Posts made by Col. Ty Webb

Unfortunately Foxtrot, Gargantua is pretty much right.

Gave it to you in a slightly different manner, but he’s right. You may have just been better off buying the two games. I was looking to do the same thing as you. I had Spring '42 and bought the global boards. I found the Italian pieces for a fairly good price, and can use older US pieces as China infantry, but that still leaves me needing France, ANZAC and mechs and tac bombers for every country.

I even thought about not using France and just moving the starting date back (forward?) until after the Battle of France was over, and consolidating the UK and ANZAC forces (probably should be anyway). Still, just buying the mechs and tacs for this revised game would put me at about the same cost as just buying the global game.

Another option you might want to consider is just playing the 1942 game on the 1940 board. There the hardest thing you have to figure out is converting the setup. Could still use the other countries if you want, or just the 5 main powers. You could also adapt any of the NOs, air/naval bases, convoy rules, etc. that you wanted.

I live in western Maryland. Do you live in DC or around it?

I think subs are more accurately depicted in E40 and P40 with them being able to do more harm on shipping convoys. That’s what a majority of subs were used for, especially Germany’s U-boats. They weren’t used as often in naval battles, where in '42 they are used that way exclusively.

And by the time Donitz started getting the number of subs he wanted the allies had figured out how to defend their convoys with very few losses.

Actually Silver, your post kind of makes it sound like having one battleship or one cruiser still allows you to fire as many shots as land units you are dropping off.

Guess it depends on what happens in Africa before the US goes, but if there are any german troops in Africa I don’t see the hurt in sending them.

It’s also about all there is for the US to do turn 1.

That’s what I’m worried about doing, Bunnies. I got the feeling that once I start going into some detail that I’ll just keep going on and turn every question on plane movement into a lecture.

I’ve been thinking about leaving some stuf out all together, notably, strategic bombing. It just feels like something I can leave out for less confusion that isn’t a game-killer by not being there. I think the sub surprise attack and plane movement will be the hardest to fully explain so they understand.
One thing I just remembered was how hard it was to distinguish between some of the naval units when I first started playing. I have a picture printed out that someone made that helps with that, but that’s just one more thing to add to the confusion.

The more I think about it, the more I think I need to get with at least one of the guys and teach him a little. One - to help me out, and two - to make it so I’m only teaching two or three guys instead of four.

“And you wouldn’t like them when they’re angry.”

Luckily, no investigative reporters named Mr. McGee are invited.

@Hobbes:

I’d say UK is a good choice to you, although Russia might be also good.

I was thinking Russia at first as well. I guess I figured that I wanted to have as little affect on the outcome of the game as I could, and Russia is more handcuffed than others. The UK makes sense because as Bunnies said, they can be overwhelming.
I guess really, though, who I play as isn’t as important as how I play.

I also like Hobbes idea about the free for all. Maybe set-up two countries in Africa and three in Europe/Asia to duke it out for a couple rounds.

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Thanks Bunnies. I agree about the new players having trouble getting the rules as written. I kinda already started doing what you’ve done. Going into some detail about each country’s standing at the beginning of the game, some ideas for possible buys and then some strategic stuff. I think sometimes I’m putting in too much information. I guess I’m trying to find that nice medium between allowing sometime to build an Armada with the Soviets and explaining Hobbes’ Fortress Europe strategy.

By the way, every time I see your name I’m reminded of an old John Cusack film One Crazy Summer (also starring a pre-boob job Demi Moore). He draws these “cute and fuzzy bunnies” that are always out to mess up his plans. This has absolutely nothing to do with this post, of course, but I always picture these diabolic little rabbits looking innocent but hatching some scheme. That or I just watched “Holy Grail” again recently.

I have a trip all planned out for the end of Feb. with a cabin and plan on holding an AA1942 weekend.
I’ve been wanting to do one of these since I bought the game and can already taste the sweet hops aroma of the beer and good times.

I would like some help on one thing, though. I will have five people to play, but I will be the only one who has really played before. I was hoping to maybe get some tips on how best to teach some new players.

