UK early in game

[yamamato456]

Should UK land in Norway first turn, reinforce U.S.A. in Algeria, or land in WEU if possible.

[Guest]

Remaining flexible with UK, and USA in Europe, is more important than sticking to any pre-set strategy.  Where did the German player leave weak spots in G1?  He may have left Western Europe lightly defended, but perhaps a reinforced Baltic fleet and Luftwaffe stand ready to sink any UK fleet in SZ 6 or SZ 7.  If this is the case I may mass UK and USA in SZ 12 and Algeria for the safety in numbers, and then make my landings with the combined numbers of the Allied fleet enough to deter an attack in G3.  If the German player has left his airforce in Africa or other places that cannot reach SZ 3 or SZ 4, than come to Norway and/or Karelia hard in UK 1–your ships are safe.  Most important, in my opinion, is not sacrificing sea or air units on one-turn wondermoves.  If UK can have a 4 TRN and BB fleet plus 4-5 FIGs by UK 3 than Germany is in for turn after turn of harassment and territory trading that will ultimately keep them from massing on the Eastern front and eventually force the turtle.  And if Japan sits heavy near Moscow, simply drop those UK FIGs in Russia and protect the Motherland until the US and UK one-two punch Berlin.

[A Former User]

Hi

What to do with the UK is higly depending on what your overall strategy with the allies is, if your going for Japan first I would think it important to help out the russians with reinforcements, as they will need all the inf they can get to hold the germans at bay. You should in this case try to keep gather your navy at a single point where its easily defendable, as you will have a hard time against the german fleet this early without the US distraction of germany, and the british fleets it vital for a succesfull reinforcement of russia.
Key areas to focus on here would imo be the north atlantic seazone, where you will be able to sail in all the reinforcements you can into Archangelsk, from here you will still threathen areas as Norway & Karelia. While its still a fairly easy defendable area to hold.

If you decide to go for germany first, it is vital that you place your fleet at the most flexible point, you will need to threathen germany on as many points as possible, this will force germany on the defensive and if you succeed in obtaing this goal early in the game it should only be a matter of time before the overall economy of the allies will be the key to a succesfull invasion into europe.
If this be the case the North Sea would prove as a great option on threathing nearly every inch of land beloning to Germany, this forces germany to an infantry build up in their capitol. While you should be trading territories at all possible and economical favorable points.

But still everything depends on you opponents move…

Regards,
-Daniel Malus

[Axel Allie]

the strategy my opponent has, and which is devastating by turn 3 or 4, is buying figs every round with UK!!!

at the start, he has 2 figs and a bomber, he flies them over to whichever country of Russia is needing some backup defense, and where those figs will not be cannonfodder!

he buys 3 figs in UK1

then, in UK2 he buys 3 figs if he can and attacks Norway or Karelia with an amphibiuos assault supported by 5 figs and 1 bomber!
the AF lands somewhere save in Russia…

so by the start of UK3, he probably has 8 figs and 1 bomber and he has already landed his first troops on German soil…
in UK3 he will start buying inf and armor and a trannie if necessary to ship to Norway in UK4.
in UK 4 he buys 3 figs again!
at the end of UK4, he now probably has 11 figs, one bomber and 6 or 8 ground units available in combat versus G!
Normally, this does have quite a punch versus G!!!
So, in UK5 he begins his stroll to push G away from Russia! slow and steady!
(having 11 figs and a bomber to support you in combat usely makes the attack versus G only last one round…)
and ground units are in this case of less importance for his UK strategy!
for example: if he attacks with only 2 ground units and all the figs? and he has to take 2 casualties: the ground units can be taking… In this way the territory will be vacant and Russia can take it instead!

Of course: this is only possible if USA is willing to liberate Africa…

And this strategy of my friend is not depending on the strat of G to much…
(I noticed this one in the games I was playing axis…)

[Jetfan4hire]

my strategy is to find the most viable supply line to Russia. Usually ends up being in the North

[General_D.Fox]

I just wnat to know how the UK can keep buying fighters every round(seems like 3 from what Axel Allie is saying) if they’re down possibly India and a few more African countries?  Even if they take Norway, that’s only 3 itself, and if Germany has taken 3 or 4 from African by round 4 and Japan already has 3 from India, that’d put UK down possibly 7.

[Axel Allie]

You’re totally right, General D. Fox…
I can not predict how things go for UK…

@Axel:

at the end of UK4, he now probably has 11 figs, one bomber and 6 or 8 ground units available in combat versus G!

indeed, normally he can not ALWAYS buy 3 figs a round…
but even if he has 26 IPC’s for example on 2 following rounds, he still has 52 in total meaning 5 figs in 2 rounds…
so, maybe he had 10 figs at the end of UK 4.
Actually it was only for the gist of it…
meaning my opponent builds an UK AF that is getting pretty terrifying after 4 or 5 rounds.
Even with 9 or 10 figs flying around in Russia that help some less important UK ground troops attack G…
I think you see the problem for G arising…

UK1: he has 30 IPC’s to spend = 3 figs, income will be probably 28 IPC’s (lost Egypt)
UK2: he has 28 IPC’s to spend = 2 figs and 2 inf (totalling 26 IPC’s), income will be probably around 26 IPC’s (lost Egypt (-2), India (-3), another African country or 2 (-2) but maybe gained Norway (+3))
UK3: he has 26+1 IPC’s to spend = he buys 1 fig and 3 artillery and 1 inf (totalling 27 IPC’s) and gaining 26 IPC? I don’t know, 'cause I sure hope USA did something in Africa and in this case you might have regained some of your IPC’s…
UK4: he has 26 IPC’s to spend = he can buy 2 figs and some other stuff or keep the 6 IPC’s for next round…

so he will probably have 2 (UK0) + 3 (UK1) + 2 (UK2) + 1 (UK3) + 2 (UK4) = 10 figs (instead of 11)
But even if G manages to counterattack this strategy (?) and UK has only 8 figs it still gets a pain in the a** for G…
but, thx for the correction General D. Fox :-)

[Jetfan4hire]

@General_D.Fox:

I just wnat to know how the UK can keep buying fighters every round(seems like 3 from what Axel Allie is saying) if they’re down possibly India and a few more African countries?  Even if they take Norway, that’s only 3 itself, and if Germany has taken 3 or 4 from African by round 4 and Japan already has 3 from India, that’d put UK down possibly 7.

If UK is wasting economy on fighters every round that means thier transports are carrying less ground units. That won’t work against an axis player who knows what he’s doing. JMO

[Alyosha00]

I would concentrate more on my forces in the Indian Ocean and africa than anything. It doesn’t take much concentration to build navy/fighters and try and land in Europe. What is difficult is keeping the UK a world power instead of being isolated in the north seas

[Axel Allie]

My opponent did do quite some havoc and his AF never dropped below 10 once he reached this at UK4…
But, like Jetfan4hire already posted: Probably that won’t work against an axis player who knows what he is doing…

G was crippled heavily short after with only 3 territories remaining - value 22 IPC’s
I know, I messed up really bad that game :-)
So, G didn’t have the force to strike back at the figs…
And that’s the reason why things worked out for my opponent…