Please post when (and only when) you finally get your AAE40 home.

Huh.  Thanks Wittman.  Maybe TripleA confused me on that one.  Can’t recall if it actually happened or if I was concerned that it might happen.  Either way, I know now.

I think a very important component to strafing is understanding how it can rapidly move units beyond their normal movement range - which has been displayed in the G1 Yugoslavia to Romania example in prior posts.

It would be impossible to get the units from Greater Southern Germany to Romania on G1 without understanding strafing.

Of course, the units could simply step into Hungary and still be in position to strike at Eastern Poland.  However, you sacrifice the utility of clearing out much of Yugoslavia and thereby helping Italy by not understanding the mechanics of the “Strafe”.

Russia can also employ a Strafing strategy that would trade resources (generally Russian infantry) with Germany in a way that blocks a German blitz or denies the Germans the use of a minor IC.

In example:

Russia withdraws its stack to Bryansk in response to a German stack in Eastern Poland, inviting a German blitz of
Armor and some Mech into the teeth of 30 infantry, and another half dozen armor and artillery supported by Ftr and Tac.

Germany, unwilling to risk its Armor without protection, elects to blitz a single armor to Ukraine, waiting on a stack of Mech to arrive as reinforcements in Eastern Poland.

On the subsequent Russian turn, the Russians strafe into Ukraine, which is currently owned by Germany with 2 Infantry, 2 Ftr and 1 Tac.  Russia prevails, losing 1 Inf.  Effectively, Russia has denied Germany the use of the Ukraine IC, and traded a 3 IPC INF for a 6 IPC ARM.

On the subsequent German turn, Germany claims Ukraine for good, losing 1 Inf in the process.

Total cost for the Russian strafe:  6 IPC for Russia, 9 IPC for Germany + losing a turn of production out of Ukraine that can immediately threaten Moscow.

That, is the value of a strafe from the Russian perspective.

The list goes on, but understanding the strafing technique helps develop the early round strategies to keep pressure or alleviate pressure depending on the nation you play as.

Later in the game, understanding the strafing strategy can completely ruin your opponent and potentially tilt the scales in your favor to an economic stalemate or quickly end a game for a player not cognizant of the strafing applications.  From experience, this becomes a significant strategy to understand in the Pacific theater in application during the mid to late game.

A final input, is a variant of the strafing is a can-opener applied by Italy.  Italian units, due to their turn in a round, can open a door for a German blitz that Russia planned on having blocked.  Italy typically accomplishes this with Mech/Armor and a Bomber whereby opening a flank can ruin Moscow’s day.

The US has a variant of this if Germany leaves Berlin undefended whereby the US seizes Denmark, and the UK sails through the straights to land on Berlin.

Neither of these are true strafes, but they employ the same strategy of taking territory or denying territory in unconventional ways.

I agree with the sentiment that the UK and US should be able to relocate capitals. In fact, while it doesn’t have a VC, Central United States could also qualify as one since it has Chicago. It could always be added as a symbolic VC, since it won’t tilt the balance of a game unless Germany pulls off a once in a blue moon American invasion.

Japan actually won on turn 5

Well yeah, that is what happens when usa builds stuff in the atlantic when Japan is snatching up NOs. Like you said the -38 does not kick in till round 4 when you are parked off east usa. Plus it is not -38, because you gotta roll your convoy damage and very rarely does that max out.

Sure USA makes -38 or whatever, but from a big picture of the long run… it is really insignificant when Japan flops out.

@Cow:

The egypt minor is for convoying sz 97 in the long run and taking italy out of the game.

That can change when Germany (if) takes Moscow and turns towards Egypt.  In my most recent game, Germany ended up taking Moscow and redirected the prior round’s purchase of Armor towards Egypt along with a Ukr Arm purchase Germany had something like 9 tanks sitting in Ukraine ready to blitz ahead of whatever survived Moscow.

UK went on the defensive at this point, but Italy was already convoyed to death with minimal effort.  It really goes to show how important sinking the Italian fleet is if Germany is going to Moscow first when Italy is stuck from round 6-7 on being able to only put 1 or 2 Inf out a round at best.

well i just got the older Pacific and Europe yesterday. i guess ill just print off the new rules when they come out ( tomorrow supposedly )

@Commando:

The copy of the Alpha +2 rules I have don’t say the 30 IPC’s that the US originally got for being at war, were now divided between the NO’s in the Alpha +2 rules. So just wanted to make sure.

In the original OOB rules, the US gets 30 IPCs each turn as long as it holds the continental US.  It’s a NO.

In the Alpha +.2 rules, it’s similar but it’s more split up between the different US territories.

man,that looks so cool,my europe arrived yesterday,i have no room in my house to set it up,ill have to buy a wooden shed LOL