Posts made by souL

Tech:  long range aircraft.

Country:  Japan

Every 200th game or so when it’s acquired first turn, the entire American Pacific presence can be targeted for destruction.

Keep on the sea from turn 1.  I definitely find one of the most effective German strategies to keep the UK off of you would be, pound what’s in the Atlantic (clear SZ 12, sz 6, SZ 2 before UK goes), build a sub and a bomber turn 1, and your goal should be to clear the ATL of sea units, and patrol around the coast of the UK with submarines with a bomber or two in France.  Now, any ship that’s build in the UK should feel the heat of your subs and bombers (the cheapest and most effective way to sink ANY ships are sub/Bmb combos).  You keep the bmb that went into sz 2 (this means you didn’t go at Egypto but oh well) in Norway and the ftr went into that SZ as well… so they’re in range of the northern SZs.  hopefully your sub survived in SZ 6 so he can ship out next turn.

The best part of this is, you didn’t spend two turns building no land units like builder_chris because if the Soviet player’s any good at all he should already have been on the doorstep of German territory with 0 land units heading toward him until right before turn 3.  The Soviets already have a large numerical advantage against the Germans in the inf dept… if he sees 0 land units the easy solution is 4 arm, 2 inf, 1 art or even 6 arm.  A second turn of no ground units would turn into the Sovs not only outnumbering the Germans, but give them a significant advantage in the offensive punch dept. too.  If you would like to build all sea and air v. me for two turns, by all means we can fire up a game of '41  :evil:.

Now it doesn’t have to be a bomber AND a sub it can certainly be one or the other, but you’re still investing 13-25 first turn IPCs into the ground and you’re feeling pretty fine.

I’ll take an AA50 game of my opponent’s preference.

To be fair, it’s hard to put a concrete plan on anything and say “well this will work.”

Anyway, throw money at them, and take what they give you.  They’re one nation… and in the end they’re the least likely one to receive any help.  They’ve already got a lot of goals and not enough units to do it all at once, it’s your job to figure out how to stretch that thin and eventually make it break.  R1 pile your inf in Bury with the intentions of invading Manchuria.  A few inf in Persia and building a tank in Caucusus with the intention of fortifying India during R2 will support India if you put up an IC there.  If the Japanese turn their attention to that gangpile first turn, they’re committing troops usually headed for other territories with much more money, and your guys are getting extreme amounts of value by rolling many dice together and rolling for their best number.

An aggressive US1 would be a good thing, too.  Essentially the first turn buy is right on.  Did the carriers stay in SZ 53?  If so, take everything you can at it… remember you’re America, you can throw money at your problems while Japan NEEDS to spread to compete.  If not, say SZ 53 is yours by running every surviving American boat there. Yes, they’ll probably die, but Japanese units will go with them.  Any boat that arrives SHOULD incur a nasty counter from the subs and bombers you’re hopefully building this turn. The Japanese only start with 1 DD, and if it’s not BB fodder on J1 it’s probably on the other side of the map… a few subs will go a long way in giving America operating room and are awfully good units against ACs, of which JP starts with 3.  Bombers and subs are a strong and cheap tandem for aggression.  Island hop.  Controlling a given island might be the difference in a bunch of air units entering a battle or not during a future turn, even if your fleet doesn’t remain there.

Britain is an often overlooked key… but establishing some way to get units to the Pacific theater is always a good start.  If SZ 35 fleet is alive–that can be 2 more units to Aus or Ind (via TJ or Egypt if you should be so lucky) for the IC or it could mean going to FIC/T to try to pick up that extra money.  Keep your DDs active immediately.  Sailing them away and around the world is safe and tempting, but as long as they’re not in range of the BB they’ve got a chance to take a unit with them.

Sometimes it’s just not possible for a 1st turn IC, but unless JP pulls off two perfect turns in a row and with few losses, one of Aus or Ind should be ready for an IC by GB2.  If they’re not, then you weren’t serious about KJF or had REALLY bad luck.  Hopefully by turn two’s end you’ve made him at least respect the Russian gangpile, but if he’s left Manchuria weak you’ve wrenched it from him.  The inf/arm combo in India is poised to make its march into south Asia.  The US has hopefully taken control of its home SZ by now and if it hasn’t secured the Carolines or Iwo Jima they’re at least threatening to do so.

Really, just take it case by case.  React to what your opponent’s given you to beat him with.

Hope this helps, and happy hunting.

**Title:**Just one of many in '42
**Date:**Feb 10
**Special Rules:**NOs and Tech
**Victor:**Axis, by Allied surrender.
**Game Length:**2
**Bias:**Even, though I made the crucial mistake.

**Description:**Well, dice can be a fickle master.  Fairly standard J1, EI IC.  R1 overly aggressive, attacking every front in the Eastern theater, 0 kills in Baltic States results in an easy collapse of Karelia.  UK1 saw the loss of the Royal AF in Britain and I didn’t even destroy the Cruiser/Trans.  US1 = Heavy Bomber breakthrough  Also I failed to topple France and the counterattack on the UK fleet was devestating.  Very successful campaign in Africa and a successful start of an IC in Australia went for naught with no resistance to the blitzkrieg.  Resignation facing overwhelming odds for the Reds and no pressure coming from other Allied powers.  Could have continued the fight but the UK had almost nothing of consequence on the board to counter Germany, and though HBs would have prolonged it the Axis begin to divide up Eurasia and look without.

**Observations/Recommendations:**Don’t attack all 4 fronts with Russia, duh.  Just 3.  Attempt and subsequent failure to blow up the German navy is gg.

@ogrebait:

Well, that not too far away.  I haven’t played a lot of A&A, but I’ve got copies of AA50, BotB, AAR, and will soon add Pacific to my collection. Let me know next time your group is getting together, and maybe I can stop in. I’ve got family visiting this coming weekend, so that would probably not be a good time.

I can travel a bit… we can meet halfway.  I’m interested in playing a game Thursday, let me know if there’s somewhere you’d rather game.

We play AA50 with a smattering of Pacific, Europe, and DDay in that order.  We either play at someone’s house, or our public meeting place is Tenth Planet comics (200 W Lincoln Hwy).  I’m currently laid off (big shock in NWI right?) so I’m free to play most days at this point.

I head up a group of about 6 players in NWI.

1.  Mr Morden 
2.  Jennifer
3.  Uberlager
4.  flesh_pile
5.  Danger Mouse
6.  Lynxes
7.  Questioneer
8.  a44bigdog
9.  eudemonist
10. MatildaMike
11. Perry
12. Funcioneta
13. anchovy
14. BigRedOne
15. Bardoly
16. Ogrebait
17. tcnance
18. Botider
19. atarihuana
20. P@nther
21. DY
22. Dutchmand
23. d142
24. DM
25. Zygmund
26. Bigbadgoo
27. Gargantua
28. Demolition Man
29. OperationTorch
30. Telamon
31. JonMiller
32. souL