Best posts made by Stough

This 1940 Global game is pretty bad ass. I’m doing my second play test with it. I love how massive the map is. But I am so slow with getting the armies into position- like molasses slow. Build and push - I think I’m still tied to the old days of enormous infantry stacks.

I’ve been playing the Allies pretty conservatively, to see what the Axis can do. I’m not investing a lot in planes or bombers, just the ole traditional ant trails.

Spacially/strategically speaking, My initial observations are these.
The game designers did a fantastic job. The geography has many built in quandaries that make tactics as important as strategy.

The US is still a three point move to get to Europe. (US-Morocco/Gib- Europe).That geography hasn’t changed.

I’m still scratching my head in how they deal with the Pacific. I’ve been trying a support ANZAC and use Aus as a possible counter thrust to money islands strategy, but it doesn’t look too good. We’ll see.

I really like that the focus of the Pacific is the ‘money islands’. In real life, the Japanese really fouled up by not having good logistics or protecting that resource and it cost them big. Anyhow, it gives the game a southern thrust that I really like.

I also like that the Japanese can’t really go through Siberia to atrit Russia. They can a little, but it’s not a game changer.
Also, those 20 Japanese planes are devastating.

Germany, the UK , Italy and UKA are all still major mysteries to me.

How does one get Italy into the game?
Is it insane ot have 5 German planes in southern Italy to stop Taranto?

The UK takes so long to convert from survival to offense. This game I built a IC in Cairo round one (even with a threat from Sea Lion) and built a IC in Persia (that’s legal right?) in round 3, but I’m flailing with these guys. Things aren’t looking too hot in India, although the Italians have almost been chased out of North Africa.

With Italy, I’m complete lost so far. They lasted in Africa a little longer this game, but I’m starting to think that Alexandria may be a key to winning this game for Axis Europe.

With Germany, I promised myself my first three play tests that I would try the Sea Lion- 1AC, 2 Transport buy. It’s an obvious bluff, but a bluff that has to be taken seriously enough to retard UK’s ability to focus on Africa/India. It’s also nice in helping with Norway and Russias bonus money and shuttling troops. I’m anxious to see what German life is like without it, but I’ll do one more game with it before I move on.

Having the Soviets cool their jets for 4 turns could be a nice advantage for the Germans. But as with the rest of the Countries in this game, so far, I’m still pretty lost as to how to develop a sound series of strategies.

The Soviets… the darn Russians, no clue on how to play these guys, although I’m starting to see better how they can use their geography to stall.

I really want to blast Japan with those 16 guys in the Far East, but that just seems an invitation to disaster against the Germans. I really like the Mongolian rules. By the time the Japanese chew through China, those 16 guys are waiting for them on the other side if needed. So for now… I’m letting them do the slow slog back to the motherland.

Anyhow, I really like that there is this forum. I’m also enjoying testing this game out by myself before I start the hard and steep learning curve with you guys in matched play.

OK. So far so good on the re-do.I have saved the game through Hopie; Kweichow and SZ 54 are next.

OK. I jut eaves dropped on this game…

What the *&%%$%& Hell is going on?

This is some crazy next level stuff!!! I think my head exploded.

Who the heck is winning?

I would really like to here the communities take on this subject. Praises and criticisms. I realize I’m late to the ball, but here I am and I’ excited about getting into this game.
Here is my take.

This board and map are great.

I love the hugeness of it; this thing is just massive.

The geography and how that effects play was very well thought out. Africa is squashed down abut as much as possible and there is more room available in Europe as one could have reasonably made without completely distorting the world map. The point being , the map still looks like the world while still being able to provide effective space for game play- that is a tough balance to achieve.

The idea of making the Himalayas and Sahara impassible was inspired. Of course they are impassible to large armies. If the Axis want to do damage to the British Empire in Sub Saharan Africa, they need to either turn the corner at Alexandria or win the Atlantic or Indian Oceans.

The neutral spaces are very well done. More on that when I review the Neutral Countries.

But the main thing the map gets right is what it’s supposed to get right, it provides the right geometry to promote good game play. Their are major regions and regions within those regions and each set has its own keys to being manipulated for offense and defense. That makes for interesting game play.

Even better, I haven’t found any rinky dink ways of manipulating the geography in ways that don’t feel true to the intent of the game/WW2. The space in the Pacific is an obstacle. The Space of Russia is an obstacle. As they both should be. The benefit from gaining Scandinavia is big, but its not a game changer. The Far East or the Black Sea can’t be used as some unanticipated flanking move. One doesn’t want to be tied down to replaying WW2 as accurately as possible, but one doesn’t want to completely break with reality either.

Every game I play I learn new things about this board. I’ve played 4 intensive games with myself and am still feel like I am a long long ways from mastering the geography of this board. That is a good thing.

Certainly there are things I could quibble about.
The names for the Chinese Provinces could be better. In that , as someone who lives in China, I would prefer the proper current Pinyin names for them, A westerner defiantly made this game. But I understand they are trying to keep with the Pre 1949 feel for the region and using the terms the west used back then; so ok.

Having Kazakistan so far south is a bit weird.

There are times where I wish certain spaces were larger; I’m looking at you Bessarabia and SZ110. But most of my spatial problems stem from my style of game play which is still rooted in monolithic stacks of enormous proportions which worked well in the Axis and Allies of old.

