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Tips & Strategies (8)

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Tomahawk
“When you are Russia.”

Out of the 5 powers you can choose this one may be the easiest. I see the roll of Russia to put pressure on Germany as much as possible. The best way to do this is by purchasing infantry and lots of them. This is not the sexyist but effective. At the beginning you should be able to buy 8 and if you win some battles your income should increase, keep buying infantry and moving slowly towards Berlin. I would move your Submarine and one plane in to the sea-zone occupied by Germany and take out their sub and transport. Your transport can help provide support off the coast of the UK. Also during the first turn weaken Japan if you can. If Russia can keep this up the US and UK should get strong enough that one of you will take down Germany in about 3 turns.

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9
Intermediate Reviewer
Chief Inspector
Strategist
El Dorado
5 of 6 gamers found this helpful
“Use the Technology rules from 50th Anniversary eddition for a better experience!”

Don’t forget that this A&A 1942 title does not come with any rules for technology, which some players may find a little annoying. However! Do not despair for you can simply incorporate these (optional) rules straight from the Axis & Allies 50th Anniversary Edition, here:

http://boardgaming.com/games/board-games/axis-and-allies-50th-anniversary-edition

As the technology rules are not described in detail on the A&A50 game page, I will summarise them here. Please remember that the rules for technology are optional in the A&A50 game, so it would be totally up to the players to decide if they wished to use them for A&A 1942. Here goes then:

The player turn sequence will now be:

1. Research & Development (optional rule)
2. Purchase Units
3. Combat Move
4. Conduct Combat
5. Noncombat move
6. Mobilize New Units
7. Collect Income

How the technology rules work:

PHASE 1: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

In this phase, you may attempt to develop improved military technology. To do so, you buy researchers that give you a chance for a scientific breakthrough. Each researcher token will grant you one die that provides a chance for a breakthrough. Should your capital be captured by the enemy during the game, surrender all your current researcher tokens back to the box.

Research & Development Sequence:

1. Buy researcher tokens
2. Roll research dice
3. Roll breakthrough die
4. Mark developments

Step 1: Buy Researcher Tokens:

Each researcher token costs 5 IPCs. Buy as many as you wish, including none.

Step 2: Roll Research Dice:

For each researcher you have, roll one die. Success: If you roll at least one “6,” you have successfully made a technological
breakthrough. Discard ALL your researcher tokens and continue to step 3. Failure: If you do not roll a “6,” your research has failed. Keep all your researcher tokens and continue to the Purchase Units phase of the turn.

Step 3. Roll Breakthrough Die:

If you rolled a “6” on any research die, choose one of the two breakthrough charts (below) and roll a die to see which technological advance you get. You can only receive one advance each turn. If you have already received the same result on a previous turn, reroll until you get a new technological advance. Once you have received all the advances on a chart, you cannot gain any more advances from that chart.

BREAKTHROUGH CHART 1 (Land & Industry)

1. Advanced Artillery: Each of your Artillery units can now provide greater support. One Artillery unit can support two Infantry per attack. Two Infantry when coupled with one Artillery unit each
have an attack value of 2.

2. Rockets: Your anti-aircraft guns are now rocket launchers. In addition to its normal combat function, during the strategic bombing raid step of your Conduct Combat phase each turn, each of your
anti-aircraft guns can make a single rocket attack against an enemy Industrial Complex within 3 spaces of it. This attack does 1d6 damage to that complex. In each turn, only one AA Gun per territory may launch rockets, and each Industrial Complex can be targeted by only one rocket launcher.

3. Paratroopers: Each of your Bombers can act as a transport for up to one Infantry, but it must stop in the first hostile territory it enters during a turn and drop off the Infantry, ending its combat movement. Both units must begin their movement in the same territory. The Infantry is dropped after any anti-aircraft fire is resolved, so if the Bomber is hit, the Infantry it carries is also destroyed. The Bomber may still attack during the Conduct Combat phase, but it cannot make a strategic bombing run in a turn that it transports an Infantry
unit. The Infantry unit may retreat normally to a friendly adjacent space during combat.

4: Increased Factory Production: Each of your Industrial Complexes in a territory worth 3 or more IPCs can now produce two additional units beyond its listed IPC value. For example, Germany (worth 10 IPCs) can now produce 12 units. Also, when repairing a damaged Industrial Complex (removing damage markers), you can remove two damage markers at a time for the cost of 1 IPC (half price).

