As you can see the Review has moved to new surroundings thus graduating from BBS newsletter into fully fledged IAAPA E-Zine.
Let's kick off this issue of the Review by revealing some of the inner most thoughts of a few of our top players responding to my call to arms for the 2001 Masters Invitational.
" Sign me up...might as well suffer another first round defeat :) "
Well I guess even Generals suffer from a lack of confidence occasionally
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" I have come to win the tournament. My name is #@$%$# " <-----Name deleted to protect the player's identity in case he doesn't reach rd2.
Then there are those whose confidence knows no bounds. I like to see soldiers hiding their doubts behind a thin veil of bravado.
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" Sign me up :) heh heh heh How the mighty have fallen. :( "
Now this guy did actually participate in the 2000 masters Invitational but his ranking has slipped (nose-dived may be a better description) recently. Although ya never know, if I don't hear back from about 100 players I may give him a call.
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"I'm in Odessa Ukraine and got to a internet so please sign me up. "
They call from all corners of the planet to take part in one of the toughest A&A tournaments in the world. Perhaps he's scouting out the terrain for his latest strategy.
The IAAPA Academy tourney cycle system , the Baptism of Fire Challenge was launched in Jan with BOFC #1 (Class of JAN 25th '01) round1 now underway.
Tim (alias Timothy) is the first player to win a BOFC game, something to remember for future IAAPA quiz nights. Congratulations Timothy perhaps you can go all the way and be our first BOFC class champion.
Get ready for one of the most exciting new tournament formats to ever hit the IAAPA. A new team oriented battlefest that will knock your combat boots off !!. Stay tuned, more details in the weeks to come.
Colonel Braddock has parachuted behind enemy lines in search of one or two missing tournaments (one of which is the Rumble in the UKR). As soon as possible the Colonel and I will hopefully bring these tourney's back and reunite them with the persons who are particularly missing them (namely the participants)
See how the IAAPA tournaments are shaping up in the month of March.
Jupiter wins enlisted bracket and will either Leone or the frogmaster (Frogman10) Whoever wins this Jupiter vs leone/Frogman10 encounter will then meet Officers bracket winner, HighCmmdr for the 1999 Fall Open Championship. I pick HC for the title.
Rd2
** DesertFox vs Sephorin
Frogman10 vs Dandeman
Leopard vs Silex
Razor1010 vs JBell49
** A reminder that the rd2 cutoff is set for the end of this month (March). adjudication notices will be sent to all pairings that reach the cutoff.
Rd3
Raist vs Komp
Boromir vs pending (either DesertFox! or Sephorin)
GedeOne vs pending (either MicWil or Novi)
Amgor vs pending (either Razor1010 or JBell49)
Rd4
Col.Hogan vs KBell
Steiner vs pending
Summary: 16 players remain in the 2000 Fall classic by the end of march at least 4 of these players will be entering Valhalla, final resting place for all warriors. Able bracket is shaping up to become a real test of skill for the remaining players who are all accomplished exponents of the game. With respect to Col.Hogan's ability I think that KenBell will win this rd4 contest and face the quiet achieving Boromir in the Able Bracket Final (SF of the 2000 Fall Classic)
While Steiner and Amgor have had an excellent Fall Classic so far I think that if JBell49 makes it past rd2 he will storm into the Baker Bracket Final (Fall Classic SF) however if James falls at this point then this side of the bracket will be wide open for any of the remaining players. On the other side of the bracket is Komp. Should Komp dispatch Raist I feel that the mean green, Frogman10 will pose the greatest threat to his progress in this section of Baker bracket.
rd3
Tusk vs Razor1010
dandeman or Warmonger
rd4
roseandmike vs GedeOne
JBell49 vs pending (either Tusk or Razor1010)
KBell vs pending (either dandeman or Warmonger)
rd5 (bracket final)
Buzz vs pending (JBell49 or ???)
Summary: Nine players remain. May be an all Bell final, however I will put my money on Buzz winning the Able bracket final. Ignore KenBell at your peril but roseandmike may have the game to force an upset, I really like the cut of his jib and give him a fair chance to win the Baker bracket final. My choices for the championship.In order of preference KBell, Buzz, roseandmike.
