Posts made by Croggyl

@Funcioneta:

Australian IC is very powerfull, I was amazed the good it was the game I tried.

I have play the Australien IC once, and it was successful. US also goes pacific, and I unite both UK and US fleet at Solomons and start island hopping.

But I also have seen many problem in that approach: The UK has lost IPC in Africa quick, and if the germans would add some TRA to SZ 5 (they did it not in my games, but what if they do?), then the UK need most of his IPC on homeland for one turn at minimum. UK must invest at UK in home fleet and ground units to get some IPC in africa back and for the case of german fleet unification. And there are not enough IPC for all these.

Do you went pacific with US? How do you have handled Africa? How do you have germany stopped from become a monster and roll over the russians? What units do you have purchased at Australia?

Many question … :)

@captainjack:

[…]
This “forced” Britian to develop a stronger navy (which was consolidated in SZ2) because they were anticipating a Sea Lion.
[…]
… and moved my BB and Sub to SZ12 …
[…]
The German navy ruled the Atlantic for the majority of the game
[…]

I do not understand how the german navy can rule the atlantic and hold BRA for long.

The UK navy and air on second turn should at least 2 TRA, 1 BB, 2 FIG, 1BMR; eventually some more navy bought on turn 1, right? I guess the US navy bring all EUS ground units to UK, perhaps the BMR too?

UK can destroy BB/sub at SZ 12 on second turn, perhaps supported from an AC that US build at first turn to secure that fleet from german air attack, and fortify UK. After that turn the germans should have AC, DD, 2 sub and 2 TRA left in SZ5. Not a scary navy in my eyes, far away from ruling the atlantic.

And after that US can move two TRA and DD to SZ 18, perhaps supported by BMR, sunk that lonely german TRA and attack BRA with 2 INF, ART, ARM. Eventually bridge any survivors to africa on next turn.

Any suggests?

@theace47:

[…]
Now to what I was wondering was what is the best way to keep Japan off of Russia’s back and how much is the right amount of british involvement in Asia.  The way I stall Japan usually is by spending about 10 ipcs on navy and airforce to make the Japanese build a navy or have me knocking on their back door.  I also build an IC in India for the British and crank out 3 tanks a turn.
[…]

The bristish player alone has several options to stall the japanese, but it depends from the overall situation before the british move: Have the russians fortified Buryatia with 6 INF? Has Germany attack EGY such heavy that a counterattack is suicidal? Has Germany set pressure by building many trannys, so that the british have to fortify the UK and have no money left for asia?

If EGY can be counterattacked, then maybe two INF from IND with the FIG there goes to EGY, perhaps assisted by the british BMR. In that situation a IC in India is not commendable.
If EGY can not counterattacked, than you have several options with the asian forces:

(1) First turn overall attack: attack SZ 59 tranny with DD; attack Borneo with two INF from India, supported by FIG (FIG can be landed on CV); attack New Guinea with two INF from Australia; attack SZ 45 with sub. Intention here is to give the japanese to much targets for the first turn attack and get some IPC for the first turns.

(2) Gather all british navy in SZ 30, including FIG, including several INF from India or Australia; options are a second turn attack of East Indies with four INF or moving to SZ 28 and unload troops in africa. The fleet can continue to atlantic theatre or stay in the area, combined with IC in SA, which produce INF/ARM for the first turns followed by naval units and counterattack the Japanese Imperial Navy.

(3) attack SZ 45 with sub and FIG and land FIG at US CV in SZ 52; attack SZ 59 with DD and CV; move australian tranny to SZ 42 and into the atlantic; use the indian tranny to bring two INF to africa via SZ 33

(4) British IC in India and US IC in Sianking. Both must be support by russian troops for some turns. You will not hold these ICs for long, but maby buys time for crushing Germany.

(5) Attack SZ 45 with sub. Attack SZ 59 with FIG only and land the FIG at BUR (only if the russian have stock INF there). Bring the BMR to NOV or EVK. If you can afford, bring the two FIG to WCA. Intention is to counterattack after Pearl Harbour and bring pressure to SZ 60/61, so that the japanese player need protection for his newly build trannys (Note also that both the FIG from hawai and the BMR from EUS can attack SZ 60 if there is a landing place in BUR).

The next options I have seen or use in games, but I would not recommend these against an experienced player:

(6) Attack FIC with INF from India and FIG, land FIG in CHI. Use navy to attack japanese tranny and sub and give the japanese many targets for the first turn. Perhaps the two FIGs survive the japanese attack.

