Posts made by Col.Stauffenberg

@coorran:

I usually do it with the 2 TRN, actually, to land 4 land units into Africa. That will usually cost me 2 TRN, but those 4 land units are really important in the Africa fight. They may actually be the only ones I will need until JAP actually commits to Africa.

I say usually, but it’s quite variable, depending on how many FTR have landed in W.EU, how the Anglo-Egypt went on G1 and UK1, what the chances are that the G Med fleet will be sunk on turn 2…

This is exactly what we do to. It’s no problem for the US to replace them and it starts robbing Germany of African income immediately. Sometimes we send the UK tran and back it up with the US.

Yeah I wouldn’t be sending Russians to India, or be putting them on any coastal territory. If any go to asia, through China is the best bet because it can stall Japan and you can usually retreat when the time comes.

We never drink when we play A & A. Games would probably end in fisticuffs. We do however like to partake in certain other recreational substances.

Attacking a moderately defended West Russia or Caucus is risky. In most cases, I don’t think the odds would be favourable. A likely scenario is that Germany burns all their inf and doesn’t take anything, leaving Russia to walk all over them (possibly giving them Norway). It’s not worth the risk on round 1. Egypt attack, and sinking UK boats are more important on rd 1. Plus it puts planes out of range since a lot of them won’t be able to land in France to threat Atlantic waters- something I know you like to do Hobbes.

@Keredrex:

@Col.Stauffenberg:

BTW, I should’ve worded things better. I meant if Germany attacks Egypt and fails, it’s game over.

still dont totally agree… but this does hurt more.  Japan can still possibly dominate and be the game winning country. as long as germany turns defensive cause of the failed egypt attack but still makes a push for russia.  they will just have to be more careful and not lose any more major battles.

im curious… do you currently play the 1942 board?

We actually use the revised board but with 1942 rules and pieces. The 42 board is too small and the borders are hard to see.

As far as attacking Egypt and failing - it’s bad, but I don’t think I’d resign on those grounds alone.  If you usually stop playing after a certain attack fails, you’ll never see what could have happened.

This is something we’ve started doing this past year. We’ve been playing for ten years and we’ve seen (almost) every possible scenario for the round 1 failed egypt attack. After it happens, Germany makes less and less money every round. By round 2 they’ll be at 35 or even less. All the three allies have to do is just attack them everywhere and widdle them down to nothingness. You don’t even need strategy.

@Keredrex:

@Hobbes:

I disagree as well. Things get tougher for the Axis and Japan will need to step up and threaten Africa but the game is not lost. Africa can be a drain for Germany, since it diverts units away from the Russian front. Losing the fleet means that those units can be used instead against Russia.

precisely… and having a major threat on UK in the 1st round forces the allies to purchase accordingly

You’re only forcing them to buy stuff they’re going to use anyway, be it inf, tanks, boats, planes. They eventually need it all. You only change the order in which they buy things.
BTW, I should’ve worded things better. I meant if Germany attacks Egypt and fails, it’s game over. I have won games in the past where I took Gib round one, sunk the uk navy and bought a Baltic Navy adn I’m sure there’s other strats out there that don’t call for an Egypt attack.

@Hobbes:

@Col.Stauffenberg:

The fighters attack Ukraine and land in Caucus. I did screw up with the tanks. My standard opening is 2 tanks on WR and two on Ukraine. Others like to put 3 on UK but I think thats overcommitting.

It depends on how much of a risk you are willing to assume: 2 armor gives you 85% odds of winning, but since usually people want to take Ukr (to prevent the German armor on Balkans from hitting WR), then the odds are 68% with 1 armor. With 3 armor the odds of taking Ukr with at least 1 armor left are 84%.
The risk is also dependent on how the WR attack goes and how many Russian infantry the Germans manage to kill. Losing 3 inf is the standard but if R loses 5 or 6 infantry then the remaining pieces might be vulnerable to a German counterattack. Taking Ukr reduces that chance by blocking the German armor on Balkans.

Yeah but then they just wipe out three of your tanks no problem and with two tanks on WR, it also helps Russia win faster in WR and helps protect against the counter. Besides, it’s a risk for Germany since there’s so many missions for those german fighters. Either way is good. I think that division comes down to personal preference.