5. War Bonds: During your Collect Income phase, roll 1d6 and collect that many additional IPCs.

6. Mechanized Infantry: Each Infantry that is matched up with a Tank can move two spaces along with the Tank.

BREAKTHROUGH CHART 2 (Air & Sea)

1. Super Submarines: Your Submarines are now Super Submarines. The attack value of your Submarines is now 3 instead of 2. The defense value of your Submarines remains at 1.

2. Jet Fighters: The attack value of your Fighters is now 4 instead of 3.

3. Improved Shipyards: Your sea units are now cheaper to build. Use these revised costs:

Battleship 17
Aircraft Carrier 11
Cruiser 10
Destroyer 7
Transport 6
Submarine 5

4. Radar: Your anti-aircraft gun fire now hits on a 1 or 2 instead of just a 1.

5. Long-Range Aircraft: Your Fighters are now long-range Fighters, and your Bombers are now long-range Bombers. Your Fighters’ range increases
from 4 to 6. Your Bombers’ range increases from 6 to 8.

6. Heavy Bombers: Your Bombers are now Heavy Bombers. You roll two dice for each Bomber and select the best result whenever you attack or make a strategic bombing raid. On defense, your Heavy Bombers still roll only a single die.

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9
Intermediate Reviewer
Chief Inspector
Strategist
El Dorado
5 of 6 gamers found this helpful
“Official Rulebook”

Just so you know, the Rulebook for this game can now be downloaded from the offical site, here:

http://www.wizards.com/avalonhill/rules/A&A1942_2ndEd_rlbk_NonSku_PDF.pdf

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9
Intermediate Reviewer
Chief Inspector
Strategist
El Dorado
7 of 9 gamers found this helpful
“Complete Game Inventory”

I thought players might find it useful to see a complete breakdown of the game pieces and components, so they know exactly what comes in the box. Boardgaming.com have already given a brief list:

■Game Board
■One 24-Page Rulebook
■Six Dice
■410 Military Unit Pieces
■80 Plastic Chips
■2 Parts Sheets

However, I am now going to expand upon that. Here goes:

■Game Board – This come in two seperate foldable halves which combine to make a playing game area of 40″ x 26″.

■One 24-Page Rulebook – Full colour, very comprehensive rulebook.

■Six Dice – 3 x black D6 with white dots, 3 x red D6 with white dots.

■410 Military Unit Pieces – Each player power comes with a varying amount of combat units, which I will detail below including their totals:

SOVIET UNION – 74

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 8
Tanks: 10
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 2
Destroyer: 4
Cruiser: 2
Battleship: 2
Aircraft Carrier: 2
Submarine: 4
Transport: 4

GERMANY – 86

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 8
Tanks: 12
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 4
Destroyer: 6
Cruiser: 4
Battleship: 2
Aircraft Carrier: 2
Submarine: 6
Transport: 6

UNITED KINGDOM – 84

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 6
Tanks: 8
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 6
Destroyer: 6
Cruiser: 4
Battleship: 4
Aircraft Carrier: 2
Submarine: 6
Transport: 6

JAPAN – 82

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 6
Tanks: 6
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 4
Destroyer: 6
Cruiser: 4
Battleship: 4
Aircraft Carrier: 4
Submarine: 6
Transport: 6

UNITED STATES – 84

Infantry: 20
Artillery: 6
Tanks: 6
Antiaircraft Artillery: 8
Fighter: 8
Bomber: 6
Destroyer: 6
Cruiser: 4
Battleship: 4
Submarine: 6
Transport: 6

■80 Plastic Chips – 50 x grey, 20 x green, 10 x red.

■2 Parts Sheets – These are full colour cardboard sheets which include additional game components that are pressed out for play, and include:

5 x National Setup Charts (1 for each power)
100 x National Control markers (20 for each power)
1 Battlestrip
1 Casualty Strip
12 x Industrial Complexes

And that was the complete breakdown of game components! Hope you found it useful.

