Please critisize my allies strategy

[mozkaynak]

Hello,
I have played A&A 3 times. All games were against the same friend who taught me the game. I lost all of them and I am getting prepared for the next game which is next week.

This time I would like to try the following allies strategy:

1. Russia plays defensive. Russia focuses on protection of Moskow and US military complex in Asia.
2. UK builds military complex in India and destroys German navy close to UK.
3. USA builds a military complex in Asia conquers North Africa.

• US attacks primarily to Japan but also to Germany
• Russia mostly defends and if possible attacks Germany
• UK defends India and defends Russia by attacking Germany from both north and south.

What do you think about this strategy? What are the postential risks? Also help me detail the strategy if you think it is good. Thank You.

[Proud American]

I like it. Only thing that bothers me is being very defensive for russia. Russia should attack but not be a monster. if they dont germany will build up and crush russia you need to be semi-aggresive to survive.

[Darkman]

Basically the most important point about all that is that you need an ALLIES strategy, as you said, and not a strategy for a single ally.

Overall, you should have a main goal: Either kill Germany first (KGF), which is pretty common, or kill Japan first (KJF) which is pretty uncommon. Building just one IC usually leads to defeat, building 2 is a strategy to kill Japan first or at least slow them down. Once you kick them from mainland they are dead.

I have played about a hundred Revised games and I still think KJF is a strategy which is very hard to play. Most of the time, you try to set up a few ‘brakeshoes’ as allies while you beat down Germany.

For your strategy:

• Russia: IMO Russia should attack, there is a main goal I always have: Keep Germans away from Moscow! I try to attack Ukraine and West Russia turn 1, and then usually try to hold that line unless I get bad dice or I see that Germany totally focusses on Russia and I have to fall back. Other Russian goals: If US build a factory in Sinkiang, Russian inf and fighters should be able to help hold it, and possibly take China back turn 2 with inf and fighters to give the US troops extra time. Also, building tanks in Caucasus turn 1 is a good thing since you can attack French Indochina then with the UK troops from India turn 1, and the Russians can take India with the factory in it back in their turn 2, so UK can build tanks there. Overall: IF you build any factories in Asia, Russia HAS TO help hold them. If Russia doesn’t, and if you don’t move fighters there, you lose the factories and the game.

• UK: If you want to kill/slow down Japan, an IC is a useful idea. Problem: You have to sink the SZ59 transport with your dd turn 1 AND you should attack FIC. Also, if the Germans did certain opening buys (like an AC turn 1) you might not be able to do this strategy (but you can punish them for buying navy, it is dead until turn 3 anyways). Overall, with common bids, it will get hard for UK to get a foot in Africa, so this is an idea. Apart from Asia, UK plays in Norway and maybe helps defending Archangel and Karelia.

• US: IMO it’s a major fault to attack Japan on sea. If they do not attack Hawaii, you can use that fleet to distract them, but it doesn’t happen often. Basically the Japanese fleet owns the US fleet unless US heavily builds there, and that investment completely neglects Germany and therefore is not worth it. Go with AC, 2 transports and 2 tanks turn 1, go for Africa, help against Germany. If you buy an IC in Sinkiang, move your fighters and bomber via Alaska to it, and make sure you keep your 2 Sinkiang inf (the China stuff gets killed turn 1 usually) until you can use them with air and/or tank support. Against Germany, UK has to make sure you can move your transports safely, you cannot afford a huge navy in the Atlantic while you build stuff in your Asian IC and some fighters via Alaska to it.

Just my 2 cents… fast overview.

Darkman

[the spaceman]

Hi.

Basically I think that buying ICs for UK/US is part of the problem.

I would start by focusing you effort on Allied Naval superiority in the Atlantic Ocean. This would be a collection of surface combat ships, aircraft carriers and as many transports as you can afford.

Also build a good number of UK/US land units.

Start with pin prick attacks wherever germany is weakest. This could be Scandinavia/France and -or Africa. After a few turns a combined US/UK invasion should seriously threaten some major German territories.

From this base you can expand further eastwards or westwards.

[mozkaynak]

I really find your strategy good but isnt it hard to implement?
Focusin on atlantic will leave the Japan alone and They can assist German to destroy Russia. I guess you need to finish up the ally fleet and start attacking German soil in 2 rounds to rescue  russia.

[The Dessert Fox]

Russia needs to keep NP levels up while building a lot of INF in moscow. The UK/US need to work on D-DAY either a 1-2 punch with UK attacking and losing units while weakining France and the US taking it or one of them just taking by themselves. If playing allies use NA’s so you can preform a joint strike with US getting to use both UK and US units for a turn.

[Darkman]

See other thread about Russia strategy… overall I can just say: DO NOT PLAY WITH NAs. In my opinion they are very unbalanced and can shift the game into certain directions very much. Just as examples: Lend-Lease for Russia is a lot stronger than e.g. Trans-Siberian railway; Luftwaffe Dive Bombers are strong; Joint strike or Colonial Garrison are sick; same are Superfortresses which are just stupid especially with heavy bombers.