Posts made by ll Duce

After securing the Med and Africa Italy landed in Central America and the West Indies to keep the US busy.  2 Air Bases, 9 subs, 6 DDs, a bunch of infantry and a half dozen fighters later the US completely forgot Europe was even there.

@Frontovik:

but how can germans kill british fleet now fighters can scramble?
and doesn’t that make my beloved sealion impossible?

It makes it harder yes but presents UK with a tough choice.  Say you go after the Channel fleet on G1- does the RAF scramble or do you hold them back to defend against a possible Sea Lion?  Theres still a good chance the RAF forces will be destroyed scrambling to save the UK fleet, but holding them back means that Germany needs to devote some cash to armed escorts for her Sea Lion fleet… else its like shooting fish in a barrel.

@calvinhobbesliker:

Can fighters from Scotland reach  Gib? it looks to be 5 spaces away.

Calvin it’s actually 3-4 spaces away!  I haden’t even considered adding the Scot fig to al Taranto battlbe…  yikes… ait may not be as favorable for Italy as I think… need to play this out again tonight.

So  set the game up over the weekend to get a feel for the Alpha Plus setup and how it changes the game.  My initial impression- it actually gives Italy a damn good fighting chance.

A Taranto raid is now more dangerous for the UK, to the point where it mighty not be worth it.  This brings up a couple points I thought of.

1. Assuming either Taranto doesn’t happen or the UK loses it…  I’m thinking Italy can control the Med with mostly Air power.  Italy would have airbases on Sicily, N. Italy, and would grab Malta and Gibraltar.  Combined with it’s navy- the Med becomes very costly for anyone to ‘break into’.  Also… at 10 IPCs a pop… fighters could multiply quickly for Italy. (They start with 2 and 1 Tac now, assuming 1 loss at Taranto- it’s still 1-2 a turn…)  Putting another airbase on either Morocco, Sardinia or Egypt makes her position even stronger.  Thoughts?

2. UK- I was looking at the board last night…is it now better for the UK to initially abandon the Med?  Egypt will fall, thats almost a given.  So what about running the Egyptian Cruiser out to the 'Lantic, hooking up with the CV group and the S. American CA?  It gives the UK a nice size attack group to either retake the English channel or force the Med before the Italians can reinforce.  OK- the Egypt CA can’t reach the open sea in 1 turn but I doubt Italy would chase it- rather choosing overwhelming gunnery support against Egypt in a AA attack.  Again… Thoughts?

@WILD:

@ll:

I Totally missed the change to Scramble! (Coastal territories)  Yes, Italy is much more self-sustaining now- and that airbase in Morocco looks even more enticing- a way to control the Atlantic a bit.

AB in Morocco?

Originally I was thinking about the one in Gibraltar.  But now that I look at the board… a 2nd in morocco might be a good strategy for Italy to help seal off the Med… I’ll need to test that.  (6 planes scrambling any approaching US fleet is a nice deterrent… or a nice start of 1)

@Kobu:

@ll:

Not sure I like the Global victory conditions for the Axis… seems like the Axis can make a cheap victory grab by blitzing Asia.

Anyone notice The airbase/fighter in Scicily now?  While it won’t STOP Taranto, it may help make it more even.  I like that the scramble rules are now limited.  ( it also makes a Scicily/Sardinia Airbases combo very nice)

I think it will flat out stop it for most players, especially if Germany lands a couple of fighters in Northern Italy. The odds are pretty bad of getting through to the battleship and transport, and that’s really what you want as the UK.

I Totally missed the change to Scramble! (Coastal territories)  Yes, Italy is much more self-sustaining now- and that airbase in Morocco looks even more enticing- a way to control the Atlantic a bit.

Not sure I like the Global victory conditions for the Axis… seems like the Axis can make a cheap victory grab by blitzing Asia.

Anyone notice The airbase/fighter in Scicily now?  While it won’t STOP Taranto, it may help make it more even.  I like that the scramble rules are now limited.  ( it also makes a Scicily/Sardinia Airbases combo very nice)

Will do, thanks!

I lent my best friend my A&AE40 rulebook, but i have a global game tonight- just trying to remember the 2 Tech lists so I don’t need to drive over and get the rules back.  (not really concerned about the order, just that I have them all)

Do I have this right?