(7) Build IC in Australia and save money, move all fleet to SZ 30, build FIG/BB there and meet with US fleet as SZ 45. The US player also must buy navy at pacific, game will be a KJF. Perhaps you can get some of the japanese island with the british to get more IPC. Problem here is that UK spend many IPC in pacific (and none in the first two rounds in europe), and Germany becomes a monster. Russia is under heavy pressure, and africa may be a problem too.

You also have the option to go pacific with US to stall the japanese, and handle Germany with UK/Russia only, but these is a complete different approach. You may buy two CV and one FIG or CV/BB, followed by heavy sub and/or trannys and FIG overbuild and start island hopping (have in mind that a rightly placed CV can bring 4 FIG to an attack). One milestone here could an american IC on East Indies, pushing the japanese back to homeland and switch to KGF.

Hope that helps …

@losttribe04:

An air force isn’t the best idea.  For the first several turns Russia should play the defensive and buy mostly INF.

Defensive russian play, ok.

But I find out that some mixed buy of INF, ART and ARM gives me a good potential not only to hold key territories against Germany but also have the possibility to strike back any exposed japanese force.
And if you can afford to buy a third FIG … it helps a lot while trading territories, because you can minimize your input of INF and don’t have to sacrifice ART or ARM.

But the game winning move is always a russian BB or the combo CV/sub, best place at caspian sea: No more japanese amphibian attack on CAU … ;-)

@axis_roll:

@Blodmotor:

…and the US will have spend 30+ ipc on units that won’t ever get to fight.

oh, they WILL get to fight.  They just take a round or two extra getting to europe as they go the long way thru West Canada.

In my last games as allies I build most of US ground units in WUS and move them to ECA via WCA.
You have to think one more turn forward and sometimes buy some units in EUS to fill your trannys, but once you established that supply line you are relative save from japanese attacks on north america because of eight or more units constantly shift through WCA.
And I mostly build six INF, one ART and one ARM per turn, so there is enough attack power. And if you have an US bomber at UK, then that bomber can reach ALA or WCA too.

@Krieghund:

I hope this clears things up!

Yes, it do!
A crystal clear and brilliant explanation, as every time …
:-)

@bob:

BB ship hit : first hit does not count(heavy armor)
BB ship hit with a 2 : damaged
Later in the same turn : BB ship hit.(1or2)

Is the BBship still in the seazone when it takes the 3rd hit,or is it considered being already in “the damage zone”

If there is no other ship in the sea zone wich could buffer the hit, then a second hit (or in case of BB a third) always sunk a ship in any cases (nonetheless it’s a “1” or a “2”).

I think there is an example of such a situation in the rule book where a ship is hit with a second “2”, if I remember right it was the seond sea battle example. I will take a look in my rule book this evening.

Hope that helps …

[edit]
Perhaps you should also take a look at  http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=11029.0, where Krieghund clarifies a similar question.
[/edit]

@bob:

1.Can you attack/enter your enemy’s base and/ or the seazone surrounding it,and if so what happens then?

You can. And a normal battle happens.
It can be a funny thing if the other player don’t expect any attack there and you can get a big part of his unescorted tranny fleet with some FIGs. :-)

2. What is the exact procedure of allocating hits.
For example : a BBship gets damaged and later in the same turn gets damaged again? Is it destroyed then?Or is it placed immediately in the’damage zone”at your base?

If the second hit is a “1”, then the BB is sunk. If the second hit is a “2”, then the BB is damaged and return to the damage zone on base card.

@ncscswitch:

I am going by the current version of LHTR.  There are several variants on this in different rule sets.

Ok, you are right. I have overlook that “LHTR” in you previous mail. Sorry for that … :(

@ncscswitch:

3.  […]  Newly purchased FIGs can be placed on existing AC’s IF the AC is adjacent to the IC that is building the FIG.

Are you sure?
I thought, that newly build FIGs can be placed on AC in next sea zone only if the AC is build in the same turn?!

Attacked SZ 15 in first turn with BB and FIG and a loaded TRA for ongoing attack to EGY. Have to cancel and return to SZ 14 after two rounds with damaged BB and killed FIG. Needless to say that the attack on EGY also was a desaster …

Lost DD and AC to the japanese TRA in SZ 59 on first turn.
<edit>Did I mentioned that the TRA have survive that battle?</edit>

@FM_Rommel:

Is it such a bad idea to buy a AC on G1? It is something that happens a lot in the games I play…

Some say yes, some say no.

Yes: Any naval investment means less INF or ARM. Your main goal is Moscow.

No: It buys some turns for Germany in which GER and EEU isn’t threatened by an amphibious attack. But you should be very carefully to add some more ships that fleet because of INF shortage as you buy expensive naval units.