Which brings me to my biggest opinion about this board. This board is infinitely superior to the previous incarnations of Axis and Allies.

This is a very good and interesting game and it starts with the map.

What are your thoughts?

You weren’t lying. Your getting murdered in that game. His moves with China and Russia have just been so deft. Wow!

You’ll notice two edits.

In the first my tac was returned to SZ55.
In the second, I corrected a mis move
and moved my Japanese infantry from Kwangsi to Hunan.

@Argothair That was very well said. " they can’t do all of that at once in the first 7 turns, so you’ll wind up with some active fronts where the Allies are making gains, and you exploit those for all they’re worth and let the others go at the appropriate time. At least, that’s my philosophy."

… For me this is exactly the right attitude to win games. You probe and probe and see what turns up for short term gain and long term end game.

The logistics of this game are very interesting. Once Japan takes India, they are at a bit of a loss of what to do and how to do it. In a way, they are out of position. Assuming the Allies have prepped Hawaii and Australia well enough to hold out for a long time. If Japan goes for either, it removes any pressure from Russia and the ME. It’s a very interesting dilemma If the US has prepped well enough, they can spend 18 IPC’s messing with Germany indirectly, while UK messes with Italy directly or supports USSR directly via the ME. Again these are just novice musing; I’ve only played 4 test games of this behemoth so I could be way way off base.

I’m so impatient to learn this game enough to start competitng online. Another month and I think I’ll be ready to put my toe in. (I’ve got a lot on my plate this month).

Libya is ours, “Vive le France”. A dumb move perhaps, in that it will cost me an IPOC down the road, but just once I would like to say that I carried out a successful offensive operation by the French.

RE: France- what a nightmare opening set of rolls. That sucks

@Luftwaffles41
Great answer. Thank you so much.
More mini questions.
Assuming a 1AC/2 tran buy in G1-

1. So most folks send the surviving tran/destroyer from SZ 109 to Canada? (assuming no German subs are there).
2. Folks do NOT scramble their UK fighters
3. The UK doesn’t send diddly do to SZ 91/Gib on turn 1?
4. The UK fighters stay in UK and do NOT Taranto?

Yep. Europe is going to be a hot mess. On the one hand, I feel like I got there super quick, on the other , I feel like it’s take me forever. I haven’t made it this far before so this is all new territory, but I think this game is getting ready to be super complicated. My head already hurts.

On a side note, I like my groovy 1960’s multi national navy in the Med. I can just hear the bongos in the drum circles. and smell the god awful Pucculli oil.

Squire’s not feeling too good, so we re going to give him a few days.

If a novice may jump into the conversation regarding the Hawaii strike.

As the old timey generals used to say, be wary of squabbles as they can turn into a full fledged Battle.

I think the reason I don’t like it is because:
As Japan, I want to follow up India with pressuring ME and Russia. So trading with the US is a bit of a distraction.
As Germany, I’m thrilled.
As Italy , I’m happy.
As USSR, I’m bummed.
As the UK I’m also somewhat happy.(depending on Sea Lion)
As the Chinese, UKA and ANZAC, I’m ecstatic.

As the US, it’s an interesting dilemma;
One could ignore the strike and press on as usual

or

if one chooses to trade with Japan around Hawaii, this is a great time to start doing it. They are coming to you, within your easy striking range. So maybe … let’s do this?

If that’s the choice, you might be better served going all in.

IDK.
Play test #5 is going to be a KJF, without a Hawaii Attack on J1. I like KJF a lot better WITH a Japan attack on Hawaii.
with Germany avoiding Sea Lion and UK going ME; we’ll see what happens with those scenarios in combo.

.

I think we are starting to see WHY a bid is necessary. I get that folks see the gas as unbalanced, but I wasn’t clear on WHY that’s so. I’m starting to think that OOB leaves a limited array of either or choices in the beginning of the the game. And that each of those either or’s have a counter by the Axis that is devastating; making it impossible for the Allies to win without a bid. I still don’t see the nuts and bolts f this hypothesis, but I think the gray may be getting lighter.

This is why I think is important for us to play with no bid. I want to understand exactly what the bid is trying to erase.

@Argothair said in UK Strategy -"Middle Earth":

Sydney is not as easy as it looks, partly because of all the vicious, vicious emus that defend the plains

Easily the best line of this discussion. So good.

Another reason to push forward with the Rising Sun to the ME/Russia. Retreat your navy for a few turns, if you have to, and buy fast movers for Russia/Slow Movers for ME.
Then , when the pressure from the US gets too big, drop the carriers with the fighters fleshing them out and let the arms race begin.

The dreaded J1 OOB, in all it’s bloody glory.

On the board is one thing, tripleA is another, if I find out I can’t move that carrier and des from Carolines to Borneo- tears-a-fallin.

I didn’t ask for a scramble in the Philippines since it seemed obvious his best use was in the island battle.

@Arthur-Bomber-Harris Sorry, new guy question. What is an economic victory in OOB rules?

Make the edit during Russia’s turn, that way I know what I’m seeing come Japan’s turn.

Sorry, man , I wasn’t finished. Give me a bit.
My apologies.

I really didn’t mean for those attacks to take place. I was just testing stuff out to see what was what.

I’m still working out my German3.