Posts made by shadowhawk

@Gerry said in Strategic bombing and escorts. How does a raid work?:

@mainah Thx. But then these fighters cannot be deployed to another battle. The price difference seems small to me (10 vs 12 ipc). It seems more useful to use multiple bombers (as long as the possible interceptors are the same amount or less then the number of bombers). At what point should you refrain from strategic bombing with regard to number of interceptors? Interceptors are only fighters or also tactical bombers?

Same goes for the bombers as well. Doing strategic bombing removes them from other targets.
A strat bomber run only has an expected outcome of 3.5ipcs. In most battles it can make a much bigger impact.

@SuperbattleshipYamato said in Preparing for Axis game OOB in local tournament - Suggestions Welcome:

@shadowhawk

Good points, but I confess I wasn’t thinking of that when I wrote the comment. I’m think of that time I wasted Italy’s only strategic bomber on trying to attack a lone French destroyer that could not have done anything significant (regarding transports) and losing. That hurt Italy hard.

Ofcourse there are bad combats and there are good combats. There are no general rules about what to attack with what.

Each combat you should consider:
Do i need this combat
How does this help me.
What is my worst case

Attacking a lone destroyer with a bomber to prevent it from attacking a few undefended transports or remove a block can be worth it.
Attacking it for the sake of you dont like how it looked at you when you took it out of the box isnt worth it.

@SuperbattleshipYamato said in Preparing for Axis game OOB in local tournament - Suggestions Welcome:

@jacobgeo24

Some thoughts:

Remember it’s not just pips (or as I call it, power) but numbers. Only expect a successful battle if you have more pips and at least numerical parity. Or, more precisely: Don’t use 1 strategic bomber to attack 1 destroyer. I learned that the bad way.

Depends my last game was lost because my opponent did just that.
Because the destroyer was blocking his fleet from attacking my fleet so even mutual destruction was beneficial for him. He didnt need to win just draw.

Its not all about a single combat or even win% of a single combat. It is what that single combat represents.
There are 3 possible outcomes in combat.
You win, You lose, You draw.
If losing is a minor thing but winning and drawing are major factors in your plan even 10% odds might be a good move.

Other situation. What if you got a 30% chance of destroying 3 transports that can take 3 islands. And you stand to lose only 12 ipcs ( bomber vs 2dd ). If you win you prevent him from taking 3 islands. If you lose he takes them anyway, if you draw you both lost equal money.
If you dont do anything he also takes those 3 islands.
You might just want to attack chances are not that great but you win a major victory while you lose only minor assets.

Maby its better to just have fun and play the game then to have massive preparations that can go wrong with the throw of a dice.

You dont know what italy can do it depends on what UK is doing. Just play and enjoy the game dont overthink things 2 much in advance.

@TheVeteran
There are plenty of players that play LowLuck of have some version where they limit luck.

Even without low luck taking all of france isnt that big a stretch, 70-80% combats you should still win you might take a few more losses.

@Nuts said in Is there a world champion for this game?:

@SuperbattleshipYamato sad but true. If renegade sponsored an official tournament, however, we could host a set of prelims at game conventions around the world, leading to continental tournaments, leading up to a championship game. This is different to chess, however, where they have multiple tournaments.

The problem is who is we? Im pretty sure there are many players that dont even know of this site or use it.
I didnt go looking but im sure there will be other websites with either a part of their site/forum or just completely based on 1 or multiple A&A games.
You also have the playerbase on steam that might only look there.

@Cornwallis said in Sahara express:

@shadowhawk that seems logic but in the recent games germany invests 40 of its 55 average income (when they take leningrad) into land units to slowly march on moscow. The rest they buy a carrier, DD and sub on G1 and a sub and bomber every other turn so there is quite some built up.
It´s feasible to go there but yet again from there on, if you move to norway for exemple your follow-up forces in Gibraltar are vulnerable if you send your protection along with your big tpt fleet.

Maybe the Sahara expres can provide some early forces and pressure While you built up your Gibraltar fleet.

Your fleet might be volnerable but germany has to defend against it anyway.
Also you can just add another full carrier and a few subs-dd and you easy match their buys.
Their fleet wont be able to reach everywhere, you can attack from norway to greece, thats a long coastline. You can even just transport fast movers and inf and move the fast movers through north afrika into the ME, while still keeping the threat of landing.

