Here’s the thing: I’m not making this thread in my typical “French pride” fashion. I made this thread because I want to ask, why do people leave out what they do with the French pieces on the board in their after action reports on their games? Are they just invisible, or not worth mentioning (I’m not sure why 2 destroyers, a cruiser, and 5 infantry are considered not worth mentioning). What do you do with the French Med fleet if the UK saves it? What do you do with the North African infantry; combine them in Algeria and move west or east? Do you move the Syrian infantry down to Trans-Jordan?
They detail the G1, R1, UK1, AN1, IT1, US1, and even C1, but not F1. I know that the remaining French units on the board are limited in what they can do, but I want to know what people do with the North African infantry, or the Syrian infantry, or the remaining fleet. If you’re going to AAR and include China, at least include the OTHER minor power. :roll:
I agree. I want to know what more people are doing with the French Army and Navy. I haven’t heard anything about the French Med fleet if it survives. What are its options? I would be reluctant to remain in the Med for too long with the Italian navy building up. Is it better to move it into the Atlantic to deter Sealion or through the Suez Canal to reinforce India and the Pacific?
People have mentioned the North African infantry. The general practice is to consolidate the remaining troops in Algeria or Morocco to put up a better defence against the advancing Italians.
I have found using some of the French navy in the pacific as blocks to prevent a J3 India Crush.
I haven’t put up many AAR’s (or played too many games of Global yet), but in my experience… France can be a bit forgettable. I’ve yet to see the French Med fleet survive round 1, so I wouldn’t know what to do with it if it survived. I usually have the French West African infantry march across the continent to defend wherever the Allies need defending, and once tried bringing the Syrian infantry to help defend Egypt (which helped speed up Italy’s route to Iraq). The French destroyer around Madagascar I’ve seen either sitting in the Red Sea to slow down the Italians if they capture the Suez Canal, or heading into the Pacific to harass Japan. It usually isn’t all that interesting, not really doing much but posturing before it gets sunk by the Axis.
Also, I’ve never seen it worthwhile to consolidate the North African infantry. I prefer to keep them separate so Italy has to fight for all three of the territories (and I’ve seen single French infantry units there take out 2, 3, once even 4 Italian infantry; this usually proves to be a Pyrrhic victory for Italy).
In the global game I just played, the French North African infantry put up a defence in Tunisia, and held it for 5 turns. The French Mediterranean fleet exited through the Suez Canal and helped put up a fleet blockade, passively protecting India from a rampaging Japan. The French unit in Syria went down to Trans-Jordan, then back up as Egypt fell and Germany managed to march through and grab Iraq. Further south, the French Central African unit marched east to act as a road block for the Italians, and was eventually killed.
It was a wild game.
In a test game I played the French unit in the UK ended up officially liberating Paris (which was the last of the victory cities still in axis hands). First idea was to sail the remaining French fleet east to face Japan, but Japan suffered horrendous casualties so it was decided to keep them in the Med merging them with a UK fleet blocking Italian IPCs.
The Frenchunits in Africa held the Tunisian line against Italy who’se interests were to the east (Egypt). The other two Frenchies ended up in Egypt to keep defending it against the repeated axis assaults (which ultimately failed).
In that game, ANZAC ended up taking Japan after American and UK assaults on it had whittled the defense down to 2 air units. And I ran out of ANZAC control markers. Amazing what three transports can do with a few infantry in them.
Has anyone’s game proceeded far enough to liberate France and have the French purchase units?
The french army and fleet is just a bad reality for the axis. I mean, Italy and Germany don’t see the french as a threat but when you just forgot them they strike back in a navy attack you didnt see or a kamikaze attack with infantry that cause you the lost of a precious unit or plane. You see a damaged British fleet and Germany just think oy yeah thats my chance and then, pop, another destroyer and cruiser reinforce the British fleet. :x
I think the only French units that will survive until the end of the game(the real end, when VC’s are fulfilled) are the UK inf and maybe the DD. The 3 North African inf and Syria inf will be killed when their territory is captured by Italy. The West African inf will be killed as cannon fodder for the Eighth Army. The only way the UK inf will die is if Germany attacks the UK. It’s inefficient to transport it to the continent on an allied transport and a French transport means France has Normandy and Bordeaux back. The DD is a little more likely to die when it suicides itself to take out a transport or sub
I think the only French units that will survive until the end of the game(the real end, when VC’s are fulfilled) are the UK inf and maybe the DD. The 3 North African inf and Syria inf will be killed when their territory is captured by Italy.
Assuming the French player doesn’t consolidate them in Algeria.
The West African inf will be killed as cannon fodder for the Eighth Army.
Assuming the Eighth Army survives. :roll:
@UN:
I think the only French units that will survive until the end of the game(the real end, when VC’s are fulfilled) are the UK inf and maybe the DD. The 3 North African inf and Syria inf will be killed when their territory is captured by Italy.
Assuming the French player doesn’t consolidate them in Algeria.
The West African inf will be killed as cannon fodder for the Eighth Army.
Assuming the Eighth Army survives. :roll:
I1, Tunis is taken. I’d prefer consolidating the other 2 in Morocco since is is reachable from EUS and further away from Italy. If they go to algeria, Italy can use is Tunis inf to attack it.
