2015 League General Discussion Thread


  • Well said, and funny!


  • It probably DOESN’T matter - the tier E player is just used to always knowing, and asking if he doesn’t know as a good habit!  :lol:

  • '19 '17

    @Gamerman01:

    Yes, you can retreat when you’re down to only transports

    It’s when the defense is down to only AAA or transports that you are not allowed to retreat

    So the defense can intentionally keep only AAA to force the attacker to take the territory? That’s surprising…


  • That’s right
    That’s why it can be important to ask for casualty choices when AA is involved, if the attacker is looking to retreat


  • See, those AAA pieces were worth more than you thought :) Might want to start buying them
    By the way, they would still cost 6 if I hadn’t convinced Larry to reduce them to 5.  It’s probably about the only thing he listened to me about  :-P


  • @Gamerman01:

    See, those AAA pieces were worth more than you thought :) Might want to start buying them
    By the way, they would still cost 6 if I hadn’t convinced Larry to reduce them to 5.  It’s probably about the only thing he listened to me about  :-P

    Does anyone ever buy AAA anyway?

  • '22 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16 '15 '14 '12

    Just look at the math:

    2 AA guns = 10 bucks

    If attacked by more than 6 air, 1 hit likely w/2AA. If hit only ftr then it’s a wash 10 bucks for 10 bucks, plus you get 2 hit points to boot.  Any better than that, and the defender is pulling ahead.

    So good to buy them when facing large air attack in say ultimate Moscow battle etc.


  • That’s not how I look at it, but you’re right, Karl.

    In some cases, buying AAA is the most efficient for defense.  In my game vs. bmnielsen, sometimes he only had 1-2 fighters that could reach Moscow, and maybe 10-14 bombers.  Here, were an added AAA exposes 3 more bombers, you will get better defense with 5 IPC’s for an AAA than buying the equivalent in infantry, especially if your money is not divisible by 3.

    This is not the only situation where buying AAA makes sense.  And as I said, an AAA piece could draw your opponent in to take over a territory on a hit and run where he didn’t want to win, and could be huge for you as you can counter-attack.

    Granted, at 5 IPC’s AAA is STILL over-priced.  4 would probably be about right.


  • And you can’t quantify the deterrent effect of putting AAA in a trading territory where your opponent has air superiority.  Or the damage done when it hits 2/3, like it did to me recently in a big game.

    I rarely buy them, but they are not always terrible purchases.  I buy them more often than cruisers  :-)  And almost as often as the terrible purchase of tacs….


  • But how many would you buy at 6 IPC’s?  That’s right, almost 0 (would STILL be a good buy when facing bombers at times, though)

  • '22 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16 '15 '14 '12

    @Gamerman01:

    That’s not how I look at it, but you’re right, Karl.

    In some cases, buying AAA is the most efficient for defense.  In my game vs. bmnielsen, sometimes he only had 1-2 fighters that could reach Moscow, and maybe 10-14 bombers.  Here, were an added AAA exposes 3 more bombers, you will get better defense with 5 IPC’s for an AAA than buying the equivalent in infantry, especially if your money is not divisible by 3.

    This is not the only situation where buying AAA makes sense.  And as I said, an AAA piece could draw your opponent in to take over a territory on a hit and run where he didn’t want to win, and could be huge for you as you can counter-attack.

    Granted, at 5 IPC’s AAA is STILL over-priced.  4 would probably be about right.

    Oh yes, if you got Dark Skies coming at you, then AA can be even more powerful….  Bombers down at the start totally make it worth it.

    Gamer is correct that the value of AA’s is that they go right at the air first instead of the conventional way of chewing through the fodder.


  • Well said, Karl,
    that AA can knock the offensive power right out from under the attacker


  • @Gamerman01:

    And you can’t quantify the deterrent effect of putting AAA in a trading territory where your opponent has air superiority.  Or the damage done when it hits 2/3, like it did to me recently in a big game.

    I rarely buy them, but they are not always terrible purchases.  I buy them more often than cruisers  :-)  And almost as often as the terrible purchase of tacs….

    What’s wrong with buying tacs? I guess they should also be 10, since they’re basically fighters with attack and defense switched, but is the extra 10% cost that much of a deterrent?


  • Tacs are terrible

    First of all, they don’t always attack on a 4

    If you want 4 attack power, buy a bomber.  Bombers are superior to tacs in every way except of course they defend on a 1 instead of a 3 and can’t land on carriers.

    If you want defense and carrier units, fighters are better.  For scrambling, fighters are vastly superior (you have a limit of 3 units).  Fighters can intercept and escort, but tacs can’t.  Tacs can escort only if there is a base, and the tacs are subject to AA fire.  The only really solid use for tacs in my opinion is for their ability to surprise the opponent by disabling a key base when they’re not expecting it, but the tacs you start the game with are sufficient.

  • '22 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16 '15 '14 '12

    I buy tacs sometimes the last round for Germany before the battle of Moscow to give them a bump.

    Otherwise, I would only buy them maybe for the US in the Pac or for the USSR if they are doing well and advancing.

    Otherwise, the Axis start with plenty and the Allies can’t afford them since they need as many ftrs for defense.


  • I know Allweneed also like to build tacs in Novgorod for a punch on Moscow, but why not spring for the extra +1 and get REAL offense?  Bombers with much more range

    Problem with tacs is they are expensive and yet don’t do the best at anything.  Bombers attack better with way more range and way more SBR damage.  Fighters defend much better.


  • @Karl7:

    @Gamerman01:

    That’s not how I look at it, but you’re right, Karl.

    In some cases, buying AAA is the most efficient for defense.  In my game vs. bmnielsen, sometimes he only had 1-2 fighters that could reach Moscow, and maybe 10-14 bombers.  Here, were an added AAA exposes 3 more bombers, you will get better defense with 5 IPC’s for an AAA than buying the equivalent in infantry, especially if your money is not divisible by 3.

    This is not the only situation where buying AAA makes sense.  And as I said, an AAA piece could draw your opponent in to take over a territory on a hit and run where he didn’t want to win, and could be huge for you as you can counter-attack.

    Granted, at 5 IPC’s AAA is STILL over-priced.  4 would probably be about right.

    Oh yes, if you got Dark Skies coming at you, then AA can be even more powerful….  Bombers down at the start totally make it worth it.

    Gamer is correct that the value of AA’s is that they go right at the air first instead of the conventional way of chewing through the fodder.

    Do you have link to an OP about Dark Skies? I’ve been reading about this name lately and would like to learn more about it. Seems intriguing.


  • It’s just Germany buying mostly bombers from the beginning of the game
    Maybe somebody will give you a link
    Watch bmnielsen’s games as Axis to see how it’s done


  • @Gamerman01:

    It’s just Germany buying mostly bombers from the beginning of the game
    Maybe somebody will give you a link
    Watch bmnielsen’s games as Axis to see how it’s done

    Maybe I should try Dark Skies and apply it with my other favourite strategy…


  • This came up in my game tonight, and I wanted to share it with everybody.

    Since Triple A does nothing to identify pro-neutrals that have already been attacked (so can be flown over and into), I realized there is a great way to force it to identify them.

    If it is a pro-Allied territory, change control of it to Dutch.  Infantry stays neutral, but it is easy to see that it is an Allied territory now.  Since the Dutch can never possibly have money or income, it works.
    I don’t have a great idea for pro-Axis yet, but somebody will think of something

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