The subs can be neutralized with 1 destroyer in SZ110. A full carrier counters about 3 bombers. The airbase counters another 3. So just having 2 full carriers and 3 fighters on gibraltar with an airbase means they need 9 bombers. If you add a few DDs germany needs a lot more.
Those bomber-sub combinations =6 less infantry or 3 less tanks against russia. Or 4 mechs.
My fleet @gibraltar will build up you have to defend your bombers as well. What if suddenly 7 transports worth of land units park next to W-ger. Will you be able to defend your bomber stack with only 10 extra infantry you can buy?

@SuperbattleshipYamato said in Is there a world champion for this game?:

@shadowhawk

If people do it for chess, surely at least some people would do it for Axis and Allies.

And I feel like online play would be sufficient. Just need to schedule and arrange all the players.

Its also a question of who would like to watch these games.

If nobody is watching then there will be no world championship because nobody would sponsor it.

Chess hardly gets any press coverage and dont even think they got regular world championships. And lets be honest, chess is a pretty well known game where A&A brand is pretty obscure. Its like what arthouse movies are to boardgames.
Good quality but small audience.

Its just 2 slow, SZ91 is the key because not only does it threathen more and forces germany and italy to divert forces but its also quicker.

If you need naval forces to protect that means that germany needs air and naval forces to attack. Those forces are not available for russia so you are helping by proxy.
Every sub germany buys is 1 less tank going to russia.

You dont need that much forces to protect your fleet SZ91.
If you add 1 carrier + destroyer round 1 you are already pretty well of with the starting cruiser. Unless germany invest into naval units it can attack with 2 bombers.
If they buy bombers just built and airbase @gibraltar and put 3 fighters there.
5 fighters will deter most attacks. Uk can block a naval attack with a destroyer in SZ110

@SuperbattleshipYamato

Well atm they are free hps. After the pre-combat shots they dont do anything in the fight except take a hit. So as a defender unless its clear im winning the first hits go to the AA, they are dead weight at this point.

When they can return fire every round against planes ( might want to keep the @1 because they target units ) then it might give the defender a reasonable choice.
Do i keep an inf that shoots @2 but is going to hit infantry first.
Do i keep an AA gun that shoots @1 but attacks the planes.
The targetting thing can keep their price at 5 because its a pretty strong ability. Maby make it so that if there are no planes it attacks armor ( like the real works flak88 did )

IMO they represent flak88 batteries, a bit more specialised AA guns then the divisional version but a lot weaker then the static stuff that defends ports/airfields and the likes.

@SuperbattleshipYamato said in [Global 1940] Changing AA in the game:

@shadowhawk

Simplest step would be to simply decrease its cost to 1-2 IPCs. Make it a “super fodder” unit.

To be historically accurate:

When defending, the participate in special combat like the out of box version, but they each shoot 1 shot that hits at 2 or 3 (haven’t decided). Have this happen every turn.

When there are no air units, it participates in regular combat and hits at 2 or 3.

Lower the cost to 4 or 3 IPCs.

I’m fine with it not being able to attack. Anti-aircraft guns that the unit represents are the super heavy and large types that can’t move easily (i.e not the mobile, field anti-aircraft weapons but the large complexes that defend cities). Ground units that are attacking being able to destroy air units represent the field anti-aircraft weapons.

Large complexes are already handled differently, these are the special mobile AA divisions. Although mobile is a relative term. Like the Flak 88, yes it can be moved but takes time to setup and stuff.
Most divisions also had some smaller caliber AA guns that could shoot down planes but not that well.
Its like the arty from the game, every infantry division did have its own small caliber arty guns. But the unit represents the bigger concentration of heavier guns.

But currenty they can cause whole games to chance due to luck, which i dont like.
Imagine attacking moscow with germany, normally you got your airforce there to help out. Now you have to do it without your airforce because the defender rolled all 1s on defence. Or just losing like half your airforce. It changes the odds drastic. It chances the game because suddenly you lose @moscow and germany cannot win anymore. Just because of 1 lucky roll of the dice.

It would be better if they didnt shoot pre-combat but during the defence step but every round, but still targetting only air. That would make chosing them as casualties also somewhat interesting.
Or maby give them 1 pre-combat shot each round.
This makes them stronger and weaker at the same time. They are still good, they still hit planes only but they shoot only @1, but every round.
Now they are a shoot and destroy unit, Free extra hps basically.

