Introduction
This is an alternative Allied strategy. The strategy is focused around two areas, Scandinavia and Yunnan. By taking these regions from the Axis in the early phase of the game, they should give the Axis major headaches and eventually result into an Allied victory. Scandinavia is the target of Russia, while Yunnan the target of China. In order to achieve these goals, I will play extremely aggressive with all my Allied forces as the best defense is often offense. To support these by nature Infantry nations that will now play aggressive instead of defensive, the United States will also be played completely different. Instead of the standard landings and option to kill 1 particular Axis first, they will send massive amounts of Strategic Bombers to Eurasia. Therefore USA Bombers will swarm the world, taking out any fleet they encounter, strategic bombing Axis industries and capitalize on any mistake the Axis will make. Combined with several USA Submarines each turn, they will cripple the Axis economies, so the mainland Allies will be able to finish the job instead of the USA.
Strategic Goal
Play Russia aggressive in early game in order to get bonus NO’s that will make up for the lost areas in Russia by the Germans, while supporting China from turn 1. This means Russia will advance to Scandinavia, the Middle East and Italian Africa, and China. Make sure Japan will be unable to control China. Swarm both Germany and Japan with USA bombers as soon as possible to contain them.
Rationale for Strategy
Russia will be invaded, that is for sure. It will also lose most of its lands, its industrial complexes will be bombed and therefore your economy will cripple very fast. Especially with the current Axis strategies such as the Dark Skies, the conventional rationale is that the Axis have an inherit advantage and the Allies need a bid. I disagree, I think they will just need a better strategy, just like the Axis needed one before the current status quo. But Russia is also in the position as the strongest mainland Ally from the start of the game, with influences in every region of the world besides Africa. Russia will need to defend against Germany to survive, that is for sure, but it has a lot of starting troops that can attack where the Axis are fragile. Russia also has the best NO’s of all players, 3 extra IPC for any Axis or pro-Axis neutral they take? Wow, this is something I can only dream of as mainly Axis player! With the extra IPC from Scandinavia, Middle East and Italian Africa, the USSR has the option to grow into a monster economy. Russia will also send some reinforcements to Yunnan, while its main 18 infantry stack will put pressure on the Japanese to help the Chinese out. As soon China survives the first rounds, it will be able to grow into another monster, unable for Japan to face. The third aspect is the third monster, the USA. One of the strongest aspects of the Axis is its logistics to expand fast while maintaining its regions, this is mainly done by transports. The Russians, for example, will be easily kicked out of Scandinavia because of the German Baltic Fleet. By transports the Italians will be able to expand to Africa and the Middle East and by transports the Japanese will be able to take Calcutta, Sydney and the money islands. To destroy these Axis logistics (transports and supporting fleet) the USA will swarm areas with bombers, making it much harder for the Axis to expand or maintain their empires. Instead of building up huge (expensive) invasion fleets that need to focus on 1 area, that can be sank, the USA will just focus on containing the Axis with Bombers and Submarines.
Yunnan
This is the first focus of gravity for the Allied forces. I will retreat my Russian troops to Buryatia, two to Yakut to return to Amur in my second turn. This will keep crucial land troops of Japan stuck in the north, or when they still advance south, give China Manchuria early in the game. The Russian tank and mech. infantry from Russia will advance towards Yunnan together with a fighter. I will also ask the UK player to move up to Burma in order to attack when needed. Land troops of Japan in China are sparse, and I will take every opportunity I get. The French fighter will also be send to Yunnan. As soon as we can manage to hold Yunnan we have won that battle, and China will be able to take Japan on the mainland by itself.
Middle East and Italian Africa
The tank, mech. infantry from Stalingrad and two infantry from the Caucasus are send towards Iraq. They should take Persia in the second turn and conquer Irak in the third turn. In turn 5 and 6 the remaining tank is able to capture Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland for a total extra income of 14 IPC.
