Italy has to be very careful 1st turn now

we’re in a similar situation now.  i’m playing the allies and we’re on the beginning of turn 2.  i rushed all navy into the med.  gained a lot of naval presence from fec and the pro ally neutrals in balkans.  i now have 3 battleships an ac 2 cruisers and a ton of destroyers with more on the way.  plus we’re playing with railroads and south africa is pouring a ton of land troops into cairo.  in addition we’re playing research and commonwealth go radar on the first turn, which means the AA i moved to cairo now kills italian planes on a 4 or less.  not looking bright for italy.  to early to say how the game will go but looks tough for the axis, especially since i plan to go balls to the wall into europe and let america and anzac with their new south america income fight japan while fec makes calcutta impossible to take.  the one thing my brother has going for him as italy is he took gibraltar, at a heavy cost, on his first turn on war, so no reinforcements from uk proper.

Why doesn’t Italy just build a Minor factory in Tobruk and take Greece/Corinth first move.

Consolidate Navy at Taranto covered by 2 FTR and 1 TAC. Collapse INF to Tobruk reinforce with BMB and TAC.

Turn 2 sink Brit Navy off Cairo.

The combined Italian Navy and Air force can strike any place in the East Med with a force that inflicts 7.167 hits per round. The combined Pacific and Med Navy for the Brits (including the land based fighter moved to a carrier) produces 4.42 hit per round and can absorb 12 hits. The Greek navy is typically reduced to one ship by taking Greece and does not materially change the outcome of the fight. I should also add we have a house rule that reduces the neutrals Battleships to cruisers. I find neutrals have ridiculously powerful navies. The Greek had no battleship to speak of and 2 CAs total. They did have several DD and a large merchant fleet. And don’t get me started on the god-damned Norwegians!

Defensively the Italian navy can inflict 5.42 hits per round. If the Brits attack (assuming average rolls) the Italians will sink the Brits with a 1BB 2 CA 1 DD force left to deal with the Western Med Fleet.

If the Brits can link the Pacific, Eastern Med, and Western Med fleet then the Italian commander needs to be summarily executed.

Yes,

When I play Italy, I always build an IC in Tobruk and it does help. This being said, odds and such in mind, the Italian fleet rolls have had, shall I say, a less than inspiring impact on the battle. I’d still like to see a little more firepower.

Lately, the Allies have been dumping the FEC BB and a DD into the Med and, again, more often than not they’ve been ending up with the Yugo and/or Greek destroyers. I mean, all they have to do is walk in dammit. At this point, every little bit counts and it generally makes all the difference. In the last game the Italian fleet was wiped out except for a submarine and a transport off of Tobruk. Luckily, the retaliation from Italy and Germany was enough to send the Commonwealth fleet to the bottom.

I think some of the neutral fleets are overpowered too, but some are fine such as Brasil and Argentina. The Norwegian fleet pisses me off as well; even more so due to the fact I’ve NEVER managed to get even one vessel out of it as the Germans.