@DREAMING:

Hi,

Very new to the game so just looking to learn. My question revolves around what a number of you have said but I’ll quote SAS:

“Standard attacks are 9 inf, 1 art, 1 tank to West Russia”

If you send 9 infantry into WR, are you leaving just one fighter in Karelia? I assume it will die on G1? Also, nothing is left in Archangel to counter on R2?

Thanks for your help.

The fighters attack Ukraine and land in Caucus. I did screw up with the tanks. My standard opening is 2 tanks on WR and two on Ukraine. Others like to put 3 on UK but I think thats overcommitting.

If Germany doesn’t take Egypt rd 1 it’s game over for the axis.  We’ve been playing weekly for ten years and when that happens the axis player conceeds and we start over.

@Keredrex:

It can’t…. borneo is a separate space from the Sea zone surrounding it.  so from Sea Zone 35 the movement count would be… 36, 48, Borneo, 48.  so for the fighter to attack borneo the carrier has to end its movement in 48.

Yeah, that’s what I don’t like about the Borneo attack. You have to send the cruiser to take out the trans or send the cruiser to Borneo and risk losing if it doesn’t hit. At least the plane stays alive.

Ah, the two Asian allied factory days. Those used to be fun (if you were the axis). I wish there was a way to bring back more Pacific action. In our games now the US will spend next to no IPCs in the pacific.

I’ve tried both many times and I still can’t say for sure. I’m leaning towards German naval builds as a bad idea. The UK and US will eventually crush it and you have to spend a lot of IPCS on it . The best spot is in the med to keep the door to Africa open, helps defend Southern and keeps pressure on Russia.

I’ve tried buying a fighter every round with guys and it didn’t work but that was a long time ago. I might try it again soon.

I was talking about sending a russian fig round 1 t take out the ger baltic navy (minus the subs of course). I think it would prevent a german naval build.

After much experimentation we always do the same as Russia round 1 - attack West Russia with 9 inf, 1 art, 2 tanks and Ukraine with 3 inf, 1 art, 2 trans and 2 figs. I’m ure this is pretty standard for many people.

@Bunnies:

It isn’t the German navy that’s sunk.  It’s the UK battleship that’s preserved.

Grabbing Norway lets UK start trading territory (compensating for the loss of the fighter) far earlier, but typically UK starts trading territory sooner or later anyways.  That is - the Russian fighter can never be replaced except by purchasing.

The German front against Russia is FAR stronger with the addition of those 3 infantry on the front lines.  Germany can do some very interesting attacks.

Sorry, I got my topics mixed up. Taking out the navy only risks a plane but it would be the counter to the German naval build since being down a DD and a TRNS would discourage them adding to a Baltic Navy that consists of 2 subs.

Taking Norway is a tough fight. Sure you could hurt Germany but they’d keep Ukraine and possibly take West Russia. It’s not worth the loss of the plane. UK can always wait to buy Navy. If Rus takes out Ukraine, and shoots down a plane, then Ger could be down 3 planes if they take more than 1 hit on the attack on the UK ATL navy.  Ger with 3 FIGs on round 2 is pretty toothless.

@Bunnies:

Mm.  I think you lucked out, Hobbes.  I can’t say for sure what the CORRECT counter to your G1 carrier/transport was, but it certainly wasn’t sending Russian forces to India and/or Anglo-Egypt Sudan and/or the Pacific coast.

Hm, hm . . . . how to counter . . .

My strat would be to buy tons of inf with Rus and march them toward Ger. Maybe you wouldn’t take Berlin but you’d have a really good chance taking Italy or Norway. First few rounds you’d be making over 30 and Germany would be in the poor house or breaking even if Africa went great.

I don’t think Russia can afford to lose planes that early. The benefits to sinking the German navy don’t outweigh the negatives.

2 rounds with no INF builds as Germany? What was RUS doing?

I was talking about if you use you sink the UK navy round 1. Do you still do the 1 ac, 2 Des build? We don’t because by then 3 subs and whatever planes are on france/Nor will be in range.

