G1:J4

@Caesar:

@KGrimB:

I know its probably not optimal, but I pretty much always build 6 inf and 1 fighter on London UK1. I always send some aircraft to the Mediterranean and with 60-70 ipcs on G2, Germany can attempt Sea Lion even if they may not have been originally considering it unless you have the defenses.

I would also agree against the factory in Egypt. It can be a little precarious early with nearby German air and I think that normally games where you have an option to build a factory in Egypt are games where the Mediterranean is already in the Allies’s favor. It doesn’t exactly create opportunities the same way a factory in Persia does. Just use transports with South Africa.

Sea Lion on G2 is foolish because ideally, Germany would need to buff its navy, build infantry, and transports so that shouldn’t be done until at least G3.

You misunderstand me. Sea Lion G3 is the most realistic because it is after you buy transports on G2, after SBR, and after T1 convoys. Germany evaluates early sea lion based on what London does turn 1.

With respect to the original question, I think a g1 Dow on Russia to bait UK into not defending for sea lion could work. However, you’re probably short 1-2 transports from strafing Yugoslavia, not hitting other parts of France, missing Russian wheat NO, and committing German aircraft to the eastern front or other riskier battles. Thus you exaggerate your existing problems because you give up all of the pros of G1 and take away units from that front just to get them stuck on an island with 1 VC instead of attacking a country with 3 VC.

It’s too much for one country. You would need to make sacrifices with Italy’s dreams in the Med. You can’t give them the help they need and they would have to spend on forces to delay Russia. They could attack London with their Bomber.

I think what would sell this plan and give Germany a better chance of baiting the UK would be a Japanese attack on Russia. If you bring America into the war you probably have no chance of winning in Europe. If you keep them out you get a better chance at London and Japan can draw some attention from Russia. Otherwise the Siberian infantry are probably garunteed arriving in Moscow and probably other Russian forces would occupy Iraq.

Germany has to deny the NO SZ125 but Japan can deny it by taking out Amur.

Ran some numbers last night. If the USSR buys an additional fighter, with 4 bombers Germany still has a positive expected value from bombing G3. To make it negative, USSR needs to buy two fighters. USSR doesn’t want to spend money on fighters so I guess it is still worthwhile for Germany to threaten it. Could conceivably be worthwhile to attack even with a negative expected value because USSR’s money is worth more than Germany’s. The problem is that if you lose a bomber or two, do you have enough to hit it next turn?

I voted no because I don’t think a carrier is a must buy.  All depends on how you like to play.  I prefer 2 bombers and a sub.  Sometimes I buy 1 AC 1 Bomber.  Having a carrier with the German navy keeps it alive longer and keeps UK always worrying about it.  Also depends on my UK opponent and how well I know their play style.

Well, stacking in Yunnan proved to be a bad plan.  Japan hit it with everything and with a 55% win chance, took it with a tank and lost 5 Fighters.  However, with India’s fighters gone now (died in Yunnan), and China’s stack gone- nothing will stop Japan from Calcutta and taking all of China.  Combine this with the Luftwaffe crushing the combined British/American fleet off of Gibraltar (made possible by Italian landing in Gibraltar), this game is over.  Russia was doing fairly well after taking Norway, Finland, and Iraq, but it was the only position that was doing ok.  (This with the German stack in East Poland on Turn 2).

So, with the writing on the wall at the end of Turn 2 (!!) I conceded.

What to do better against the G1:J1 onslought? 
#1 Be more conservative with India and China - stacking Yunnan Turn 1 proved to be fatal- in one fell swoop, Japan crushed the mainland asian allies’ main forces.  Sacrificing all Indian ships to slow the Japanese was not effective.  I just traded a DD and CA for a Transport and 2 DD.  Didn’t phase Japan at all- and India has no ships.  A “fleet-in-being” in the Indian ocean forces the Japanese to split up their fleet a little. 
#2 Even with a G1, Russia has time- especially if it is taking Iraq and tactically retreating, avoiding the big stack battle.  The bigger threat in the early rounds is Pacific victory, so the USA should spend 75-80% of its $$ in the Pacific. 
#3 Don’t stack Gibraltar SZ until you can hold it and land troops in Gibraltar if Italy looks like it can take it.  As the UK, concentrate on holding Africa after a sealion looks unlikely.
#4 As UK, slowly build up a fleet at Canada- Thos Gerrman Subs laround the UK are annoying, but its more annoying to lose your fleet piecemeal.

The ammount of material Russia would need to send to take Turkey would be enough that Germany could just walk right on to moscow… That extra 2 dollars russia now has will be going in Germanys bank.

@variance:

UK fighters intercept SBR

That assumes the UK doesn’t badly need them for other schemes, and if they are present and intercept, who is to say that Germany won’t provide escorts?  It’s a good way to potentially whittle away the Fighter defense of Moscow before the last battle.  I also don’t know if the 70+ units for Russia is accounting for the output of every single Russian factory, if it is, then the UK can’t possibly guard all of these places.

I agree with both of u.

What I was suggesting is that German can have a good control on the fate of the uk navy, even if they leave z111 untouched.
I am not sure how to relate that idea with a grand German strategy yet. And, well, I am looking to see, if any friend here may have a creative plan to go.

AA, to me, is fun in mind.

I am all for sinking the UK fleet on G1 and build the Aircraft Carrier.  Then mostly I threaten to sink the rebuilt Royal Navy and Americans.  My Germany never wants to spend another dollar in the Atlantic.

Sometimes them darned Brits do something silly and entice me into taking London even though we would rather kill Russians and capture Russian territories.

Maybe not killing the British Battleships makes it more likely England will do something silly like build tanks in South Africa UK1.  I would rather not deal with all them UK boats that quickly.