Play Balance and Strategy
Axis & Allies: D-Day is initially a challenging game for the Allied player. The Germans have more units and more firepower. Taking and holding all 3 of the strategic objectives (Caen, St.Lo, and Cherbourg) unopposed for one full turn is difficult. Between two experienced players, the Allied player has decent winning chances, but the Allied player must use his or her forces skillfully. An experienced Allied player will utilize his or her fighter planes to pin down/strafe German units trying to move toward the front lines. An effective Allied strategy involves focusing on seizing the central strategic objective St.Lo first. The St.Lo first strategy requires clearing Omaha Beach quickly, then moving directly to St.Lo with combined American/Anglo forces. An Allied line can then be extended from St.Lo toward Caen. After a St.Lo-Caen line is reinforced, then Cherbourg can be picked off, as the Germans have difficulty reinforcing Cherbourg. For players who still find the German side consistently victorious, an option to improve play balance is to add some Allied bombers, reflecting the overwhelming historical Allied air superiority, e.g. adding two Allied bombers to the two the game already provides.
German strategy and tactics are straightforward. Maintain infantry alongside tanks to absorb casualties. Keep at least one anti-aircraft artillery piece in any territory with two or more units to discourage Allied bombings and strafings. With respect to each of the three strategic objectives, determine early on where the defensive lines or positions will be, and concentrate forces along these lines in such a way as to fight on the defensive. If the dice allow the Germans to bring in many reinforcements quickly, then expand the defensive lines beyond the strategic strongpoints. If a buffer is formed in front of an objective, the Allied player will have to attack recklessly to seize the strongpoint.
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