A one off event for all involved (the eventual winner most definitely will not be back to defend his title)
Rd3
Micwil vs Henrik
Novi vs dandeman
Rd4
Herr_Schmidt vs Razor1010
UberRalph vs pending (either Micwil or Henrik)
Levahl vs pending (either Novi or dandeman)
Rd5 (bracket final)
WarlockLH vs pending
AxisSpec (winner south)
KBell (winner east)
Summary: The big news for the Millennium is that WarlockLH has defeated Rewstr (now thats the play of the day, great win Warlock !!). KBell is circling dangerously as usual, while the enigmatic AxisSpec waits for his semi-final opponent after ending SLICESR1's great tournament run. Levahl is looking the goods now that he has dispatched HighCmmdr. At this stage my choices are: KBell (he's gotta win one of these darn events, surely!) , Levahl's a good contender, WarlockLH , AxisSpec and Micwil are outside chances.
do..do..do..da..da..do..do..da..do..da..da <----- um, Its supposed to be the sound of a telegraph wire, it actually sounds more like the Police. NEWS REPORT...NEWS REPORT...ARMIES CLASH IN THE 2000 MASTERS INVITATIONAL FINAL....REWSTR VICTORIOUS....KOMP SIGNS PEACE TREATY....OUR BOYS WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. 'SHOULD OLD AQUAINTANCES BE FORGOT...LA, LA, LA, LA, LAAA'
Pearls of wisdom from a select band of victorious A&A gladiators.......
2000 Fall Classic Rd 3
Col.Hogan (Gen*) defeats Spud (Gen*)
Best game, and best opponent, I've played yet. The dice weren't very nice to the Axis in the first round, so Ger goes for broke by making a risky attack on Kar in Ger 2, and the early bad luck is more than made up for. Through the next several rounds, Jap and Ger gradually increase the pressure on Rus as UK and US gradually increase the pressure on Ger. Then: Jap 7 takes Rus Jap 8 rolls 4 tech, gets HB and jets UK 8 seriously depletes the Ger defenses US 8 gets HB, takes Ger With two capitals captured, the game quickly progressed, but even with it's IPC level in the 60's, Japan was still outnumbered, so US and UK were eventually able to take and hold Kar, then: UK 13 takes Rus Japan surrenders. Col.Hogan
.....And that folks is how two Generals slug it out, despite a bad start the Axis still managed to reach round 13, no throwing in the towel in rd1 for these guys. Spud's tourney woes however, continue....
2000 Fall Classic Rd 2
GedeOne (CPT) defeats AATorpedo (Gen*)
Early lucky Germans success in Karelia during their first turn heavily conditioned everything so Allies cannot be able to fight in three fronts: Africa, Asia and Karelia. Magic *84 has been the logical solution..... GedeOne
A little example for the newbies that there is more than one way to skin a cat (or a General) when playing the Axis. Early Axis expansion (whether through design or luck) often spells doom for the Allied cause.
2000 Fall Classic Rd2
Amgor (CPL) defeats OldHickory (PVT)
After a long time Germany ended up stuck in defense with Allied troops in East Europe, and many units in Russia. Japan was just about ready to get in position to attack Russia. but we both agree that the Allies would have won in the end.
Alternatively an axis strategy that does not take advantage of rapid expansion often end up in stalemate. When this occurs the most common outcome (without technology) is a slow death for the Axis.
2000 Fall Classic Rd3
Steiner (SGT) defeats Henrik (MSGT)
Russia vacated Kar on turn 2 in hopes of retaking it on turn 3. However, German forces reinforced with Jap ftrs delt the Russians a serious blow on Rus turn 3 attempt to retake Kar. With Russia surrounded and the Brits and US troops being ineffective US attacked Ger on turn 4 then surrendered.
I believe that this ploy of vacating Karelia (sometimes on rd1) is often known as the backstep or the Brutus backstep (named for the player who used it effectively). Always a risky business, retreating from Karelia is not for the faint hearted and nervous.