You can afford to spend 40+ Ipcs on planes for Germany? And this is more if you lose a plane in Ukraine right off the bat and/or one taking out the cruiser. If you’re buying that many planes then you’re not that much Inf. and by round 3 or 4 the germany income should be shrinking, or else you’re not playing the allies right.

Those Russian territories are worth only 3 ipcs. WR, UK, Belorus combine for 9. You only need to go up 6 and be down none to reach 30. Not hard at all with an agressive Russia.

UK needs planes for when they start attacking the Eastern Europe stack, amoung other things.

The Japanese airforce takes a long time to get to Germany and it’s not threatening the Asian mainland. We’ve done this before and from my experience it’s a "delaying the inevetable strat. It weakens Japan more than it helps Ger.

Anyway, I like to keep and open mind and will your read your fortress Europe strat later.

@Hobbes:

@Col.Stauffenberg:

We now give the axis (just germany - none for Japan as they don’t need it) a 9 IPC bid (usually and extra sub in Atl, 1 inf for UK and 1 inf for africa) and 3 national advantages - atlantic wall, jet fighters, and blitzkreig). We also give UK British Commandos but that’s it for the allies. We did this last week and the axis still lost.

Either the Allies had some tremendous luck or the Axis didn’t play properly or both. 1 extra sub on the Atlantic and G can sink the entire UK Navy on the Atlantic and Mediterranean. And with Panzerblitz (I imagine that’s what you call Blitzkrieg) and Luftwaffe Dive Bombers (jet Fighters is a tech, not an NA) G can simply fortify W. Eur. and E. Eur and doesn’t have to use its planes to take Russian territories.

In this particualy game Russia was rolling hot and Germany was rolling poor. Despite all these changes it came down to Germany losing too much infantry on the front. It was our second game of the night. We called the first one after Russia botched their round 1 attacks on West Russia and Ukraine (Russia got two hits total, while germany got 8 after one round of combat

As for the UK Navy getting sunk, it’s not that big an advantage. They just change the order in which they buy things - the need inf, planes and trans. This is something I think we can all agree on.  Instead of buying navy round 1, they buy planes or they buy inf. Planes are really handy because you can send two (and the bomber)to Russia right away and they can possibly sink the german Med navy round 2.

As for Russia being the weakest I disagree. I think it’s germany. They start with the most stuff, but they are usually facing a 3 on 1 beatdown as opposed to the 2 on 1 Russia faces (1 and a half when you consider Germany has to constantly be sending forces to defend). That’s why we’ve determined they still need a bid. Plus our Russia usually makes around 30-32 ipcs from round two to about round 6 or so.

Also regarding the advantages we use the ones someone posted here ahwile ago -
Blitzkerig - planes and tanks when paired attack at 4, Jet fighters- planes defend at 5, Atlantic wall - inf and art defend at 3 forthe first round of combat on west eur, germany and norway.

I think if players think the axis even have a chance, the’re not playing the allies right. (I’m talking one on one games, with dice)

Me and my friends have played at least a hundred games of 42 and we’ve recently come to the conclusion the Axis need a bid. Sure, GER can set themselves up for a slightly better round 1 by spreading themselves out a bit and sinking the UK navy and taking Egypt is possible but you still risk losing 3 planes to do all of it it. As the allies we throw our transports away on round 1, and land in Algeria regardless of what germany has done. US has no problem replacing their lost trans. UK does but that’s not really a problem either. All it does is change the order of what UK purchases. They will either buy planes early if they can’t buy navy or a bunch of land forces in preperation of when they have navy. You’re going to eventually have to spend at least 24 ipcs on four loaded trans anyway. No matter what Ger does, the allies can get rolling heavy by round 3. All they have to do is make sure GER is shut down in Africa. Of course all this can change if the war on the Russian front goes bad but it usually doesn’t in our games.

We now give the axis (just germany - none for Japan as they don’t need it) a 9 IPC bid (usually and extra sub in Atl, 1 inf for UK or 1 inf for africa) and 3 national advantages - atlantic wall, jet fighters, and blitzkreig). We also give UK British Commandos but that’s it for the allies. We did this last week and the axis still lost.