• Customizer

    A number of posts since I replied.

    Commando Brado, why don’t you post your opening moves, and then I can give a more detailed response.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Opening Attacks:

    SZ 106
    SZ 110
    SZ 111
    SZ 112
    W. France
    France
    Yugoslavia
    Bulgaria
    Finland

    Just so you know what mine are.

    Opening Purchases: 1 Aircraft Carrier, 2 Transpots

  • Customizer

    Without knowing what you hit those spaces with, there is no way of calculating odds.

    I could scramble should the odds be favourable to do damage.


  • The more I think about Sea-lion, the less likely it should be done. If we are assuming that it is completed in turn three, using 10 transports, you would LITERALLY have less than 10 guys on the Eastern Front. Sea-lion is not worth losing your advantages in the East, Especially if Russia decides to mass on the front line instead of in Novgorod, Belarus, and the Ukraine. Even if you are making an extra 13 IPCs per turn from England (and the 35 or so IPCs England has), you still have to recuperate your ground and air losses. If America decides to drop a few units in the European theater before Sea-lion, you might even lose all of your transports.

    The only time I would ever do Sea-lion is when the opportunity arises, perhaps on G2 or far later in the game. However, I think it is absolutely necessarily to prepare Sea-lion, to ensure that the UK doesn’t get a free hand in the Med or in the North Atlantic. It might just be best to pin down the UK with subs and raid the convoys. Essentially make them worthless.


  • 13 IPC’s extra a turn is HUGE! Plus w/the 25 to 35 IPC’s you get from sacking the UK, you can rebuild whatever you want. Also, you can potentially take out a major power. This is the biggest point. And keep it, if the US doesn’t put a major effort into taking it back. This is worth it in my opinion.


  • @Commando:

    13 IPC’s extra a turn is HUGE! Plus w/the 25 to 35 IPC’s you get from sacking the UK, you can rebuild whatever you want. Also, you can potentially take out a major power. This is the biggest point. And keep it, if the US doesn’t put a major effort into taking it back. This is worth it in my opinion.

    But even with those IPCs, Once you take England, America is automatically in the war, and since the factory is downgraded to a minor, it makes it very easy to liberate. You are still going to have to get to Moscow, unless you are able to pull off a G2 sea-lion. Plus, with such a small army on the Eastern Front you risk Russia having a formidable attacking force, not just a turtle army.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I’m assuming round 4 take of London, which means America’s already in the war!  THey just havn’t done anything hostile yet.

    This allows me to use twice as many ground units as a turn three sea lion.  Which means, more surivors.

  • Customizer

    @jim010:

    Without knowing what you hit those spaces with, there is no way of calculating odds.

    I could scramble should the odds be favourable to do damage.

    @jim010:

    A number of posts since I replied.

    Commando Brado, why don’t you post your opening moves, and then I can give a more detailed response.

    Ignored yet again.  Typical whenever I try to look into someone’s claims deeper.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I didn’t post specifics because I didn’t want to turn on my netbook.  I still don’t.  I’ll try to go off the cuff a bit:

    Builds: Aircraft Carrier, 2 Transports

    Naval
    SZ 112: Battleship, Cruiser (82% Odds)
    SZ 111: Fighter, Tactical, Strategic, 2 Submarines (86% Odds with Scrambled Fighter)
    SZ 110: 3 Fighters, 3 Tacticals, 2 Submarines (92.5% Odds, with 3 scrambled fighters)
    SZ 106: Submarine (40/40/20% Odds)

    Ground
    W. France:  3 Infantry, Artillery, Armor, Fighter, Tactical (89% Odds)
    France: 4 Infantry, 2 Artillery, 4 Mechanized, 5 Armor (99% Odds)
    Yugoslavia: 8 Infantry, 2 Artillery, 3 Armor (100% Odds)
    Bulgaria: 2 Infantry (100% Odds)
    Finland: 2 Infantry (100% Odds)

    The only battle that is iffy is the SZ 106 battle, all the rest are 80% or higher odds in favor, even with maximal scrambling.  Meaning, all you are doing by scrambling is letting me kill your fighters earlier and thus, making it easier for me to take London - so, it’s assumed you won’t be scrambling.


  • As Germany, doesn’t anyone ever take 1 tank and 2 mechs to go attack Southern France, so they can use the factory in the Med? I usually go all out for all French Territories, because they all hold something valuable (France - money, Normandy - UK fighter, S. France - Factory in the med).

    Back to the main point…

    I still think It is impossible to deal with Russia when you have lost your edge on the Russia border. By the you put enough men on the border, Russia will have massive stacks of infantry and artillery to hit any of your German provinces.

    G1 - 1 AC 2 transports (30 IPCs on hand)
    G2 - 7-9 transports 5 infantry ( 70 IPCs on hand)
    G3 - 5 infantry 5 art 2 tanks (52 Ipcs on hand) or some other ground force combination
    G4 - Whatever else you need…

    If you start to get “whatever else you need” at G4 the Russians will already out match you on the borders, even IF you build a Major IC in Romania during G3, and be able to attack. With that set back it will take at least another 7 turns to get to Moscow, because by that time America could liberate England and you still need another victory city.

