Follow the money?!

I’ve tried this out a few times, it is like a “sneaky sea-lion”. I don’t usually have issues with US coming to liberate Britain in this scenario either because it is so fast. You can make it a real blind-side if you move the french troops back and move troops to the Russian front as if you’re preparing for a big Eastern push.

@WILD:

@weddingsinger:

I usually play as Axis, but in the past the worst problem for me is if the U.S. can gather its starting assets together, maybe a US1 buy, too, all of Japan’s starting isn’t enough to fend it off, so you either have to abandon SZ6, or overspend to keep up, which leaves the money islands vulnerable.

Its why, as Japan, I now prefer J1 and taking out Hawaii and Philippines.  At most you lose a sub, putting the U.S. behind for a change while your other assets shield your transports from the weak Anzac fleet.

I agree, but as discussed I generally do a hit and run on the Hawaiian fleet, and end up at Wake with about 1/2 the IJN. I typically lose a sub and dd in the sz26 battle, and also my dd blocker left in sz26 in the US counter attack for a total of 3 ships (1ss, and 2 dds). I still think it is well worth doing though. Hitting both sz26, and sz35 will kill off 47 IPCs worth of US navy, plus the Phil ftr making it 57 IPCs in navy/air. That is more then the spending allowance of the US in the first turn (52 IPCs). These are units that would get away in a J2 or later attack in most cases. Then add the Brit BB and territorial gains and yea it is a pretty damn strong opening move.

Sucker punching the US in the face causes some issues for them, and they will be torn on what side to build on. If they go Pac they are way behind so can’t challenge the Japanese for several turns. They would need to spend most of their income in the Pac for 2-3 turns just to get to even par w/Japan (and the Germans will love it). Yea they can probably send the home fleet up to Hawaii on the first turn as long as the Anz backs them up, but they really can’t do anything once they get there. Maybe move to the safety of Queensland and wait for their supply chain to catch up. The Japanese can just hop scotch to Caroline’s then probably to Philippines where they set up a defensive posture (maybe merging some more of the Imperial navy/air force).

I don’t see the US sending the home fleet over to Europe (something they do on occasion), because then there is no chance in the Pac. So if they want to go Europe they pretty much have to start from scratch because they only have a cruiser and transport. So going Europe means the Japanese don’t have to worry for a long time.

Oh BTW if you really want to F with the US have the Germans hit the US 101 mini fleet G1 with a sub (when you know there will be a J1 attack). If you get lucky the cruiser may not even get to fire, and the transport sinks too.

Very nice idea, will try it out as Axis this year

I think that the reason that players try to force Sealion is that they think that defeating the UK is the same as defeating Middle Earth. The way to defeat it is to win the game. The best way for the Axis to win it seems to me is playing your own strategy and forcing the Allies to react to it. The Axis have the advantage and initiative to begin the game and they need to strike hard and as quickly as possible without worrying where the UK builds a factory. Middle Earth gives the Allies a chance to stop the Axis from over-running Moscow and Calcutta but that’s all, only a chance. With no Sealion Middle Earth helps to even out the odds. With Sealion the Allies take the advantage. That’s what I have found so far.

Hmm nerquen, this sounds interesting since it has something to it.
Combining a landing reenforcing and sustaining method to it.

For the most part every turn you control them you gain the income.  A few of them are just one time NO’s

@knp7765:

Of course, it also says you can’t collect income, but I’m pretty sure that is just the normal income from your controlled territories.  That doesn’t include plundering an enemy capital.  That money should stay in your account until your capital is liberated.

Correct.  Plundered IPCs are not income, as they are not collected in the Collect Income phase.

Still fairly new to these forums. Before I begin, I should say our group plays alpha .2 rules, with the exception of no scramble, kamakazis, and we use original strategic bombing (no interceptors). Our group has decided that having the U.S. spend $100+ in just the Atlantic is too good. Also, it seems kind of “unhistorical” if you will. So we split it up giving some of the NOs to East and West United States. They act similarly to UK London and UK India, where war with one is war with the other, same attack move blah blah blah. I was curious if anyone else has tried this?

Oh and just a random afterthought, how do you guys play canals? This is how we play it:

No matter the amount of spaces before entering a canal, you must stop in the SZ before it. Then, on your next turn, the ships may move through, but only a single space. Then normal movement from there on out.

Another version we play is this. No matter the amount of spaces before entering a canal, you must stop in the SZ before it. Then, on your next turn, the ships may move through it at any length the ship could normally move.

We do this for two reasons. One is to keep the U.S. Pacific stuff, in the Pacific. The other is to slow ships moving up from Africa into the Med. Thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Thanks!

@MacNaughton:

With all this going on, if Russia rolls a couple tanks and mech infantry through the North of China too, China will have the coastal territories liberated by turn 4 and Japan will be sunk by turn 7. I like it.

All this implies sleeping Axis…