The Afrika Korps

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

ShadowHawk, I absolutely agree that this game needs more experimentation in early stage strategies.  My point was that the testing of the new strategies need to be done against competent opponents since almost anything will work against people who have only played the game a few times.  You learn so much when you go against an opponent who has many years of experience with a wide variety of situations.  I keep getting better as I lose in League matches.  I often gain nothing when I win.

[Afrikakorps]

Sir Arthur Harris would you like to try the newest Afrika Korps strategy against me online? I have not played online before but it should not that hard to start / download right?

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

Sure, Afrika Korps.  Try downloading TripleA and play a few rounds against the AI so that you are acquainted with the software and playing on a computer.  For the match, let’s used the G40 balance mod since that is the most popular and fairest version for League play.  Lots of strats work on a no-bid no-balanced game, but only a good one can work in a BM match.

[Afrikakorps]

@Arthur:

Sure, Afrika Korps.  Try downloading TripleA and play a few rounds against the AI so that you are acquainted with the software and playing on a computer.  For the match, let’s used the G40 balance mod since that is the most popular and fairest version for League play.  Lots of strats work on a no-bid no-balanced game, but only a good one can work in a BM match.

Oke let me check it out.
What is the difference with normal version?

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

The balance mod has several extra Allied objectives so they end up getting a bit more money during the game.  I think that is better than the other option of having extra units to start the game.

[WILD BILL]

Yea it seems balanced mode would sink this strat

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

I certainly would be willing to try out a strat in balance mod, bid, or no-bid/standard games.  I am far more impressed if a plan works in balance mod than in a no-bid game.  Many good strats can win ~75% of the time for a good Axis player against a good Allies player when doing a no-bid game.  That is why bids have been breaching +30 for the Allies.

[Afrikakorps]

@Arthur:

I certainly would be willing to try out a strat in balance mod, bid, or no-bid/standard games.  I am far more impressed if a plan works in balance mod than in a no-bid game.  Many good strats can win ~75% of the time for a good Axis player against a good Allies player when doing a no-bid game.  That is why bids have been breaching +30 for the Allies.

Unfortunately I have reconsidered after downloading TripleA. I am not a regular Axis and Allies player and are also not planning to do so because of time investment. Together with my father and brother we have enough fun and challenge already. We will play the newest version available but no mods or bids until we ‘break the game’ as seems the case. Another thing we do is to prefer to use the available miniatures in the box over the possible options to make with chips.

Therefore I will stay with theory crafting and trying to optimize the strategy instead of spending counltess hours online trying it out.

To be updated soon!

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

Best of luck with your testing!  You will find though that the online matches, while considerably less fun than a physical board with miniatures, is far easier to find strengths and weaknesses since it is so trivial to use the battle calculator for every move.

[simon33]

@ShadowHAwk:

@Arthur:

The balance mod has several extra Allied objectives so they end up getting a bit more money during the game.  I think that is better than the other option of having extra units to start the game.

Problem is that it just makes the timer for the axis even smaller and less strats viable for the axis.
Germany is now forced into R3 with full force anything suboptimal and you lose the game, 1 round delay for any reason and axis have lost.
But since the majority likes that type of game nobody bothers thinking of alternatives. And the strategies will always be the same for the axis which force the allies into the same moves as well making every game only different because of how the dice fall.

Bids for russia make the game more balanced and allow the axis to do something different strategy wise.

Correct. That is the limitation of Balance Mod. However, I think you are overstating the case in the part that the allied responses are scripted. I still hold out that there is a suitable allied response to the G6 Moscow crush strategy.

I guess we’ll probably see if I find it by the end of the year.

I still think though that some allied moves are excessively punished in BM, mainly the Russian DOW on Japan.

[Omega1759]

@Arthur:

Best of luck with your testing!  You will find though that the online matches, while considerably less fun than a physical board with miniatures, is far easier to find strengths and weaknesses since it is so trivial to use the battle calculator for every move.

Online is much faster as well. I’ve been tempted to play the turn on the computer and mimic the movements on the board to plan purchases and combat moves.

