PLAYING VS THE A.I. IN AXIS & ALLIES IRON BLITZ EDITION

Even the patched version of the AI on the Axis & Allies CD leaves much to be desired. There are 3 basic flaws in the AI.


1. Insufficient aggressiveness
2. Failure to protect capitals
3. Insufficient sealift for island nations


The easiest way to remedy the failings of the AI is to always retreat after the first round of combat. (In amphibious combat, retreat any planes). This mitigates the first 2 problems (by effectively reducing player aggressiveness and making it hard to capture capitals). This can also be applied easily to scenarios. It also has a natural feel to it and requires some planning to overcome. I suggest using it with most other handicaps.

Another obvious method is to play only one country with all the remaining countries on your side under computer control. This poses particular problems if you are playing 1-allied country, as less of your side's total force is under player-control, and the computer plays the US and England poorly relative to the other powers.

Following is a scenario generator, designed to create handicap games against the AI. You may wish to waive the no-retreat rule, especially if your are playing only 1 country and the handicap involves increasing the strength of your enemies. Normally you want to set Axis advantage and first-turn Russian attack restriction against you as well. Remember that these handicaps are not equal in value. You should not use Paratroops or Scorched Earth, as the AI will not use these rules effectively. Other options can be used as you like.


Scenario Generator
Explanations
Your: The adverse modifier only affects your units. If you have computer-controlled allies, they play normally

Enemy: If you are playing 1 allied power, give the advantage to only 1 axis power. If you are playing 1 axis power give the advantage to only 2 allied powers

Must Build : You may build up to 5 infantry or 1 other unit of your choice. All other money must be spent on the required unit or saved for next turn. If a technology is required, you must spend the money on development until you succeed. You need not buy more industrial complexes or AA guns then areas you control (leftover money can be spent freely).

Random Land Area: Reroll friendly areas. If neutral, put the units there and give it a value of 1.

Random Sea Area: Reroll a friendly-occupied sea area. Give control to the closest opponent. Break ties randomly.

Alternate turns: Choose randomly for each power you control as to whether you play on odd turns or even turns.

Roll Scenario
00-15 Standard
16-27 1939A
28-39 1939B
40-51 1939C
52-63 1942A
64-75 1945A
76-87 1945B
88-99 Cold War

If playing the Cold War scenario, the player can't bomb strategically

Side you play (in scenarios with the standard alliances)

Roll  
00-14 All Allies
15-29 All Axis
30-39 Russia
40-49 England
50-59 US
60-62 Russia & England
63-65 Russia & US
66-79 England & US
70-84 Germany
85-99 Japan


In games with non-standard alliances

Roll  
00-24 All Allies
25-49 All Axis
50-59 Russia
60-69 Germany
70-79 England
80-89 Japan
90-99 USA


Handicap Games

01 Random ally joins enemy
02 Random ally neutral
03 Remove all your units in excess of 1 of each type in each area
04 All your allies use 3 star AI
05 All your allies use 4 star AI
06 Enemy units receive a +1 on attack
07 Your units attack at -1
08 Choose an enemy at random. You can't attack areas controlled by that enemy until all others are defeated
09 Choose an enemy at random. You can't attack areas originally controlled by that enemy until all others are defeated
10 You can't build infantry
11 +1 cost for all your units
12 -1 cost for all your units
13 Add 20% to the cost of all your units, rounding fractions
14 +1 defense for enemy
15 -1 defense for all your units
16 Double enemy starting forces
17 Give enemy an AA gun in every starting area
18 Enemy starting with an extra armor in each area
19 Enemy starting with an extra battleship in each sea area adjacent to enemy-controlled area
20 Enemy starting with an extra bomber in each area