@SuperbattleshipYamato said in Is there a world champion for this game?:

@shadowhawk

Let’s just hope some multi billionaire picks up this game.

Still how many people would fly for 10 hours to play in a boardgame tournament?
The costs far outweigh the price.
And the game takes 10-16 hours each, so its going to be a long tournament.

There are not many sports that have world tournaments anyway.
Olympics and soccer are the big tournaments and they are mostly state sponsored.

@Nuts said in Is there a world champion for this game?:

@vodot That is absolutely true. Perhaps the idea of an international tournament with a world champion isn’t so far fetched. Though there should probably be a prize pool and pay to enter. Maybe a full set of every A&A game released or the title of head playtester for new games. Also, I imagine a tournament every 4 years would make sense, as it would give time for practice.

International Tournamen? Sure lets do it in Europe as this is where we played this game IRL for 5 years right. There are some huge boardgame fairs in europe ( biggest 1 in the world ).
But really its not a game that many people would watch as a sports. Its pretty slow going and with dice there is a pretty decent luck element involved.
Every sports event is based on pure skill games so far, chess, e-sports, olympics, snooker. Big spectator sports dont have a chance element in them, and dont take 10-12 hours for a game :P

So who would organize or even sponsor this? The people that would come and watch are people that already play the game, hardly no new people will be attracted if any, merchandise is also not big for these kind of things either.

Just pure theory.

What happens if france has 2 units in a UK transport.
UK moves this in non combat to SZ112.
Germany has fighters in western germany.

If the france units now unload to norway does germany get to scramble?

@SuperbattleshipYamato said in Is there a world champion for this game?:

@shadowhawk

That’s why Iike low luck. More predictable. Perhaps that would be the way to go for a hypothetical world championship.

True but then that does not test a players skill to addapt to changing situations.
If all combat is pre-determined you never have unplanned situations.

@Nuts said in Is there a world champion for this game?:

@shadowhawk I think it absolutely is a game of skill. Otherwise, it would be a game of luck, which it partially is due to the dice. But mostly, it takes strategy.

It takes both, some battles you can have bad luck and recover, others if you get diced you lose the game.
Especialy naval battles if your opponent gambles and wins your screwed because the costs of the fleet.
Ofcourse if you make 2 many mistakes you also lose even with good dice, but bad dice can make a difference in every game regardless or skill.

@SuperbattleshipYamato said in Is there a world champion for this game?:

I think about how chess has an overall world champion.

Is that the case for Axis and Allies? I ask about Global 1940 specifically but I’d also like to know about world champions for the other games.

And if there is one, have they ever been beaten by an AI yet?

Dont think there are real world championships. More local groups that play the game.
But its as much a game of luck as a game of skill and since it takes a long time to play its not a spectator sports.
Nobody watching the games = no sponsors.

Its not a game of skill like chess that is also really old and well known. Axis&Allies is a pretty small obscure brand. We here on the board are biased as we love the game and know players for it but there are not that many around.

@squirecam
Its not if you win or lose a fight but how you win or lose a fight.
If germany does its normal france attack and wins with 1 tank left they got diced pretty badly.
But since they still won you dont consider it being diced?

But with dice the problem is that on average you get the right results but if you get an outlier on the wrong point in the game you will lose the game because of that. And there is nothing you can do about it.
Germany attacking moscow with 90% odds and losing, sure russia might have had bad luck before or you might have gotten lucky somewhere else but that 1 battle makes or breaks the game.

I dont like Low Luck because its basically deterministic to the point where you know the outcome of battles. Its 2 much like playing chess. But i dont like the idea of extreme dice as well. Ideally you want to cap the outcome of a attack/defence roll to like 30-50% of the bell curve of most odds. But doing that would require some app to calculate.

@squirecam said in Online bid question:

And many people claim that they got diced when they make 3 “70%” attacks and lose one when they likely could have made 2 attacks at 90%.

In every battle you can get diced even if you got only 20% odds. Its not the overal outcome of the battle but the expected result.

If you got 60 infantry and score 5 hits on defence your pretty screwed.
If you got 60 inf on defence and score 50hits the other side is screwed. Does not mather if the odds of winning the overal battle are 10% or 99%

@phd_angel Are these maps also available as PDF files?
As i dont live in the states and getting them shipped is rather expensive. But since i can print @work for free ( up to 2x4meters) id rather do that.