US/UK Purchases Help Turn 1

[BJCard]

@Eggman:

@ghr2:

Once the Italian navy has been wiped out, Italian African and Mideast forces felt with, and 3 or 4 allied subs in 97, the Egypt factory is not too useful unless Russia is about to die.

Less useful, sure, but still handy since the fleet you need to protect the Subs will also cover shucks into Greece, or it can be used to shuck into West India if Japan is still an issue.

Subs do not protect against German air

[Omega1759]

@SunTzu7:

Just started a 1940 v2 global game with a friend. We’ve only played 1942 v1 so we’re finding our feet a little.

As germany he has only managed to take northern france. I managed to get incredibly good dice rolls as france and wiped out all of his ground forces so it is currently empty for Italy to take. He also didn’t kill any of my Navy in Sz 110/111 and bought 3 tanks and a fighter in the first turn.

Just wondering what I do next. Tempted as the UK to buy an AC and a fighter and try and take out his Navy and clear a path so I can try and transport troops to Denmark/Norway to haress him or try and storm Normandy which I know I can take with Naval bombardment but won’t be able to keep. Or I could buy subs and clear his Navy and then try and disrupt his convoy just to keep his IPC low.

Also, I feel like I am buggered in the Med for the time being so opening move should be to try and pull fleet back to India?

UK Pacific Purchases currently look like 3 Infantry and 2 Artillery.

We’ve not played Japan’s turn yet but am considering buying 1 AC, 1 Destroyer, 1 Sub for Pacific with the idea of moving fleet to Hawaii in Turn 1 and then down to Australia in Turn 2. Possibly a carrier in Atlantic with a Sub.

Thanks!

If the Canadian transport is alive, I would move all the fleet to 109 and add one carrier to it (2 transports are a sufficient threat for UK’s second turn). I would then build some troops in South Africa with the 12 IPC remaining (3 mechs or 1 tank / 1 mech).

Build your navy to be invincible (no need for subs unless you can convoy Italy). Only then buy transports once you master the seas.

You should be able to keep Italy off Gibraltar with your fleet, and Egypt should be safe if you pump out land troops from South Africa + an IC in Egypt.

Taking Norway is a good plan, but it is more important to contain Italy in the short run while at least threatening Germany with increasing pressure.

With Russia, you can afford to build up artillery in Leningrad / Ukraine and some mechanized troops in Moscow. Be prepared to push back the Germans (the bad rolls should give you a turn or so of respite) and take Scandinavia with the Russians.

[SunTzu7]

@Omega1759:

If the Canadian transport is alive, I would move all the fleet to 109 and add one carrier to it (2 transports are a sufficient threat for UK’s second turn). I would then build some troops in South Africa with the 12 IPC remaining (3 mechs or 1 tank / 1 mech).

Build your navy to be invincible (no need for subs unless you can convoy Italy). Only then buy transports once you master the seas.

You should be able to keep Italy off Gibraltar with your fleet, and Egypt should be safe if you pump out land troops from South Africa + an IC in Egypt.

Taking Norway is a good plan, but it is more important to contain Italy in the short run while at least threatening Germany with increasing pressure.

With Russia, you can afford to build up artillery in Leningrad / Ukraine and some mechanized troops in Moscow. Be prepared to push back the Germans (the bad rolls should give you a turn or so of respite) and take Scandinavia with the Russians.

Thanks for this. Just to clarify moves then.

US T1 Move Transport towards UK.
UK T1 Attack Norway which will be taken back. Move Canadian Transport which is closer towards UK. Buy Carrier but no Fighter. Buy Troops for SA. Use Med Transport to land troops in Ethiopia. Attack Sz 96/97 with Med Fleet and Air.
France T1 Attack Sz 95.
US T2 Amphib Assault Norway.
UK T2 Follow up in Norway. Buy IC for Egypt.
US T3 Buy IC for Norway.

In USSR, I had pulled back and left only 1 Infantry in any territory bordering Germany. I have about 18 Infantry in Novogorod and 12/14 in Ukraine. I hope the UK will occupy Germany and that my friend won’t declare on USSR so I will then start moving troops to the front line. I bought 12 Infantry last time. I intend to buy 6 Artillery (3 each for Ukraine/Novogorod), After that I am tempted between some Air or Mech Infantry. I may try and send some further units down to Persia. I already have 2 Infantry/1 Mech Infantry/1 Tank in NW PErsia. I intend to activate Persia and then attack Iraq and be able to lend some troops to Egypt.