2000 Summer Open Rd3
roseandmike (CPT) defeats Jupiter (CPL)
Germany made a strong Europe bid, Russia pulled out of Kar leaving it open to German advance. Germany advanced, the Russian counter attack was crushed, leaving Germany firmly in control of Kar. The US fleet in the Pacific anililated the Japanese fleet on turn 1, and Germany was ejected from Africa early in the game, but it was not enough. Ger and Jap working together slowly cruched the life out of Russia. SBR's kept Russian builds to almost nothing for the last few turns.
Another example of the Karelian (Brutus) backstep going awry. Its always a tough decision to vacate Karelia. Personally in the face of a strong Europe bid (never more than 6 inf as I would not allow an opponent a bid of 21these days). I would attempt a strafe and hope to thin out the Germans a little while taking fewer losses, then if I get a reasonable result defend karelia from possible G1 attack.
Millennium Tournament Rd5 (bracket final)
AxisSpec defeats SLICESR1
A quick game which ended after the fall of Berlin. I don't have any idea how it happened, and as soon as I finish this sentence I'm going back to review the turns to see if I can use the info for future games. It was probably just luck. I do know that in the Berlin attack on UK5, the Brits had 4 armor which all scored a hit on each of the 3 rounds, 12 for 12, while the stinking fighter only got 1 for 3. ;).
Its usually the other way around for me. I'm often left scratching my head wondering why i'm getting my ass kicked, then I fall back on the usual scapegoat...."the dice, it was the dice!!! (an oldie but a goodie)
Millennium Tourney Rd4
WarlockLH (MAJ) defeats Rewstr (GEN****) <---- has more stars than Hollywood
A well played game by both sides. The Axis were able to temporarily cut reinforcements from reaching Russia and forced tough defensive choices on the Allies in Karelia and Russia. A good run of dice for Japan during its attack on Russia sealed an Axis victory. US scientists and industrial engineers achieved Industrial Technology and the much sought after SuperSubs, but too late to save Russia from the yellow peril.
Victory of the Millennium, and I thought only kryptonite could beat him. Top marks to WarlockLH, his win was completed in rd6.
2000 Fall Classic stats (recapping from BF Review #001)
Round 1 pairings: 17
Highest winning bid: 21 Polaris, JBell
Lowest winning bid: 17 ToddVomit, Herr_Schmidt & Buzz. (H.Schmidt & Buzz are
paired together)
Average winning bid: 18.64
Breakdown of rd1 winning bids:
| 17 IPCs | 18 IPCs | 19 IPCs | 20 IPCs | 21 IPCs |
| 2 games | 7 games | 5 games | 1 game | 2 games |
New stats:
| Winning Side | Axis | Allied | Null | Total |
| 1996 Round 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 16 |
| 2000 Round 1 | 6 | 7 | 0/4* | 17 |
| * - 4 under adjudication |
Okay, now let us take a peek at the rd1 results where bids are concerned.
2000 Fall Classic rd1
Of the seven known games where the Allies were victorious the average bid of the Axis player was: 18.7 (highest: 21 lowest: 17)
Whereas of the six known games where the Axis were victorious the average bid of the Axis player was: 18.6 (highest: 21 Lowest: 17)
What can we say about these stats?. Well we can say that the two results are virtually identical !!
So it seems that the bids did what they were designed to do and that is to even out the playing field leaving the outcome mostly to a players own skill and experience (see Editors Corner on my veiw on luck in A&A)
Therefore if we assume for a moment that the above staement is fact set in concrete, then I would add that these results reinforce a pretty obvious supposition that Bid Placement (and subsequent strategy) are of major importance to your chances of winning . Bids and a game plan go hand in hand.
The club members with an interest in history may recognise this famous quote (in Latin) and will not deny that it is an apt description befitting one of the IAAPA's all time great players, Rewstr. Now not only is he our highest ranked player but he has also decorated his standard with more than twice as many tournament honors than his nearest rival.
