• TripleA

    Plus as long as you got to attack Russia with Germany and India with Japan… you really did not go wrong.


  • @Cow:

    Plus as long as you got to attack Russia with Germany and India with Japan… you really did not go wrong.

    You could also hit ANZAC if the opportunity arises.


  • @orania:

    We have a little group of around 4 players that are playing this game. The Axis side Always looses and we want to try the game with a small axis bid.

    Lets assume it will be 6 or 7. Which unit(s) should i buy from this bid?

    In which territory or Seazone would you place them on the European side and where on the Pacific side?

    If you give Japan a Transport, that might help open things up for the Axis and help you grab the money islands.
    If you fancy making the European side more fun and fancy going G1 Barbarossa, a Destroyer would mean you could pounce on the Russian fleet in the Baltic and make an early move on Leningrad.

  • TripleA

    What I notice often in other people’s games is that Japan players are giving up transports early on. There is no reason to lose a transport within the first 3 rounds. Japan has the superior naval early on so I am not sure why transport losses are occurring.

  • Customizer

    @Cow:

    What I notice often in other people’s games is that Japan players are giving up transports early on. There is no reason to lose a transport within the first 3 rounds. Japan has the superior naval early on so I am not sure why transport losses are occurring.

    I would imagine that is due to leaving transports unprotected within range of Allied aircraft. I’ve seen that happen a lot. Japan spreads out to get all the DEI and perhaps Philippines and Malaya all in one fell swoop. Meanwhile all their warships are facing off against the US Navy or something else and simply don’t have enough to cover all the transports. Next thing you know, fighters from Australia or India end up picking some of them off. Sure it sucks to lose those transports, especially if you are planning on invading Australia. On the plus side though, you just gobbled up a lot of expensive territories to boost your income quite a bit and now you have garrisons on those islands so the Allies aren’t going to just walk in and take them back.


  • Good point Cow.
    I am always throwing away my Japanese Transports, telling myself it is worth for the gain(a money island or whatever) and that they only cost 7IPCs, but usually regret it and cannot always find the funds to replace them anyway.
    We all know Japan is useless without its navy or any transports.

  • TripleA

    On round 2 Japan DoW you only have to defend 3-4 spots. Japan 1 purchased transports -> phil usually. The other 3 boats usually you want to work whatever 3 islands (or 2 islands and malaya).

    Then the next round you get the other 2. How people are losing transports is beyond me.

    In my last 12 games I have not lost a transport early on. Sometimes spreading the naval to defend against back to back attacks can be tricky. Try to keep fighters on your carriers when this is happening.

    Also try to be realistic like say you got a dd sub bship carrier 2 fighter, that should hold against 4 attackers and then 3… that is bare minimal, which is sometimes necessary.

    Once you figure out the bare minimal to defend each location and then sprinkle the rest of the naval on it.

    Also things like kwangsi or french indo china airbase help to defend against multiple attacks. So sz 36 is usually the safe spot. Usually Japan wants an airbase there because it covers the burma road completely including india, provides reach to critical seazones, and defends naval.
    ~

    but yeah the allies can win games even without a bid. Just have to take some chances or get lucky early on.


  • Thank you for that Cow.


  • Like when your ~90% Taranto doesn’t work, well tough luck winning that one.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Just spitballing here, but I’m seeing some pretty large bids for the allies.

    Has anyone tried, and thus can tell me the merits and demerits of, the following bids:
    (A)  Strategic Bomber for Russia.

