I played a game recently where Axis side had a +7 bonus initiative. During that particular game never got the initiative. Anyone else have problems like this where your opponent builds fleets solely on how to take initiative, or to win at all costs.
DD leader, CA leader, Flotilla leader, yadda yadda yadda
Those kind of builds make a game less injoyable.
Their ship their coffin The cruel dark sea their grave.
Winning initiative has some advantages mainly in positioning, but I find that losing initiative (especially with smoke builds) can be just as effective in other stages of the game. The fact that all damage is applied at the end of the phase also takes away some of the sting of always losing initiative. Trust me there is nothing more annoying to someone with a +7 initiative to be shot at by BBs and then have a smoke screen pop up between them and now be unable to return fire.
Also, if you know you are going to be always losing initiative it allows you to always plan for it and force the battle to go the direction you want it to. It means that the person that is winning the initiative is actually always responding to what you do.
In my mind it's just a different mindset and doesn't bother me as much. I'd rather it be consistent like that than flipping initiative back and forth... I just have a harder time following through on my strategies when that happens.
Going all in for Initiative like that also limits you fleet build choices. That might no be as much handicap in really large fleet builds, but in 200 pt games it can be pretty restrictive. As au64 said, if that player consistently does that then make some strong smoker fleets. I love it when the other player always wins initiative when I am using smoke.
Beyond that, there are some players that will build to win no matter what. There isn't anything wrong with that, but if you really don't like that philosophy then you either need to talk to them about it or find other players. I have mostly played in a tournament setting and I expect some of the players to Max/min their builds. Especially if there are prizes.
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I have both ends in my gaming group guys that hat plat the American’s or the giant Japanese BB’s. On the other extreme I have a guy who loves the Russians and plays a very interesting fleet without a carrier that wins way more often then he should.
Soryuz is usually a component. He loves his IL-2M’s. Usually at least 3 in his builds. Fighters are usually lend-lease hurricanes. He doesn’t use the expansion decks so he’ll usually use an allied British destroyer with smoke. Russians have a lot of bad weather fighters. Work well in a smoke deck. S-13’s are dirt cheap and also usually make an appearance.
Soryuz is usually a component. He loves his IL-2M’s. Usually at least 3 in his builds. Fighters are usually lend-lease hurricanes. He doesn’t use the expansion decks so he’ll usually use an allied British destroyer with smoke. Russians have a lot of bad weather fighters. Work well in a smoke deck. S-13’s are dirt cheap and also usually make an appearance.
What is nice to hear from my perspective is that a "Wotc-only" build can still be competitive against players that use the expansion cards. And Soviet no less!
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Received the MTB. That brings me up to 6 Russian air units! Including 4 lend-lease hurricanes which are, well British. I may have to lend my friend the MTB for his next Russian build.