What is the best (most effective) strategy for the Allies?
Double-Team Germany or Japan?
Please answer this question with RR in mind
Germany first is the key to the Allies game. With RR, the Japanese are pretty much free to do as they please across Asia, making it very difficult for the Allies to go Japan first. But again, it’s really up to how the first turn shapes up before you decide what to do.
(If German rolls are bad T1, then it is possible to switch the Pacific without fear of the Germans unchecked)
I am currently in a game where I’ve did just this (Attack Japan first). I built a IC in SIN on US on T1 … it is now into the 8th round and I still hold that IC on SIN. I also built an IC on S. Africa with UK on T1.
I’ve managed to bottle up Japan – however, GER seems like it may end up taking RUS before I can get enough troops there to assist in defense. I have 12 fighters there; however, it the infantry that needs help and RUS just doesn’t produce enough per turn to match GER.
Tough. Like I said, Germany can be a beast if you let go unchecked. Let me ask you this, where is UK in this game? UK is the key to victory if US is tried with Japan and Russia with Germany. Where is UK?
UK has all of Africa (actually has an IC in S. Africa and on Egypt). It has 10 fighters in RUS and is just starting to poor tanks and a few infantry into RUS. UK has just purchased 4 transports 2 on each of the Africa IC’s. If RUS can hold out another round or two UK should be able to apply some pressure on GER from the MED (I’m hoping anyways. Unfortunately, KAR has already fallen … so, I’m not sure if RUS can hold – although, like I said … UK is getting troops there now every turn and the US finally got a firm hold on SIN and may now be in position to send troops to RUS as well. Still undetermined though.
If you looking to contain Germany, I would suggest using all infantry instead of tanks. Tanks suck on the defensive and they take up 1 more slot on your transport. :)
Anyways, as long as UK has Africa firmly under its control, it’s only a matter of time before the German IPC base weakens. :)
Well … the reason I’ve been purchasing tanks with UK (right now) was the urgency of getting troops to KAR A.S.A.P. But, yeah I agree with the infantry suggestion … I just wanted to move 2 territories instead of 1; but hopefully this will all change soon.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Wait… where is UK’s navy right now? I don’t see why UK can just conveyor belt units from Britain to KAR each turn via transports. I hope your not moving tanks from S. Africa to Karelia, are you!???
Yep … (tanks from Africa)
I’ve just now starting produces transports with UK … haven’t been able to – they would have just been blown out by the GER planes. Like I said there are 10 UK fighters in RUS as well. This is where the grunt of the UK money has been spent. However, now the naval force is going to be concentrated on.
What is the UK income each turn? And how many ftrs down Germany have? It seems odd that UK has 10 ftrs, yet no one brothered to build a carrier yet…
UK’s production is up to 32 now (all they have is GER’s 2 Africa territories) … and they just got back IND (not sure for how long though). Unfortunately, US has been producing a lot from SIN and in the Pacific, so it has no navy in the Atlantic either.
Here’s the situation:
JAPSZ - 3 bb (1 GER), 2 subs (1 GER and the JAP Sub is a Super Sub), 1 ac, 2 ftr, and 6 trn (1 GER).
GER brought it’s navy through the Suez and then UK captured Egypt, thus the GER navy moved to JAP.
US now has 4 subs, 1 bb, 1 ac, 1 ftr and 4 trn in the Pacific. So, I’m still unable to attack the JAPSZ fleet. I’m currently working on a sub fleet to send in (hoping to get 1st shoot hits) and attack the Axis fleet.
It shouldn’t be much longer. The Allies should be in good position in another turn or 2 (barring the fall of RUS).
I would start using those 32 IPCs UK has to build a decent navy. Can America lend any ftr support?
I agree … the UK navy is what is the priority; however, I still need to send troops to RUS – so, the money is a little split.
As for the US … I have the same problem. I need to continue to purchase units in SIN and build up a navy to attack the Axis fleet on JAPSZ. So fighter support from the US may or may not be a possibility right now. I do have plans on buying one fighter next turn to join the other fighter on the US ac. I may buy a figther in SIN as well (if I can afford it) and send one of the four US fighters there to MOS. Not sure how this is going to play out yet (as I’m waiting on the JAP move).
hmm, sounds sticky. try a brit carrier w/2 ftr’s in UKSZ. just to cover the area. then use your closest UKIC (egypt, right?) to pump out subs to get the japanese with the americans. rendevouz w/ the US in Hawaii, then send in the sub fleets.