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

Simon:  The Allies can generally stop or make it painful to do a G6 Moscow crush since Russia is getting a bit more income.  That little bit makes a big difference.  Here is my general gameplan when it looks like Germany is going all-out to hit Moscow:

1. Try to get a few German Planes with UK scrambles on G1 if possible.

2. Get Persia on UK1, build factory there on UK2 if possible.  Build a few faster movers on UK3 and fighters on UK4 and 5.

3. Get as many UK fighters to Moscow on UK5

4. Get the six Russians in Siberia back on R6 (makes it tough to do a G7).

5. Don’t be afraid to abandon Moscow around R7 or R8.  In BM, it is possible for the Allies to still push the Axis out of the oil fields because the Americans might be getting massive bonuses by US8.

I feel sorry for Allied players in a no-bid, no BM game since the German juggernaut is virtually impossible to stop.

[simon33]

@Arthur:

Simon:  The Allies can generally stop or make it painful to do a G6 Moscow crush since Russia is getting a bit more income.  That little bit makes a big difference.  Here is my general gameplan when it looks like Germany is going all-out to hit Moscow:

1. Try to get a few German Planes with UK scrambles on G1 if possible.

2. Get Persia on UK1, build factory there on UK2 if possible.  Build a few faster movers on UK3 and fighters on UK4 and 5.

3. Get as many UK fighters to Moscow on UK5

4. Get the six Russians in Siberia back on R6 (makes it tough to do a G7).

5. Don’t be afraid to abandon Moscow around R7 or R8.  In BM, it is possible for the Allies to still push the Axis out of the oil fields because the Americans might be getting massive bonuses by US8.

I feel sorry for Allied players in a no-bid, no BM game since the German juggernaut is virtually impossible to stop.

Hmm, you have to pre-empt the Moscow crush for point one but I have taken to nearly always scrambling G1 now for the reasons you outline.

On point two - is it really worth bypassing the Ethiopian crush to get the Persian factory one turn sooner?

[Afrikakorps]

Because of my recent game I came to several changes to the Afrika Korps strategy. The overall idea and especially the Japanese battle plan remains the same though.

The German Afrika Fleet (1 Aircraft Carrier with 1 Fighter and 1 Tactical, 1 Cruiser, 1 Battleship) sent into the Mediterranean is too fragile in the Atlantic and the UK will be able to take it down in many scenarios, especially when Gibraltar is fortified in UK1. Attacking that fleet is also what the UK player did in my case, and with luck the two Transports survived. Those two did rocked the game, as German Transports in the Mediterranean with some troops are amazing, as they can reach Egypt, the Middle East or even South Africa very fast.

Your goal is to win the game by capturing Moscow, but in order to do this I prefer to take Egypt first, instead of last. As discussed a lot before, this is to give the Axis a lot of early $ and to prevent a late-game stalemate. However Russia is able to get some additional time and troops (1-2 turns) by first focusing on Africa and the Middle East. Especially the Romanian border was weak as Germany and needed to sent a lot of counter-attacks south.

Major Industrial Complex in Romania
By building a major IC in Romania on G1 you make a major strategic investment and adjustment to Germany logistics. As seen on the forum this has been used before and views are mixed, but it is especially looked at as all Russia focused. I think it can provide so much more by using it for Egypt/Africa early game and afterwards against Russia. It actually works really well with the Afrika Korps strategy as you already intend to crush the neutrals such as Turkey giving you access to the Mediterranean.

G1: Build Major IC in Romania
G2: Build Mediterranean Fleet: 1 Aircraft Carrier, 1 Battleship, 4 Transports in Black Sea
G3: Build Baltic Fleet: 1 Aircraft Carrier, 1 Destroyer, 3 Transports in Baltic Sea
G4: Start producing lots of troops!

You make three major strategic logistical investments with Germany in its first three turns. After these builds you have excellent movement around Northern Russia, Southern Russia, Middle East and Africa. These builds allows you to get Infantry to places you want fast, both offense and defense.

I experienced again how easy it is to defend Europe against the Western Allies if they try to go through the north to Scandinavia instead of the Mediterranean. Your Industrial output as Germany and Italy is already excellent there and especially with a Baltic Fleet you are able to retake Norway, Leningrad or Denmark every turn.

Instead of the smallish initial German fleet with 2-3 transports that can arrive in Egypt in G4, you are now able to send a much more dedicated fleet to Egypt in G3, a whole turn earlier. That fleet can afterwards return to the Black Sea for Southern Russia, send to take Persia/Iraq or to South Africa.

