Beginners vs Veterans

[Raver]

OK, just had a little thought prompted by an email from Fading Capitan. I guess most people are aware that I am playing a few games of EA at the moment (pumping for leadership of mark's fan club). My observation at this point is that this game may be ideal for a newbie playing Allies vs veteran playing as Axis, whereas a veteran playing as Allies is always likely to win.

My reasoning for this is that playing as allies seems to allow vast room for error. For example:

In my game vs Chuck I made every error in the book - by 1942 virtually the whole world was Axis - Sweden Turkey, plus all the usuals. Moscow was looking like falling and Stalingrad not too far away. Despite this I have survived and we now have a decent fight on our hands.

In a game vs Mantis I dumped all the Brits in France and had them destroyed, lost North Africa and Barbarossa has just begun. I still have a fighting chance in this one to IMHO.

Game vs Heinz: I am axis in mid 41 and have absolutely zero realistic chance of winning.

My point is that I started all these games at the same time - when I was competent in the TOAW system but completely new to EA. Dont get me wrong - this is not a criticism of this excellent scenario - the opposite. I think this makes for a potentially levelling factor but suggests to me that when vets are taking on newbies they should take the axis, and newbies to EA can feel confident of a good game playing as Allies.

Whaddya think? Am I a
:clown: :clown: ???

or:

:banana:

 

[Kraut]

agreed, the allied can make some mistakes, as long as they are able to keep the soviets alive they should be able to counterattack in the second halve of the game and win back some VP. (they should accept that all of europe and probably africa will be lost by than and the axis will probably come dangerously close to moscow/stalingrad)
The axis side is a lot harder to play, some mistakes will prove fatal (being to slow i russia will let you run against a human brickwall soon) and some strategies will hurt in the long run (slugging through the french WW1 style will win the battle eventually but the losses taken will be really decisive at the east front)

 

[fast Heinz]

Raver: this is my first game of EA, I have played Toaw for several years. You are my third pbem attempt. You may win if I keep going for Athens!:hog:

 

[Mantis]

As the Axis has the initiative, it's much easier to detroy one's self by bolluxing it up. Pretty much everything has to be done decently to give a fighting chance.

 

[Tex]

Gotta agree as a 1st time EA player playing the Axis. Unless you hot-seat the game, which I'm loathe to do, it's really difficult as the Axis player to know what sort of effort will be needed to accomplish various tasks. So for the newbie Axis player it's a case of experiment, which can be quite fatal.

 

[Mantis]

Well, that can be true to a degree I suppose. I jumped into EA having almost no experince with TOAW at all. Playing the Axis. I think I'm going to win, but I don't want to jinx it up...

But a general background with counter games, and a good understanding of the strategy involved served me well. I'm almost finished my first game now, and I can certainly say that I'm a helluva lot better now than when I started, mind you.

But the overall point that the Axis is more difficult, I'd probably have to agree on. Although can't the Russian just kill off the Allies by defending like a newbie? It just takes longer to get to that point, since generally by the time the game gets to the point where the Allies can shoot themselves in the foot, the game is already 90 turns on?

So maybe not... It can be hard to attack properly, etc, true. But isn't retreating in good order, holding a line together with less troops than required (and lousy, half-dead troops at that)...

 

[Chuck?]

To win as the Axis in a traditional game you have to do well at each stage to win. France should be defeated quickly, the Balkans overrun without becoming bogged down in moutain warfare, North Africa put under Axis control, Gibraltar seized, and the Soviet Army swiftly destroyed during Barbarossa. Any missteps will put totally victory out of reach.

Therefore it is a good idea for the beginner to play as the Allies. They can learn how to play the scenario while the Poles and French get smacked around. They will learn some lessons and start to play better in the Balkans and North Africa. By the time of the invasion of the Soviet Union they should be ready to do well at this point.