” victory conditions that allow the Axis to win in either theater is the culprit.  Without it, the Allies are favored heavily, but with it, the Axis are favored heavily (I mean with 0 bid).

It certainly makes a difference, but it’s a good change in terms of gameplay.

Well, I know what you mean (you don’t like Allies focusing on 1 theater and getting away with it), but there’s another side to that coin.

Nothing sucks worse than winning in Europe and the Japs make a desperation attack on Hawaii and win, and you lose the game.  I know, you can guard against that and everything, but I’m not a total fan of the new victory conditions.

At least add 2 more VC’s in the Pacific and make the Axis get 8, just like in Europe where they need 8.  :x

[Adam514]

@Gamerman01:

@Adam514:

@Gamerman01:

I think the “new” victory conditions that allow the Axis to win in either theater is the culprit.  Without it, the Allies are favored heavily, but with it, the Axis are favored heavily (I mean with 0 bid).

It certainly makes a difference, but it’s a good change in terms of gameplay.

Well, I know what you mean (you don’t like Allies focusing on 1 theater and getting away with it), but there’s another side to that coin.

Nothing sucks worse than winning in Europe and the Japs make a desperation attack on Hawaii and win, and you lose the game.  I know, you can guard against that and everything, but I’m not a total fan of the new victory conditions.

At least add 2 more VC’s in the Pacific and make the Axis get 8, just like in Europe where they need 8.   :x

Yeah I know that better than most, Boldfresh used the German fast when Germany was being pressured heavily to secure India while Japan went for the remaining VC. So I’m not a total fan either, but it is necessary I think.

The more VCs you add the more it becomes a simple economy game, I’m not sure that that’s the way to go.

[gamerman01]

Bold is legendary for shifting his weight around the board rapidly and being unpredictable
I feel sorry for the guys playing him the first time who are unaware

[gamerman01]

As for economic game, that’s what you already have.  Except it’s the AXIS who can more often pull it off.  A lot of people already realize this - the Axis don’t need to make any push for VC’s anyway.  They can easily dominate the economics and just wait for the Allies to die.  That’s not good either.

[gamerman01]

I don’t think I’ve ever taken Moscow more than maybe twice.  So you don’t have a game where the Axis need to be urgent or take over victory cities or anything.  They just need middle east money and a lot of Russian and Chinese money, the money islands, and the Allies shrivel up and die.

[Adam514]

Yeah VC wins often become a last resort for the Axis unfortunately, but the Allies need to cover it the whole game just in case.

[666]

@Gamerman01:

OK, this just in.  Ghost took Allies over Bold in the playoffs, so it’s

Axis - 3
Allies - 3
in this year’s playoffs

well this give’s me hope…thanks for all of this Gamerman…A 21 bid is your breakeven? Wow I don’t think I have ever given someone so much but I have gotten as much and lost too!

Perhaps I need to refine my allies game and of course get the right bid, smart placement and good dice, LOL

[gamerman01]

No, 21 is not my breakeven -

I gave Ghost 21 even though he is an allied specialist and I don’t think his Axis game is as strong as his Allied.  So I gave him less than I would to someone else  :-)

[gamerman01]

And it is interesting to note, that you are 7-2 as Axis, and 2-2 as Allies
Also, you have defeated some stronger opponents as Axis, but not as Allies
At a glance, I think you, like probably pretty much all of us, are bidding too low

[666]

@Gamerman01:

And it is interesting to note, that you are 7-2 as Axis, and 2-2 as Allies
Also, you have defeated some stronger opponents as Axis, but not as Allies
At a glance, I think you, like probably pretty much all of us, are bidding too low

you are probably correct….it’s difficult for me to let someone get the allies at +20…I guess I should “let it go”.

[gamerman01]

Yes  :-) I think you are speaking for all of us
As big as this game is, 20-25 is really not that huge.  We’re just so used to smaller maps and less units

[variance]

@calvinhobbesliker:

Is there any good way to place a bid of around 20-25 to hinder Japan significantly? From what I’ve seen, most bids are used against Italy and maybe Germany.

