A&A Global 1940 Essays: Sealion (Germany)

[Ichabod]

@AxisAndAllies1940:

Unlike Barbarossa, Operation Sealion is something that the German player must specifically aim for when entering the game.

I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement.

Unlike Sea Lion, Barbarossa is something that the German player must specifically aim for when entering the game; not capturing London. Capturing London in the beginning of the game is mostly an object of opportunity. Sea Lion can be executed in the beginning of the game (G3) if the dice goes in Germany’s favor for specific battles and the UK player chooses to not defend London with a standard 6 infantry / 1 fighter purchase. I think the UK can get away with 2 inf / 2 fighters if they have both transports at Canada.

My best Sea Lion games have been against players who have had a misconception that it’s “pyrrhic.” In many of those cases my G1 purchase was 6 artillery / 2 infantry. There have been a few games in which I bought Sea Lion useful items like 1 destroyer / 1 fighter / 1 bomber (or 2 bombers / 1 sub) and then the UK player scrambled in the opening G1 attacks. Even dice in those types of battles really favors Germany’s side for a potential Sea Lion because air is already being replenished.

[Charles de Gaulle]

This sounds less believable than a fairy tale.  You cannot build a strategy upon poor UK play.  Most experienced UK players buy plenty of land units and fighters and no ships.

Ichabod is absolutley correct.  Sealion is never in Germany’s hands.  It is based upon UK purchases and dice roles.  Of course buying land units on G1 will dramatically reduce Axis chances of Sealion, but walking into a game with the mentality that you are going to take London or lose trying is not being flexible enough.

[PainState]

In 99.9% of games Germany has to take Lenningrad, Stalingrad and Moscow, it is a must. Then the question is do they go after London or Cairo after the fall of Russia. I have always felt Sea Lion was a end game type of move instead of a opening move.

UK/USA are having to defend Cairo and keeping an eye on London. Also due to the map those forces are split and far apart so they cannot reinforce each other. If Germany has knocked out Russia and is collecting 70+ IPC they can then afford to devote resources for a Sea Lion operation. Of course this totally hinges on the “map” and where the UK/USA are on the Europe map. It might be a lot easier attempting to knock out Cairo BUT sometimes in that middle to late game UK homeland is not stacked up high with troops. UK has been dumping IPC into the middle east to stop the fall of Cairo.

So, Germany has the ability now to drop all the IPC into a fleet because they no longer have to worry about Russia.

Taking London on G3 or G4 is strictly a target of opportunity because of UK mistakes. It is just to annoy the Allies and delay the USA a few turns. Germany cannot afford to devote all their IPC at UK on G2 and ignore Russia.

[Cow]

I am on the triple a lobby often. I don’t take Allies less than 23 lately so I always get axis… About experienced of axis player you can get… Don’t plan on a sealion every game, do it for fun or if I’m gives you the opportunity

[PainState]

@Cow:

I am on the triple a lobby often. I don’t take Allies less than 23 lately so I always get axis… About experienced of axis player you can get… Don’t plan on a sealion every game, do it for fun or if I’m gives you the opportunity

This is a interesting topic but probably needs it own thread.

[NotEvenJail]

Its starting to feel like this guy is just trolling us with these “essays.” I mean come on, man. Many of these statements are way too out of touch. Can’t be serious.

[Elsaß-Lorraine]

@NotEvenJail:

Its starting to feel like this guy is just trolling us with these “essays.” I mean come on, man. Many of these statements are way too out of touch. Can’t be serious.

I would hesitate to jump so far so quickly. He/she probably is just discovering this forum and/or other sources of strategies, and their game group has probably been disconnected, if you will, from the most effective strategies that the wider A&A community takes for granted.

I will note that in his first essay (the Barbarossa one) he mentioned how G40 had recieved “little attention on this blog”, which I take to mean the main axisandallies.org website (which most definitely does have a lack of G40-related articles, last I checked) as opposed to the forums. I knew about axisandallies.org the site long before I knew about the forums, so maybe that is what happened here.

[PainState]

I have no issue with a player who posts a essay on a particular tactic/strategy.

The forums are used as a discussion point between fellow players to hopefully come up with a refined and better plan of attack.

Now when it comes to the essay it self I do have issues with it. My main issue is that Germany is way to aggressive on the opening turn. Putting to many German units at risk on the opening turn and if the dice turn south….disaster.

I also found it interesting that the next essay is on how Italy and Germany can work together to win the game. In my experience taking Southern France and Normandy and Paris on the opening turn is bad for Italy. Italy needs money…Let them have Southern France and Normandy while Germany looks Eastward for the real prize of Russia.

Sea Lion tactics have been discussed at length on this sight. I have no complaint about the essays goal of achieving a successful Sea Lion attack. My issue is the big picture, Germany needs to focus on the real enemy which is Russia. Uk is a side show and will derail them on G2 if they focus on a sea lion attack. Germany cannot win the war knocking out London and letting Russia become so large Germany cannot ever contain them.

Bottom Line

Germany needs at a minimum 2 of the three victory cities in Russia and that is being generous that they took London and Cairo. A G5 attack on Russia in force has 0% chance of achieving those goals.

[Ichabod]

@PainState:

My issue is the big picture, Germany needs to focus on the real enemy which is Russia. Uk is a side show and will derail them on G2 if they focus on a sea lion attack. Germany cannot win the war knocking out London and letting Russia become so large Germany cannot ever contain them.

Perhaps you’ve mostly seen some poorly executed Sea Lions? For me, usually I don’t have a problem pushing Russia back post-Sea Lion (outside of outlier dice battle situation like once the UK AAA shot down 5 planes during the G3 invaision…basic caveats).

[NotEvenJail]

@Elsass-Lorraine:

@NotEvenJail:

Its starting to feel like this guy is just trolling us with these “essays.” I mean come on, man. Many of these statements are way too out of touch. Can’t be serious.

I would hesitate to jump so far so quickly. He/she probably is just discovering this forum and/or other sources of strategies, and their game group has probably been disconnected, if you will, from the most effective strategies that the wider A&A community takes for granted.

I will note that in his first essay (the Barbarossa one) he mentioned how G40 had recieved “little attention on this blog”, which I take to mean the main axisandallies.org website (which most definitely does have a lack of G40-related articles, last I checked) as opposed to the forums. I knew about axisandallies.org the site long before I knew about the forums, so maybe that is what happened here.

I didn’t mean to be harsh just speculating. I get it. This game is special because it has a lot more nuance than one would readily perceive.  I have no problem with the thread just made me scratch my head.