    • Thoughts:  Gives Russia the ability to fly back and forth as needed on the East, West and China fronts.
      (B)  Fighter for China (technically they start the game with 1, but it IS a valid unit for them, so you COULD bid another one.)
    • Thoughts:  Sure would annoy the crud out of Japan as it seems, or at least used to be, a primary goal for Japan is to kill that pesky Chinese fighter.  Not to mention, with 2 fighters comes economy of infantry units since you can send 2 inf, fig against two places instead of sending 3 or 4 infantry after one and 2 infantry, fighter after another.
      © Submarines for SZ 98
    • Thoughts:  More punch for Taranto attack + CRD against Italy for a while at least.  Double annoyance factors.
      (D) 4 or 5 infantry for France
    • Thoughts:  Seriously, if I have to spell it out then maybe you need to go back to classic. lol.  More dead Germans, more dead important Germans, more live Frenchmen so less income for Germany, slowed down advance against Russia (cause they focus harder on Paris and thus not on Normandy/Vichy France for a round) but then, it’s a thrown away bid since it dies round 1.
      (E) 2 or 3 mechanized units in the Soviet Far East (1 or 2 armor, a mech infantry) etc.
    • Thoughts:  Just again, to annoy and harass Japan some.  Slower the march back to Moscow, the more Russia earns, the more they earn, the harder it is for Italy/Germany.

    Keep in mind, I’ve basically be out of the community for a few months, things change so…

  • '12

    not bad ideas jen.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @Boldfresh:

    not bad ideas jen.Â

    I’ve used the Russian bomber before against the Japanese transports in previous editions of the game.  Harder now that you can’t just fly out to the Sea of Japan and sink them because of scrambles, range, etc.  But I could see you still being able to do it near Kamtchka (the sea zone north of the Sea of Japan) and still being able to bring it back into attack range of the Germans by the end of the next round.


  • I’ve tried 2 inf on Yunnan, no luck. not enough to make any difference whatsoever. Perhaps 3 or 4 would be a game changer.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    With how many times I’ve seen Yunnan either fail miserably, or been a complete route, I don’t think it would ever be my first choice.

    Szechwan for artillery or another fighter, or even a tank (though with TripleA I don’t think it will LET you put a tank there) would be interesting.  Slow down the Japanese, and even if all you do is buy India another round, it could compound itself greatly against Japan.

  • TripleA

    Armor and bomber bids for China are legal in league play? What the hell, China cannot make those units!


  • Why in the world would you give a bomber to China?

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @atease:

    Why in the world would you give a bomber to China?

    No idea, I suggested one for Russia, not China.


    @Cow:

    Armor and bomber bids for China are legal in league play? What the hell, China cannot make those units!

    @Cmdr_Jennifer:

    4)…A bid will be used to determine which player will be Axis and which will be Allies.

    @Gamerman01:

    @Cmdr:

    4c - You must place as much of your bid on the board before the start of Germany’s first turn.� � Any remainder may be retained for use at the end of your turn.� � This provision supercedes any previous ruling.

    I’m not sure exactly what this means. � Can you re-word or clarify please?

    Is it just saying that you must place your bid on the board at the start of the game and any extra is banked as IPC’s to the power of your choice?

    Are there any restrictions on the bid?
    In AA50 league I have asked and the moderators have agreed that they need to spell out the details of the bid rules anew this year, because they’ve carried forward old Revised bid rules from year to year so many years that players don’t know what the rules are anymore.
    The rule should answer questions such as, can I place a Japanese bomber on Berlin to start the game?

    @Cmdr:

    4c - Any IPC gained by your bid must be spent on units to be placed on the game board prior to the start of the game. � You may retain no more than 2 IPC for purchases later in the game. � You must inform, in your bid placement phase, which power(s) are to receive the IPC for use. � You do not need to retain any IPC for use later, but it is a limited option.

    @Cmdr:

    @Gamerman01:

    Because of bidding rules a lot of us have grown accustomed to over several years, could you please clarify any placement rules - for example, can the Germans put a sub in an empty sea zone?

    In other words, do you have to place boats in zones you already have a starting boat in, or a ground or air unit in a territory you control at the beginning of the game?

    Thank you for being responsive to my other input!

    Good idea.

    Any units you purchase with your bid amount are to be placed in any territory you control at the start of the game. � If you purchase a naval vessel, it may only be placed in sea zones where you currently have a naval vessel.

