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So Germany loses to UK/France in Oct 41 without active intervention from USSR/USA. Seems "off" to me.

ORIGINAL: Franklin Nimitz

So Germany loses to UK/France in Oct 41 without active intervention from USSR/USA. Seems "off" to me.

It was a very strange testgame. For one thing Germany didn't declare war until very very late, and for the second thing they played under some test two player rules, that turned out didn't let the Soviets intervene, before it was very late in the war. I don't think you can judge the game by this AAR, to be frank.

It was a very unusual game indeed.

The Axis was trying very hard to avoid war, and to make gains diplomatically. The Allies tried to counter their every diplomatic move, all the while building up their war fighting potential. The French especially used every month given them to build the expensive, but powerful, B1-bis. They started the game with four formations, but by the time they were in a war there were many more. The British used the time to build a very large, high quality submarine force. Combined with the Foreign Office getting Norway and Denmark to throw in with the Allies the U-boat threat was completely nullified. As the game progressed the U-boat was never a factor, and the Baltic became a safe route for Great Britain.

When the French and British broke through the German lines they had superiority in every arm. The RAF was devastating. The RN ruled the seas. The French Army became as strong as the world thought it was in 1939. The British were fully supported by a productive Commonwealth. Japan and China fought to a stalemate.

This game had everything going the Allies way. The Axis started down the path of slow and steady, and got "slow". The game is completely different when the Axis is aggressive, or even assertive. The Axis player was trying a strategy which might have worked. We now know it does not.

Chuck

Just a few comments
1-As far as player skill is of concern, I´m a few hundres light years behind chuck, it might be taken into account when we make a ost mortem analysis of this game
2-My intention was to defeat USSR before turning West, so I tried to annex Poland, but the timeline rules aborted my plan, I´m not sure I would have done better vs. KV-1´s instead od Char B1´s, so.....
3-The house rules were developed for two player games in GD1938v2, they won´t be useful for GD1938v3, since we noe have a three csides system, similar to the HOI victory rules.
4-I believe It´s easier for the German player to wait for War now, since the recent games cripple the UK/French economy until they are at war.

@Bombur,

Everyone will want to remember that Bombur wears two hats here. He was playing the Axis, but he also is fully engaged with the OOB of the whole game, and he and Ernie share the edit rights and design decisions. He is a gentleman and a scholar!

I know he had to go through a ringer today with Brazil's loss. Bombur, it is always a pleasure to play you, and thank you, and Ernie, for this wonderful game.

Thanks again, and good luck (unless you are playing against me!),

Chuck