What percentage is luck involved in a games outcome?

If you’re going to use the US as your trading country, then make sure you have a good transport system in place. Get a 4x4 going on. Four transports from Ecan to UK, and UK to EEU (preferably) or Kar. And buy a fighter EVERY round so you can fly it to Russia. Do the same with the UK. Buy a fighter every round and fly it to Russia. Get a good fighter cover going, have Russia buy infantry out the wazoo (and an armour every now and then) and continually wear Germany down.

@ncscswitch:

To get THAT much Japan hardware in range of the US for J2 would mandate that Japan was effectively going KUSA, with commensurate loss of income in Asia.

Not really.

7 Infantry, 2 Fighters attack China with the two fighters coming from Manchuria and FIC.  These fighters can land in Japan.
3 Fighters, Battleship, Carrier, Destroyer, Submarine, Bomber attack SZ 52
Fighter, Infantry, Armor attack Hawaii

2 Fighters from the SZ 52 battle can land in SZ 45 on the carrier and battleship from SZ 37

now, without building a darn thing you already have:

2 Battleships
2 Carriers
6 Fighters
1 Transport
1 Destroyer
1 Submarine* (If it was not lost)

vs

1 Battleship
1 Transport
1 Destroyer
3 Fighters (Assumes the fighter was lost in Hawaii)
2 Aircraft Carriers

I did not give up anything in Asia, but I did station everything in range of America.  The transport in SZ 52 can easily pick up units in Solomons to attack Australia with two bombardments if I don’t need them.

Or, don’t attack Hawaii and add 1 fighter to the defensive forces, but don’t risk losing your infantry and armor in the process.

Odds:

Attacker: 2 Battleships, 2 Carriers, Transport, Submarine, Destroyer, 6 Fighters (2 Fighters in SZ 52 can attack and land back on Wake), Bomber (assumed stationed at Wake where it can again land)

Defender: Battleship, 2 Carriers, Transport, Destroyer, 4 Fighters

(note, this does not take into account any builds for Japan that may or may not be in range of SZ 55.)

I have the Japanese winning over 99% of the time with losses of transport, submarine, 2 fighters.  I believe that is a rather good trading position for Japan.

We switch between the 12 point bid, and the axis again 4 NA’s and the Axis seem to win 50-60% of our games, and the last few months no one can beat them. Axis has one 13 of 17 games since this past september.  We have 20 man group that plays about twice a month.

NP.  Actually thought it was an abbreviation issue…

I will have it posted tonight.

it’s up to you:

there are many strategy games that go beyond the level of A&AR…
so, you should try to find and play these games!

By the way: about increasing the territories? this doesn’t make things more complicated…
If you look at the difference between A&A and A&AR: there have been modifications in this order…
but I think it didn’t made the game more complex at all.
It is more balanced now…

My opponent did do quite some havoc and his AF never dropped below 10 once he reached this at UK4…
But, like Jetfan4hire already posted: Probably that won’t work against an axis player who knows what he is doing…

G was crippled heavily short after with only 3 territories remaining - value 22 IPC’s
I know, I messed up really bad that game :-)
So, G didn’t have the force to strike back at the figs…
And that’s the reason why things worked out for my opponent…

Or, if you are like me, just raid chips (and extra Japan INF and ARM, something else I have run out of in the last 2 games I played) from your Milton Bradley Classic AA game.  Exactly the same size and style :-)