11 Cost +1 for all your units
12 Costs -1 for all enemy units
13 Costs: Your units + 20%
14 Defense +1 for all enemy units
15 Defense -1 for all your units
16 Double enemy forces
17 Enemy 1 extra AA gun in each area
18 Enemy 1 extra armor in each area
19 Enemy 1 extra battleship in each area
20 Enemy 1 extra bomber in each area
21 Enemy 1 extra carrier in each area
22 Enemy 1 extra destroyer in each area
23 Enemy 1 extra fighter in each area
24 Enemy 1 extra industrial complex in each area
25 Enemy 1 extra infantry in each area
26 Enemy 1 extra marine in each area
27 Enemy 1 extra submarine in each area
28 Enemy 1 extra transport in each area
29 Enemy capitals +3 income
30 Enemy money to 99
31 Enemy reinforcements: 1 unit of each type for each opponent, each placed in a random area
32 Fight at +1 all enemy air units
33 Fight at +1 all enemy land units
34 Fight at +1 all enemy sea units
35 Fight at -1 all your air units
36 Fight at -1 all your land units
36 Fight at -1 all your sea units
37 Force Limits: Each nation you control is limited to 17 Infantry, 10 Armor, 10 Fighters, 3 Bombers, 6 Subs, 6 Transports, 2 Carriers, 3 Battleships, 3 Industrial Complex, 3 AA Guns.
38 Heavy Bomber: Bombers cost 5. They start with 3 extra in each enemy capital
39 Income +1 in all enemy territories
40 Income -1 in all your territories
41 Jets: Enemy fighters +1 attack. 1 extra fighter in each enemy capital
42 Long Range Aircraft: Enemy fighters +2 range. 1 extra fighter & bomber in each enemy capital
43 Move +1 for all enemy units
44 Move -1 for all your units
45 Must build AA Guns
46 Must build all infantry: If there are no enemy areas on the same land mass as your IC’s, you may build 1 non-infantry unit.
47 Must build armor
48 Must build battleships
49 Must build bombers
50 Must build bombers and strategically bomb whenever possible. No tactical bombing.
51 Must build carriers
52 Must build destroyers
53 Must build fighters
54 Must build heavy bombers
55 Must build industrial complexes
56 Must build Jets
57 Must build LR bombers
58 Must build LR fighters
59 Must build marines
60 Must build Rockets
61 Must build subs
62 Must build super subs
63 Must build transports
64 Must develop industrial technology
65 Must develop weapons
66 Neutrals controlled by enemy, 1 infantry and 1 income in each. Assign control of each to random foe.
67 No amphibious invasions
68 No amphibious movement
69 No buy for 2 turns
70 No buy on alternate turns
71 No combat for 3 turns
72 No combat on alternate turns. Don't use must retreat rule.
73 No move for 2 turns
74 No move on alternate turns. Don't use must retreat rule.
75 No old industrial complexes: Remove all your industrial complexes
76 No starting money
77 Paratroops: Place 1 enemy infantry in 3-randomly chosen friendly land areas (not capitals). All friendly units in area are lost
78 Production Limits: Can build no more than 5 Infantry and 1 of each other type of unit each turn
79 Random enemy land area has +6 income and 3 more infantry.
80 Random enemy land area receives an extra land unit of each type. A random enemy or neutral sea area receives and extra sea unit of each type (of random nationality).
81 Reinforcements: 12 extra armor in random enemy area
82 Reinforcements: 12 extra marines in random enemy area
83 Reinforcements: 20 extra infantry in random enemy area
84 Reinforcements: 3 enemy battleships in random sea
85 Reinforcements: 4 extra bombers in random enemy area
86 Reinforcements: 5 extra fighters in random enemy area
87 Reinforcements: 8 enemy destroyers in random sea
88 Reinforcements: 8 enemy submarines in random sea
89 Reinforcements: 8 enemy transports in random sea
90 Remove all friendly air units
91 Remove all friendly land-combat units (including AA guns)
92 Remove all friendly ships.
93 Rockets: 6 extra bombers to the enemy, divided evenly between each opponent.
94 Scorched Earth: Remove all your industrial complexes and AA Guns
95 Super Subs: Enemy subs fight at 4. Each enemy receives 1 extra sub in a random sea zone without friendly forces
96 Time limit – Must conquer world in a number of turns = to enemy income/5
97 Time limit: Economic Victory must be achieved in a D10+1 turns. Set economic victory level to current income + 5 x turn#.
98 Total paralysis 1 turn
99 Total paralysis on alternate turns. Don't use must retreat rule.
100 Your capital -3 income

