Posts made by APolaris

Thank you morsehead for the suggestion about AAMC. I may check it out when I have more free time.

As for the thing about UK, I had the same idea but figured (1) Bids are cheap and I never play with them, if I’m going to play the axis I just take them as they are and (2) If you buy the transports, Russia can hit them with planes, and if they decline the idea or you’re playing RR, they can still land 2 men + 2 fighters in UK detracting you. That is, however, a nice suggestion on how to get them to start emptying Karelia :)

I have Jennifer’s dilemma, except mine’s worse. I don’t even have a board or pieces in my dorm - they are at home. I have a burnt copy of the CD-rom but it won’t play online.

And yeah… you can beat the CD-rom’s UK/USA without USSR. I did it in three turns once. Turn one, built 4 transports and put them in the baltic. Britain attacked with its fighters but lost both and I kept 3 transports (Russia attacked Finland and failed so I’d kept the previous and I lost my sub first). The UK had built its usual carrier/transport/infantry so next turn I just landed 6 men and all my air and took UK. Now - here’s the best part - USA did THEIR usual move of putting everything into Eastern Canada! LOL! It was too damn funny. Turn three I took the France sub, killed the transport and landing one frigging infantry in the USA and won (the CD doesn’t make you keep the territory for a whole turn). It was too funny for words to express.

In theory this should be impossible, simply because (1) with the UK building the right ships, you’d eventually lose so many planes you couldn’t keep attacking, but more importantly (2) if nothing else, the UK could simply build a bunch of infantry. Even if Germany has a production of 42 (and if they’re not aggressive against Russia or at least taking back lost territories, they definitely should not have this) and the UK is as low as 18 (again, unrealistic) the UK would still be able to defend itself. They could build 6 infantry in a turn with 18 IPCs. Germany would not be able to use planes they had lost, and after several turns of attacking carriers and possibly American fighters they most likely have lost the majority unless they stopped hitting UK’s fleet. So they’d be attacking only with infantry and/or armor they could transport - even assuming that the UK didn’t have a fleet that turn to destroy first somehow - the UK would still be building 6 infantry per turn directly on London, while Germany would have to spend 14 IPCs for a transport and 2 infantry to transport them with. Even if you use some of the infantry you start with - an asinine idea in my opinion since it begs of Russia “Take me!” - you’re still only getting the ability to go with 6 infantry a turn (3 transports and 6 men = 42 IPCs) or, even worse, substituting a tank (one unit instead of 2) for 2 men, something I think should never be done in a direct amphibious assault on a one-territory island. 6 offensive men should never match up against 6 on defense, and that’s not even including the fact that the UK will be at least 2 turns’ building ahead of you, since to move transports from Italy to UK will take 2 turns. So in theory, you’re facing a minimum 12-men disadvantage with a lower firing rate, less hits for you to get killed, and the fact that Russia will take your capital without any difficulty should you actually play this idea.

As for hitting the US with Germany before Russia, you’d better hope Japan has heavy bombers, long range aircraft, a laughable number of bombers, transports and men just outside WUSA, and the US player is the dumbest you have ever met. The only times I ever took the US with Germany were against that dopey AI and against a kid with ADD, and only against the AI (not even the kid with ADD) have I ever claimed UK before Russia.

Ever seen “Mrs. Brown”? :)

How about this… agentsmith’s idea to only put one round worth of men into Africa, and if you build the transport first turn (something I never approved of…) and kept it protected sufficiently, it could later be used to help hit Russia in Caucasus, also with an amphibious shot by the battleship, and could be used to land 4 extra men in there in addition to anything that could get there otherwise (assuming you have Ukraine). I’ve heard a modification of this (without the build of a transport since it would just get wasted) suggested as a counter for the 8 infantry/3 armor opening attack on Ukraine, which is why I wouldn’t use everything against Ukraine. I’d rather leave 2 men in Caucasus because anything less, Germany can use the starting transport to take Caucasus instead of Africa. This would pressure them to protect their capital, and also pressure the other allies to kill the transport so that it couldn’t just keep moving troops into Caucasus. If Russia counterattacks it immediately it might also weaken Karelia for taking by turn 2-3. Thoughts on this, or do you think it’s better to take Africa even if Caucasus is basically open? This is the big flaw I can find with the hit Ukraine early attack, although it’s still my favorite of the 3 options.

Just in case you were wondering I voted for the kitten… it proves that even a pussy can win a fight :)

Wow… somebody else voted that I’m not an idiot.

Thank you, Jenn :D

Geez, I guess nobody ever gets into any of these situations

Oh, I’m not a parent GG… actually I’m 21 and going to college

I think you forgot something Smith…

if Russian infantry attack Ukr and take it but lose 5 infantry the 2 remaining infantry have to stay in Ukr. They can’t return to Karelia until next turn!