This allows you to take Egypt (Black Sea Fleet) and Caucasus (Afrika Korps) in G3 and takes away a lot of risk. You still do a G3 on Russia as is usual only now you have full control of the Black Sea and sending 10 troops a turn from Romania into Russia.

The main problem with building a Romanian Major is the lack of threat to the UK. However I do think that the strategic advantages it provides for Germany against both Afrika, Middle East and Southern Russian outweighs the lack of threat.

Then as second I pondered some more about the United Kingdom, as it is my main opponent in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Middle East and also powerful. So powerful that in most games, they remain in control and cripple Italy. This has led me and many others come to the point that we agree that Germany needs to help Italy in order to succeed around the Mediterranean. In order to do this we need to understand all optimal UK possibilities in the Mediterranean and create a counter-strategy for each of them.

There was a lot of discussion inside this topic already, however I did missed the strongest UK approach (although in my opinion). The four optimal UK1 options are:

1. Taranto
2. Gibraltar
3. Red Sea
4. Boxing

1. Taranto
The known classic and used in most games. UK attacks SZ97 and SZ96 taking out 2/3 of the Italian fleet. Very effective in crippling Italy and because of this move people have become hopeless what to do with Italy outside Europe or Russia. It does leave the UK fleet hurt and thus mostly finished by the Luftwaffe in G2 leaving the Mediterranean open.

2. Gibraltar
The fleet unites at SZ92 while Gibraltar is reinforced or upgraded with an Airbase and some fighters. Have not played against or myself. Idea is to create a fortress unable for Italy to take or without very high Luftwaffe losses.

3. Red Sea
The fleet unites at SZ81 and reinforces Egypt. In UK2 they return to the Mediterranean in full force with additional planes from India and London to kick Italy ass. Possibility of getting locked out of the Mediterranean though.

4. Boxing
The fleet provides an encirclement of the Italian fleet while focusing on destroying Italian troops in Africa as soon as possible. The boxing in done in such order that if Italy decides to attack any of the sea zones it will get destroyed by the UK the next turn. Because of the boxing Italy is not able to reach either Gibraltar or Egypt.

I will expand the four strategies the following days to become more complete.

[Afrikakorps]

@ShadowHAwk:

If you build 1 AC + destr + sub round 1 and merge fleet the UK will have a hard time taking that fleet down.

Most of them do taranto so the med fleet from them is gone.
Gibraltar needs to be taken but you got 1 transport and 2 bombardments should be sufficient against most things there. Italy can take it for you if you fail.

Buying the stuff north saves you a lot of cash that you can use to shore up your defenses against russia, but you need to get to leninggrad fast to prevent russia from attacking into norway.

It might be sufficient to survive the Atlantic and even take Gibraltar but is too weak to take Egypt or any fortified position.

Also it is a one shot, if it gets destroyed somehow by the UK before it reached Egypt you lost the initiative and possibly even the option to get German fleet again to the Med. After G4 the USA will reign the Atlantic if it wants to (with minimal investment).

Romania provides a direct access to the Med and Black Sea, in the beginning as described but also late game. If USA decides to go through the Med you could build 10 Submarines in a turn as Germany.

Yes you delay troops against Russia, but you have your defense already in place and can start focusing 100% on troops and Russia after G3. Also this delay is countered by the fact you can reach Caucasus, Ukraine and Leningrad in a single turn because of your transports.

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

I do worry about 3 full rounds of non-land troop spending for Germany.  I personally have never seen a big Med fleet for the Axis result in anything other than eventual defeat.  In a traditional Sea Lion plan, Germany only has to spend two rounds on naval forces and some of the spending is recouped by captured London money.  Depending on how many planes are lost during the first three rounds, making attacks into Russia can be either slow or impossible.  With this modified plan you have so much less resources to go against Russia.

Germany: 63 units
33 infantry
4 mech
6 artillery
9 tanks
11 planes

Russia: 35 units + ~ 35 more units purchased in first 3 rounds = 70 units
25 infantry
2 mech
3 artillery
2 tanks
3 planes
~111 PUs to spend in first 3 rounds

With so much spending in the Med, you are going to run into a near stalemate with Russia.  Meanwhile the Pacific theater could be a challenge if you did a J1 attack against Russia.  UK/ANZAC declare war on the first round for the extra income so you will be facing a big stack of mainland units + planes.