    IMO if you don’t pull off sea-lion G2, you won’t have enough time to get deep into Russia and you won’t be able to hold off an America liberation force.


  • One thing to remind everyone is that if you are playing Alpha 2+ then if Germany pulls of Sealion in the Second turn then America can jump into the war that turn making it harder to defend Britain from an American counter attack.

  • Customizer

    Thank-you.

    Note that you used too many tanks, and your aircraft distribution doesn’t work, though.

    I see then that 2/3 games I will have that TT in sz106, so the 2 inf, art and tank will typically be in London.

    There is an even chance that you will have 1 sb left in either 110 or 111 (in sz111 you are just as likely to survive with 1 sb as no sb).  If so, it should be hit to get the sb bonus for a total of $41 in 1/4 games.

    sz112

    UK 1

    Builds 9 inf save $1

    sz106 to sz109
    1 TT (load from Que 1 inf, 1 tank to London)

    sz109 to sz106
    1 TT

    Ont to Que
    1 inf, 1 art

    sz109 to sz104
    1 DD

    sz98 to sz94
    1 DD

    sz98 to sz92
    1 CA, 1 CV, 1 TT (load from Mal 1 inf, 1 AA to Gib)

    sz98 to Gib
    1 tac

    Mal to Gib
    1 fht

    Place

    London
    9 inf

    Collect
    $36

    With this opening, I’ll have 25 inf, 3 tanks, 1 art, 6 fht, 1 tac.  So what will your G2 look like?

    sea.AAM

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I did not use too many of anything.

    You should also assume that the transport in SZ 106 is sunk.  It generally is.  If you prefer, I would be more than happy moving a second submarine over to ensure it is sunk and still have 80% odds in both SZ 110 and SZ 111 easily.  Drop 1 Infantry, 1 Armor from your lineup in England.  Drop the second two ground units as well, that second transport isn’t making landfall either.  Down 4 ground units right there.

    So England is down to 20-22 ground units, 4 or 5 planes.  Germany has 40 Ground units, 11 planes, 2 shore bombardments.

  • Customizer

    @Cmdr:

    I did not use too many of anything. (You only have 8 tanks, not 9.  And your plane distribution doesn’t work.)

    You should also assume that the transport in SZ 106 is sunk.  It generally is (2 out of 3 games that it is alive and you consider that generally dead?).  If you prefer, I would be more than happy moving a second submarine over to ensure it is sunk and still have 80% odds in both SZ 110 and SZ 111 easily(then I can scramble in 1 of those, and you’ll lose more aircraft than I would).  Drop 1 Infantry, 1 Armor from your lineup in England.  Drop the second two ground units as well, that second transport isn’t making landfall either (prove it).  Down 4 ground units right there.

    So England is down to 20-22 ground units, 4 or 5 planes.  Germany has 40 Ground units, 11 planes, 2 shore bombardments.

    I gave a response based on likely odds.  Your opening allows for great variation in sz106 and sz112, and maybe in a couple others, but I can’t tell until you fix your plane distribution and the tanks.  I supplied a map with the likely outcomes.  The TT in sz106 IS a likely outcome 60% of the time.
    You can show your moves based on those likely outcomes.

  • Customizer

    And where are you getting 40 ground units G3 with 9 - 10 TTs?

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    G4, I didn’t say G3.  19 Ground units + 1 AA Gun on G3 to Scotland, 20 Ground units from Europe + 19 Ground units from Scotland = about 40 ground units (39, unless I put a ground unit in scotland instead of the AA Gun) and I have 11 aircraft to start with. (5 Fighters, 5 Tactical Bombers, 1 Strategic Bomber.  That’s all I sent out, works great!  Do it all the time!  Never run out of pilots!)

    Changing SZ 110 to 3 Fighters, 3 Tactical Bombers, ONE Submarine drops it to 80% odds and gives a second submarine for SZ 106.  Either way, that transport is TOAST!  It does not exist!  Churchill is writing letters to the families of those poor sailors who DIED off the coast of Canada!

    Yes, you can move one over to SZ 106, so maybe you can get 2 units from Canada over.  Fine.  We’ll say you do.

    England R1: 28 IPC
    England R2: 33 IPC
    England R3: 28 IPC

    89 Total IPC to spend.  Roughly 30 Infantry giving you a grand total of:

    35 Infantry, 1 Armor, 5 or 6 Fighters, 0 or 1 Tactical Bombers
    vs
    25 Infantry, 10 Artillery, 5 Armor, 5 Fighters, 5 Tactical Bombers, 1 Strategic Bomber

    For argument’s sake, I’ll ran the numbers with 6 fighters, 1 tactical bomber present in England and with no defense in Scotland (walkin for Germany).

