UK Failings

@hengst

This only works if there are only Italian aricraft scrambling. I usually use two fighters from the United Kingdom terirtory, and the fighter from Malta-the fighter from Girbraltar should be used along with the cruiser off of Girbraltar (it takes three submarines to have more than an 80% chance to kill it, my normal standard to win a battle, so the submarines are usually used for easier prey in the north, especially if Germany attacks the Soviet Union in the first turn, which will nessecitate one submarine in sea zone 125) to destroy the Italian navy off of Malta. If a German aircraft lands in Southern Italy, I usually will call of the attack, as there is a less than 80% chance to win. All of this assumes Germany invades the Soviet Union in the first turn.

I think people worry too much about activating the “UK original territories” NO. In the vast majority of games, you’ll collect the NO on your first turn, because Italy hasn’t gone yet. Likewise, in the vast majority of games, you’ll collect the NO on your fourth turn no matter what you do, because by then your South African troops can walk up to Kenya / Somaliland and knock out whatever Italians remain. So we’re really only talking about two turns’ worth of the NO, i.e., 10 IPCs.

How much do you want to pay to guarantee those 10 IPCs? Do you really want to use both transports on UK1 in east Africa, neglecting Persia and Iraq and Sumatra and Tobruk? Do you want to send one transport to east Africa on both UK1 and UK2, which means you’re short on troops for Egypt in your north African campaign? It just seems short-sighted to me. If you skip Sumatra, that could be the margin of victory for holding India. If you skip Persia, that could be the margin of victory for holding the Middle East. Meanwhile, what are you going to do with 10 extra IPCs in the Atlantic on turns 2, 3, or 4? Buy 1 extra fighter or 1 extra transport? Will that really help you break into Norway or France ahead of schedule? Typically, the Germans have enough airpower in Western Germany all through the opening to lock you out of key territories even if you spend 100% of UK income on an Atlantic fleet.

I often build a South African transport on UK1, and I don’t mind using that transport on UK2 to ferry South African troops up to East Africa to kill Italians there, because it’s sort of “on their way.” They’re headed north anyway, and if I build the extra transport, then I’m not hurting as badly for naval logistics, so it’s easier to spare the transport for a turn. Using two out of two transports on turn 1 in East Africa just seems like overkill to me.

Ditto using a bid for an early South African transport just to strengthen the attack on Ethiopia – it’s overkill. If you’ve got $7 to spare in your bid and want to spend it on the UK, then I’d much rather have an extra sub for Taranto, an extra transport for India (to claim Java), two infantry for London to help protect against Sea Lion and allow a UK1 purchase of an Egyptian factory, an extra tank in Egypt to add punch to an attack in Tobruk or Iraq, or even an extra destroyer for the British Home Fleet in the hopes of bringing down some Luftwaffe.

Yes I’m buying it. I like having 2 of them because the Germans have to think twice about attacking 4 capital ships with a number of other ships thrown into the mix. You can wipe out the whole Luftwaffe if they get greedy and try to take out both navies at once. My goal before I sail across the Atlantic is to buy a fleet big enough that it dissuades the Germans from even attempting to take it out. It seems to work just fine.

The Aussies have lots of IPCs and even an operational aircraft carrier.

Taking out SZ 97 is the most crucial move for UK 1.  Even if Germany is threatening Sealion all UK has to do is send the strategic bomber + the SZ 98 fleet (assuming a sub bid) and they have a 78% chance against a 3 fighter scramble.  The only other viable option is buying an air base and Non combating the SZ 98 fleet over to Gibraltar.  This is an inferior move in my opinion.  Smashing Italy’s Cruiser, transport and BB on turn 1 is just so good.

OK I’m game.  I will try and take a poll about how repairs to air and naval bases should be handled.  Perhaps you and/or Manicellv can take a poll about paying IPCs for ship repairs since it was his/her idea.

The “only” is implicitly on page 20 of the Rulebook, as that is the only place in the Rulebook that taking control of an allied power’s territory is mentioned.  In the absence of any other rules regarding taking such control, one may assume that it’s the only way it can be done, since no other provision is made for doing so.

Either economy can pay for research, and both benefit from the results.  War Bonds IPCs may be split between the economies in any way the player likes.