As other people have suggested, perhaps you capture S. France on G1 and use that factory for a limited fleet.  Maybe building 3 transports there on G2 will give you sufficient ground troops to compliment a big air force for an Egypt G3 or G4 attack.

G1: Build 2 bombers and a sub
G2: Build 3 transports and an air base in S. France if necessary for protection, build more planes
G3: Transport troops to join stack of Italians in Alexandria or attack Egypt if modestly defended and no UK ship block
G4: Conquer Egypt with 6 land units + 20-ish planes.

That would be only 3 rounds of German spending and you would have a bunch more planes to use against Russia.

[Afrikakorps]

Thanks again for strategic comments!

Yes using the Southern France factory sounds good and was also my initial plan before this whole Afrika Korps idea came to mind. However you both underestimate the UK this time. Only in the case of Taranto it loses its fleet in the Med, in all other cases and even with Taranto they have significant RAF presence or naval units coming from India in the Med before G3.

As you can only produce 3 units you will need more than 1 turn to build your fleet there, and in between it can be destroyed by a determined or Gibraltar fortress focused UK player. Same for those German transports, they need protection or are victims of the RAF.

The fleet build G1 is indeed nice and let you possibly join up in the Med with southern france transports. The point is however that if the UK wants it, it can destroy it, and if you lose it, thats a lot of waisted IPC. You do not want these sort of gambits as Axis as you need minimal losses in your first turns and maximum initiative.

About IPC spent in the Black Sea/Med, thats just 64. Without Battleship only 44. Romania is something I would consider as a big investment against Russia also. You could consider to not build a Battleship in the Black Sea or just a Destroyer for Baltic Sea in G3.

However the moment you start war with Russia in G3 you are making 70+ already and only rising, within a very few turns you overpower Russia.

[GermanEmpire]

The only way Germany will be making 70+ ipc’s by turn 3 or 4 without attacking Russian is if the Allied players are being run by people who have never played before. I find it highly unlikely that Germany can realistically be making 70= ipc’s a turn by than.

[Afrikakorps]

@GermanEmpire:

The only way Germany will be making 70+ ipc’s by turn 3 or 4 without attacking Russian is if the Allied players are being run by people who have never played before. I find it highly unlikely that Germany can realistically be making 70= ipc’s a turn by than.

Oke to be exact: 69 IPC

• Egypt NO

• Caucasus NO

• Swedish NO
  NO bonus: 15

• All of France, Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, Greece, Caucasus, Egypt, Eastern Poland, Baltic States, Karelia: 24

So 71 if you take Yugoslavia, but I prefer to strafe it and give it to Italy. Those mentioned territories does not sound so difficult in G3 right?

Shadowhawk maybe I misunderstand you. Where remains the other UK pieces after Taranto? Do you assume Italy scrambles at Taranto to kill off a lof of UK airforce?

[Afrikakorps]

@ShadowHAwk:

It really depends what the UK attacks with and also what is in range to attack your fleet.

There is little UK fleet left after taranto and german attack on the fleet there. Sure it costs a few planes but after that there is no med fleet left at all.

Germany will have 1 carrier + planes, 1 BB 1 CA 1 destr 1 sub and 1 transport at gibraltar round 2.
UK will have 1 or 2 destroyers in the atlantic and some planes i dont think they will try to do this suicide run really.

Round 3 the fleet is nicely in the med and you can build e xtra forces from south france to make it bigger or add 3 transports for a 4 transport attack on egypt round 4.

I agree with what you are saying. Do you think that with the G1 fleet build (ac, destr, ss) you will already be able to take Egypt in G4 if the UK did Taranto? What if the UK does not do Taranto? That will turn the discussion into two optimals.

1. Germany takes Southern France and build fleet in G1 in SZ112 to send to Gibraltar in G2
2. Use Afrika Korps strategy by sending initial armour + mech through Turkey and make Med fleet in Black Sea

I am promoting and drafting the second option. If the first case is most optimal in most cases the Afrika Korps strategy is more of a gambit instead of innovative strategy.