    I have the battle at 99.3% Germany wins after 3.1 rounds of combat with loss of 25 Infantry, 3 Artillery, 1 Fighter, 1 Tactical OR Strategic Bomber (108-109 IPC lost) ~ Aircraft losses due to AA Gun Fire.

    England wiped off the map.

    Note: Anything left in SZ 110 is cleared by the Vaunted Italian Air Froce, add in 1 Cruiser, 1 Battleship bombardment
    Note: Med fleet trapped by Germans prior to Round 2.

  • Customizer

    @Cmdr:

    G4, I didn’t say G3.  19 Ground units + 1 AA Gun on G3 to Scotland, 20 Ground units from Europe + 19 Ground units from Scotland = about 40 ground units (39, unless I put a ground unit in scotland instead of the AA Gun) and I have 11 aircraft to start with. (5 Fighters, 5 Tactical Bombers, 1 Strategic Bomber.  That’s all I sent out, works great!  Do it all the time!  Never run out of pilots!)

    And your aircraft distribution STILL doesn’t work!  AND you still used too many tanks in Europe!

    Changing SZ 110 to 3 Fighters, 3 Tactical Bombers, ONE Submarine drops it to 80% odds (75%, actually, if I scramble.  And you lose teh sb and 4 planes, I lose the ships and 3 planes.)and gives a second submarine for SZ 106.  Either way, that transport is TOAST!  It does not exist! (You changed your opening.  Why don’t you give your definitive opening, and THEN we can talk, rather than you changing it when I point out there is a problem.)  Churchill is writing letters to the families of those poor sailors who DIED off the coast of Canada!

    Yes, you can move one over to SZ 106, so maybe you can get 2 units from Canada over.  Fine.  We’ll say you do.

    England R1: 28 IPC
    England R2: 33 IPC ($36)
    England R3: 28 IPC

    89 Total IPC to spend.  Roughly 30 Infantry giving you a grand total of:

    35 Infantry, 1 Armor, 5 or 6 Fighters, 0 or 1 Tactical Bombers
    vs
    25 Infantry, 10 Artillery, 5 Armor, 5 Fighters, 5 Tactical Bombers, 1 Strategic Bomber

    For argument’s sake, I’ll ran the numbers with 6 fighters, 1 tactical bomber present in England and with no defense in Scotland (walkin for Germany).

    I have the battle at 99.3% Germany wins after 3.1 rounds of combat with loss of 25 Infantry, 3 Artillery, 1 Fighter, 1 Tactical OR Strategic Bomber (108-109 IPC lost) ~ Aircraft losses due to AA Gun Fire.

    England wiped off the map.

    Note: Anything left in SZ 110 is cleared by the Vaunted Italian Air Froce, add in 1 Cruiser, 1 Battleship bombardment
    Note: Med fleet trapped by Germans prior to Round 2. (how?)

    I gave a map to follow throught the logical moves based on outcomes determined by odds.  A discussion on the defense of London should be based on this as every detail is important.  We can see what the board should look like and discuss it based on that, accepting odds and the potential variations if they are inportant.  If you don’t want to follow this through, but prefer abstracts, then I won’t bother wasting my time anymore.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Where are you getting 36 IPC on round 2?

    My calculator gives me 80% odds in SZ 110 still and yes, you’d lose 3 planes, but each plane lost by England requires at least 1.3 German planes to balance out and that’s not going to happen either.

    Also, my aircraft distribution works just fine.  Check your map.  I think you are either missing some aircraft on it, or you are not counting sea zones correctly, or something, but it works great.

    I have 1 too many tanks, fine.  Drop a tank from somewhere, it doesn’t matter, I have overwhelming odds everywhere declared.  Perhaps I don’t do SZ 110, I probably will since I can easily take out 3 British fighters for a few submarines and a fighter or two of my own (yummy, british fighters are very yummy!  Equivalent to SBRing England for 16 IPC each!  Yes, they’re only worth 10 literally, but since you need 1.67 fighters of mine to balance each one you lose with England, it matters not to me!)

    Close Med demonstration: Sink Destroyer, move German fleet.  Done.  Didn’t take any imagination.  Your ships are pinned.

  • Customizer

    W. France:  3 Infantry, Artillery, Armor, Fighter, Tactical (89% Odds)

    Where did these planes come from?

    Give me a map with your G1.  Otherwise, it is not worth commenting anymore.


  • @jim010:

    I gave a map to follow throught the logical moves based on outcomes determined by odds.  A discussion on the defense of London should be based on this as every detail is important.  We can see what the board should look like and discuss it based on that, accepting odds and the potential variations if they are inportant.  If you don’t want to follow this through, but prefer abstracts, then I won’t bother wasting my time anymore.

    awesome!  Really Jennifer is the one who complains about people doing what she is doing now!  Funny stuff.  Still I like this exercise because it shows the ligaments and tendons of the defend UK strategy.

    Also, the UK Med fleet can be blocked if you do not put a ship in the sz off Spain.  Italy can sink the blocking ship and Germany can swoop down, take Gib and trap the UK fleet.

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