1a) Improved Artillery
2a) Rockets
3a) Paratroopers
4a) Improved Factories
5a) War Bonds
6a) Improved Mech Inf

1b) Super Subs
2b) Radar
3b) Jet Fighters
4b) Improved Shipyards
5b) Long Range Aircraft
6b) Heavy Bombers

Gibraltar is key to any strat I use as Italy.  After Cairo falls my 1st objective is Gibraltar- I usually take it with just 1 Infantry.  After this… I always try to land at least 1 fighter there a turn.  I played a game tonight  and by the end it was a major base with 6 fighters just waiting for the Yanks to make a move across the “Pond”.  I am finding more and more that a large Air Force works better for me as Italy then a Navy- I usually just stick to DDs and Subs.

Another tactic I love is keeping around 3 Subs on station at Gib. as well- INSIDE the Med.  They can sortie out into the atlantic and threaten any Task Force the US sends, forcing them to keep Destroyer screens with their transports.  The Italian Destroyer tactic is good, but I like to hold mine back in S. France.  That way they can respond to any US subs that sneak through and they are a counter attack to any US Med. Push.

I’d be curious to hear how it goes as well.  I’ve been toying with a J4 invasion of Alaska.  I was thinking have 5-6 fully loaded transports in the Sea of Japan by J4, and a small stack of Subs as well.  USA declares war the end of Turn 3.  J4 move all the transports right to Alaska with the subs as well.  USA will have to respond, but may not be able to mount a good attack till Turn 5 (it all depends on how the US builds in Turns 1-3), and IF ALK holds, build a Minor IC there top keep the US busy and distracted, it just might be enough.

There are 15 Roundels… which means they are 2-3 short for taking all of Africa, I’d say just scan them and paste it to some posterboard, viola…

Interesting idea… but I’m not sure its a best use of Russia’s cash.  If UK falls, Russia will need every land unit it can afford to buy to handle a Barbarrosa attack boltered by UK cash.

However- I do like the idea of building a stack of subs to convoy-raid the hell out of Norway…

@Stockus13:

@Uncle_Joe:

Whereas I have not been able to look at this issue in-depth yet, I would just caution people from jumping down the throats of people who make early balance claims. :)
The point being that yes, many claims about balance will obviously be premature at this point, but it’s certainly possible to see various trends even this early in the game’s life cycle.  :)

Well said!! It does look like Italy will get the short end of the stick without help from Germany. It also looks like threatening Sealion may help to save the Italian fleet……only time will tell. Also many people on these forums will attack Italy’s fleet UK1, but how many average Joe gamers who do not venture on the forums will actually do it?

I am guessing it will be roughly a 50/50 split, and will depend on the player. So at this point at least global is dependent on player moves, and not only the setup like revised. There seem to be many more options in AA40 than revised and limits the ammount of set opening moves. Many of these theories depend heavily on the G1 turn, and how the UK responds. So in my book that is a step forward from previous versions of the game.

Well said indeed!  So much of these various strategies discount a huge factor- THE DICE!  Sometimes the dice hate you no matter what, it happens.  In my case, as a poster pointed out, the “crazy dumb” strategy of attacking the UK CV with subs- theres a shot it could take out the CV.  Is it a good shot? No.  Did it work?  Not this time.  Will I try it again?  Yes.  (partly because I HATE the tactic of using “fodder” to soak hit, like the old tactic of bringing a ton of empty transports).  Honestly I totally missed the idea of pulling the Italy fleet East to try and save it.  Probably because I was sooo focused on taking out the UK threat in the Med at any cost.  The idea is a good one I may try later.  I have another game scheduled next friday, I’m curious how my usual opponent will react- he usually plays the Allies, he might try to save the UK fleet.

The greatest thing about this new version is there ARE so many options, there is no right way or wrong way.

My bad, I meant the cruiser off Egypt.  And I knew we would get some rules wrong/forget some- like the repair one.

My point is still that Italy needs to concentrate on the land battle in Africa and build up her air force well before rebuilding her fleet in the Med.  It seems to just be a fact of the game.  She’ll still need German help to clear the Med as well.

I’d much rather see S. France go to Italy and Germany just ship some planes over to bolster the Italians.  Italy needs every IPC it can grab in the beginning and besides, a German IC in Romania is better placed because it can help both Italy and the Russian front.

