IAAPA Havoc November 1, 2000
Volume 3, Number  21
 
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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     from.. the...


Game 7995, JohnPin569 vs. AxisSpec

I hear you, dude.  I gave up a loooong time ago trying to figure out how this "post Pez" system works.  Every now and then I'll look up my rank just for fun, even though I am clueless as to how I got there.  I'd rather get head from an alligator than try to answer ranking questions.  :)

Take care.

John

It may be too late, but I'll try to make amends by conceding now.  As one of the Mothers of Invention said on the 'Live at Filmore East' album, "I know when I'm licked, all over."   TOM

SS ~ Guys, this is a family game; but now I know why you two get along so well.


Game 7901  Summland vs. DeBruce

GEM7779666:  I smell blood

Summland:  I cut my finger....

GEM7779666:  take out the nose ring next time

SS ~ Picky,  picky, picky.


Game 7677
Reddwarf vs. qman34
 

US 1
36 IPC
4 sub(32) 4 saved

(Later)

Hey Warren now I know why I never bought subs the first round it's stupid

EK ~  It's much better to bid them, qman...


Game 7599, EJGusto vs. Santiago

My luck has been horrendous of late, looks like I'll lose every game I'm playing  Can't roll, can't roll,  can't roll.  Oh well, I'm getting married in a week, and that will take up most of my time anyway.  I do therefore surrender.

SS ~ Well Gusto, indeed your luck is horrendous.


Who's Who in IAAPA
The Havoc Profile


If you'd like to see this feature continued, please give me some nominations for future profiles.  Go to the Knight Site and use the Profile poll to submit your suggestion; or just send me an email.  Nominations for EK or AS will be ignored ~ you guys hear enough about them anyway.


Polaris

Well known around the IAAPA campus, Polaris is one of the club's most prolific players.   An active and seldom taciturn member of the IAAPA government, Polaris is best known for his series of seminars covering various aspects of A&A gaming.  A member of IAAPA since August 1998, the 32 year old Polaris started playing A&A about 5-6 years ago.  Although he was baffled about the members' choice for this month's Profile, he agreed to submit to the examination ~ as long as everyone understands that he really doesn't play that well...

Q: Any tournament wins?  How about a game IN a tournament?
A:  I think I have one or two in the Millinium Tourney and I won a couple in the recent IAAPA round robin representing the Asia-Pacific area.

Q: Other accomplishments in IAAPA:
A:  I suppose my most noteworthy accomplishment was the ressurection of the Assembly position from a 'do nothing' job into a position that permitted members to voice their views and hear better ways to play A&A in a seminar format.  In addition, I think I have played a small role in insuring that new players in the IAAPA rapidly learned the most basic and successful approaches thus radically reducing their learning curve.  Nothing is more disheartening to a new member than to lose your first ten games straight.  This used to happen because here at the IAAPA, you face much better opponents that you will typically find in casual face to face play.  I like to think that my seminars helped new players avoid the worst mistakes (and perhaps even saved a game or two).

Q: Where do you live?  (City, State, Country, Planet....whatever's appropriate)
A: Hypothetically, I live in Austin, TX USA on a wet dirtball in some totally unremarkable solar system in some completely mundane spiral galaxy :)

Q: Who was/is your most difficult opponent?
A:  First of all every opponent is different, and as such I think the most difficult opponent is the one you are currently playing regardless of rank!  Having said that, I would have to give Brutus and AARommel my highest regard in terms of difficult opponents to beat.  Both play mistake free (or virtually mistake free) Axis and Allies regardless of which side they play....and the first mistake you make against either one of them will be your last.  New players could learn a lot from examining some of their logged games.

Now, having said all of that, my most *fun* opponent almost has to be a toss-up between Tusk or Kamikzi (ret. now).  Those games were wild and completely different.

Q: Your choice for best player in IAAPA, besides yourself :), and why?
A:  I would say either Brutus or AARommel.  As for why, well see above.  Essentially neither makes mistakes and that shows in their records.

Q: Do you prefer to play with the Axis or the Allies, and why/with what bid/whatever?
A: Regardless of what you might hear, I really have no preference.  I think that you are a lot likelier to win as the allies unless the bid is at least 21.  Unfortunately, bidding isn't perfect as it tries to offset a long term Allied economic advantage with a greater short term Axis military one.  Because of this however, I will restate something I have insisted on for a long, long time:  If you bid more than 21 you deserve to lose.  7inf placed correctly for the axis will end the game quickly.  OTOH, anything less is a distinct Allied advantage, which is why we roll the dice.

As for favorite bids, I won't give one specifically.  The best bid you can do is the bid that you are comfortable with and wins games. If you do /not/ have a clear idea of how you will win with a particular bid, then you need to be bidding something else.  This is an old rule but a good one.  My bids tend to be between 17 to 20 for obvious reasons.  I have used a number of bidding strategies.  Many have worked and many have not.  Here are some pointers:

Favorite Bids:

Euro-bid:  Bid inf/arm in E.E. or Ukraine
Afrika Bid: Bid inf/arm in Libya or Algeria
Japan Bid : Bid inf/arm in Manch and Burma

I have done all of these at one time or another.  Try not to spread the bid too much.