Scandinavia
While many Russian played prefer to defend Southern Russia against the Germans because of the oil, it is also the most difficult area to reinforce as the USA. Losing Scandinavia as Germany is mostly the start of the end, as this is done by the USA that now invaded with a massive fleet combined with UK forces. However, it gives the USA only 3 IPC and it is extremely difficult to reinforce from their homeland. Russia is much closer and can attack Scandinavia much earlier, while also easier to reinforce from Leningrad, they also gain 11 IPC. In any case, losing Scandinavia gives headaches for Germany, so they normally prevent this at all costs. This is not such a difficult task with the Baltic Fleet, which is often a small but highly effective fleet protected against UK air raids. This is where the USA comes in, as they will have 9 bombers attacking the Baltic Fleet in turn 4. Without the Baltic Fleet, Germany iron grip on Scandinavia is destroyed and it will be difficult for them to retake it. This focus means that all initial Russian troops and first turn buys are concentrated on Scandinavia building up a force of 16 infantry, 4 artillery, 1 fighter, 1 tactical bomber and 2 bombers against 7 German infantry. Attacking Scandinavia while advancing to China and Middle East will ofcourse mean less initial troops to take on the Germans in the south. You will have to use the Scorched Earth strategy so famously known as the typical Russian strategy. South Russia is a high reward for the Germans, know this, and draw them in. However make sure that by the time the Germans reach the southern areas, your counter-attack will make their stay very short-lived.
United States of America
The Dark Skies have broken the game in favour of the Axis, why should the Flying Fortresses not do the same for the Allies? The USA has the economic superiority to outproduce the German Luftwaffe and the Japanese Zero’s combined. Instead of decided on a KJF, KGF or KIF, they will attack the Axis at all fronts, at once. Most crucial and first mission should be the destruction of the Baltic Fleet to help Russia. Especially when combined with UK aggressive tactics, it will take no effort to take the Italian income to the minimum with initial forces. Japan will be the greatest challenge, but so will it be a great pleasure to cripple its economy and contain its movements. Most important of all, going full bomber will provide something rare for the USA: logistics. With movement 7 the USA can relocate to important battlefields within turns. Just imagine with JDOW1, the USA can have 25 bombers available at the start of its fifth turn. These bombers will most importantly destroy Axis fleet on the Europe map early on, while it forces the Japanese fleet to remain concentrated. In the Pacific they will be combined with 2 Submarines a turn, as the Sumbarines will convoy the Japanese sea zones.
More specific:
USA first two buys are full bombers, to have a maximum amount (depending on DOW’s) of Bombers in London as soon as possible to take out the Baltic Fleet next turn. Their initial fleet will go to the Atlantic to battle the possibly expanding Italians, as soon Italian expansion is finished (this is already possible by just the UK without USA help) they just convoy all med sea zones to get Italian income to zero. Maybe this will tempt the Japanese to take the USA, perfect! You have succeeded, as the UK, ANZAC and China will be able to build their defenses strong enough while you can easily defend your own cities. More likely the Japanese advance as normal towards India. After turn 2 when you build the anti-baltic bombers, you start building bombers and submarines for the Pacific, while also sending several bombers per turn to Europe. In case of 72 IPC, I would suggest 2 submarines, 2 bombers to the Pacific and 3 bombers to Europe. If Japan is struggling while Germany is advancing too fast, focus more on Germany etc. The bombers that destroyed the Baltic Fleet will continue bombing German industrial complexes or attack high value targets (German bombers) while the build bombers in the Pacific can bomb Japan the next turn while landing in China, making sure any new Japanese fleet build is destroyed. The Submarines are either send to convoy SZ6 or the Money Islands. This forces Japan again to build destroyers, which are easily destroyed by bombers. When you succeed to build up enough submarines and bombers in the Pacific you can eventually destroy the Japanese fleet winning that side of the map. The USA bombers in Europe destroying first the Axis fleets, crippling German industry by strategic bombing and allow you to attack any German area will likely allow the Russian to grow into a monster and defeat Germany combined with UK invasions in the west.
France
I always love to play with France as I really enjoy if their rare pieces make a difference in the game. I once destroyed a damaged German aircraft carrier with 4 transports with a lone French destroyer after the USA and UK failed to finish it. For this game the French fighter will take quite a journey. First it will get to Yunnan asap, then fighting in the defense of Russia. All surviving French infantry in Africa will also make the long travel to Russia.
