How is the balance with the new Alpha 2 changes? Please give your view.

[cts17]

Alpha 2 is fairly balanced. I feel that perhaps Italy should start with a few more ground units in Europe that may be used against Russia. Other than that, it seems to be fine.

You simply need to wait for new strategies to come out. In most games, Germany goes for a Sealion, or at least prepares for one. An all out attack on Russia is a far better strategy. Indeed, a good British player can even stop an attempted Sealion with a naval build. Yes, you read that right - a naval build. I hate it when British players buy stacks of infantry. They’re useless. They sit in London and do nothing. Build a navy to defeat the Germans.

If America commits entirely to Japan, Japan will fall. That’s the way it should be. There is too much going against Japan in that scenario for any balancing act to change. The problem with that is that Germany will win the game by herself. If she hits Moscow, and she will if America does not step in, then it is game over.

America has to be balanced. The fact that Cmdr Jennifer thinks that a KJF strat, even the northern route that doesn’t use transports, will work is pretty preposterous. Granted, I do agree that hers is the better version of most KJF strats I’ve seen and used, but you must build in the Atlantic too, or you’ve lost to Germany and Italy.

In response to the OP, Alpha 2 is balanced, with a few minor tweaks necessary. Particularly the Mediterranean and Japan’s income.

[Jennifer]

America should be penalized for not helping England.  The only possible way someone could claim that a country making more than 3 or 4 other countries COMBINED is balanced is if they have to play on two boards simultaneously.

Move 10 or 15 IPC worth of NOs to the Atlantic.  Now the playing field in the Pacific is even since either America will lose 60 to 90 IPC worth of units, or divert 60-90 IPC worth of units to the Atlantic to stop the losses.

In any event, if the game was “balanced” then the axis would win 50% of the time and the allies would win 50% of the time and there would be no “I win” button strategies, like American Pac-Strat.

All out attack on Russia?  That’s doomed to failure!  Now you dont even have the bonus cash for England AND you have British units being built!  How’s that a winning goal?  I can still keep you pesky, Germans at bay with Russia!  Only difference is, now I have British units landing in Normandy and Holland forcing you to divert units to kick them out again!

[cts17]

Ummm… a good British player won’t let Germany take her before G4 or G5 anyways… and then America is there, or Russia is too huge. How can Germany conduct a Sealion when she has to deal with the Royal Navy?

[jim010]

@cts17:

Ummm… a good British player won’t let Germany take her before G4 or G5 anyways… and then America is there, or Russia is too huge. How can Germany conduct a Sealion when she has to deal with the Royal Navy?

By making Russia weaker.

[Jennifer]

You sink the Royal navy, in its entirety, on Round 1, on Round 3 you take England.  Trick is stacking Scotland on Round 2, so you need less transports.  England either attacks the stack weakening London or does not attack the stacks, giving you more to hit them with. Either way, they lose.

[cts17]

You sink the entire Royal Navy fleet? In Alpha +2? That’s pushing it. What do you hit everything with? There are 6 different starting locations for the British fleet. You only have so many planes and subs…

[Jennifer]

SZ 106: Submarine
SZ 91: 2 Submarines
SZ 111: A bunch of planes, some submarines
SZ 112: warships and a plane
SZ 110: A bunch of planes, some submarines.

For the record:  I use no planes in France, only ground units.  When I am done with England, there is no fleet left in the Atlantic with the possible exception of SZ 106.

[jim010]

@Cmdr:

You sink the Royal navy, in its entirety, on Round 1, on Round 3 you take England.  Trick is stacking Scotland on Round 2, so you need less transports.  England either attacks the stack weakening London or does not attack the stacks, giving you more to hit them with. Either way, they lose.

This can be stopped.  You cannot take London G3 when UK defends properly against it.  You are not taking UK out.  And I’ll be happy to prove it.

[jim010]

@Cmdr:

SZ 106: Submarine
SZ 91: 2 Submarines
SZ 111: A bunch of planes, some submarines
SZ 112: warships and a plane
SZ 110: A bunch of planes, some submarines.

For the record:  I use no planes in France, only ground units.  When I am done with England, there is no fleet left in the Atlantic with the possible exception of SZ 106.

:?

You can’t hit the DD in sz109, and if you use the 2 sb to hit sz91, scrambling in sz110 becames a great idea.

[Jennifer]

If you scramble SZ 109, you don’t scramble SZ 110.