Only risk is I can see my friend trying to take out my Med fleet with German air on G2. Is that an issue.

What options should I look at for UK Pac and US purchases then?

Currently considering 3 Infantry/2 Artillery for India and try to move troops from India to Burma and try to land some troops on to Samatra. I was also considering pulling Battleship from Malaya to Sumatra just so it’s a little bit more out of range of Jap fleet.

US I was considering spending my 52 IPC on 2 Carriers, 1 Destroyer and 2 Subs all for Pacific. Moving all PAcific Fleet to Hawaii T1 and then to Queensland (Sz54) T2 and moving fighters down towards queensland on T2.

China I have no idea. I guess Japan will take Yunnan T1 so I should take that back. Buy 4 Infantry and place hopefully back in Yunnan I guess?

ANZAC, buy 2 Infantry 1 Artillery. Not much they can do I guess.

[captainwalker]

Is the US at war already?
If they aren’t at war then you won’t be able to use them in Europe until one of the axis powers declares war on them or on US4.
So your plan of having US attack Norway on US2 might have to wait. But that will give you time to buy some more transports and the ground units to fill them.

[SunTzu7]

@captain:

Is the US at war already?
If they aren’t at war then you won’t be able to use them in Europe until one of the axis powers declares war on them or on US4.
So your plan of having US attack Norway on US2 might have to wait. But that will give you time to buy some more transports and the ground units to fill them.

You’re right it’s not. I had forgotten. I’ve been used to playing 1942.

The question is how much investment I should make on Atlantic/Pacific.  I only have the 1 Transport in the Atlant. It takes 2 turns to get anything from Eastern US to Norway. So do I buy in T1 in prep for T3. I could just buy the 1 Carrier, Destroyer and Sub for Pacific. Then 2 Transports, 1 Infantry and 1 Artillery in T1. T2 I could buy a further Carrier for the Pacific and 1 Fighter, 2 Tac Bombers and another artillery.

I’m a little unsure what my strategy should be in the Pacific but I’m hoping to contain Japan and keep the Dutch Islands in Allied control and allow the UK to focus on ground troops against Japan.

On the Atlantic, the alternative to going Norwary is to support the British in the Med and go after Italy. Will take 2 turns to get to Southern France or Italy. Southern France has a Minor IC.  I will have air assets from the British already there and if I put an IC in Egypt then the UK will be about to assist and funnel troops. The more I can land, the more it takes hte pressure off the USSR and I am confident I can make small steps forward on the German/Soviet front.

[Omega1759]

I would wait to attack Norway. You don’t want to lose transports and unnecessarily lose your starting land units. The threat of landing can be as effective as landing itself (you will keep Germans in Norway or Finland and he will struggle to defend both).

It’s better for the US to take Finland. You can move your UK fleet in 91 to cover the US navy (the turn US is a war)

To summarize plan in this particular situation:

1. Consolidate your fleet with a carrier purchase. Make sure that the German Navy + air has no shot at destroying you navy and air cover.

2. Save your transports and land units to have a mobile threat that can be deployed with impunity in 109, 110, 112 or 91.

3. Early on, make sure build units in Africa and / or Middle East. Don’t build an IC that you are going to lose. Keeping the empire will preserve your income at a reasonable level.

4. If Africa / Middle East are stabilized, increase the pressure by adding transports to your fleet, increasing the landing threat

[SunTzu7]

Thanks for that. My last queston on UK is what to do about Ethiopia. My first thought is use transport in Med to take 2 units and from Egypt and the 1 from Anglo-Egyptian Sudan which is a straight 3 v 3 matchup.

I did then consider using the transport at India to move 2 troops into support. My second thought is to use that Transport to load troops on to Celebers and Sumatra (with ANZAC taking Java) and using Cruiser to do bombardment at Ethiopia to even the odds. Or do I just wait to allow troops deployed in SA to make their way up and attack in due course. In that case, I would be more inclined to take troops off Malta and move them to Alexandria or Egypt to hem the Italians in at Tobruk.

