What is the most unusual/annoying/strange allied bid

An oddity for me today:

J5 and Japan just took Iraq.

No one else has touched the middle east due to various reasons.  India is turtled and earning 5 ipcs.  London was taken and some bad roles seriously hindered the UK overall.  U.S. just liberated London and is starting to gather in Pacific (2 turns til at full attack ready)

So now Japan has Iraq with 5 inf and the SZ has a transport, carrier with 2 planes, a sub, and a cruiser.

I’m thinking I might put a factory there and be a giant PIA the rest of the game.  Threaten Cairo that way.  Or support my attacks on Russia… about to finish off China.

@JDOW:

@taamvan:

Malaya is too vulnerable, and it takes too long to secure.   HK is far stronger for your later-game strategic defense (free NB), hidden square)

The opposite is the case for Malaya. Yes, it is vulnerable but strategically Malaya is the by far most powerful IC Japan can place.

I think you’re taking FIC as a given there. I can’t see how the Malaya IC is more powerful than FIC. Doesn’t need a naval base built to reach Calcutta?

Also, from a penalty standpoint, there’s no reason for Russia not to declare war on Japan on R1.  Declaring war doesn’t require them to make an actual attack, but it does open their territories up for friendly occupation, making it that much more obnoxious as a US bomber base.

Also, when you post on the play by forum thread, you can’t edit your post like you can on these ones.  Once its posted, its there forever

we don’t play with Victory cities, as we have never done.
Russia can be making into 50 IPC if they have installed well into slovakia
the US lands in a chain between canada and ireland (a direct push to retake England has never worked for us)
perhaps they can build IC in brazil, and support remaining allied forces in africa.
play evasive in the pacific

i know it’s very hard, but the key lays in japan being halted for a few rounds (allies attack B2 to have all objectives) and germany losing a lot of forces in england, and keep producing there to keep the territory.

@larrymarx:

@kcdzim:

I’d prefer a solution were russia is required abide the cease fire regardless of war in europe , but allow Japan to break it whenever they please (which still doesn’t cause war with the other axis powers).  Russia just has to make sure it will be costly for Japan, which is precisely what they did with the far east forces.

How about doing this but also allowing Russia to break the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact if Japan chooses to attack early?

The game already favors the allies.  Allowing Russia to preemptively strike isn’t helpful for balance on the Europe side.  However, barring russia from attacking japan first, under any circumstance, probably means Japan won’t bother with russia at all with no need to garrison and will focus on china first, while positioning for the J3 assault which matches far more closely the way AAP40 plays (where russia isn’t available to attack, and won’t attack Japan).

the 18 infantry already is pretty good about giving Japan pause on J1.  J2, it becomes more feasable, but even then Russia can back away and just leave the shorelines open, giving up minimal value.  I just don’t buy that Russia needs more freedom to attack.  While Stalin was of the mind of striking when either axis was vulnerable, the player is NOT the Stalin, and some safeguards like restricted declarations have to be in place so that the game can be balanced.  Otherwise it’s not 1940, it’s 1942.

In my perfect world:

A) Russia cannot attack or enter ORIGINAL UK or US territories ever.  Russia just shouldn’t be in India.  or the UK.  They can take Persia, they can take neutrals, and they can conquer ORIGINAL axis territories to their hearts content.  And even though it’s unlikely, they can help in France.  Frankly, if Russia is in position to take a european french territory, the game is either over, or has gone pearshaped, but this way they can get a token Syria.

B)UK & US units cannot enter ORIGINAL Russian territories ever.  If they do, they are removed (thus cannot defend), a marker takes their place, and Russia has the option to purchase that equiv unit during their purchase phase at half price rounded up (this is lend lease/pilot internment).

C) Russia can attack & control any neutral it pleases at start of game.  No neutral is friendly to Russia - they will all be combat moves, and they will always defend, even if Pro Ally.  Unless strict neutrals are changed to affect regions (unlikely), same rules as OOB for strict neutrals.

D) Russia cannot attack Japan until Berlin falls or Japan declares war on them.  They cannot enter China until at war with Japan (historically, they were still aiding china after the Cease fire in '39, but stopped after the Pact in 41.  However, since the Tigers weren’t in China until 41 (essentially taking over for the russian air group), the single fighter can be abstracted to be considered the Russian air group at the beginning of the game

E) OOB political rules for Italy/Germany.

Nice, well with depreciation of the dollar I would say that would probably be about what I pay for something like that as well. I will have to do some digging to find a place that does that, because I do admit that the ridges irritate me, not to mention the board separating from time to time if someone hits the edge or something.