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7
Intermediate Reviewer
Professional Grader
Tomahawk
4 of 5 gamers found this helpful
“When you are the US”

This power maybe the most challenging, it takes a couple of turns to feel like you are contributing. You start with the most money so it can be difficult to know what to buy. USA is a great support power and I suggest helping Russia and the UK take out Germany. Purchase fighters, transports and infantry. Use one of your transports to cross over to Africa and start minimizing the amount of money Germany can get it’s hands on. This will also help the UK keep some money in it’s pocket and it can commit their resources to Germany’s main force. If the UK bought a Carrier park one of your fighters on it, that will help defend the sea zone. If Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, you almost have to take the opportunity to weaken Japan’s navy. I would throw your battleship, transport (for canon fodder), bomber and at least one fighter, if you don’t deal with them it could be a long/short game depending on how you look at it.
Some people suggest buying a industrial complex and putting it in China. I would advise against it, doing this opens the door for Japan to possibly get on the main land. Once you have build up transports and infantry you should be able to join with Russia to really put the hurt on Germany, since you take back to back turns. If your money flow is consistent a battleship, carrier, or bombers are nice additions. I would not do weapon research until Germany is out or at least close to it.

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7
Intermediate Reviewer
Professional Grader
Tomahawk
4 of 5 gamers found this helpful
“When you are Germany...”

You start out the game with the most units available to deploy. You must take advantage of that! First the purchasing phase. First couple of turns max out on armor. Armor is Germany’s friend because of blitzkrieg. Chances are you will lose most of your navy and air-force early on so use it while you have it. With your air-force take out as much of the UK’s and Russia’s navy as you can. Bring both of your U-boats to help in the sea zone near England. With your navy bring troops down to Africa and take as much as you can. Remember blitzkrieg is your friend. With your land units take over Russia’s industrial complex in Kerlia, if they don’t take that back you have a spot to drop 3 armor to put pressure on Moscow. Your overall strategy is for you and Japan to meet in Russia, so keep pushing that direction. If things go poorly and the UK starts moving in start buy infantry to help defend Berlin. If your air-force stays intact use it to keep the UK or US from bringing their navies close.

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7
Intermediate Reviewer
Professional Grader
Tomahawk
“When you are Japan...”

Probably my favorite power to be. During the buying phase on your first turn and most of the next few turns I buy a fighter, a transport and either an armor or a couple infantry. This accomplishes a couple of things since you are an Island nation you have to have a way to take more land infantry and armor allow for that, fighters have one of the best defenses and attacks in the game, they allow you to soft up the opposition so your ground units can pick up the pieces and money. Japan’s goal is two fold help Germany take out Russia and annoy the US enough so that they cannot commit much to help the UK defeat Germany.
I do this by first attacking Pearl Harbor, bring everything you’ve got: both battleships, air-craft carrier, two planes (remember they can land on the carrier) and your submarine. Sounds like overkill but it will set you up later in the game. Use the rest of your available resources to move into Asia. You should still have plenty of fighters, a bomber, land units and a couple of transports to make a good dent.
My next move depending on what the US does, if their smart they will try to weaken your navy, I would move up what is remaining in Pearl Harbor to the sea zone by Alaska and move infantry by transport from Japan. This gives you a presence on North America and if the US allows you to stay things can get dicey for them quickly. You will probably have a least one battleship, the carrier and some planes left, that should be plenty of protection to bring transports. Keep purchasing transports, fighters and infantry. Soon you can chain moving troops into Asia and North America.

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7
Intermediate Reviewer
Professional Grader
Tomahawk
“When you are the UK...”

The way that I like to play the UK is to put the pressure on Germany. This accomplishes two things it makes Germany have to defend on multiple fronts and gives Russia a chance to slow down Japan. During the buying Phase of the first tun I purchase an aircraft carrier (this allows the US to land planes in your sea zone to help defend the sea zone from Germany) then either a fighter or a transport and infantry depending on what Germany did on their turn. If Germany uses it’s battleship and transport to bring troops to Africa, try to take out that navy. The less navy they have will keep them land locked for the most part and the US or you can bring troops into Africa, an easy continent to conquer = money in the bank. In India and the troops in Australia use them to annoy Japan or at least slow them down as they march towards Moscow. Use your fighters to help bolster defenses in Russia. Remember you can land in friendly territory. Eventually you will be able to start attacking Western Germany and they will have to choose where to commit their defense/offense. Do they still try to defeat Russia or allow you to come in through the back door. I would not purchase a Industrial Complex till you have Germany on the ropes. If your aircraft carrier survives till your next turn I would then purchase at least one fighter, one transport and infantry.

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