Axis & Allies: Some basic tips on strategy and tactics

Strategy at A&A isn't all that hard. But I still see plenty of players making some absurd decisions in the game, and I shiver, particularly when they are my allies. Here's the advice I'm always giving over and over:

1. Econ up first, then tech up. I have to see situations where it's best to only build one HQ. (Maybe on a tiny map with 8 players...) But even if you're planning to rush, 2 HQs seems so much wiser. I get annoyed when I see my ally build one HQ, a motor pool and an engineer brigade before making any troops. Sheesh. And unless your opponent REALLY SUCKS, you're not going to beat him quickly with a simple rush.

2. Grab and control cities. I see many players ignoring the cities during the game. Cities provide income, which enable you to produce more troops. Your team should grab as many as you can.

Use the recon infantry for your first division. It's faster and gets you to the town faster. Move in column formation since you're looking to avoid combat and get there quickly.

When capturing a risky city, place your infantry on the far side of the town, but still in the environs. The enemy will enter, but not be able to capture it until they eliminate your unit. Meanwhile you can micro your unit to avoid combat until reinforcements can arrive. This will not save the city from a large force, but it prevents a single regiment from capturing the city from you.

3. Use terrain bonuses(!) Heavy terrain provides enormous benefits to infantry. Keep your infantry IN the woods and cities as much as possible. And keep your vehicles OUT of them. Vehicles in urban areas take much more damage.

If you are fighting enemy and they are located in heavy terrain, immediately run to the better terrain; don't fight in the open! When attacking cities, don't engage the enemy until you are IN the city. If necessary, run past him to get into the city so you get better defensive bonuses.

If you are in key terrain, be willing to entrench your infantry to help control it. Entrenched infantry in heavy terrain is almost impossible to kill. Once it's entrenched, don't move it to go after stray units or you lose the bonuses. Use other units for maneuver.
Entrenched infantry is BETTER than a pile of bunkers for defending a strongpoint. Instead, use those bunkers to augment your entrenched troops, not replace them.

4. Control key terrain. Key terrain is defined as terrain that gives an advantage to the side which controls it. Because of the map configuration, this will usually be an area near the center of the map that controls the flow of the game. It could be a city or a chokepoint. Controlling an area like that gives you the ability to strike at the enemy in multiple locations, while preventing them from hitting your weakpoints. This can snowball, enabling you to spend more money on offense.

5. Keep your army fighting. Unless they are specifically holding a position, keep your troops fighting and gaining experience. Those troops are costing you money in terms of upkeep, so keep them in the fight. Fight, retreat, heal. Fight, retreat, heal. But...

6. Preserve your units. Success in A&A can be most easily predicted by your ability to kill off enemy regiments while keeping yours alive. Unlike other RTS games, units are not fodder to be used up. They gain experience and get with time, but cost money to recruit anew. Focus on killing off enemy regiments rather than causing superficial damage to lots of units, and don't lose your own. So retreat damaged units and heal them up, and avoid engaging in battles where you are at disadvantage.