Battlevonwar(Allies) vs MagicMissile(Axis) MagicMissile Welcome

[battlevonwar]

I am going to give a command perspective to both teach newer players and educate my enemies/frenemies. Read closely and keep in mind I geographically read the Allied side poorer than the Axis side which I've played 3 times more. 1.8 Patch this game!

Turn 1 - 3:

Typical moves, Poland down, Holland and Denmark. I managed to hold Poland an extra turn but at no cost at all to Magic's overall dispositions. He also got a 5 convoy 1 Escort hit in the Atlantic which is just sad for me. He is leaving the Danish and German Port Cities open and I am imagining sneaking some Subs in there(not sure if they can be supplied in there but I believe they could be) I will see if he keeps this foolishly open to me? I have built several corps for France and the UK more importantly and intend to bleed him in France. I will throw everything into it. I have sent the Western Desert Armor/Air in as well. Russia has built her first 35% XP Armor, this will be weak but handy cause she will need a lot of equipment for my in depth defense. I am not sure what I will disband for her...

I will show techs soon and other vitals. Magic has loss less than 40 steps so far and the Luftwaffe/RAF tango'd over Holland. He got the better of that engagement. This is vital and many players miss this, every step the Axis take has to be given a level of resistance to wear her down. If everything is free come later on she is the Beast all believe is unbeatable, if you grind her teeth on enough rocks she becomes more of a toothless Lion! Depending on luck(weather) and strategy we shall see what my opponent does. Spain? No Sea Lion I will well prepare for this... Canada will defend the MidEast with corps delivered there and if he goes East I wish him luck!

I have just enough

[Harrybanana]

Can you explain what you mean by he is leaving the Danish and German port cities open and that you are thinking of sneaking subs in there? Do you mean sneaking subs into the Baltic Sea? I didn't think naval units could move past the minefields near Copenhagen so long as he controls Denmark. Or are you thinking of capturing the Danish Ports?

[battlevonwar]

Well, he left the Danish Ports open. You can break those mines in this case. However I don't have ships to escort in a Division so I missed out... and with the weather likely to go bad, it probably won't happen. Subs in there get bottled up then again and require supply oilers. It's a lost opportunity!

ORIGINAL: Harrybanana

Can you explain what you mean by he is leaving the Danish and German port cities open and that you are thinking of sneaking subs in there? Do you mean sneaking subs into the Baltic Sea? I didn't think naval units could move past the minefields near Copenhagen so long as he controls Denmark. Or are you thinking of capturing the Danish Ports?

[battlevonwar]

Opening days of the Sub War, Magic stuck a Sub out on Fleet rather than Raid I actually got stung. I had forgot my French Fleet was in range or else I could of punished him dearly. Other than that I lost a chunk off a Battleship and a few other steps off a few other ships. The only positive here I think it I may keep his subs in port a few turns. I can do without 1 Battleship for awhile(I won't and suggest don't heal everything) England has more than she needs... And never forget your French Fleet for disposal purposes... Mistakes you make! The little Production Ones, fortunately the Allies can afford more than the Axis.

[battlevonwar]

(with a 3 Step CV hit, lucky for me) -6 Steps to U-boats via Air Raids and Sea Battles...(CVs can hit) and once weakened U-boats under strength 4 are particularly useless and also in danger of being destroyed. This will require Magic returns them to base saving me several turns of Raiding.

[battlevonwar]

Well, Fall of France has begun, Belgium has thrown in the towel and the UK has gotten more Convoys and Escorts. My Front Line is rather anemic vs ole school stripping the colonies so this will be a challenge to bleed Magic. I will post up a picture of how the front progresses. So far the Brits and the French are intertwined but I think I will move the French South so the Brits can escape using the NorthWestern French Ports if need be.

France has 1 AntiTank, hope this helps! Oh, that and more fighters than the Axis!

[battlevonwar]

France is some trouble, Magic has broke through the Maginot so this will hasten her demise...and I will have to commit more BEF to plug the holes. He also overran a RAF Fighter in Metz. Stripping my defenses cost me! Weather has been good to him and I will have to pray that he still has to grind a bit... I cannot have him in Paris in June!

[battlevonwar]

Praise Rain! Please more mud! This is the first bit of luck for me but usually by May the West is Clear so I am not counting on it.

Magic is furthering his salient into Central France, I'm plugging gaps. This is not good at all. I cannot keep the British here for too, too long either. I'm not sure which clever strategy he is attempting to employ, bypass French Northern Defense and swing through the countryside... I cannot let this happen even if I lose some British Units so I transfer them down to attempt to throw a wrench in the Blitzkrieg.

It is likely I will have to abandon the entire Northern Sector and lose France early or put myself in a strategic nightmare later. This is not good cause it opens Spain to him if he wants it.

[battlevonwar]

My ugly duckling of French Defense has me strewn out across France with important British Units and I see that sneaky little German Para in the backdrop waiting to block a port to make life more of a pain in the rear for me. I really am losing France way too early here and not exacting the toll, he is. I have lost way too much in the Air and though he may grind a tiny bit on the Final Push to take either Paris or bypass it. I imagine this is not going to be easy for me to get things to Egypt and England in a timely fashion. This is definitely not how you Defend France(ouch). It's also way, way too early in the year. I would not be upset with myself here if it was July. This game will be a heck of a challenge for the Allies and to boot the U-boats are raiding in the Atlantic!

