Axis and Allies

Boardgame Strategies

By Alex Webb


I am aware this is a campaign generator, but the allies will win or Russia by accident.

Traditional Axis and Allies vs the house

The Axis has to do extremely well in the first few turns or will lose. It's simple and will always go this way.

50 IPC to influence Spain this takes half of Africa to normally kick in. 55 IPC for Turkey this will never happen for reasons including 1 below. Russia can take Turkey long before this.

1: Tanks cannot take ground

This has penalsised the Italians in Africa. Costing an 1PC. In early war this only effects the Axis. I think a Russian tank a US tank a Jap tank and 2 British tanks are all that are also in the game.

2: Tank Losses

Under Axis and Allies tanks are rarely lost, under our rules they will be. This will probably see less tanks, they are also harder to replace. Tanks will be lost. How do we work this effect out gamewise.

Tank armies usually by Germans, Russians and Japanese. This is a penalsing effect hitting the Axis. The Japanese however though often have loads of tanks but in tabletop games these are poor. Japanese tanks in the game must therefore represent manouverability and surprise.

3: Aircraft

These have already been downrated, but I kind of agree with you here. Do you roll for AA and if so a what points. I kind of assume AA guns fire in defence of cities and vs strategic. How are AA's rated game wise.

AA batteries will be needed in map games but should probably be static e.g at cities. AA only get to fire in the first turn of Axis and Allies. 500 pts of AA is often also 500 points of infantry killer. Again early game this screws the Axis which is when the Axis needs to do well to even get to a middle game. AA guns are captured under Axis and Allies.

Under Axis and Allies planes normally only lost to AA guns otherwise the last units you lose in both attack and defence. Planes are nasty in defence as the defend on 4's. Planes only attack on 3's.

This might translate better in to number of turns over the battlefield.

Defenders 4 attackers 3. This of course breaks down again in that planes can drop all their bombs in 1 turn. Please see my own suggested plane rules.

Aircraft can also be lost over the battlefield, and the chances are reasonably high.

Axis and Allies - AA 1 in 6 16%. An AA gun on a battlefield at least 10% per turn.

Defensive planes. I actually like this. Defending units moving in and out of sea zone. This will work well for Japan/USA. A bit nullified for the Germans fighting the Brits.

The Net effect may see our games knock out disproportinate numbers of planes and tanks.

Japanese strategies use planes, German strategies use tanks.

Declaring War

Why it did not happen. Russia only declared war on Japan to get in on the spoils after the Germans were beaten. Britain and the US were Pacifists. The only real aggressors were Japan and Germany. Japan only went to war with the US due to a rubber shortage due to economic embargo.

Traditional Axis and Allies Japan cannot attack Russia to turn 6, but Russia can attack Japan on turn 5. In reality, Japan ran the Manchuria army down to next to nothing old men etc. Japan and Russia had a treaty that was largely kept.

In this campaign Japan is stuffed in many ways, its vulnerable and unable to attack except China. Even if Japan wanted to fight Russia it does not actually do them any good.

Rolling to attack favours the Allies again. This is because any French, British or USA player declares war on the first turn, if failing the second and so on. This means they can then attack Japanese shipping which could otherwise move unmolested. If US or Britain at war the other ally also at war. Japan cannot actually get to Britain or the US in the first turn and is in no fit state to fight a war with them both. Britain has 2-3 turns doing what they like before Japan can get any where near even if they do make rolls.

China

I may ask that Ian and I can dice off against each other. I think the China battles are more likely to be the Chinese making counter attacks against the Japanese. Otherwise 400 IPCs becomes 310 figs which will be figure horrendous.

Rolling dice will see large tank armies, fighting battles will also see tank counters lost. To protect tanks, players may prefer to go with diced battles.


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