If the Eighth Army was destroyed, Italy will rampage Africa and will kill that inf anyway
I1, Tunis is taken. I’d prefer consolidating the other 2 in Morocco since is is reachable from EUS and further away from Italy. If they go to algeria, Italy can use is Tunis inf to attack it.
I haven’t seen a game yet where Tunis was attacked; usually the two infantry in Southern Italy opt to go to Tobruk instead, and the two infantry in Libya merely stand guard.
If the Eighth Army was destroyed, Italy will rampage Africa and will kill that inf anyway
Assuming the South African Brit units don’t fight back. :roll:
@UN:
I1, Tunis is taken. I’d prefer consolidating the other 2 in Morocco since is is reachable from EUS and further away from Italy. If they go to algeria, Italy can use is Tunis inf to attack it.
I haven’t seen a game yet where Tunis was attacked; usually the two infantry in Southern Italy opt to go to Tobruk instead, and the two infantry in Libya merely stand guard.
If the Eighth Army was destroyed, Italy will rampage Africa and will kill that inf anyway
Assuming the South African Brit units don’t fight back. :roll:
The Libyan units attack Tunis with 1 ftr. If Tunis is taken, they don’t need to stand guard.
Even if they fight back, the West African inf will be used as fodder for the Brits
The Libyan units attack Tunis with 1 ftr. If Tunis is taken, they don’t need to stand guard.
Again, I’ve never seen that yet. The fighter usually teams up with the tactical bomber and Albanian forces to take Greece. Both are good options for the Italian player, however, but they can’t do both at once.
Even if they fight back, the West African inf will be used as fodder for the Brits
Assuming the Brits control the French pieces. :roll:
I try to get 4 french inf total to UK
So that when the big landing comes, it comes with the UK hitting, then the US, then in spare transports (i know, set aside from a round before) the French land.
The force would be to big to hit or ignore, and when it liberates paris, the 4 french INF can move in and greet the other 4 french inf that spawn and collect ~15 IPCs.
It would become a self sufficent stack
This came close to happening the 2nd game i played, when germany took moscow. we considered continuing because the allies would soon land massively at Normandy. But the allies conceded because it was the 1st game for all of them so they said thed rather start a new game another weekend.
@UN:
The Libyan units attack Tunis with 1 ftr. If Tunis is taken, they don’t need to stand guard.
Again, I’ve never seen that yet. The fighter usually teams up with the tactical bomber and Albanian forces to take Greece. Both are good options for the Italian player, however, but they can’t do both at once.
Even if they fight back, the West African inf will be used as fodder for the Brits
Assuming the Brits control the French pieces. :roll:
Italy doesn’t have a tac. It has 2 ftrs
@UN:
The Libyan units attack Tunis with 1 ftr. If Tunis is taken, they don’t need to stand guard.
Again, I’ve never seen that yet. The fighter usually teams up with the tactical bomber and Albanian forces to take Greece. Both are good options for the Italian player, however, but they can’t do both at once.
Even if they fight back, the West African inf will be used as fodder for the Brits
Assuming the Brits control the French pieces. :roll:
Italy doesn’t have a tac. It has 2 ftrs
@UN:
@UN:
The Libyan units attack Tunis with 1 ftr. If Tunis is taken, they don’t need to stand guard.
Again, I’ve never seen that yet. The fighter usually teams up with the tactical bomber and Albanian forces to take Greece. Both are good options for the Italian player, however, but they can’t do both at once.
Even if they fight back, the West African inf will be used as fodder for the Brits
Assuming the Brits control the French pieces. :roll:
Italy doesn’t have a tac. It has 2 ftrs
UN, Italy should take Bulgaria to get 4 inf to take Greece I2.
Anyway, in our current game, France is down to 3 inf(UK, Sudan[came from West Africa], Morocco[facing an Italian inf in Algeria] and the Madagascar DD in Z39[will die on Japan’s turn]). In 2-3 turns, I bet the UK inf and maybe the Sudan inf will be the only French units alive(since Sudan will likely no be taken by Italy for a while
UN, Italy should take Bulgaria to get 4 inf to take Greece I2.
That’s entirely up to the German and Italian players to decide who gets Bulgaria.
Anyway, in our current game, France is down to 3 inf(UK, Sudan[came from West Africa], Morocco[facing an Italian inf in Algeria] and the Madagascar DD in Z39[will die on Japan’s turn]). In 2-3 turns, I bet the UK inf and maybe the Sudan inf will be the only French units alive(since Sudan will likely no be taken by Italy for a while
French player didn’t consolidate the North African infantry in Algeria? That’s smart. That should happen irregardless of whether Italy decides to take Tunis on its first turn or not. Honestly, the Italian player should throw everything its got at the Brits first; they’re a much bigger threat than leaderless French infantry. Of course, this is coming from a conservative player; I try not to try to do everything at once in my first turn as an Axis player. As Germany, I either invade Britain or the USSR, not both; I’ll use the Luftwaffe either to better defeat the Allied armies in France or take out the British navy, not both. That also means that, more or less, the Axis need to decide whether they want to dominate the Atlantic or the Med. Not, initially, both.