Karelia can have, if everything is put in there after his idea of a Ukr attack (7 inf 2 arm), the extra armor, 2 fighters, the 4 infantry from Russia and 8 more built, plus the extra infantry. Total 13 infantry, 1 armor, 2 fighters. Not as many as he claimed, but more than you did. The question is whether putting EVERYTHING there is a good idea.

Also, if I remember correctly, EE starts with 3 infantry and Finland-Norway starts with 2 or 3 (I think it was 3). You can actually put 6 infantry (or 5 if I’m wrong) into the attack on Karelia in other words if Ukraine is attacked (this is also true if Finland-Norway is attacked instead, but you can use more armor then since both of the Ukr ones survived), not 3, and 2 more if your baltic transport survived the Russian turn. I’m not saying this is a good idea, but it is a possibility. I still doubt you can claim Karelia though without luck playing a factor. But that’s what A&A is about sometimes… taking a risk with uncertain odds for a big prize - or complete and utter ruin. Maybe the attacking retreat option is a Godsend after all?

You know the type. When you’ve played for 256 hours straight, you’re each spending 15 minutes considering only your builds, you’re so close the winners are even starting to complain, the snacks are actually finished, the dog is complaining because he hasn’t been fed or given water in a week, and your youngest daughter is complaining because her school concert starts in half an hour. Imagine how many lives could have been saved if they only thought to end WW2 one of these ways… wow…

While on the subject I might as well mention my father talked to me some about German strategy. He has an idea that 9 inf, 1 armor is a good build first turn (same # of units as 10 infantry but more striking opportunities) and do the usual stuff (take Africa, reinforce Eastern Europe strongly and continue to build infantry if things are not going well or you’re threatened seriously by Russia. If you’re strong and not under any Russian threat then start building tanks as well as infantry and hope you can get enough to hit either Ukraine-Caucasus or Karelia. But he added a new idea: as long as you’re not threatened, on turn 3 or later try to build a fighter at least once a turn or 2 turns. He says that if you can stay strong otherwise, keeping your air force powerful is key so that you can hit transports in the North Sea repeatedly, keeping the UK (and, if their ships share the zone, the US) essentially off the continent. And unless you’ve got several planes left in a battle, simply retreat after all transports are dead, hoping to re-emerge strong enough later to maybe take down the fighters/carrier then (but do it as fast as possible to slow them down even more), and as long as you can keep the UK out of Europe it’s basically both Axis vs. Russia. Keeping in mind obvious facts that don’t really need stating (i.e. use only if Germany is strong in production, don’t use if Russia can seriously threaten Eastern Europe, Germany should build infantry until his fronts are defended sufficiently, etc.) I’d be curious to see how this works. It seems to me like it’d save you the trouble of stockpiling Western Europe. I’d just play against him and let him try it but we can’t very well play right now, since I’m at college and he’s at home.

Sorry I’ve missed a few days, I just got done moving into my new dorm at SUNY - Stony Brook. Just an hour ago I got internet access.

Anyway, I’m curious about people’s UK strategy. It’s the one country I vary in my play with the most. Which of the ideas above (or other) does everyone prefer? Vote :) In case anyone’s wondering, I’ve used nearly all of the below and I don’t really have a favorite, although the India or Australia IC ideas strike me as a little weaker than the others. My highest success rates have been with bomber or big navy ideas (numbers 2 and 3)

@Jennifer:

How do you avoid the sub submerging?

Subs don’t submerge in A&A, unless you’re thinking of a different edition. I’m thinking of standard A&A 2nd edition.

I was asking about land attacks. As for sea combat I prefer to use the sub to hit the one near France, not the baltic, and move the transport to Canada’s sz. To kill the Baltic fleet I usually find one fighter is enough and the other is used in other attacks. So basically your point is you don’t do any of the 3 major land attacks?

We’re not talking about A&A europe, so the artillery thing would be impossible. As for the carrier, I can’t picture Germany wanting a carrier for any purpose whatsoever. Care to explain your position?

Vote on your favorite Russian attack for turn 1! I’m fond of the Ukraine one personally since you can throw from 6-8 infantry depending on your tastes, making it hard for Germany to kill your tanks without risking their own, but against some weaker players I’ll hit Eastern Europe hoping the distraction will work. Of course, my build is still 8 infantry and I still don’t hit Manchuria (and do kill the Baltic fleet).

What does everyone think is the best German build first turn in basic A&A 2nd edition? I go with choice 2 personally but the others all have merits as I’ve seen people discuss here. Ideas?

I think by now it’s safe to say nobody will vote against it.

OMG! I’ve not only played it with one player… I won as the Axis by an embarassing margin.