My plan as of now is to do a setup on Friday night, go through the explanations of rules and everything and then play a round (or two) Friday evening. The real game would then start on Saturday.

I’m hoping to maybe show a few of the guys how to play before hand, and am making some folders that will include more country-specific strategies and options.

Any help on how you guys would teach a group of players would be really helpful.

Also, what country do you think would be best for me to play with four people that haven’t played before?

Thanks in advance.

I think if you’re going to have AA guns that you should add ICs to the list. The only time I’ve ever bought one is to protect a built IC.

Other than that I don’t buy many cruisers, or artillery. I know I shlould probably invest a little more in art, but I’d rather just spend the extra IPCs and get a battleship with the US or maybe Japan than buy a cruiser.

As long as you don’t mind using chips, you can pick up a set of those on ebay or historicalboardgaming.com. You could also just get a couple extra tanks or whatever else you might need on HBG.

Sea Zone vs. Land Zone

1. The bomber only has to deal with what’s in the sea zone, and doesn’t have to worry about the units on the island. If you choose to attack the island then you wouldn’t have to worry about what’s in the sea zone.
2. The AA doesn’t get to fire if you attack the transports, if you attack the infantry and fighter on the land zone than it does get to fire.

Industrial Complex
You are correct. The number of units is limited to the IPC value of the territory.

Transports

1. Pretty much. 2-3 early on because that’s all the units you’ll really be able to move over anyway.
2. Yes
3. Yes
   As long as you move no more than two spaces, and unload all units of one transport onto the same land zone you’re okay. Once you unload your units the transport can no longer move, even if it has one or two spaces left to move.

I’m looking to do the same thing as Bishop. I already got the boards, boxes, bases, etc, now I’m just looking to fill out the pieces. I have two sets of Spring 42 pieces and a set of Italian pieces, and an old set to use for China, so I need french and anzac pieces, and tac. bombers and mech. inf.

Nobody really answered the part in Bishop’s question about how many mech. inf. and tac. bombers each country needs. I was sort of wondering the same thing. Does the US and UK need 12 of each? Could they get by with using like 9 each, maybe even less? I’m not opposed to using chips so that’s not an issue.

Maybe the better question is are they really needed? I can see where mechs would help getting to the front line quicker with the added territories, but am I killing the game by not having tacs?

With IL’s map printed out I was thinking about using the 1942 in-box map as a planning map to discuss strategy among teams.
I was thinking along the lines of turning it into a cheap dry erase board, and was wondering if anyone has ever done anything like this if they would offer some tips.
Something as simple as saran wrap skrink-wrapped onto the board will work for me if it’s practical. (BTW, I don’t see that being the optimal path, but just wanted to illustrate that it doesn’t have to be something fancy).

Would rather go the plastic/lamination route than just using a plexiglass cover, but I’m just looking for any suggestions anyone has.

Thanks in advance.

Wawawd,
It’s nice to finally have an expert on axis and allies on here. Clearly, no one else on here has any expertise of the game, and are all sure you are right because you won a bunch of games as the axis on triplea. Everyone else on here has no idea what they are talking about, and the 800 million games that have been played since AA’s inception that show a KGF as the fastest, easiest Allied strategy are all wrong because you can win as the Axis all the time.

Of course you claim the easiest strategy is one that requires loads of experience at the game. How can it be the best strategy if it akes three genius Allied players to pull it off?

Clearly, you aren’t the expert you think you are.

Why do you think you’d need so many of them?

Any players in West Virginia or Southwestern Pennsylvania?

To me it’s not a bad move if you only send the transports. The Germans will destroy them but you now have US ground units in the race for Africa.

That’s usually the way I play it. Especially if Germany is successful in Egypt. And like Hobbes said, if Germany decides to go after the US troops you’ve taken a turn away from it’s attack on Russia or the UK Navy.

Besides, it’s about the only thing the U.S. can do turn one. I’ve been teaching a couple guys how to play and it’s tough to tell the US players, who has waited almost an hour for his turn, to just make some buys with a plane movement thrown in there and wait another hour before it can do anything else (and there might not be much turn two either).

Seems a little better the past two days, but was getting them like crazy earlier in the week.