@The_Good_Captain And finally, the play-by-play, which will probably need multiple posts because of character limits:
(1/???)
NOTE: Sanitizing this a bit compared to what’s actually on my PC due to language
1914 - OOB - RR On
*NOTE #2: More random thoughts about gameplans, etc. are in here
Round 1:
AH - boats to SZ17, dive on Romania (to deny it to Russia). Stack Galacia. Standard stuff
R - All to Ukraine. Standard stuff. Rammed O Fleet (lost badly). Probably should have went to SZ17 and denied combat just to get all Entente boats in one place.
- Possibility - Ram R GG into G fleet on R1 to gamble on 1 cruiser hit. Theory is this would make G odds worse Vs. B in SZ9. Probably a bad idea.
G - Sent 2 SUB to Canada, rest to ram B fleet. Good dice. Standard (but heavy R) otherwise but 5 INF/ART went to Tyrolia.
- NOTE: Kiel stack walked to Berlin (to go East).
F - Standard. Rammed the AH fleet with the F Med Fleet. Battle was drawn (expected outcome).
B - Rammed Egypt into TJ (dice went SUPER BAD), rammed India into Persia (dice went well, got the OTK). Put 100% of build into India.
- NOTE: Possible mistake here?
- Was it worth going 100% all-in against Persia when it would have probably been smarter to bring critical mass to TJ
- (Remember that Ottomans have a 6 INF/2 ART stack in Smyrna that can respond to the attack immediately, so any win there needs to be significant and not just minor).
- Overall gameplan with UK Vs. a competent Ottoman player may be off. Might be smart to slowly mass TTs and shuck into TJ in an attempt to draw Ottoman troops south (and away from Russia).
- Also might be necessary to spend B1 building fleet to clean up the German fleet.
- Using France to do it like I did in this game takes too much away from the western front, which stopped France from being able to effectively punish Germany for sending ~80% to Russia.
O - Activated Bulgaria but largely did nothing except sneak into Sevastopol and try to punish TJ (largely successful). Standard stuff. Moved fleet into SZ17 (no combat) to stop Italy from activating Albania I1.
I - Killed leftover AH TT. Built a SUB to eventually kill off O fleet. Otherwise standard movements.
- Buying fleet with Italy might be a bad idea. Should probably use B to handle all fleet buying in early rounds until Americans show up.
USA - Normal stuff. Only note is:
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“Who should get Spanish Morocco”
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USA @ 20 income = 4 INF/2 ART (3 TT)
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USA @ 21 income = 3 INF/3 ART (still 3 TT).
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F @ 26 income (assuming Portugal) = 6 INF/2 ART
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F @ 27 income = 9 INF (or 5 INF/3 ART or whatever.)
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So F taking Spanish Morocco may be more ideal, since USA is likely going to be put into a defensive roll wherever they land. The extra F income allows a transition to offensive orientation Vs. Germany instead of defensive.
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Overall shuck path should be:
- 3 TT SZ1 (USA)
- 3 TT SZ14 (Africa)
- 3-6 TT spread across the Mediterranean. Probably should just be 3 in SZ17
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So buy order before USA4 should be:
- USA1 = 3 TT (18, save 2, 22 total)
- USA2 = 3 TT (18, save 4, 24 total)
- USA3 = 3 TT/1 ART (22, save 2, 22 total)
USA4 means USA can move
total before being allowed to move = 6 INF/3 ART/BB/CR/9 TT
- USA4 = whatever you want but at least 3 land units.
NOTE: Navy can be mixed in here but not too much. You need 9 TT in full rotation by end of USA5