Playtesting notes…
It’s turn 4 and Game 1 is already turning into a rout in favor of the Axis. Starting Conditions:
Setup mirrored G40.2 as closely as possible on this new board with no bid for the Allies, which should give the game a STRONG pro-axis tilt.
My (8yo) son took the Axis with the below standing handicaps:
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Germany +10 IPC/turn and1 free infantry to be placed in any controlled territory each turn
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Japan same as Germany
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Italy same as Germany/Japan but only +5 IPC/turn
US starts with 0 IPC, half income until turn 3 or attacked,
gain half income as one-time bonus when attacked (this was not in the rules as stated above, but we changed this on the fly as their position looks utterly desperate. I wanted their full income as a bonus, but was voted down).
USSR starts with half income until turn 3 or USSR is attacked (he attacked me turn 2)
We bumped AA guns down to 5 IPC (was 6).
Current state: It’s the end of UK4.
Japan is making 40 IPC, has 8 carriers in the pacific and is halfway across China and Russia. He neglected the money islands until just last turn and has not threatened India (where UK made an immediate, huge investment), but has a ~200 IPC fleet at Hawaii that dwarfs the US pacific fleet by 2:1.
Germany has 10+ fighters and 40+ infantry on the Eastern Front. G and R are trading Caucasus. R hoping to hold Moscow with UK help (UK invading Scandanavia and coming down from Karelia & up from Iran).
UK is still the income leader (not for long with Japan taking DEI) which has allowed them to fight well on two fronts. They just sunk both the German and Italian navies… but my son rolls ridiculously well (which I secretly enjoy) and both uk fleets (India–>Med and England–>Baltic) took significant losses and may be wiped out in retaliation next turn. They’ve been stymied in Western Europe by a huge luftwaffe and a large German naval investment in the baltic (2 carriers?!) and had to resort to Norway.
US only just lumbering into the war. Feels extremely underpowered with an income in only the high-30s and a roaring japan on the doorstep. We gave the US a half-income war bonus, but that’s 18IPCs of peanuts. I think that for this to work without a bid the US wants an income boost of at least 5 and perhaps a fat bonus when/if attacked as well.
ANZAC in the pacific has done exactly zero except to hold the Australian mainland and vaguely threaten Japan’s far south perimeter, which feels… right.
Vichy vs Free France has been a back and forth, feels very good. At the start the map split 50/50 (expected) but the navy split in the Axis favor with two defections, a couple scuttles, and only a single destroyer joining the Free French.
Italy ignored the European Neutrals and made a big push into Africa instead, quickly swept the UK out of Cairo but have not yet been able to cross Suez (UK holds mideast). The combined Free French and British have also been able to hold them at FEA and Rhodesia while pushing Vichy out of lower Africa. LOVING how Africa has played out so far in this game with landings and battles on both sides up and down the African coast.
Currently the Axis have 12 VCs to the Allies 9 (Rio still Neutral), and halfway though turn 4 are almost in a state of Minor Victory according to my revised victory city chart:
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I think the game is playing OK, and it’s always hard to account for the handicap & skill effects of having an 8yo at the helm. I’ll be curious to see how hopeless the US situation is. If my son can take territory on the west coast, I’ll have to make adjustments (even given his handicap).