Sometimes I buy two transports on GER1 and (if UK doesn’t attack my fleet in UK1 via air) add an AC on GER2. It brings some pressure to UK (the british player now must have an eye to amphibious attack of UK), make NOR to a deadzone for some turns, and INF from GER can go faster to KAR.

Some more naval units can bring pressure to an UK fleet (only if US goes KJF completely, otherwise it’s a waste of IPC), but in the most cases any further german naval investment gives to few pressure to Russia. And UK can easily outproduce Germany in navy as long as Germany have a land war with Russia.

But if you buy an AC and if you stay in SZ 5, you should have an eye to the FIGs on it: Bring them back to land before the allies attack and sink your fleet. Don’t lose these fighters while defending some doomed ships …

Hope that helps …

@Francis:

Be careful about launching any offensives from Norway. It is important to leave somewhat of a defensive force in Norway to protect your back door. It is very easy for the UK and US to land troops there.

There is always an insufficent defensive force in Norway, I think.
UK/US can easily land there, in most cases with free BB shot and many air. I think Norway can’t be hold in long terms. Perhaps you can make it to a deadzone for some turns and trade it from KAR or with transports via SZ 5.
I think the three INF from there are better used against Russia instead of waiting for an overwhelming attack from the allies.

@frimmel:

Ranged fire is cool!!!   :mrgreen:

Well, unless you are on the wrong side of it.  :cry:

No, it is not!
I’m always on the wrong side of it … and the enemy artillery always hits the wrong transport.
;-)

@legion3:

Airplanes don’t seem to be a real threat to surface ships or land units unless the airplane is unopposed or it is a small surface fleet.

In most pitched battles most airplanes seem to be wiped out in the air phase, airplanes seem to stand little chance vs the AA and CAP over a fleet. Any good size fleet with CAP is darn near impossible to attack and to score any points you must attack it with your own ships. Ships are the threat to other ships.

If player one spreads his aircraft about the board, player 2 can concentrate his where he needs them the most. Thus in our games player 1 seems to concentrate his FF’s over the fleet he wants to protect, if player 2 wants to interdict that fleet he must concentrate his aircraft and soon whoosh… no more aircraft.

Airplanes are not either the attack or defense piece they are in other A&A games.

Sound very familar to me.
I have learned the hard way that I shouldn’t attack a little fleet two DD that escorting some transports, shielded by three fighter with my own air units. You have to bring to much planes to get some hits on the ships.
I came in with two bombers and four fighters, lost one bomber and two fighters and got only one hit to the ships. Hit a DD with a 2. Ok, I kill the three enemy fighters, but the overall effort was nearly none. :(

I’m still a little bit uncertain about that three attack phase ruleset. On the one hand it is logical and brings a lot of game fun, on the other side it is very frustrating that even a big airforce of many bombers and fighters can’t do much damage to medium fleet because most of the airplanes are wiped out before come to attack.
Remember that big air battles in WW2: sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse, the battle in the Coral Sea, the battle of Midway, the sinking of Yamato and Musashi: All done by aircraft.

@newpaintbrush:

I’ve played plenty of games, and I’m sure enough for both of us.

:-)

Jenforces much?

Not much. Two new build US CV, one BB, one DD, two tranny, one of them build. One CV from UK, two trannys too. All UK forces are in the area. US can build additional FIG for the UK carrier, perhaps the two UK fighter can fly down via Canada.
All available at Solomons at turn three.

Unless the Jap player sucks balls, it isn’t going to be all that easy.

I know. If it would be easy, much more KJF would be seen. KJF results in long play, and as allied player you need carefully planned movement.

Moving that UK fleet around to join the US fleet is a pain in the a**.  Try it in a game, and you’ll see what I mean.

I have done it before. Ok, my enemy perhaps was not the best player (same to me), but it has work.

And then you want to just drop an IC in Borneo or New Guinea?  Fighter overbuild?

Let’s see the numbers: US has 42 IPC in the first round to spend, 40 in the second, 38 in the third. First turn purchase: 2 CV, one FIG. Second turn: one or two tranny, two additional FIG, some INF. Third turn could be additional FIG, follow the fleet via Hawai. If the japanese attack those FIGs, the japanese navy would be out of position to protect or reattack Borneo/New Guinea. Could build some more tranny and infantry to etablish a supply line, but then there is the need of additional protection too. I tend to a FIG overbuild and get to Borneo with that two trannys only. Perhaps the UK can bring in some INF from australia to solomon to have a (lightly) protected landing place for US fighters.

Suddenly popping a UK factory in India?

