Welcome, General! (A Simple Guide to A&A Combat)

In the grand strategy of Axis & Allies, victory and defeat are decided on the battlefield. Every turn, you're faced with critical decisions: Should you launch that massive invasion of Russia? Can your fleet take out that lone enemy battleship? Is a small amphibious assault worth the risk? We've all been there, staring at a pile of plastic soldiers, trying to guess what the dice will say. A single battle gone wrong can unravel a strategy you've spent hours building. This calculator is built to be your most trusted advisor, your own personal Bletchley Park, cracking the code of probability so you can lead your forces with confidence.

This isn't just a simple dice roller. It uses a powerful method called a "Monte Carlo simulation." That's a fancy way of saying it fights your battle thousands of times in a split second, recording every possible outcome. When it's done, it gives you a clear, easy-to-read report on what's most likely to happen. You'll see your chances of winning, a breakdown of the troops you're likely to have left, and—most importantly—a cost analysis in **IPCs (Industrial Production Credits)**. This lets you see beyond just winning or losing and helps you answer the crucial question: "Is this attack actually worth the price?" It's the ultimate tool for turning risky gambles into calculated, strategic victories.

How to Plan Your Attack

Getting your battle plan is as easy as moving pieces on the board:

• Assemble Your Forces: In the "Attacking Force" and "Defending Force" panels on the left and right, set the number of each unit type that's in the battle. You can type the numbers directly or use the little +/- buttons.
• Run the Simulation: When you're ready, hit the big "Simulate Battle" button. The calculator will instantly run 10,000 simulations of your fight.
• Read the After-Action Report: The results will pop up below. The big colored bar at the top gives you your win chance at a glance. Below that, you'll find a detailed breakdown of the average number of units that will survive and the average IPC cost of the battle for both sides.
• Share Your Genius (or Folly): Once you have a result, you can click the "Copy Share Link" button. This creates a special link that you can send to your friends to show them the exact battle scenario you created.

Top-Secret Strategic Briefing

• Think in IPCs, Not Just Bodies: This is the golden rule. Winning a battle but losing 50 IPCs of units while your opponent only loses 20 is a *bad trade*. You're weakening your economy for a small gain. Always compare the "Avg. IPC Loss" for both sides. If your number is much bigger, you should probably rethink the attack.
• Infantry + Artillery = The Perfect Pair: This calculator correctly follows the special rule for Artillery. For every Artillery you have in an attack, one of your Infantry gets to roll with an attack value of 2 instead of 1. This makes them the most cost-effective attacking force in the game. A wall of infantry backed by artillery is a terrifying thing to face.
• Don't Gamble (Unless You Have To): A good, reliable attack should have a win probability of 75% or higher. If you're looking at a 50/50 or 60/40 battle, you're rolling the dice on your entire game. Sometimes you have to take that risk, but use this tool to know exactly how big of a gamble it is.
• The Best Attack is Sometimes No Attack: The most powerful feature of this tool is using it *before* you even declare your combat moves. Set up a potential battle and check the odds. If they look terrible, you've just saved yourself from a disaster without losing a single soldier.