Posts made by ColonelKurtz

Well, for what it is worth, I played Tournament Rules for the first time this weekend. Playing CP, had to go with Kill Russia First strategy, which worked well (CP had Economic Victory early on, and the tide turned around the 7th Round). The Sea Zone 17 Gambit was not available, because the Allies countered it early and gained domination of the Mediterranean.
Has anyone else found that early buys should be Infantry-Artillery balanced, but later buys should be 90% Infantry?

Playing with the rules, we initially saw strategic value in taking Switzerland. It became a battleground with multi-national stacks fighting it out. Very impractical as far as pieces on the board, and it really dissolved the historic Great War Fronts.
We have now agreed to make Switzerland impassable, and the games flow much better.

Alejsgo, you are right.
I now calculate that the SZ 17 Gambit, along with the Kill France First Strategy, has maybe a 45% chance of success (downgrading from 50% earlier estimation).
Somehow, some way, there has to be a strategy for the Central Powers to have an even chance at winning.
On purchases, I have been buying approximately 1 Artillery for every 1 Infantry while in an Offensive Phase.
When the tide turns to Defense, I buy all Infantry. The exception is Fighters; I try to have enough to gain Air Supremacy on the most vital fronts.
I am now switching to a buy of 1 Artillery for every 2 Infantry, to cover casualties.
Anyone else have a purchase formula?

I am not a fan of changing the basic game rules, but I have not yet played a game with Tournament Rules, so …
I really like the “submarine invulnerability to mines” rule. I had been wondering how to increase the role of German submarines. Increasing range to 3 didn’t seem right; ability to absorb a hit didn’t seem right. Immunity to mines makes sense and that tweak can give a boost to German naval strategy.
I also like the American Supply Tokens idea.
I will report back if we play with these modifications. Thanks, oztea.

To alejsgo: On Turn 1, the thing that prevents France from consolidating transports off Canada is the remaining German subs that had the mission of sinking the British fleet on Turn 1.
To Dukla passer: you are right; I had misunderstood and thought that combat was required when enemy warships are in the same Sea Zone.

This gambit only works when A-H successfully occupies SZ 17 AND when the Allied combined navies don’t immediately react.
As I said earlier, my opponents have been unconcerned about SZ 17 until it was too late. The Germans have been forcing 3 Allied Powers to build up navies in the north Atlantic by being aggressive early on with battleships. That is a very good IPC tradeoff.

With all the moving parts, options, and player personalities, we have not had any games develop in the exact same way. This game has proved itself as very challenging for both Allies and Central Powers.

Well, you know how trying to repeat history in a board game usually doesn’t work?
All I am doing is trying to seek another solution for Central Powers to have at least a 50% chance of victory as the game rules allow.
The key point on Alsace was that Germany gets a jump of one turn on France, because France always (almost always) mobilizes Belgium on Turn 1; That small diversion of effort gives a concentrated Germany a space and time advantage.

I am a bit humbled at these responses, honestly. The strategy works for me when playing against my peers, but you (Chacmool and Oddbjoern and alejsgo) are strategizing at an extremely high level of play. I salute you.
When I play as a CP player, I build a few German Battleships and keep the Atlantic routes in jeopardy for as long as possible. The British and French fleets are busy establishing Atlantic Supremacy, so they are not helping out in the Med (SZ 17). The Allies spend lots of IPCs doing this, but to delay them is the strategy for CP.
Your points to counter this are well made and valid.
I will rename this strategy as “Sea Zone 17 Gambit” and continue to hope that those whom I play do not read the countermoves as posted in this forum.

I personally don’t favor many modifications of this game. It is good and playable as is, with House Rules always on the table.
If cavalry units were allowed, they should convert to infantry after the second round.

Here is another vote for rail movement rules, especially in this game. When playing with rail movement house rules, we found that the game sped up, and that the Central Powers had a balance-of-power weapon; Interior Lines. The shuttling of troops from one front to another is huge.

We play-tested this again yesterday with the result that Central Powers won. Rome and Paris fell just as the last holdouts in Russia were barely surviving.

Ha! That was a long time ago and I really can’t remember.

I had heard about the game and was interested immediately. When I was stationed in Germany, we played Risk and Diplomacy…. nothing like the strategy and tactics of A&A!
I played Germany, calculated that the Germans needed Weapons Development, and bought 5 chances at dice rolls for the first round of my first game. Then the unbelievable happened: I rolled 3 sixes and got 3 weapons Developments! Good memories.

Thanks for the comments and thoughts. When warships enter a SZ which contains enemy warships, battle is mandatory, is it not?
This also affects the answer to your German Navy hypothetical question, as the Russian Battleship would battle the German fleet.
I have found that the Russian players have rarely made the 2 naval moves that you described, but I will now make that a standard sacrificial move whenever I play Russia. (Thanks)
As to the French actions via Canada and the Atlantic, the French usually are mobilizing Portugal with one transport protected by a Battleship. If the British fleet is destroyed on Round 1, they are in “protection mode.” The Germans should invest in purchasing 2 Battleships until they control the shipping lanes between the British/American ports and the French mainland.