What would happen if you bought a pair of Russian fighters in Moscow and Stalingrad, plus an inf for yunnan for $23, and then you reinforce the 5 Yunnan infantry with 3 fighters and 1 tac?

[gamerman01]

That can be very effective, but it’s a big gamble.  You’re putting the whole Russian airforce and Allied bid on one battle on J1, that Japan just might take.  They can retreat if round 1 doesn’t go well, but if the battle does go well, you’re worse off than before

[calvinhobbesliker]

@Gamerman01:

That can be very effective, but it’s a big gamble.  You’re putting the whole Russian airforce and Allied bid on one battle on J1, that Japan just might take.  They can retreat if round 1 doesn’t go well, but if the battle does go well, you’re worse off than before

Japan can only bring in 1 ftr, 1 tac, 2 bombers in addition to its 4 land units, right? That gives only a 16% chance of winning…

[666]

@Gamerman01:

Yes  :-) I think you are speaking for all of us
As big as this game is, 20-25 is really not that huge.  We’re just so used to smaller maps and less units

I wonder if it makes sense for us to limit bid placements to just one territory. If the axis advantage is so large and huge bid amounts are required to balance the game why not eliminate this bid placement restriction that we have imposed? Don’t get me wrong I love adding many units onto the game board just a thought I had……

[gamerman01]

I get about 21%
OK, you’re right, I’m thinking of bids less than 23 still

Still, it’s a sacrifice to move the whole allied bid and Russian airforce minus 1 to Yunnan on R1.  Even if you bring them back right away, they can’t get back to Moscow in 1 turn.  Japan pounds Hunnan instead, and you can’t take it back, like normally you might have a shot, so you take a chance away from Japan to get diced, spreading between Hunan and Yunnan.

It’s not a bad idea, but I don’t think it’s revolutionary either.  Russia needs her forces against Germany

[gamerman01]

@JWW:

@Gamerman01:

Yes  :-) I think you are speaking for all of us
As big as this game is, 20-25 is really not that huge.  We’re just so used to smaller maps and less units

I wonder if it makes sense for us to limit bid placements to just one territory. If the axis advantage is so large and huge bid amounts are required to balance the game why not eliminate this bid placement restriction that we have imposed? Don’t get me wrong I love adding many units onto the game board just a thought I had……

That’s a good thought at first, but think about the possibilities and I’ll let you come to your own conclusions…  It’s pretty volatile…

If you can get an opponent to agree to that, there’s nothing stopping you.  I wouldn’t want my opponent adding very many infantry to France, though, and it kinda sucks to make the game even more ahistorical than it already is…  Massive French resistance in Paris?  Ugh

[gamerman01]

Not sure what the problem is with a “big” number for an Allied bid.  If both players are happy with the side they have, then mission accomplished.

[gamerman01]

@Gamerman01:

I get about 21%
OK, you’re right, I’m thinking of bids less than 23 still

Still, it’s a sacrifice to move the whole allied bid and Russian airforce minus 1 to Yunnan on R1.  Even if you bring them back right away, they can’t get back to Moscow in 1 turn.  Japan pounds Hunnan instead, and you can’t take it back, like normally you might have a shot, so you take a chance away from Japan to get diced, spreading between Hunan and Yunnan.

It’s not a bad idea, but I don’t think it’s revolutionary either.  Russia needs her forces against Germany

So you’re taking nothing in the Europe board?  That didn’t work so well in my league semi-final game.  A sub in 98 and maybe something in 91 and maybe something in North Africa are extremely efficient bids.  Fighter bids, not so much.  It’s better to use bids on infantry and subs, in my opinion

[variance]

So Japan doesn’t get Yunnan and China can stack Szechwan.  Russian planes go back to motherland long before Germans are at the gates.  Meanwhile Japan is kind of buggered in China so USA can devote more to Atlantic side early on to put Germany on the defense.