Allied Strategy battle plan
Russia Turn 1 (GDOW2 most likely)
Purchase new units
2 Bombers, 3 Artillery
No Combat Movement
Noncombat movement
Move 6 Infantry from Amur to Buryatia
Move 6 Infantry from Sakhar to Buryatia
Move 2 Infantry from Buryatia to Yakut
Move 6 Infantry and 1 Artillery from Novgorod to Karelia
Move 1 Infantry from Archangel to Novgorod
Move 1 Infantry from Belarus to Novgorod
Move 3 Infantry from Vyborg to Karelia
Move 1 Tank and 1 Mech. Infantry from Russia to Kazakhstan
Move 1 Tanks and 1 Mech. Infantry from Volgograd to Turkmenistan
Retreat front line Infantry if survived
Retreat Western Ukraine and Ukrain to Bryansk
Place new units
3 Artillery in Novgorod, 2 Bombers in Russia
Collect Income
$37 Income
$1
= $38
From now on build only Infantry and Artillery every turn, start adding Tanks when income increases.
USA Turn 1
Purchase new units
4 Bombers, 2 Infantry
No Combat Movement
Noncombat movement
Move 1 Bomber, 1 Infantry, 1 Tank, 3 Mech. Infantry from Central United States to Eastern United States
Move 1 Fighter from Philippines to Wake Island
Move 1 Submarine and 1 Destroyer from SZ35 to SZ54
Move Hawaiian fleet to SZ10
Move fleet from SZ10 to SZ64
Move 1 transport with 1 Infantry, 1 AAA from SZ10 to Hawaiian Islands
Move 1 Fighter from Western United States to Hawaiian Islands
Place new units
Place 2 Infantry, 1 Bomber in Western United States
Place 3 Bombers in Eastern United States
Collect Income
$52
= $52
Make sure you have minimum 8 in London as soon as possible (USA3 or 4) to destroy the Baltic Fleet. Keep reinforcing Hawaii and several blockers close to give you another round when Japan takes the trap. Send main USA fleet with 2 transports to North Africa and Mediterranean to make Italy easy target for the United Kingdom. Swarm the world with Bombers and the Pacific with Submarines.
China Turn 1
Purchase new units
4 Infantry
Combat Movement
Capture Yunnan, likely with 5 Infantry and 1 Fighter
Noncombat movement
Move 2 Infantry from Suiyuyan to Shensei
Place new units
Place 4 Infantry in Szechwan
Collect Income
$9
$6 Objective
= $15
Make sure Yunnan is captured every turn, from turn 3 it becomes possible to hold Yunnan by multi-defense of Russian, Chinese and British. As soon China is able to buy Artillery it will be able to take on Japan and throw them out of the mainland.
FAQ: Bright Skies Strategy
Q: Are you crazy, how will you ever be able to capture Japan without transports?
A: Defending Japan is one of the easiest things to do as Axis while it costs a lot of resources to build a strong enough invasion fleet for the United States. In the meantime Germany will likely have beaten Russia and Japan can still advance with its fleet where it wants. Therefore I opt to not focus on taking Japan, but to make the situation so hopeless for the Axis that they will surrender. Therefore I will convoy their income, bomb their industrial complexes and paralyze his movements.
Q: You will need every single 18 Infantry in Moscow, start moving them now!
A: I disagree, I think that long march is not that effective. Besides that it likely results into 6 IPC easy every turn from eastern areas that are taken by Japan (36 IPC in 6 turns) they also allow Japan to concentrate all its forces on China. As land troops are sparse for Japan, any delay counts while China grows stronger and gets more reinforcements. Not gaining those Russian territories while eventually losing their own will make Japan suffer financially. Another reason they stay, is to protect the incoming bombers from the USA that strategically bomb Japan or take out fleet from SZ6 and then land in the big Russian stack.
Q: When Germany see that you are building bombers, will he not just increase his fleet?
A: This is exactly what I would do as Germany, as keeping your Baltic fleet alive is crucial to keep your Reich intact. However that is why it is such a good idea to start swarming Europe with USA bombers, as they can attack anything because of the range or more even important, they can threaten to attack. When Germany builds more fleet, they build less land troops, which is good for Russia. Eventually, anything that is good from Russia, is good for the Allies. Normally games are focused to rescue Russia from Germany such as UK fighter inflow, or USA bomber inflow, my perspective is that if both UK and USA cripple German and Italian logistics plus income, Russia will be able to take them on without any reinforcements. Remember, the Axis currently have an advantage because of the Dark Skies strategy, which is focused on German bombers. USA bombers are exactly the same as German bombers when you control critical areas where they can land. Why not use the same system against them?
