AllenK vs Mayhemizer AAR

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Spitfire does the job. It took 2 turns to transport it via Cape Town but it paid off now.

Who is shot down and will Italians continue combat?

[AllenK]

Hi Cohen,

I think your predictions are about right now.

With the USSR heavily committed in Manchuria this game hinged upon the Germans being able to quickly take France and then move East. The weather went against that with lousy from Sep 39 through to M/J 40 except for 1 impulse of fine in M/A 40. I made a mistake in not taking Antwerp before Brussels but the dice made me pay for that big time.

It took three attempts to take the port. The first two failed with a roll one below what was needed to destroy the defenders. The final attempt, boosted by the first O-chit, just about made it but another poor roll left half attackers disorganised. A 5 on the other O-chit boosted attack was another dismal failure. It all took time, another O-chit and HQ reorgs and left the Axis short when the M/J 40 turn ended. China's a mess for the Japs and now Egypt looks to be going pear shaped after the CP's were lost, the turn ended before they could be replaced and the Allies won both initiative rolls for this turn.

Sure, I've made mistakes and Mayhemizer has taken due advantage but I feel the run of die rolls have killed this game.

[AllenK]

Shoot down the Ftr and continue combat.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

That air to air combat was quite brutal. I believe CW is much happier that Italians.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Does Germany choose assault or blitz?

[AlbertN]

With the USSR heavily committed in Manchuria this game hinged upon the Germans being able to quickly take France and then move East. The weather went against that with lousy from Sep 39 through to M/J 40 except for 1 impulse of fine in M/A 40. I made a mistake in not taking Antwerp before Brussels but the dice made me pay for that big time.

That is the issue - the Allies dictating the Axis rhythm of gameplay early in the game.

And with the fact there is the "huge" Pacific map and the unit balance is screwed, Japan stands no chance whatsoever.
It pratically forces an early Barbarossa - not letting Germany decide if to go Spain or else for example.

I think that is against the design of the game itself, that the map brutally revolution. The original WiF tabletop map is much smaller for Pacific and the Soviets would not have got the same exploits that they can have in MWiF vs the Japs.

____

Back to commenting the game, it seems the Brits can even try to hold Suez for a while now that the armoured spearhead of the Italians is crippled!

[AllenK]

Go with Blitz

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Well, worth trying.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

How about combat in Egypt?

[AllenK]

Try Blitz again

[Mayhemizer_slith]

A truck load of medals are awarded in Egypt...

[Mayhemizer_slith]

Wellington is rebased to Denmark. Hurricane is rebased closer to France.
Chinese fighter is rebased close Kaifeng.
French bombers take couple of hexes back.
USSR rebases fighter next to Mukden.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

What you see in China is called "motti" in Finland.

[Mayhemizer_slith]

France after impulse 1. Covards run behind river line. But I hope that is a smart thing to do.

[AllenK]

J/A 40 Axis 2

No DoW

Germany Land, Italy Combined, Japan Naval.

[AlbertN]

Soon Japan won't have anymore a production ...

[Jagdtiger14]

I don't think I would have attacked with the French GAR...better as a road block.

Anyway, although I have not yet played MWiF, but have played many years of the board game. The Allies have always had the capability of dictating some kind of Axis "rhythm". The USSR has several gambits (Persia, Bulgaria/Yugoslavia, Manchuria, border garrison); the CW can make taking Gibraltar tough with Portugal, and do things like Denmark/Norway, etc... The US has some things too.

With this new map, the Japs just have to play a more conservative presence in China, build ground units early and often for critical mass, keep Manchuria garrisoned enough to keep the USSR disinterested, and do not venture too far inland unless chasing down the Commy's on the way to destroying them. I don't think you can play this game the same way you have played the board game, which is just the way I like it!

Weather of course dictates almost everything, but as Germany, I try to maximize my possibilities. I (and the only one in my group to do so) prefer to put enough against the Polish to take their resources and box in Warsaw/Lodz. Everything else goes west (75-80+% of the entire force)...a kind of "Fall Gelb", but revised a bit in force and objective. Of all the times (dozens) I've played Germany, I think I failed to take Paris by the end of M/J'40 only once...and with only one O-chit used up (and I play against hard core veteran grognards...most of us having gone to WiF conventions). Sometimes without taking Netherlands (save it for the Japs). This keeps Germany in "Rhythm". Also, WiF is inherently pro-Allied, the options can fine tune this into a more equal and fair game.

[composer99]

I think it got shared on this thread earlier, but I don't want to look through 20 pages of thread to find it.

Anyway, yvesp did an AAR of a game in which Japan was relatively quiet & patient with respect to China, and ended up making significant gains anyway, because they had the units to outflank China opportunistically.

(It all ended badly thanks to the poor outing by the Germans & Italians, who muffed a 1942 Barb and saw Italy conquered at the end of 1942. yvesp had to end the AAR in early 1945, but had things gone better on Germany's part then I think they would have gone better for Japan.)

[AllenK]

Thanks for all the comments.

It's all looking a bit desperate for Japan and Italy isn't exactly rosy following the last set of losses.

No port attacks.

Italy fly Nav to Italian Coast 3-box.

Italian CP plus 2 CL move to Italian Coast. What do Allies wish to do?

[Mayhemizer_slith]

No intercept. When CP stops Allies want to initiate combat. Subs will stay in combat as long as CP is in the sea area. CP is their main target. After CP is aborted/sink subs stay in bottom.

If subs are aborted, they go to Malta.