Antholin vs. Stalingradski Game One

US purchases 4 Transports, 11 Infantry, 6 Artillery, Minor IC = 97 IPCs.

Combat

Take Norway.

Kazahkstan
aRolls: 1@1, 4@3; Total Hits: 21@1,: (6)4@3: (3, 4, 5, 1)
dRolls: 1@2; Total Hits: 01@2: (4)

British Somaliland
BombardRolls: 1@3, 1@4; Total Hits: 21@3,: (1)1@4: (3)
aRolls: 1@1, 1@3, 2@4; Total Hits: 11@1,: (2)1@3,: (4)2@4: (5, 2)

Strat Bomb Volgograd
AARolls: 1@1; Total Hits: 11@1: (1)
DamageRolls: 1@6; Total Hits: 11@6: (3)+2

Strat Bomb Moscow
AARolls: 1@1; Total Hits: 01@1: (3)
DamageRolls: 1@6; Total Hits: 11@6: (4)+2

JRG1T13UScom.AAM

I messed up in Somaliland and never gave you a swing back…

dRolls: 1@2; Total Hits: 11@2: (2)

Good shootin’!

US collects 71 + 25 NO = 96 IPCs.

China purchases 5 Artillery, 3 Infantry = 29 IPCs.

Moves, places, collects 23 + 6 NO = 29 IPCs.

JRG1T13CHIend.AAM

UK London purchases 5 Mech, Armor, 5 Infantry = 41 IPCs.

UK Calcutta purchases Fighter, 3 Infantry, Armor = 25 IPCs.

Combat

Liberate Kenya.

Ethiopia
aRolls: 4@1; Total Hits: 04@1: (3, 4, 3, 5)
dRolls: 1@2; Total Hits: 11@2: (2)

Strat Bomb Volgograd… let’s test those gunners again!
AARolls: 1@1; Total Hits: 11@1: (1)
DamageRolls: 1@6; Total Hits: 11@6: (6)+2

JRG1T13UKcom.AAM

Um… wow? Those are some sharp gunners.

Ethiopia 2
aRolls: 3@1; Total Hits: 03@1: (6, 2, 4)
dRolls: 1@2; Total Hits: 11@2: (2)

Ok, a turn bordering on silly.

Eth 3
aRolls: 2@1; Total Hits: 02@1: (3, 5)
dRolls: 1@2; Total Hits: 11@2: (1)

I’ll keep going, I guess.

aRolls: 1@1; Total Hits: 01@1: (3)
dRolls: 1@2; Total Hits: 01@2: (6)

aRolls: 6@1; Total Hits: 06@1: (6, 6, 2, 3, 5, 3)
dRolls: 6@2; Total Hits: 36@2: (2, 3, 6, 1, 2, 3)

So, a precious Bomber shot down (2 in as many rounds), 2 Infantry and 2 Mech lost, and no casualties for Japan or Germany… worst … turn… ever!

Turkey is letting the Allies use their eastern border as an overflow (for NW Persia) for Brit and Anzacian troops. However, they are firm in not allowing Russian soldiers anywhere near their people.

UK London collects 32 IPCs.

UK Calcutta collects 20 + 5 NO = 25 IPCs.

JRG1T13UKend.AAM

I’m thinking about leaving that Ronin alone… he deserves a quiet retirement. Our boys are a little spooked by what happened last time we tried…

Later today I’ll post Anzac/France (Franzac?)… I’m away as well. See you soon.

Anzac purchases 6 Infantry, 2 Mech Infantry, Armor = 29 IPCs.

Combat

Caucasus
aRolls: 2@1, 2@3; Total Hits: 12@1,: (6, 2)2@3: (2, 5)
dRolls: 1@2; Total Hits: 01@2: (3)

JRG1T13ANZend.AAM

Anzac collects 21 + 10 NO = 31 IPCs.

JRG1T13ANZend.AAM

Sorry - use this instead -

JRG1T13FRAend.AAM

You got it, sir. Feedback and friendly banter time!

I’ll just make a few points, and you can comment on them and make some of your own, if you’d like.

• You ran an excellent Germany. You put early and consistent pressure, and kept it up for the whole game. I especially liked your late game purchases of large quantities of Infantry… with a stronger Pacific, those Infantry might have made the difference.