[battlevonwar]

Turn for the worse, Magic got his troops into Syria while I'm on route there. This is going to be a very hard slugfest for me. Mind you I have beaten a guy that took the Entire MidEast... I am not sure what the composition of his troops are there but if they're strong enough it could be bad for me. Plus the casualties reports so far(which don't look good for me)

[battlevonwar]

Far more alarming than Syria is the strength of the Axis Forces! France is that important!

[battlevonwar]

End of Summer:

The MidEast and Egypt will be Axis... UK is still free thankfully and probably will remain so. I will have to reinforce her to death to protect in 1941 if Magic is going for a long game. It's all on the USA and USSR now. This is an unexpected outcome. My entire Eastern Med Army arrived pretty much in time to watch their bases overrun and immediately had to leave. I have packed up the entire Army and just abandoned the MidEast/Egypt.

[battlevonwar]

Allies losing a grip on the World as Axis mow through every Minor just about and now look to Turn East! Nothing I can do to stop them. I don't have the oil or reserves. Though it falls on the USSR to stop them. Which I am pretty confidant I have a 3.5 on a 1-10 scale in accomplishing despite my early blunders! If Magic Missile isn't as adept at troop arrangement and microing and weather goes my way perhaps even a 5 or 5.5.

[battlevonwar]

USSR Hunkers down from Axis in the Caucasus and East! Brits launch likely an invasion of North Africa or Portugal(probably the latter to put my 6-7 Armor that are coming in July of '41) and another 5 in Summer of '42... This should be an equal Armor Force to the Axis but I really am going to need the Soviets to last through 1941 if they can do it then I have a chance and I am crossing my fingers they don't fold very quickly. The Axis are EXTREMELY strong due to being given a Free France. We shall see what happens here!

[battlevonwar]

South Front doesn't appear he is going to push through here... Axis declared war in March they are that confidant and I am a bit worried about this. I am thinking this is going to be a slaughter!

[battlevonwar]

Whoa! I wonder if I can build a front line before it collapses?

[battlevonwar]

Well, this is no testimony to game balance but me completely dropping the ball with the Allies. This is my worse performance with them so far. Also a testimony to MagicMissile's Skill in Exploiting my foolish errors. Do not underestimate this Player. This is my first Allied Loss to date after they were buffed. I was SO overconfident in myself and rusty with the Allies I should of ran a trial run with them with another player.

The Axis just have nothing to stop them in time to save the USSR. I can see so I conceded the game. I will have to rematch Magic if he will at some point to show him I can actually Play the Allies and win back some pride.

There is no need in Screen Shots. I feel like I played like the AI.

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: battlevonwar

Well, this is no testimony to game balance but me completely dropping the ball with the Allies. This is my worse performance with them so far. Also a testimony to MagicMissile's Skill in Exploiting my foolish errors. Do not underestimate this Player. This is my first Allied Loss to date after they were buffed. I was SO overconfident in myself and rusty with the Allies I should of ran a trial run with them with another player.

The Axis just have nothing to stop them in time to save the USSR. I can see so I conceded the game. I will have to rematch Magic if he will at some point to show him I can actually Play the Allies and win back some pride.

There is no need in Screen Shots. I feel like I played like the AI.

With respect Battlvonwar, I think this game (along with several other AARs) is a testament to the fact that this game is, if not balanced, pretty close to it. I can certainly appreciate why you might be of the opinion that the game slightly favours the Allies; but I don't understand why you think it strongly favours the Allies. Just to be clear, even if the game only slightly favours the Allies, then in games between two equal players the Allies will win 75% or more of the games.

[battlevonwar]

Harrybanana,

If the Allies make errors sure it appears balanced. Skill between two players is a huge factor. Lets say for balance sake I had properly defended France, not left a gap in the Maginot and the Germans had grinded through 300 steps of Land Losses, 150 Air Steps ... you would get a different idea of things(I will attempt to show in a rematch if I get one) just that! Of course you can conserve your Allies as Magic did and use them elsewhere in my other game if you check that AAR he invaded Italy and took North Africa in 1941 with the British...

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: battlevonwar

Harrybanana,

If the Allies make errors sure it appears balanced. Skill between two players is a huge factor. Lets say for balance sake I had properly defended France, not left a gap in the Maginot and the Germans had grinded through 300 steps of Land Losses, 150 Air Steps ... you would get a different idea of things(I will attempt to show in a rematch if I get one) just that! Of course you can conserve your Allies as Magic did and use them elsewhere in my other game if you check that AAR he invaded Italy and took North Africa in 1941 with the British...

With respect (because I know you are a good player) this AAR didn't make the game look balanced. This AAR made it look like the game at least moderately if not strongly favoured the Axis.

I agree that skill is the biggest factor. But by saying that the game strongly favours the Allies you are, IMHO, saying that even a moderately skilled Allied Player will beat a highly skilled Axis Player. In fact I believe that is pretty much exactly what you did say. So again, I can certainly understand why someone might be of the opinion that the game slightly favours the Allies and they might even be right. But based on the AARs and my own playing experience (which is now up to 10 games) I don't see the evidence the the game strongly favours the Allies.