Rule clarification and strategy clarification

@Gumdrop:

If i move a U.S. destroyer into a sea space that has an a German sub and several U.K. sea units(no destroyer in the U.K. fleet) do i conduct combat?
If so, how do i go about doing so?

I can’t believe nobody answered this sooner.

If you move ANY naval force, with or without a destroyer, into a sea zone containing enemy submarines, combat will happen. If the invading naval force has a destroyer, then combat continues until the subs are destroyed or all destroyers are destroyed. If all destroyers are taken out, the player who owns the subs may decide to submerge.

If the attacking naval force has no destroyers, then the first round of combat goes as normal. At the conclusion of the first round, the player who owns the subs has the option of submerging his subs.

If the invading group consists of only planes, then the planes roll dice as normal, but submarines cannot hit planes, and therefore they do not roll. At the conclusion of the first round of combat, any surviving subs may submerge. Also, if a naval force containing planes and warships does combat, offensively or defensively, with a group of subs, each time a sub hits those hits MUST be assigned to navy ships. The player who owns planes cannot designate them as causalities, since subs cannot fire on planes. If a carrier is destroyed and the corresponding fighters cannot reach a safe landing zone, they are lost at the end of combat (or when the subs submerge).

I do not know if the UK fleet in your situation is allowed to participate in combat or not. Normally, it is impossible (save for national advantages) for two sides to operate offensively together. If I remember correctly, UK fighters carried into combat aboard US carriers cannot participate in combat on the US player’s turn; that would imply that in your stated situation, the UK fleet is forbidden from engaging during the US player’s turn.
@Gumdrop:

On a larger scale, how do the Allies subdue/ beat the Germans before the Japanese take Russia and make it damn near impossible to do offensive actions in Europe?

Bare in mind i play without bids, and i am well aware of the game imbalances that exiest when all five players know what they are doing, but my group doesn’t quite know what it needs to be doing to play the game effectively.

How to defeat Germany before Japan reaches Russia is a complicated question. It depends greatly upon the game and the players involved. As you mentioned your play group hasn’t yet reached peak performance, I’ll mention some killer strategies that may or may not work with more experienced players- after all, part of the fun is figuring out your own tactics.

As Russia, play aggressively. Defensive Russia almost always loses. Try attacking two German territories your first turn (like Ukraine and West Russia). With skill and luck, you can take three territories on Russia’s first turn, but this doesn’t always work- and may cost you too much even if it does. To support your offensive strategy, try building nothing but tanks with Russia the entire game. If you have IPCs left over, put down an infantry, but otherwise, nothing but tanks. On the Eastern front, make sure Japan can’t blitz through territories that have no defenders. Also, moving your starting infantry to block key lanes of attack (such as the middle corridor through China) is a great way to slow Japan down without spending any money.

Typically, an all-tank Russia can take several German territories over the first few turns before the Germans can force them back, costing Germany IPCs and giving Russia both more money and more room to retreat with before Moscow itself is threatened. On that note, holding Ukraine is vital for keeping German tanks out of Caucus, but don’t defend Ukraine or Caucus at the expense of a possible attack on Moscow.

With Britain, land fighters in Russia. They can fly straight from the UK to Moscow in one turn. If Russia has to go defensive, Japan/Germany will have a much harder time getting them with 6 UK or US fighters on the defensive in Moscow.

Usually, the US player tries to build a small armada of transport ships. Land units are purchased in Eastern US and walked to Eastern Canada, where transports can pick them up. They can be dumped on Western Europe, Norway, or (if Germany isn’t paying attention) in Berlin itself. Different players do this differently; some have transports pick up and deposit units in the UK, while a second group gets them from the UK (on the next turn!) and attacks with them. Others have the transports pick up in Canada and carry the troops to their final destinations without transitions. Up to you. Also note that from the Eastern US coast, your transports can reach Northern Africa. It may cost you a transport or two, but 2-4 extra Allied units can save British Africa from an early German invasion.

Remember that US and UK troops can land on Russian territories, helping defend them from Germany or keeping Germany from blitzing through. Also, putting pressure on Southern Europe via a transport off the North Coast of Africa can really make Germany squirm while trying to defend every territory they own. Make sure to protect transports from any German aircraft!

Sometimes, the UK can get a factory built in India or Egypt, or the US player can get one in China. If you can do this, it really helps Russia fend off Japan longer. Just remember that if you build it and Japan takes it within one or two turns, you are a hundred times worse off than if you never built it in the first place. Defending Allied factories in Asia becomes easier if you group all available fighters there on the first turn (like the Egyptian UK fighter, the fighter on the UK carrier, and even Russian fighters). Always be aware of sneaky Japanese transports that may pick up infantry from the islands and use them against your factory, possibly with aircraft support from Japan or carriers.

Hopefully that gives you some ideas. Remember, these strategies may not work as your group gets more experienced.