Germany is the key. Both Russia and UK can be threaten in the early game by Germany thus the Allies should go a Europe first plan. That doesn’t mean they ignore Japan. It’s just that Germany should be the allies first thought.
I tend to agree with you on the fact that GER is the immediate threat; however, JAP is the real threat in my opinion. It’s hard to get at JAP, and if left to roam … watch out – the sun will rise! It’s hard for GER to build a navy and still apply pressure on RUS. So, UK usually doesn’t have anything to worry about – just RUS. Keep RUS in the game that is the sole (main) key to an Allied victory.
But all in all … it doesn’t matter who you concentrate on first – BOTH must have some pressure applied to it … or the Axis will prevail.
I think the main key to an allied victory is the development of UK/US aid to Russia so that Germany can never get a real offensive going against her thus giving Russia the ability to transfer troops to the east and stem the Japanese tide.
Germany usually gets Africa first and so weakens UK terribly for maybe 2 rounds (and if J gets India it’s even worse) but usually Germany doesn’t have the ability to reinforce Africa (if they do it’s tougher for Ally, or if Japan gets to Africa watch out) so a few US troops can get it back for UK. Basically the UK has to get back on its feet so it can help pump troops into Russia and also keep Germany honest on the western front. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a German player think “I can hold WEu with x many troops” only to not see a transport here or there, or just plain underestimate what the Allies are willing to throw at him.
Again, key to me is getting UK/US troops into Russia so Russia can send all troops East to face Japan. Send in a couple of UK/US fighters as well for defense and after a while Japan cannot advance anymore. Once Japan’s advance is contained, the US can start building a Pacific fleet and transports and start Island hopping because usually Japan takes all her island troops to the mainland. Eventually $ of Allies > Axis, as can be expected.
But if you can’t get UK back up from the 18 IPC a turn she usually falls to within 2 turns so she can start a healthy troop pump to Russia, Germany will just overwhelm and then it’s mucho problemos.
I can agree with everything in your post, Kyrial, except that the US and UK forces in Russia should be tranfered to the Far East Front. The reason for this is because, with Russia, you never want to split forces, this makes you weaker on the offensive. A single Russian army is more powerful than a combined one made up of UK, US, and Russian troops. The main offensive threat Uk and US should signal to Germany is of Western Europe, forcing the German to split resources between the two fronts.
Point taken TG Moses on the not wanting to split up the Russian army. Admittedly it is better served being one and able to punch into German territory at will.
The reason I split things is because I view the game in terms of pure economics… IF you can simply keep Axis on the defensive, eventually you win out as Allies. So for my play as Ally it’s not as important to mount an offensive as Russia against Germany but simply to get enough troops surrounding Germany so that she can no longer expand. Basically it gets to the point where all she controls is Germany, WEu, SEu and Eeu and maybe Ukr (if trading off as a dead zone).
Controlling Germany is easier than Japan because you have more forces and more local ability to get defensive positions (via UK troops to Karelia and US troops as well) and to threan WEu if the Germans aren’t honest there. But with Japan, US forces are far, far away and likely you have no navy (everything to Europe), plus even if you did there’s nothing in the pacific that will really put a dent in the Japanese economy except maybe Phillipines. And UK unless you have IC on India in T1 you don’t have local forces and anyways you should concentrate most of you efforts against Germany (tho that part is up to personal discretion and gamestyle).
Which leaves Russia as the only force who can get large swaths of infantry to confront the Japanese within a few turns and can keep pumping out 8-9 INF a turn against the Japanese (getting a tank every now and then to launch the limited offensive).
Once Axis can no longer expand, barring some really fluke die rolls, it’s a matter of time before Allies win. So that’s why I try and have the bulk of the Russian army on the East against Japan after the first few turns.
It’s my style of play but I can certainly see where you have a point about the Russian army being as one and fighting Germany.
I have a question: how do you confront the Japanese if you do that?
I agree with kyrial on this one … at least early in the game.