    Examples:

    Germany may place ground units in Holland since it is a territory they control at the start of the game.
    Japan may place a submarine (or any other naval vessel) in SZ 33 (Caroline Islands) because they already have ships in that sea zone - at the start of the game.
    America bids 36 IPC and wins, they may place an aircraft carrier and 2 fighters in SZ 10.

    Where does it limit you to what your country may, or may not build? �

    Hey, if you assumed China couldn’t build an armored unit with bidded units, that’s on your head. :P � It was probably a safe assumption since you can’t even put a Chinese armored unit on board in TripleA (a major flaw in my mind) but I see nothing in the league rules that says you may not place such a unit on the board.

    Unless I missed a passage in the rulebook saying that under no circumstances may China own these types of units.  In which case, then no, you may not even bid them into existence.


    Page 10 of the Second Edition Pacific 1940 Rule Book:

    China may spend IPCs only to purchase infantry units and does not use industrial complexes.

    same page:

    At the beginning of the game, China has a United States fighter unit located on the map.  This represents the American volunteer group the Flying Tigers.  This fighter is considered part of the Chinese forces for purposes of movement and combat.  It cannot leave the territories that China is restricted to, even to attack and return.  If it is destroyed, the US player cannot replace this fighter unt for China.

    In my opinion, this means you can bid American units into China as volunteers that, for the purposes of movement and combat, are considered part of the Chinese forces.

    Since China may not occupy waters, of course, and start with none on the board, you may not bid any naval units for China, so no Aircraft Carriers or Battleships or anything for them (although you may bid said units for France…)

  • TripleA

    I wish the league rules were less of a dictatorship and more of a community thing. At least no one is putting a bomber in amur and cheesing sz 20 and at least a cruiser stands a good chance at a mutual destruction.

    Remind me to cheese China bids in league games. Slap an AA gun on yunnan round 1. An 11 bid is super good, 1 aa gun and 2 inf on yunnan round 1. Super cheesy.

    Someday you guys will learn how one sided putting a bid on one territory can be.
    ~

    Well if people want to play me they have to play 1 unit per territory or give me the allies at 11 so I can cheese hard.
    ~

    I used to recommend artillery for amur and attacking Korea before they included Korea as part of the Mongolia pact. That was some good cheese. The yunnan cheese is super good too. You can lockdown the Burma road and effectively secure +6 NO you would not normally get in a normal game and thus prevent Japan from taking India for a long time.

  • TripleA

    To be honest I never read the league rules. I usually say 1 unit per territory and if they do not like it, then no game. I do not mind someone getting armor units for China as a bid, it is just weird.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I wouldn’t say they are a dictatorship.  We did have a discussion in October and November before the official first day of league play.

    However, interpreting every rule thereafter cannot always be put up to a community vote.  When it can, like increasing the amount of times you can play the same person, or increasing the size of the play offs, basically anytime it does not penalize players for their previous actions or give them unfair advantage with a change, I try to let everyone input their thoughts.

    That said, AA Guns, Air Bases, Naval Bases and Industrial Complexes (both major and minor) would be instances of non-legal bids for China.  Although, China may control AB/NBs I believe, so I could be dissuaded there, just not sure who in their right mind would try to do so and as for AA Guns, I am open to being persuaded about those as well.  Complexes, of course, are strictly forbidden per Page 10 of the Pacific manual for 1940 Second Edition so even if I wanted to let them be bid in for China they would have to be removed immediately since China cannot own them.


    Yea, attacking Amur was always a favorite move for Russia.  Glad it was included, however.  I never liked that Russia could invade with impunity, but Japan couldn’t.  A far better rule would be to close off the Soviet Far East and force all invasions to come in from the South (through India/Middle East or China) and just give Russia 6 IPC a round for the Far East.

Suggested Topics

  • 6
  • 3
  • 42
  • 33
  • 13
  • 5
  • 17
  • 7
Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

26

Online

17.6k

Users

40.2k

Topics

1.7m

Posts