Random Land Area
1 Afghanistan
2 Alaska
3 Algeria
4 Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
5 Angola
6 Argentina-Chile
7 Australia
8 Belgian Congo
9 Borneo-Celebes
10 Brazil
11 Caroline Islands
12 Caucasus
13 Central America
14 Chile
15 China
16 East Indies
17 Eastern Canada
18 Eastern Europe
19 Eastern U.S.A.
20 Eire
21 Evenki National Okrug
22 Finland-Norway
23 French Equatorial Africa
24 French Indochina-Burma
25 French Madagascar
26 French West Africa
27 Germany
28 Gibraltar
29 Hawaiian Islands
30 India
31 Italian East Africa
32 Japan
33 Karelia S.S.R
34 Kazazh S.S.R.
35 Kenya-Rhodesia
36 Kwantung
37 Libya
38 Manchuria
39 Mexico
40 Midway Islands
41 Mongolia
42 Mozambique
43 New Guinea
44 New Zealand
45 Novosibirsk
46 Okinawa
47 Persia
48 Peru
49 Philippine Islands
50 Russia
51 Saudi Arabia
52 Sinkiang
53 Solomon Islands
54 Southern Europe
55 Soviet Far East
56 Spain
57 Sweden
58 Switzerland
59 Syria-Iraq
60 Thailand
61 Turkey
62 Ukraine S.S.R.
63 Union of South Africa
64 United Kingdom
65 Venezuela-Colombia
66 Wake Island
67 West Indies
68 Western Canada
69 Western Europe
70 Western U.S.A.
71 Yakut

Random Sea Area
01 Arabian Sea
02 Arafura Sea
03 Baltic Sea
04 Barents Sea
05 Bay of Bengal
06 Bering Sea
07 Black Sea
08 Caribbean Sea
09 Caroline Sea
10 Celebes Sea
11 Central Atlantic
12 Central Indian Ocean
13 Central Mediterranean
14 Central Pacific
15 Coral Sea
16 Drake Passage
17 East Central Atlantic
18 East Central Pacific
19 East China Sea
20 East Indian Ocean
21 East Philippine Sea
22 Eastern Mediterranean
23 Gulf of Alaska
24 Gulf of Guinea
25 Gulf of Mexico
26 Gulf of Panama
27 Java Sea
28 Labrador Sea
29 Mozambique Channel
30 North Central Atlantic
31 North Central Pacific
32 North Sea
33 Northeast Atlantic
34 Northeast Pacific
35 Northwest Pacific
36 Peruvian Sea
37 Philippine Sea
38 Scotia Sea
39 Sea of Japan
40 Sea of Okhthosk
41 Solomons Sea
42 South Central Atlantic
43 South Central Indian Ocean
44 South Central Pacific
45 South China Sea
46 Southeast Atlantic
47 Southeast Indian Ocean
48 Southeast Pacific
49 Southern Ocean
50 Southwest Atlantic
51 Southwest Indian Ocean
52 Tasman Sea
53 US Atlantic
54 West Central Atlantic
55 West Central Pacific
56 West Indian Ocean
57 Western Mediterranean

P.S. Axis & Allies Iron Blitz can be multi-tasked. Although the Windows key does not work, you can use Alt-Esc and Alt-Tab instead. Don't ask me why.
Roger Cooper
RogerCoop@aol.com


NOTE: You may post this on your website and otherwise duplicate it as long as you properly attribute it and let me know.
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