Must be a misunderstanding. Perhaps I not make my point clear. Sorry for that, but english isn’t my first language. :-|
I doesn’t mean to build an UK factory that early on. I would only buy after I drive japanese back from southeast asia with the US forces. But perhaps at this point there is no need for an additional factory there. I think I have to see the board after six, seven turns to decide that. No strategy survives the first contact with enemy forces intact …

Just what the hell are Germany and Japan doing all this time?  Sitting around staring at the wall?  Because if they are, your plan is going to rock their socks.

I know that Germany can be a monster very fast. But without need of invest UK money in the asia theatre before turn seven/eight both the UK and Russia should be able to hold Germany back some time. With the landing UK and US forces in africa first turn should germany not have much money there, or not for long.
And with an additional US factory on Borneo the japanese need to invest in navy to protect their tranny fleet which means that there are lesser ground units in asia.

I have no problems with the goals you put forth.  But I get the distinct impression that you expect all this to happen very quickly - unification of the Allied fleet, invasion of Borneo/New Guinea, then UK5ish setup of IC at india.  I’m saying it just isn’t going to happen like that.  The US eventually muscles over Japan, but it takes a fair amount of time to secure a 4 IPC island, especially if the Jap player knows what he/she is doing.

I know that a KJF game will last. And I doesn’t mean to build an UK IC in India on turn five. Three turns later seems to be very early. Ok for that? ;-)

@newpaintbrush:

[…]
Japs always have a slow start in Asia; all you’ve done is postpone the Japs by about half a turn by costing them two, PERHAPS three transports that they build next turn.  It IS inconvenient for Japan, but I think it far worse for the Allies.
[…]

Ok, I haven’t play so much games that I could be sure, but I think that one turn delay of japanese roll in in asia give US and UK the time to build up fleets that, if united, will be not successfully attacked by japanese navy and air in the first turns. We are talking about three fully loaded CV, one BB, one DD, and some trannys. No need to attack the japanese navy. All what the US need is move to Borneo or New Guinea and build an IC there. Combined with a  FIG overbuild (one CV could bring four FIGs to a battle) and some sub could that enough to nail the japanese navy in SZ 60 or 61. UK factory in India seem possible now.

I think the fleet unification of US and UK in SZ 45 is the critical point. If the japanese have to build up the tranny fleet again, then they are short of IPC for FIGs and SUBs that they need for stop the combined UK/US navy for the raid to the 4-point islands. :-|

And UK and Russia should be able to hold Germany long enough until Asia is in allied hands.

@frimmel:

[…]
To include an overview of differences would probably be confusing to players who hadn’t played the other game/s and as the list of games grows that overview would get more and more complex. There are five other games Guadalcanal is different to right? Not counting the MB version. Which differences do you pick? And then you reinforce the idea that some things are the ‘same’ instead of isolating the new game on its own island.
[…]

Yes, could be confusing to someone which is not familar with the other versions. And would not work for such different version like AAR and Guadalcanal. That’s why I would not comment to add such a list to a game package. But it could be on published on a website …

And it could be a good thing for differences between, lets say, AAR OOB rules, LHTR 1.3, LHTR 2.0 and so on. Or differences between Classic and Revised. You are not forced to read 20+ pages of game rules and check for changes between old and new ruleset. ;-)

@Krieghund:

[…]
This is a perfect example of why it’s important not to let the rules from one A&A game color your interpretation of the rules of another.  We all tend to see things that aren’t there when we’re familiar with a similar subject.

I copy that.
Sometimes I think it could be nice to have a short overview of rules that have changed between versions of A&A. Does anybody know about such an overview?

@newpaintbrush:

UK destroyer attacks Jap Kwangtung transport
[…]
My turn with Japan is buy 3 transport
[…]
Note that Japanese noncombat move typically results in two carriers one battleship (from East Indies) at Solomons
[…]
Japanese battleship east of Japan stays there, […] simply acting as escort to Japanese transports, which can be threatened typically either by UK bomber in China, or US bomber in case the Japanese attack on Burytia does not succeed.
[…]
On UK2, UK is looking at a Japanese fleet east of Japan and another at Solomons, with air at Solomons.  Remaining UK fleet is forced to run directly west or die.

I don’t agree to let the UK destroyer live.
When the UK bomber is stationated somewhere in siberia (a very common option, I think) and Buryatia is a possible landing place (also common, I think) then the US player can attack at SZ 60 with fighter and bomber. The survivors will be attacked again from the UK destroyer and UK bomber, perhaps assisted from UK sub (in very rare cases, but it could happened). After both attacks the japanese transport navy should be found many feets below the surface of the ocean, and the japanese will have a very slow start in asia. Combined with an aggressive US player that sounds like a quick game over …