Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Anyone play axis and allies here?


Trigger Mike

Recommended Posts

I used to play with a coworker years ago.  My 10 year old got interested in it and we have played the 1942 version several times.  He said he wants to play until he wins.  The last game I switched sides with him so he could beat me.   Then I found the anniversary edition and it is moving slower as I am the allies and am too weak to really do much but hold back as he is too overwhelmed to do what he needs to beat ne.  He keeps buying technology instead of men.  Having fun just the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Trigger Mike said:

I used to play with a coworker years ago.  My 10 year old got interested in it and we have played the 1942 version several times.  He said he wants to play until he wins.  The last game I switched sides with him so he could beat me.   Then I found the anniversary edition and it is moving slower as I am the allies and am too weak to really do much but hold back as he is too overwhelmed to do what he needs to beat ne.  He keeps buying technology instead of men.  Having fun just the same.

Never heard of it...but hope it is a board game! We need more board games!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a miniatures version out a few years ago. Played pretty well too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep a board game.  Like risk in a way.  The major powers of ww2 fight it out, you use money to buy men, tanks, planes and ships and get more money the more land you take.  You lose money for future buys when you lose land.  

 

I like it because it is helping him with math, budgeting,  and planning and we get to spend time together.   It is also helping me keep my mind working.  As he gets better I have to adjust to keep it going.  We will leave it on a table and play for days at a time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Trigger Mike for math, if he likes science fiction, check out Battletech. Big, stompy robots and they don't change the rules every year to make you buy more books because the old ones are obsolete now. Been using the same rules for 35+ years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Played it a LOT in high school. 

 

The Allies can seriously jam up the Axis by being aggressivein the first round. 

 

The Russians can attack from Karelia and the Ukraine (?) (or whatever is due west of Moscow)first round befor the Germans can move.  It's a dangerous move for the Russians- since the safe move is for them to collapse back on Moscow in the West and buy infantry- but it screws up the German build up in France if it succeeds.  On the other hand, sending their Far East forces down the Pacific coast and taking the continent side of the Japanese transport bridge slows the down at least 2 turns and usuallysaves India.  The Americans in China should head for India and consider sending the fighter to Moscow.

 

The Brits need to sink the entire German navy, consolidate their African forces and buy tanks.

 

America is easy.  Buy a navy in the Atlantic and some tanks, park it in the Channel, take France so the Brits can blitz through.

 

If Russia doesn't fall by the 3rd round, the Axis are boned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every game I keep telling him to buy men and not waste money trying to buy technology as usually you fail to get the right dice roll .  I tell him to buy men and conquer territories and then buy technology when you have money to spend, but he never listens and by the time he realizes he is in trouble it us too late.

 

He keeps.going for the get rich quick route 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Trigger Mike said:

Every game I keep telling him to buy men and not waste money trying to buy technology as usually you fail to get the right dice roll .  I tell him to buy men and conquer territories and then buy technology when you have money to spend, but he never listens and by the time he realizes he is in trouble it us too late.

 

He keeps.going for the get rich quick route 

The only tech advance I ever wanted was heavy bomber.  If I had that, I did strategic bombing with as many bombers as allowed every turn.  Strategic bombing takes money out of their bank and heavy bombers roll 3 dice for the damage rather than just 1.

 

Russia is easy to play.  Collapse onto Moscow, buy lots and lots of infantry and when the Brits and Americans land in Europe, have all of them take 1 step forward.  The Brits act as a holding point for American troops, sink any German navy that is on the board and keep the Afrika Corps from taking the whole continent.  The Americans are safe and rich, so they build transports and tanks and build them until they can break the German's back.

 

A quick game favors the Axis.  The longer the game, the less likely they are to win because they start with more troops but less money and the Allies catch up quick. 

 

The Germans should default to buying tanks and, maybe, a fighter if they lose one for the 1st and 2nd rounds.  Forget the navy, infantry or bombers.  The Brit and Americans will use air power to sink the navy, infantry are defensive units and bombers cost too much.  None of them will get you Moscow and that's a key because you have to do it quick (infantry are cheap, defend better than they attack and a smart Russia will have a LOT of them in Moscow) so you only have 1 front before the Brits and Americans come for you. Taking a capital also gets you their bank and that $15-20 can be a difference maker for the Germans.

 

The Japanese can't reach anybody and nobody can reach them, so they need to take territory quick because their money is too thin from the start.  That's why a thrust south in the Far East by the Russians in Rd 1 is so effective.  They have to retake it and can't land and blitz through occupied territory for a round or 2 (one to consolidate their navy and another to take it).  That's 2 more rounds they aren't increasing their bank.  They can spoiler attack Alaska or Panama later in the game but both moves are of limited use and more of a distraction (by threatening the US West Coast) than they are a real threat.  Japan's income isn't big enough to build the transports and land forces fast enough to surprise the US to be a serious threat to Washington.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Play the Allies and get aggressive in round 1.  A little tough love might work better than letting him win.  Nothing says, "That didn't work," like getting reamed by trying something and failing.

 

There's a way for the Brits to sink or at least chase off the entire German navy in round 1 but you're going to have to set up the board and study on it to figure out the exact moves because Reagan was in office the last time I played Britain. That sub (transport?) in the Med is the one that gets away a lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When he is the allies I keep telling him to take Norway that way Britain can help Russia but he never does.  I do most of the time unless he leaves something else wide open.  It's fun watching him learn.  He craves attention a lot so maybe this will help him feel more secure.   

 

I wonder if part of why he craves attention is due to insecurity from being adopted.   His birth mom was abusive to a previous child so the state gave her no choice, either someone adopts him or they would take him at birth.  Thankfully we found each other. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Russians never kept Karelia long enough for bridging to Norway to do much good when we were playing and it's not high value enough to make a dent in their income to make taking it worthwhile.

 

Taking Karelia is the shortest route to Moscow for the Germans in the 1st round.  Hit it with troops from Berlin and any infantry in the East and blitz through the newly occupied territory with any tanks (supported by ALL the fighters and/or bombers that will reach) in the East to hit Moscow.  Somebody playing a sloppy Russia can end up on the rail watching (or at least just moving around what troops he has left on the board) with a little dice luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.