Other options ot my original plan for ANZAC is instead of buying troops. Just buy a Destroyer every turn. and position in DEI with British Fleet. By T3 I should have a US Navy nearby. Depends when Japan goes after UK/ANZAC.

[SunTzu7]

@SunTzu7:

Thanks for that. My last queston on UK is what to do about Ethiopia. My first thought is use transport in Med to take 2 units and from Egypt and the 1 from Anglo-Egyptian Sudan which is a straight 3 v 3 matchup.

I did then consider using the transport at India to move 2 troops into support. My second thought is to use that Transport to load troops on to Celebers and Sumatra (with ANZAC taking Java) and using Cruiser to do bombardment at Ethiopia to even the odds. Or do I just wait to allow troops deployed in SA to make their way up and attack in due course. In that case, I would be more inclined to take troops off Malta and move them to Alexandria or Egypt to hem the Italians in at Tobruk.

Brainwave. Use the Transport in a Non COmbat turn to collect the 2 from Malta and move them to Yugoslavia and Greece. Pick up an extra 4 IPC and activate an additional 9 Infantry. Will lose the Transport next round am sure from German Air. This assumes that I have managed to destroy Italian Navy in Sz 96/97. Will move most of troops from Alexandria to Egypt leaving just a few infantry there. Will make 3 Mech Infantry in SA to push up towards Ethiopia/Egypt. Will try and use Aircraft in Malta to support any attacks against Italians. Soviet T3 I would have taken Iraq and will send further troops (mech Infantry) from Volgograd down to support initially. No real attacks on Italians in Africa in UK T1 and probably not UK T2. Hope I can move Med Airforce to Egypt UKT2 to make it difficult to take should Italians decide to sqeeze.

[BJCard]

Brainwave. Use the Transport in a Non COmbat turn to collect the 2 from Malta and move them to Yugoslavia and Greece. Pick up an extra 4 IPC and activate an additional 9 Infantry. Will lose the Transport next round am sure from German Air. This assumes that I have managed to destroy Italian Navy in Sz 96/97. Will move most of troops from Alexandria to Egypt leaving just a few infantry there. Will make 3 Mech Infantry in SA to push up towards Ethiopia/Egypt. Will try and use Aircraft in Malta to support any attacks against Italians. Soviet T3 I would have taken Iraq and will send further troops (mech Infantry) from Volgograd down to support initially. No real attacks on Italians in Africa in UK T1 and probably not UK T2. Hope I can move Med Airforce to Egypt UKT2 to make it difficult to take should Italians decide to sqeeze.

A transport cannot land troops in two different territories, even in noncombat.  Personally, I’d rather use the Med Transport to hit Ethiopia with 1 Inf, 1 Arm along with the Mech Inf from Egypt, Cruiser support, and Inf in Anglo-Egypt Sudan.

[Omega1759]

@SunTzu7:

Thanks for that. My last queston on UK is what to do about Ethiopia. My first thought is use transport in Med to take 2 units and from Egypt and the 1 from Anglo-Egyptian Sudan which is a straight 3 v 3 matchup.

I did then consider using the transport at India to move 2 troops into support. My second thought is to use that Transport to load troops on to Celebers and Sumatra (with ANZAC taking Java) and using Cruiser to do bombardment at Ethiopia to even the odds. Or do I just wait to allow troops deployed in SA to make their way up and attack in due course. In that case, I would be more inclined to take troops off Malta and move them to Alexandria or Egypt to hem the Italians in at Tobruk.

Other options ot my original plan for ANZAC is instead of buying troops. Just buy a Destroyer every turn. and position in DEI with British Fleet. By T3 I should have a US Navy nearby. Depends when Japan goes after UK/ANZAC.

If your opponent is inexperienced, he will likely disperse the Ethiopian troops (easier to pick them up on UK2, Ethiopia is a dicey battle). Activate Persia with your Egypt transport and activate Sumatra with the Indian transport. Don’t put the indian oceal British fleet in range of the Japanese fleet, or they will be wiped out.  These ships are better used in the Med and you have the option to return in the Pacific eventually.

