Germany-take convoys or sink UK fleet?

Definitely sink the British & US fleets. Germany does not get the IPCs from the convoys if you take one over, you’re just taking those IPCs from the Allies. And if they get the convoy back before the end of their turn, they get the IPCs back. If you don’t take out the fleets, your subs won’t last long and Britain & US will be amphibiously assaulting German in no time.

no, cash is collected at the end of the turn. But germany can’t get money from someone else’s convoy. So if you take say the russian one, it lowers russia’s production, but no increase for germany. You wouldn’t cash out higher by taking them

I usually take 4 convoys, and destroy all but the us, russian, canadian, and east med fleets.
I can normally hold these convoys for 2-3 turns.

The rulebook I have I download from Avalon Hill’s website. On page 17 at the upper left under “Placement of control markers”, begining at the 2nd sentence states: “If Germany takes control of a Convoy center, it places a control marker there. The former owner of the Convoy center loses the indicated income and the National Production Chart is adjusted accordingly. (Germany, however, does not receive that income because the convoy is now considered sunk and unusable.)” I made the same mistake the first time I played A&AE. If they let Germany have the convoy IPCs, they could add 30 IPCs to their total in the first round (if they took all of the convoy centers), paying them 70 IPCs at the end of the first round. Given the unit superiority that Germany already enjoys, this would give them a huge advantage that the Allies would have an extremely difficult time overcoming.

@Grigoriy:

In all the games of A&AE I’ve played, Germany went for the convoys. In these forums, it seems everyone takes out the British fleet first.

Hey man! Do both!

I’ve heard of the following rule. In order to get IPC’s from the convoy space, at least one transport must be present there at the end of the turn. This makes a hell of a lot more sense as it gives the Germans an incentive to keep up the attack. When we play, the first few turns Germany usually conquers them but then does not bother for the rest of the game because the US is just ridiculously powerful and never has to return to those convoy zones. Guess I’m just a little bitter for losing so many times with Germany! lol…

I play A&A:E a lot.My German naval staegy is this:take out the Royal Navy first,then go for the convoy zones.

Yes, I totally agree as that is what I do every time. All I was saying is that it only lasts so long (before German navy is destroyed). I’m determined to win with Germany though…just still seems unbalanced a bit. Again, the US income is very tough to compete against in the long run. After the initial success with destroying the Royal Navy, German production cannot keep up for any serious invasion threat. I’ve come very close, until the US builds a massive fleet in two turns. Then, well…it’s basically all over.

@Grigoriy:

IMO, the game is unbalanced towards the Allies, however, I’ve seen the Germans win a time or two, and they come close most of the time, even though most doesn’t cut it.

Yes, “most, sometimes, maybe, long-shot” doesn’t cut it. This game should make players want to play both sides just for a change. Though I always choose Axis, perhaps I’ll start playing as the Allies as I’d like to win a few…