It is the combination of the IPC boost and the IPCs that the allies dont get to spend that leads to the long run advantage
Making Sealion Work
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The key to making Sealion work is to play aggressively with the japanese against the US. This way the Germans will be able to prevent the US from retaking London.
Here is my suggestion:
G1 Buy trannies and a destroyer to protect them. Sink the Royal Navy in sz 106, 111, 112. Don’t attack USSR.
J1. Buy trannies and a artillery.
Make a few moves against China, but don´t attack anything else. Move the all Tokyo warships to the seazone containing Midway. The navy sz 19 and 20 moves to Tokyo and incoming transports unloads on the mainland. Move the Tokyo Planes to Solomon Island together with a transport.
G2. Buy Trannies and units for g3 Sealion. Attack the remaining UK navy and invade Scotland.
J2. Buy an AC and some other naval units. Attack Pearl, Solomon, Guam, Philippines and Kwangtung. This way neither UK or Anzac gets any bonus while gaps is gaining 10 IPC. The US income is reduced by 10 for loosing the Philippines and Hawaii.
G3. Invade London and start the war with USSR.
J3 Head for Anzac.
If this is successful the US will be spread to thin. The Japanese only needs one more victory city to win and London is captured. This gives the Germans enough time to deal with Russia alone without the US occupied in the Pacific.
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In the most recent edition of alpha plus, Japan would have to hold those VCs for a full round, allowing the US to retake Hawaii. In addition, leaving a British battleship alive will impair Sealion since the UK can build fleet and defend it with 3 scrambled fighters or it can attack Z112 and kill the German fleet(2 DD, CC, BB, 3 or 4 fighters vs DD, CC, damaged? BB, 3 ftrs.)
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I use 3 OR 4 ftrs depending on whether you use the setup in which Scotland starts with 1 ftr or 2.
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How would you have the Germans play then, should they try to sink both battleships and build an AC to protect the trannies?
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How would you have the Germans play then, should they try to sink both battleships and build an AC to protect the trannies?
In my opinion, with the latest alpha setup, Sealion is not worth it. If you play with the 2 ftrs in Scotland, Germany has only slight odds if it goes all out on both battles(110 and 111), making it unlikely that both will succeed. If there is 1 ftr in Scotland, you may be able to pull it off, but you will lose a lot of air. Moreover, the UK has many more units in the Med with which to attack the Italians with such that they don’t need to use anything from the UK itself. I think Barbarossa is the best policy.
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I think the best bet for Sealion would be to risk it by attacking both BB fleets(since the UK will also lose massive air) and building a CV, which adds 2 planes to coastal defense. However, the extra infantry makes it more costly than it was OOB.