It MIGHT be a interesting strategy to let Germany take Gibralter instead of Italy.  That could become a really huge thorn in the Allies side, especially if Germany can base a stack of Subs and a fighter/Tac combo on it.

Ok, played through turn 1 last night. On G1 I sent 2 subs against the UK Carrier group, ended up losing both subs while only damaging the CV (the Tac landed in Gibralter).  On UK1 a combined fleet of 2 DDs, the Egyptian Fighter, the Tac and the damaged CV recreated Taranto taking out the SZ 95 fleet while losing a DD.  Italy struck back on her turn with her remaining air and sea units taking out the UK fleet losing a fighter.  The French fleet then wiped out the remaining Italians (damn bad rolling on Italy’s part).

At this point I think Italy just has to accept her fleet getting destroyed, and rely on either rebuilding (I’d go all subs first to make the Med dangerous for the Allies) or concentrating on air power to control the Med.  At the end of turn 1, Italy had S. France, Bulgaria, Taken back 1 French African Territory (I forget the name), Sudan and 1 other UK east Africa Territory and overrun Alexandria.  They are in decent shape in Africa and can likely take Egypt on I2.  The Allies control the Med right now, but have no way of reinforcing the land battle in Africa.  An Italian fleet may need to wait, or be all subs till the Med is cleared out with German help.

Italy is MEANT to be a challenge, even for the veteran A&A player…. I think its a good challenge too.

@Real:

I was just looking at that and apparently it cant, grr.  Well I am still going to send two submarines after that.  Can planes ever attack subs or is that only when the destroyer is present?

You’re right, my bad.  I am going to send the 2 subs against it as well.  The Tac can attack the sub only with the DD present- so at least 1 hit and the UK has to either damage the CV or lose the DD, condemning the CV at the same time.  There’s a decent shot that the 2 SS will take out both ships while they themselves are sunk- a fair trade in my book.

@Real:

Cant the German submarines in the Atlantic attack the British fleet near the mediteranian.  From the looks of it Germany has two submarines in 103 and 109 that could at least do a volley against the British forces in sea zone 91.  If you score a hit he will either kill the destroyer or take some damage on the carrier which wont allow him to fix launch the planes.  Either way this seems like a sensible German move and it might dissuade the British from attacking Italy.
Naturally there will be a cost to wiping out the British navy but that can be done in G2 if you dont have sufficient forces.

This is what I want to try tonight- but I am going to add a Tac from West Germany and maybe a fighter (or possibly the Bomber in Germany if it can reach- also assuming you can fly over nuetrals, I believe you can…).  This should be a even fight with a slight German advantage- 1 4+, a 3+ and 2 2+s vs a 4 and 2 2s.  I should be able to get 2-3 hits, so destroying the Tac and either the DD or damaging the CV.  On avgerage I should lose 1 SS.  Germany can afford that easy and i don’t think I’ll be draining a lot of strength from the attack on France.
This should give Italy a much better chance at surviving the battle on UK1.  I’ll post back after tonight.

We playtested the changes a bit this week.  The air force reduction is noticable, but not detrimental- it simply evens the playing field between Japan and UK/ANZAC.  By the time Japan had “rebought” those planes and moved everything in position, India had a decent small counter airforce and I (I was playing ANZAC) was able to bring the Kiwi air force over to Java to support India, as well as build more in Queensland.

The 10 IPCs- I don’t know.  It allowed our Japan player to do something totally unexpected.  He was using those extra 10 to help buy a Transport and 2 Infantry every turn as well as his normal purchases.  But he was just stacking them in Japan, not moving.  By the end of J3, he had 6 Transports stacked in the Sea of Japan, with Infantry to match. (Some Artillery tossed in as well).  UK3, UK moves into China to ssave her and goes on the offensive.  USA 3, they declare war as per rules.

J4 opens, and Japan moves all half dozen Transports AND Infantry (with 3 supported DDs) to ALASKA.  Everyone looked at him and was “lol wut??”.  We all thought it was nuts… until our USA player spent the next 3 turns totally fixated on the frozen north, barely buying a navy, sinking almost all his money into Tanks and Fighters.  We stopped at turn 7, Manilla and Honolulu had fallen, and the USA had just gotten Alaska back but had no way to challenge the Imperial Navy, yet.