[BJCard]

Ethiopia isn’t that dicey:

2 Inf, 1 Mech Inf, 1 Arm, 1 Cruiser shot against: (should get at least 1 hit, if not 2 the first round)
2 Inf, 1 Art (should get 1 hit first round

Probably win with 1 Mech, 1 Arm and much less Italian headache in Africa.

[SunTzu7]

@BJCard:

A transport cannot land troops in two different territories, even in noncombat.  Personally, I’d rather use the Med Transport to hit Ethiopia with 1 Inf, 1 Arm along with the Mech Inf from Egypt, Cruiser support, and Inf in Anglo-Egypt Sudan.

Damn! THought I may have struck gold on that one! I can’t pick up troops from Malta for Ethiopia so back to my previous plan!

[SunTzu7]

@Omega1759:

@SunTzu7:

Thanks for that. My last queston on UK is what to do about Ethiopia. My first thought is use transport in Med to take 2 units and from Egypt and the 1 from Anglo-Egyptian Sudan which is a straight 3 v 3 matchup.

I did then consider using the transport at India to move 2 troops into support. My second thought is to use that Transport to load troops on to Celebers and Sumatra (with ANZAC taking Java) and using Cruiser to do bombardment at Ethiopia to even the odds. Or do I just wait to allow troops deployed in SA to make their way up and attack in due course. In that case, I would be more inclined to take troops off Malta and move them to Alexandria or Egypt to hem the Italians in at Tobruk.

Other options ot my original plan for ANZAC is instead of buying troops. Just buy a Destroyer every turn. and position in DEI with British Fleet. By T3 I should have a US Navy nearby. Depends when Japan goes after UK/ANZAC.

If your opponent is inexperienced, he will likely disperse the Ethiopian troops (easier to pick them up on UK2, Ethiopia is a dicey battle). Activate Persia with your Egypt transport and activate Sumatra with the Indian transport. Don’t put the indian oceal British fleet in range of the Japanese fleet, or they will be wiped out. � These ships are better used in the Med and you have the option to return in the Pacific eventually.

USSR already has 4 units in NW Persia so I can activate Persia next round. As UK go before Italy, I can either attack Tobruk whre the bulk of his force is or Ethiopia. Both myself and my opponent are inexperienced (as you can all tell!) so he may well split his Ethiopia Force.

[SunTzu7]

@BJCard:

Ethiopia isn’t that dicey:

2 Inf, 1 Mech Inf, 1 Arm, 1 Cruiser shot against: (should get at least 1 hit, if not 2 the first round)
2 Inf, 1 Art (should get 1 hit first round

Probably win with 1 Mech, 1 Arm and much less Italian headache in Africa.

I did think for a minute that I could go for Tobruk but it would be even numbers and there is the Italian Navy in Sz 96 as well. Back to Ethiopia then.

I’ll attack Ethiopia with 1 Mech Infantry, 2 Infantry and 1 Artillery and move all troops from Alexandria to Egypt and leave just 1. Will then land all aircraft from Sz96/97 battle in Egypt.

Just one question. If I attack Sz97 can he scramble?

I will have 2 fighters, 1 Strat Bomber and 1 Tac Bomber, 1 Carrier, 1 Destroyer and 1 Cruiser to attack 96/97. How should I divide up my force? Was thinking

Carrier, Cruiser, Strat Bomber, Tac Bomber, Fighter vs 97 (1 cruiser, 1 battleship)
Destroyer, Fighter, vs 96 (1 destroyer)

If he scrambles in 97, I don’t fancy my chances.

[ghr2]

is your 91 cruiser alive?

[ghr2]

and how many planes do you have left in london/scotland?

[SunTzu7]

@ghr2:

is your 91 cruiser alive?

No. All UK planes are alive.

[BJCard]

How do you have Russian troops in NW Persia if Germany hasn’t attacked yet?

[SunTzu7]

@BJCard:

How do you have Russian troops in NW Persia if Germany hasn’t attacked yet?

Is that not allowed? I will move them back. First 1940 Global game for both my friend and I so possibly a mistake.

[BJCard]

@SunTzu7:

@BJCard:

How do you have Russian troops in NW Persia if Germany hasn’t attacked yet?

Is that not allowed? I will move them back. First 1940 Global game for both my friend and I so possibly a mistake.

Yes, Russia can not activate any neutral territory until they are at war on the respective board.