Bids to avoid:

IC bids
Air bids
Naval bids

They cost too much for too little gain IMO.

Q: Your favorite strategy:
A: Whatever strategy your opponent is not expecting is my favorite strategy.  This might sound glib, but it's not.  Different people have different strengths and weaknesses.  You need to be *flexible* enough to change what you do on a moments notice based on what your opponent /does/ and not by what you want them to do.  Having said that, I am currently fond of Warfare with Camels, but I am not as dedicated to it as Brutus is.  On the allied side, my favorite *if the board allows it* is the Red Army Express.  I generally think that pulling out of Karelia early is an invitation to lose except under very specific circumstances.

Q: What would you like to see changed in IAAPA?
A: Hmm, tough one....  I think that everyone needs to remember that those in government work for US (the membership) and not the other way around AND I think that all in the IAAPA need to remember that we are here to play Axis and Allies (and to have fun) and for no other reason.  If we can keep those things first and foremost in our minds, the rest comes down to taking care of the details. Unfortunately (IMO anyway), many members (esp those in Government) have forgotten these two underlying maxims.

Q: Do you have any suggestions or hints for new players/members?
A: First of all read the strategy pages, read over some of the logs by our better players, and (if I get elected) ATTEND my seminars!!  There are a lot of ways to play axis and allies, and most of the really 'dumb' moves have been made by someone, somewhere (and yes that includes yours truly).  It is a lot less painful to read about someone else's mistake than have to eat a loss on your own.

Secondly, *HAVE* a coherent plan.  While it is true that no plan ever survives contact with the enemy (or your opponent in this case), it is equally true that you don't survive contact with the enemy w/o a plan.  Even a poor plan is much better than no plan.  The one thing you /never/ want to do (esp vs top level competition) is to react to someone else's plan.  That is an almost sure path to a loss.

Thirdly, in a competition between prudence and flair, prudence wins everytime.  While it is true that odd dice results can (and do) happen, it is equally true that you should never *rely* on those odd results.  Baring unusual dice, bear in mind that he who makes the last mistake loses.  Try to be sure that isn't you.  [And this is coming from an old geezer that has made a number of mistakes in his IAAPA career!]  Speaking of mistakes, try to learn from each game (win or lose), especially your mistakes and misjudgments.

Finally, try to remember that you can't beat luck.  Don't (or try not to) let it upset you, just adjust to it and go on.  Everyone will lose the occasional game due to poor dice.  Just try to be honest with yourself and ask yourself if you lost because of luck or because of a mistake you made.  Usually, you will find it is because you made a mistake (even a small one).

Q: Any other comments, stories, etc. ~
A: I think I have taken up enough of your time as it is.  I think my most memorable experience was a Live game I played against Gem **** KAMIKZI (and yes I lost but it was memorable).  We started at 9pm (CDT) and the game lasted until 3pm CDT the next day.  The game ended when Germany fell (in turn 20 I think) and Japan just BARELY failed to take Washington DC (having siezed control of the Atlantic).  It was a crazy and wild game (and not the approach I suggest for starting players), but it remains a fun memory even a year and a half later.

Q:  One last question...Why haven't we ever played each other.....and would you give me 20 if I promise to include a foolish naval unit in the bid...?  (OK, that's two.)
A:  ???

FOR THE STATS FREAKS:

    RECORD                                                                 AVERAGE WINNING BID

Total:        61 - 53                                       In All Wins:         17.2     In All Losses:       17.8
As Allies:   28 - 14                                       In Allied Wins:    16.4     In Allied Losses:  17.4
As Axis:     33 - 39                                      In Axis Wins:       17.9     In Axis Losses:    18



 
 







If you've discovered an error in your stats and fired off an email about it to someone, you may have been referred to me for help.  I've been s-l-o-w-l-y making my way thru the records with the help of Pete Llewellyn.  Most of the stuff we've found is clerical in nature, but there have been several errors which will affect the stats of at least one of the players involved in the errored game.  Our review also helped to identify an error in the ratings program which means that everyone's stats are inaccurate.  Halldor and Micwil are busting their butts to debug the program and make it do what it's supposed to do....but, in the meantime, there's not much anyone can do to verify the stats of anyone in IAAPA.  Stay tuned for further news, and please be patient.


Recon Squad


I could really use some help from you guys.  Anything I had saved to print got lost with all my other EK files last month.  If you've got something to contribute, send it in!

To submit an Intelligence Report please sign into the logbook:

The Knight Site can be found at:  http://www.geocities.com/errant_knight_2000/
 

Errant Knight
 
 
 
 

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