So, how to break the TP? We call it the Rumanian Wedge. The basic understanding is that Russia must split Germany’s offensive, i.e. drive a wedge into it. The UK and US must utilize Lend-Lease (Soviet Patriotic War) and continue to ship both fighters and bombers to Russia each turn (for US, as much as possible for UK). This additional punch will be critical to the Eastern Front in later rounds. A combination of this wedge being driven into Axis forces and the continual addition of aircraft will be the key to grinding the Tank-Push to a halt. This will not cause the Russians to quickly be pouring into Berlin, but the point isn’t to do that. It’s an Allied cause and for the the Russians to simply fight to a standstill is all that needs to occur until the other Allies can overcome the Atlantic wall and open the 2nd front. Still what will most often happen is that the German offensive will be crushed in Belo, and the last group of Armor and Luftwaffe will be sitting in E Poland without additional support because Germany has turtled as UK/US are assaulting Germany after liberating France.
The Rumanian Wedge
The key is Rumania. Often Bessarbia can come into play with it, but will most likely always include Rumania. Any pulling of German forces in Europe away from the buildup and march to Moscow will help the allies. This is about pitting Soviet forces against Axis in helpful situations (not always winning, but helpful) Think about this, normally most of the German forces around Rumania/Hungary (Balkans/Czech/Austria/etc) will end up in those two countries at the end of G1 to help discourage a Russian offensive. But all 6 of the Russian tanks can end up in striking range of Rumania at the end of R1 and a large enough buildup in Ukraine in R1 will often again cause additional buildup on G2 in Rumania/Hungary. So a R2 strike with ARM/INF/ART into Rumania supported by air will destroy the German military there. Additionally, forces that are likely within range to retaliate on G3 will likely not be sufficient to wipe out the Soviet offensive, hence you’ve destroyed what would be Army Group South.
Any additional drives into this area by the Germans can continue to be met should they desire to do so, but that will get them off track on their TP to Moscow by G5/6, so they will likely be pushing into EPoland by this point. Great news, your armor can reach EPoland and with the help of other units from Belo, Baltic, and Ukraine, a strafe of EPoland followed by general retreat to Belo will result in further havoc on the Axis and put you back in proper defensive position between Germany and Moscow.
Here an Axis attack will possibly destroy your Soviet forces, (this is that helpful, losing the battle, winning the war part) but your reinforcements from surrounding territories supported by air power will knock out the TP as by this time (R4/5) the other Allies should be closing in on Germany and causing Germany to build INF to protect itself. Your ARM have had multiple offensive hits and been in key positions to be used against two prongs of the German offensive, crippling both.
For a 2-Turn INF build, the plan is much the same, though perhaps a bit closer for the Soviets in the long run. Good news is that it doesn’t have the early attack punch to hit your Wedge because of the 2nd INF build. Drive the Wedge into Rumania again, utilize your Armor and Air Power to maximize your effectiveness and do not forget that adding a few ART into your builds will increase your overall attack power.
In both scenarios, a retreat into Ukraine when the Axis can retaliate from EPoland is not necessarily a bad plan should the opportunity arise, but still should be weighed carefully as to which will get you maximum effect. Should the Axis head through Belo and avoid your Ukrainian withdrawl you avoid the attacks of the Luftwaffe. Should they attack, they have put themselves another turn away from Moscow and allow you to continue building forces to hit them from multiple directions. Drawing the Axis south is better than north as Leningrad is more useful to be left open for aircraft to arrive from the Allies. Certainly the loss of Leningrad is not helpful, but by this time the possibility of Norway/Findland being held by one of the three Allies is very good and aircraft can be brought to USSR via these There are ways territories and around around the loss of Leningrad. Any diversion of Axis forces really will help the Soviet cause in the long run. It happened historically, it happens in the game.
Allied Lend-Lease: The continual building of aircraft to give to Russia can be disturbing to many Allied players, but as the Axis is not adding to the Atlantic fleet, the Atlantic can be brought under Allied control in a 2-3 turns max. But without the aircraft to Russia, Moscow will fall before the Allies arrive in Normandy.
US–needs to build and send 1 Fighter and 1 Bomber per turn. On US1, buy this, and then save the rest of the 40 IPCs until you can build extra multiple ships on US2 as the US may likely lose their 2 convoy zones.
UK–send all starting 3 Fighters and Bomber to Russia if possible, meaning, if the Malta fighter survives, send it too!. If you can build another Fighter on either UK2 or 3 and send it also will be a great help.
Atlantic & Med The TP calls for all new spending to go to the Russian Front, so theoretically the best the Axis can do is impede the Allies in the Atlantic through turn 3. After that, because there has not been additional deployments, without miracle dice the battle for the Atlantic goes to the Allies.
As to the Med, the Axis has really all it needs to not only dominate the Med for the first 4+ turns, but to by the end of it, to take at least a good chunk of the Oil Territories. In light of the overall war, the best the Allies can really expect to put into this area is what is there to begin with. The loss of these areas can be slowed and will not cost them the war.
Bonus Initial placement: Typical TP placement of 12 Axis IPCs is often a TRN with the starting TRN and an ART on the Eastern Front or Northern Africa. The ART helps later battles and the TRN helps to take Leningrad. I would recommend giving the 12 to the Soviets and placing 2 INF in Lenin and 2 in Bessarbia. This will help defend against the landing in Lenin, forcing them to bring fighters to help take it and both exposing them to AA and keeping them out of the Atlantic. Placing 2 in Bessarbia helps to defend your ARM there from a small push G1. in the event that it draws a large push, you have the start of your Wedge all setup for you. How kind.
Should Lenin fall on G1 even with your additional placements, R1 can easily see the recapture of it and opening to Allied Lend-Lease landings that very round.
I’ll line out some likely steps for the Eastern front, but as we all know changes and tweaks are a part of the game and strategy and such, so this can’t be a set-in-stone plan, it has to be as fluid as the battle. Once the Wedge is started it should start creating havoc with the Axis player’s plans to quickly push to Moscow. Russia gets to be the focus, they get to use all the tools, thanks to the Allies, who end up making their income look like 50+ instead of 24. Take your time, you can stop the Push and force the Axis to fight balanced.
G1-2–builds up Western Front, builds INF, then ARM R2–Russia takes all tanks and units in range to take Rumania before G3 invasion of Russia. G3–Germany should invade EPOL, and try to also repel Rumanian invasion. R3–Russia takes tanks in Rumania and strafes EPOL, then retreats to Belo. smaller force continues advance into Balkan Pen/Hungary. G4–Germany likely takes Belo. R4–combined force of all remaining Russian forces in Lenin/Stal/Russ/Mosc +planes take Belo. Germany still has planes in EPOL and up to 8 tanks, but two turns from Mosc as Allies should be starting landing and forcing GER to turtle.
**this is a rundown of a 1-turn INF build for Germany, a 2-turn build can be extrapolated but gives Germany more time to build and advance, but more time for Allies to land.