A Genius First Move For Russia / 1941

[Midnight_Reaper]

@Iisded said in A Genius First Move For Russia / 1941:

{snip} Place the infantry you bought on Russia and with the help of your allies(Mostly the UK) Defeat Russia then Japan and win the WAR!!!

So your plan, as Russia, is to defeat Russia? That’s a bold move, Cotton, let’s see how this plays out… ;-p

-Midnight_Reaper

[Iisded]

@Midnight_Reaper ooof mistake! Haha

[fatoumas]

@Iisded i wouldnt recommend to do this opening move with Russia. I believe not only its not an offensive strategy but you will lose Russia on third or fourth round. Some high lvl comments below based on your strategy:

1. move all three infantry into Manchuria and one tank from Caucasus >
   You waste 3 inf and 1 tank (15 IPCs) while Russia need them to defend. What will left from this attack will be destroyed by Japan on its turn. You will just get 2 IPCs on your next turn.

2. move all infantry from Karelia to Finland/Norway and one plane from Russia >
   After the attack you will have avg 1. inf on Finland and your plane will land on Karelia without any support. (Assumption here is that you are planning to move the 3 inf from Archangel to Karelia during non combat move? Otherwise you will lose your plane for nothing)

3. send all your troops from Russia on to west Russia >
   I think that you dont send enough units. Germany can easily destroy the units will survive from this attack on his round.

4. Place the infantry you bought on Russia >
   Why not in Caucasus?

In general i dont believe its a good strategy for Russia unless you missed something to mention. Do you have any link from youtube to share?

Normally you can have a 9 bid for Allies. If you want to play aggressive with Russia but also risk a lot, then you can e.g. buy a tank and an inf and place the inf on Caucasus and the tank on Russia.
On your first turn you could move:
4 inf + 1 tank from Caucasus to Ukraine
2 tank + 1 fighter from Russia to Ukraine
If you are lucky you can lost only some inf and hopefully kill the 3 German inf and maybe a tank and then retreat back to Caucasus.

Additionally almost all the rest units should attack to West Russia. (depends if you want to have 1,2 or 3 inf on Karelia.

As i have said iam not a skilled player because i have played so far only this map. (looking forward to move to other maps as well). Maybe more skilled players could advise us here.

Last but not least i think that this map dont have a lot of variants and lot of different strategies due to the fact that units are much much less compared to the other maps. Its more like to introduce the players to Axis and Allies. To be honest i really like it due to the fact that can be finished really quick (and i dont have a lot of free time) but dont expect here to have deep analysis and complex strategies.

I hope the above helps you a bit

[Iisded]

@fatoumas i just finished a game with a fairly bad German and japan player and it worked! I think my strategy is all about luck because we wiped out japan off china in the first round! heres the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vj8_LVTLVA

[Iisded]

@fatoumas also if you dont take west russia then moscow is threatened! i suggest taking west russia as a buffer so that after the inevitable german counter attack, attack back with russia and other briish and american troops.

[fatoumas]

You should take West Russia for sure on first round

[Private-Panic]

Hi All

I think what works depends on what your opponents do. Anyone who is too prescriptive about best moves is missing this essential variation. However I do play 1941 with 2 groups on a monthly basis, plus with other groups occasionally, and based on that experience would make the following comments:

• Taking West Russia in R1 is a must. R can get enough units on WR to preclude a meaningful G counter-attack. To my mind that means every R unit that can get to WR goes to WR. If I play G and R has not put everything into WR then I will attack what he has there, even if only with the intention of not winning the territory but just to kill R units. A secure R stack in WR defends Moscow and allows the recapture of both Karelia and Caucasus. The trick is for R to stay there as long as it can.
• Using any meaningful number of units against J is to invite any good G player in to Moscow. Withstanding G’s superior forces should require everything that R has.
• However, ignoring J allows them to flood across China into Caucasus, which may then need R to use its WR stack to recapture. Here lies the R conundrum.
• The answer is a judicious balancing act which will depend on what the Axis do, opportunistically grabbing victories that do not put units at risk (nor Moscow!) and allows them to switch fronts in the next turn.

[fatoumas]

@Private-Panic
I totally agree with you. Couple of questions though.

1. Do you play with bid for allies? If yes what is the recommended one? 8-12? Do you suggest a destroyer for UK? If yes on SZ10 or SZ14?

2. At the end of R1 do you have 1 inf in Karelia and 1 inf on Caucasus? Most of the times i have everything on WR except 4 inf and 1 tank+ fighter in Caucasus.

3. Do you move the 2 inf from siberia to Urals in order to get it with the rest land units?What i do is to have 1 inf in Siberia and move the other 2 with the rest.

[Private-Panic]

@fatoumas said in A Genius First Move For Russia / 1941:

@Private-Panic

1. Do you play with bid for allies? If yes what is the recommended one? 8-12? Do you suggest a destroyer for UK? If yes on SZ10 or SZ14?

We put a GB destroyer off Canada - so a bid of 8 really.

2. At the end of R1 do you have 1 inf in Karelia and 1 inf on Caucasus? Most of the times i have everything on WR except 4 inf and 1 tank+ fighter in Caucasus.

You have to judge your opponent, but against a decent player I have nothing in either Karelia or Caucasus. It is all in WR.

3. Do you move the 2 inf from siberia to Urals in order to get it with the rest land units?What i do is to have 1 inf in Siberia and move the other 2 with the rest.

I move them all back to Moscow.

But these moves are “conditioned” by the opponents I play.

[Iisded]

@Private-Panic what do you normally do next after everything is on WR? what points of attack would you recommend?

[Private-Panic]

@Iisded If G has its forces placed to keep the R stack in WR, as it should, then trading Karelia, Ukraine and Caucasus. At some point G will capture Karelia in sufficient strength to hold it, but that is not the death-knell for R. Then R must block Archangel every turn to stop any tanks in Karelia reaching Moscow.

If G (or J) manage to hold Caucasus and start to build there, then the writing is probably on the wall for Moscow.

So my R stack will stay in WR unless any of the following happens:

• G get odds on me there.
• The recapture of Caucasus requires me to denude WR’s defence to a dangerous extent.
• R fails to block Archangel, necessitating a withdrawal to Moscow.

Against a poor G player R will gradually gain a sufficient advantage to start to use its mobile units (supported by sufficient infantry) to kill off any smaller invading forces without those mobile units then being at risk.

But these moves are what I do against my opponents. I taught all of them to play so their moves are constrained by my guidance. I do not want to pretend that this covers every eventuality that other opponents might present.