Uk Strategies

First thing, India is a lost cause. To hold it you have to build a factory and many players know how to end that quick. The most popular move is to build 1 AC, 2 destroyers on turn 1 if you kept your BB. If not, make a suicide run for africa with your canada trans and buy planes - 2 or 3. The most popular thing to do with the Indian forces are to try and take back Egypt, usually with cruiser hit, 3 inf, plane and maybe a bomber. If Germany has taken it with 3 or 4 pieces, attacking French Indo is a decent option, as is taking Borneo. A trick I’m willing to share that I think is a game changer that I don’t see discussed on here is to take your Australian trans with sub, bring an Aussie and the INF in NZ and head to africa the long way. You’ll get there in 3 rounds/ Japan may come after you but it will be at the expense of doing other, more important things.

Let US take the bulk of the load in retaking Africa and concentrate on landing in Europe. Just make sure you get your 4 loaded trans on the move asap. Sometimes you might be delayed 3 rounds but Russia can usually take care of themselves until you do.

I agree that holding India with British forces alone is a pretty-well lost cause.  You’ll have a puncher’s chance if you decide to help with the Russians (you can get a tank and two fighters to India), The Russians will miss them of course.  It’s important to do away with the Japanese transport off Kwangtung (stranding some of those infanties on their islands, delaying a Japanese move on Africa).  I’ve become a fan of: Llanding one Russian fighter on the carrier; attacking New Guinea (with the sub along as a cheering section);sinking the transport with the British fighter; supporting my landing on Borneo with the cuiser; and landing on the carrier off Borneo. Why?
Who ever is playing as Japan has a lot to think about. If you’ve gotten lucky and taken both of the islands you’ve got two transports with infanries and you threaten every Japanese territory except Manchuria, plus you nicked 5 IPC’s.  He’d like to: Take China and India; sink the fleets at Borneo, Hawaii, and New Guinea; and retake Borneo. If he tries to do all of that he’ll be stretched really thin (good chance of losing expensive hardware, and/or failing at a few).

@Col.Stauffenberg:

The most popular move is to build 1 AC, 2 destroyers on turn 1 if you kept your BB. If not, make a suicide run for africa with your canada trans and buy planes - 2 or 3.

Even if the UK loses the BB on Germany’s opening round you should build the 1 AC, 2 destroyers, unless G has bought 2 bombers and/or it didn’t lose any of its starting subs and planes. If you want to have an idea of the odds for a possible G2 attack on the UK fleet check the Fortress Europe thread on my signature.

A trick I’m willing to share that I think is a game changer that I don’t see discussed on here is to take your Australian trans with sub, bring an Aussie and the INF in NZ and head to africa the long way. You’ll get there in 3 rounds/ Japan may come after you but it will be at the expense of doing other, more important things.

To me that move is risky. The Japanese can attack it with their sub with better odds. And you’re leaving Australia/NZ easier to be conquered by Japan, which means less 3 IPCs per round for the UK permanently. The 2 Inf can help on Africa but if Japan goes for it then you will need more units (usually the Americans to deal with the situation).

The main objectives of the UK are usually

• Keep their Atlantic fleet alive to harass Germany and provide relief to the Russians (which can be needed right on the first round!)
• Keep their income on the 30+ (by keeping Africa under its control, taking Norway, etc.)
• Act as a speed bump for Japan on the Pacific (like Col. Stauffenberg correctly mentioned, keeping India is impossible during the initial/medium phases of the game).

the thing i don’t like about playing UK is you get to have all your fun rounds one and two, but after that you’re more or less a one note banjo: land in europe, land in europe, land in europe.  you lose what forces you have in the rest of the world and have reasonable way to replenish them, so from round 3 on you base your whole game around (usually) the norway-germany invasion.  the only time i was able to have a little fun was by running away from the japanese, and it cost me.

@ragnarok628:

the thing i don’t like about playing UK is you get to have all your fun rounds one and two, but after that you’re more or less a one note banjo: land in europe, land in europe, land in europe.  you lose what forces you have in the rest of the world and have reasonable way to replenish them, so from round 3 on you base your whole game around (usually) the norway-germany invasion.  the only time i was able to have a little fun was by running away from the japanese, and it cost me.

If you are reinforcing Russia through Archangel you can always use those ground forces against Japan. In fact the UK can be very effective against Japan since Russia plays before it and can open holes on Japanese lines for the UK to exploit.
You’ll still be playing the one note banjo to the Germans but now the Japs are stuck to it as well.

@Hobbes:

A trick I’m willing to share that I think is a game changer that I don’t see discussed on here is to take your Australian trans with sub, bring an Aussie and the INF in NZ and head to africa the long way. You’ll get there in 3 rounds/ Japan may come after you but it will be at the expense of doing other, more important things.

To me that move is risky. The Japanese can attack it with their sub with better odds. And you’re leaving Australia/NZ easier to be conquered by Japan, which means less 3 IPCs per round for the UK permanently. The 2 Inf can help on Africa but if Japan goes for it then you will need more units (usually the Americans to deal with the situation).

It is risky but for some reason when me and my friends have gone after it, we either got sunk, or it was mutual and the trans lived. It must be a cursed square on our board. They don’t do much staying in Australia. If Japan really wants it they can send whatever they need. They’ll still be in range of India so it’s not that far out of their way.

Also, it’s not a bad a idea to leave Norway for Russia. Those plane purchases can pot shot the germans in Karelia and Russia can blitz a tank round 2, assuming there’s only one or two germans in Karelia.