For the record Rewstr has collected five IAAPA tournament titles:
- 1996 Spring Classic Champion
- 1997 Summer Open Champion
- 1997 War in the Desert I Champion
- 1999 Fury in Fredricksburg Champion
- 2000 Masters Invitational
Since his arrival at the then fledgling club he certainly has conquered virtually all that he has surveyed. Cheers to one of IAAPA's, if not one of the world's best A&A players.
Okay, now lets never hear another word about him again! <----- Just kidding of course.
If Mein Kampf translated in English means "My Struggle". Does this mean that Panzerkampfwagon translates into Armored Struggle Vehicle?. Maybe it had trouble climbing all those Russian Steppes?
AXIS & ALLIES: A GAME OF LUCK?
Is A&A a game of chance?. To a certain extent yes, A&A is a game of chance because there is always an unknown variable involved - namely the dice. There are a few players around who like to eliminate the dice altogether by using "diceless" or "Low Luck" A&A variants.
I subscribe to the view that although there is a certain amount of luck involved the skill of a player will invariably be the largest contributing factor in the majority of their games. To provide a little creedence to my hypothesis I refer to the win/loss records of a whole fistful of players which can be found scattered about the database who must easily have a 75+ % win ratio.
Of course you could say that these people are just extraordinarily lucky players. However commonsense indicates that they are probably in fact skillful exponents of the game and use strategy and experience to win the majority of their matches.
Now, assume for a second that the above statement is indeed a fact, does this mean that if you eliminate the unknown variable (dice) that this would make A&A a more strategic and exciting boardgame?. Many people would say yes, eliminating luck from the game would make it better, but would this actually be the case?. I for one would say that No, I believe that it would actually be detrimental to the game, and for two reasons.
The first reason is that a lot of players want A&A to be more realistic. Just read the posts on any A&A website's message boards to see that this is the case. So if people want realism then why would they eliminate the most realistic part of A&A, which is the unknown outcome of a battle!. I bet even Erwin Rommel himself didn't go into a battle knowing who was going to win and also have a near exact estimate of how many units he was going to lose.
Heavily outnumbered forces have had a nasty habit of regularly popping up throughout history and defeating a numerically superior force. Gaius Marius and his Roman legions of 50,000 men crushed the Germanic tribes (Cimbri & Teutones) of approx 250,000 warriors at Aquae Sextiae and Vercellae in 101 & 102 BC. Another example is the Spanish Armada's defeat at the hands of the English privateer, Sir Francis Drake and his smaller force of sleek but deadly Men 'O War.
These two examples, among many, illustrates that superior numbers do not always carry the field of battle. Therefore you could say that when a player rolls "bad" dice and their superior force is either badly mauled or totally eliminated then this is, in fact a reproduction of reality.
The other unfortunate side affect I feel would result from eliminating dice rolling is that the game would become pretty boring if every battle is predetermined right down to a marginal number of units either way. With dice rolling present even the battles with the highest safety margin can potentially go awry. I believe that part of the fun and skill of Axis&Allies is knowing when to go for broke and when to cut your losses and extricate your battered army and avoiding total disaster. Take this away from A&A and you are in real danger of turning the game into a shadow of its former glory.
RedDwarf
(BF Review Editor)
James Doohan, also known as Scotty from the original Star Trek series was a Royal Canadian Airforce Ftr pilot. My sources say that Doohan lost his middle finger while flying a combat mission on 6 June 1944. D-Day.
(No, I don't think that Scotty was giving the Germans the Vulcan "live long and prosper" sign when he lost his digit...it never even entered my mind!)
It is time to close out another Battlefield Review, today I leave you with one of the few quote's that has stuck with me from high school English through to the present day. I quote a poet who fought in another war to that which A&A represents but is still applicable to it and all other wars before or since.
" DULCE DECORUM EST PRO PATRI MORI " - Wilfred Owen
The Battlefield Review will return in April with more veiws, stats & tourney results than you can poke a stick at , look out for BF Review #004 coming next month.
Regards, RedDwarf
(Tourney Minister, Chancellor of the IAAPA Academy, Battlefield Review Editor,
IAAPA Senator, Lord of the Dance, Bar room stunt fight coordinator, Flat earth
society member)