[jim010]

You didn’t hit 109 in your post, and I can use the fht in scotland.

[jim010]

And are you sendng any planes to Sit even?

[Jennifer]

S. Italy?  No.  I always have bad luck in SZ 97 regardless of what side I am on, I’m tired of losing half my air force for no tangible results because the dice gods hate me!

Besides, this way I have 11 aircraft to use against SZ 110 and SZ 111.  (I COULD hit SZ 109 instead of SZ 106, I suppose, but what’s the point?  Yer right, my opening doesn not include a punch at SZ 109, but that’s to do with scrambled fighters, not because I cannot.)

[jim010]

I COULD hit SZ 109 instead of SZ 106, I suppose, but what’s the point?

The point?  You are not killing The UK fleet in entirety, as it is not possible.  That TT lives to go back to Canada and get the inf and tank to London.

Then your opening runs a risk of losing 6 planes in sz110.  And you are also relying on luck that you get the DD and TT in sz106.

Assuming that you actually kill that TT, and that UK doesn’t get lucky in sz112 and you have the CA, then the BEST you can do against London on G3 is:

12 inf, 4 art, 8 tanks, 5 fht, 5 tac, 1 bmb

vs UK’s best

23 inf, 4 tanks, 7 fht, 1 tac

That’s 40% for Sealion.  If you don’t get the TT in sz106 (and 66% of the time you won’t) make it 22%.

If you land in Scotland with 6 inf, then you need to protect those 3 TTs from air attack from 6 fht, 1 tac if you place in sz111, 109 or 119.  Then your newly bought TTs will also need to be defended against thse planes in sz112 if you place them there.  Otherwise you place them in sz113 and you will need to defend there against 5 fht (even followed by a French fht) and even run the risk of being blocked.

Against a proper defense, you can’t do Sealion.  I’d be happy to play and prove it.

[special forces]

@jim010:

(snip)
That’s 40% for Sealion.  If you don’t get the TT in sz106 (and 66% of the time you won’t) make it 22%.

40%…

I know it’s probably hard to calculate, but… what would be the odds for Germany to do a succesful Sea-Lion after a failed first attempt?

[jim010]

You can just do as Cmdr Jen suggested, but land in Scotland on turn 3 instead and then hit turn 4.  The odds are very good, but you have emptied Europe to do it.

The only option for UK is to hit Scotland for 2 turns and retreat, and hopefully the odds will have dropped for Germany.

[Jennifer]

@jim010:

You can just do as Cmdr Jen suggested, but land in Scotland on turn 3 instead and then hit turn 4.  The odds are very good, but you have emptied Europe to do it.

The only option for UK is to hit Scotland for 2 turns and retreat, and hopefully the odds will have dropped for Germany.

But isn’t that still Doing Sea Lion and it being Successful?

I never claimed you’d have the man power to do Sea Lion and blitz into Russia!  I assumed you’d lose Poland, Hungary and Romania to Russia on the round or round before you take London, I am only contending that if Germany really wants England, they are going to get it.  There’s nothing England can do to stop it.

[jim010]

You sink the Royal navy, in its entirety, on Round 1, on Round 3 you take England.  Trick is stacking Scotland on Round 2, so you need less transports.  England either attacks the stack weakening London or does not attack the stacks, giving you more to hit them with. Either way, they lose.

You argued for a G3.  You also argued for removing UK’s fleet  round 1.  Neither are possible if played properly.

[jim010]

Now in a concession to you, I have been too chicken to do a Sealion 4.

It takes everything I have to hold Russia from entering Poland on turn 4, so I wouldn’t like the position I’d be in if 90% of my army is in London when Russia attacks turn 4.

[Jennifer]

I don’t mind Russia invading Poland, Hungary and Romania.  I’ve cleared out Russians after they’ve gotten all the way down to Greece before.  Thing is, I’ve only done it if London was in my hands.

Also, in regards to fleet, if all England has left is a destroyer and a transport, I have effectively left them with no fleet.

In regards to G3/G4 sea lion, they are instance specific.  If you cannot do it on G3, you will do it on G4.  If you don’t throw away perfectly good planes defending replaceable Italian ships, you can probably do it on G3. (Saving them is great and all, but the opportunity cost isn’t worth it in my book.)

Once England is gone, you have +13 IPC a round, that effectively covers your 9 IPC loss in the East.