• However! I can’t help myself but to buy one German air unit every turn. Even though it’s a personal preference, in practical terms it allows you to have a constant threat in many directions, on land and at sea. Once Germany starts to become purely land-based, the Allies breathe much easier. Also - it is surprising how the aircraft add up… take into consideration the air units you’re left with at the end of the first entire round - usually around 7 or 8 at worst. Now, add one per round, and in a game like ours - 13 turns in - you have close to 20 air units. That adds instant threat to any infantry you purchase, or any naval units. It keeps Germany properly fanged.

• A general rule, and it didn’t really have to be considered in this game - I keep my fighters on the West Front and my Tac Bombers on the Ost Front, with Strats being the swing vote in either direction. Armor are traditionally to the East, so the Tacs match up very well with them… I see it as the better defensive unit is holding the shield, and the better offensive unit is holding the broadsword.

• Italy. I feel that you let the Med go too early in this one. I scratch and claw in the Med until there is no hope. Early and consistent naval purchases are everything - if you don’t get the jump on the Allied fleet, you’ll be behind in an unwinnable arms race. If you can take the plunge, around I3 or I4, when your economy from NOs is as big as it probably ever will be, and just buy a Carrier , you can make the Allies’ job that much tougher. From there on out you can add a sub, destroyer, or fighter (or some combo if you’re feeling bold) to maintain the fleet and create the dual naval shield in both SZ112 and the Med. If Germany can slip a few units into the Med early, or even take S France or build an IC in Yugo (ok) or Greece (better), you can start adding a German sub or destroyer every round to the Med, and make life a nightmare for the US and UK… Germany’s Luftwaffe range combines very, very well in the Med with a boat or two.

-Italy otherwise - you ran fantastically. You bolstered German defenses on the coast, and kept the boot a tough nut to crack, and double-teamed Russia very effectively. Your land campaign was consistent, methodical, and tough.

• Japan. What can I say? It’s the toughest nation to play against a determined Pacific Allied player. I combined and refined my experience to make life tough in every way. However, please know that I get myself into nasty predicaments with Japan against Steve… my advice comes from a bunch of games in which I messed up, and bad. When the Allies take every available IPC early on, and the US fleet is concentrated on solely for the first 3 US purchases, Japan is in for a long war. So, I can only give generalizations for a better Japan experience for you.

• Stay close to home against a strong Allied Pacific threat. The worst thing that can happen is having the US take over SZ6, convoy raid you to death, and put an IC in Korea. It’s the death knell. Steve just did it to me in a game, and I’m already crying in my Sapporo. You saw the long term results - a slow throttling, a sub per round and a little air power in the region, and in the late game Japan had no Yen left. It’s a chess match that you can’t afford to lose - don’t get outflanked by the Pacific fleet. If you need to, build an airbase in Korea early, and have 6 fighters defending your fleet. I’d rather lose the entire DEI, and maintain the ability to keep constant pressure in Asia, then go raiding south, mess up, and lose SZ6.

• This one is advice for both me and you - be careful buying ICs. I almost always buy 3 Minors, but that works best when pressure is low to moderate. When the pressure is high, you find it very hard to fill 3 factories with infantry and still add to your fleet. I’m leaning toward 2 ICs - one of which may be a major in Korea - and concentrating on a better mix of land, navy, and air.

• I liked and salute your foray into the Middle East with Japan. It gave me a new view into the possibilities with the fleet. You did it well, and I understood it was a giant kamikaze mission to crack the center of the board and allow the Germans to break out. The issue was - it can sometimes be amazing/disconcerting/shocking to see how quickly the Allies can stack and pool and mingle into an absurd defensive force in the middle of the board. Steve does it to me all the time - I have this wonderful strategy… but where did those 30 infantry come from? And where did that continuous flow of more come from? And before you know it, your grand design has to be delayed one more turn… then two more turns… and on and on.

• So overall, expand very quickly into the DEI, then consolidate your power in SZ6 or along the coast. Of course, this is against an extreme Allied Pacific effort. If the opportunity is there to maintain hegemony over the DEI, by all means…

Ok! That’s my first salvo! I feel like starting Game 2 with you right now, so I think I will.