Mr. Cow, you have completely missed the point.
No one is talking about AH using transports.
The whole issue here is protecting the southern flank of the Central Powers by minimizing casualties in the Balkan territories of Albania, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Taking control of SZ 17 prevents the Allies from mobilizing Albania.

No one is talking about buying naval units for Italy.
Italy starts with a battleship, a cruiser, and a transport in SZ 17.

Very interesting … I never buy subs. Battleships have so much more value.
Haven’t played with the tournament rules yet.

The third part of the CP strategy is Turkey’s involvement in the Balkans. On Round 1, Ottoman Turks send both cruisers to SZ 17 and send everything from Constantinople to Bulgaria. The 8 units sent plus the 6 units mobilized give the Turks 14 units on Round 2 to destroy Serbia. At this point, Russia has the option of fighting for the Balkans with the Romania force, but Mother Russia is going to be calling for help (seeing the AH force in Galicia that have attacked Ukraine in Rd 2 and the GE force in the Poland or Prussia-Silesia Front). Thus, if Russia evacuates Romania, the CENTRAL POWERS HAVE JUST ELIMINATED ALL ALLIED UNITS IN THE BALKANS by the Third Round. They have isolated Albania so that it will never be mobilized. The Turks then turn from Serbia to take Romania. In Round 4, this Turkish force takes Sevastopol. CP back doors are secured and AH continues toward Rome and GE continues toward Paris. All 3 CP countries are engaging Russia, preferring to wait on Russia to attack and using their defensive advantages.
Note: Turkey strategically retreats from Trans-Jordan and Syrian Desert as GB advances. They prepare forces for two counter-attacks against the British, depending on British advances: Mesopotamia is top priority (linking through the Sevastopol), and Smyrna-Transjordan-Egypt is second priority. If successful with both, British Navy units are cut off from Mediterranean reinforcement, and India is threatened.
These tactics were play-tested only once, but I was so excited to see it work that I wanted to post it. It is a quick victory for the CP, with some variables with the dice making it no guarantee. It is a very cost-conscious strategy and there is no waste of CP units.

As to Germany for Rd 1, it has the mission of destroying the British fleet and continuing the disruption and delay of allied reinforcement from GB and US. I suggest buying 2 Battleships for SZ 10 until either side dominates the shipping paths for reinforcement. If Germany can do that for about 4 Rounds, that means France won’t have help until at least Round 5, when the trickling in of British and American forces will be too little and too late. On the ground, Germany concentrates against Poland IF Russia does not reinforce Poland on Rd 1. Germany can take Poland and hold there. If Russia does reinforce Poland on Rd 1, then GE builds a defensive force on the Prussia-Silesia line and waits for Russia to slaughter itself in attacks. Germany’s main mission is revealed in Round 1: A concentrated attack against Lorraine while ignoring Belgium and protecting Ruhr. GE reinforcement route is always Hanover to Ruhr to Alsace to Lorraine, keeping strength pushed forward into Burgundy and finally Paris. Note: AH turns toward Tuscany after Venice. This is a bait for the IT units in Piedmont. If IT uses the Piedmont units to attack AH in Tuscany, the door to Burgundy is open to a double thrust from GE and AH.
France can’t resist the temptation of mobilizing Belgium, and Russia can’t resist mobilizing Romania. This gives Germany and AH, respectively, an extra turn to deal with them. With A-H NOT attacking Romania Rd 1, and Germany NOT attacking Belgium Rd 1, space and time are gained and France and Russia bleed themselves at their own front lines.

Being aware of the all-out Russia First strategy for CP, I think I have found an alternate solution for a CP win.
This all revolves around the Balkans and the dreaded Sea Zone 17.
Let’s look at the situation: If the Allies control SZ 17, then either FR and/or IT can mobilize Albania on Round 1. That’s only 4 units, but it is a toehold that can be reinforced. CP has to deal with it. The US can also use Albania as a gateway into either Vienna or Constantinople.
Moreover, the Albania-Serbia-Romania belt represents 7 IPCs and 14 “free” allied units.
Here’s the tactic to spoil all that.
On AH Round 1, AH moves Battleship and Cruiser into SZ 17, either damaging or eliminating IT’s fleet. AH builds a Battleship for further occupation of SZ 17 on Rd 2. Ottoman Turks move both Cruisers into SZ 17 on Round 1 also. Naval strategy for CP is that SZ 17 must NOT belong to Allies for as long as possible.
On the ground, AH sends a token force of approx. 3 Inf against Serbia on Rd 1. The mission is to contest Serbia while satisfying the requirement to attack. Now, AH sends everything in Tyrolia and Trieste to knock out Venice on Rd 1. AH mission is to defend in Galicia (where AH has concentrated), but to conquer Italy and threaten France. As the ground war continues, AH stays with this strategy.