How to catch opponents off guard

Try the Dark Skies strategy. It can be fun if no one has ever seen it in your group. Just buy a bunch of bombers the first two rounds and pair them with fighters and tacs. 3rd round all artillery. 4th round all mechs. 5th round all tanks. 6th round infantry and push like hell all the way to moscow.

Take Iceland on G2.  Fly the entire airforce there on G3.  Everything.

Invade Alaska, Aleutians, full out Japan in America, J2 is the timetable I believe.  Fly the Luftwaffe onto Western Canada on G4 after the Japanese have taken over on J3.

Use your remaining fleet to block his transports and counterrush.  We lost this gambit last time because we tried to keep the German fleet alive instead of using it as a screen to stop the initial takeover territory from being recaptured.

Use the Germans to blow away American blockers.  He cant protect 3 capital territories at the same time.

If the Italians don’t die, they can attack the west indies.

Have fun.

I don’t play in tournaments or for real, just for laughs so I usually always open in a new way each play.

G1 Russia, absolutely, but to me that’s a smart play. You give up the 5 bonus but hit a weaker opponent. I like to split the assault on one front between Leningrad and Moscow, then pick which direction gives the best chance after the Russian counter assault. Leningrad is open if you eliminate the Soviet fleet and mobilize Finland.

I’ve also only ‘softened’ France with ground troops while using the Luftwaffe to pound the UK and go Sealion right off the bat. That works if you’re also successful in Russia. My idea was let Italy grab as many French IPCs to get it strong enough to control Africa, the Med and protect the underbelly, while taking the European UK out forcing the US to stage in few spots.

Last time I played the Allies, I skipped France altogether and pressed the UK into Western Germany with 8 units per turn plus AC and bombardment. After a few turns with the US pressuring from Gibraltar, and Germany pressing Moscow, the split was too much and I held the factory to build.

No build G1. G2 you’ve got ~90IPCs to spend. G2 finish the allied fleet and put 10-13 transports. Without substantial defense build on UK1, even a 10 unit build in the UK on UK2 won’t be able to stop the G3 German Sea Lion. If it doesn’t look viable on G2 for some reason you can always do a 10 infantry 10 armor build and go Barbarossa.

Take Southern France on G1 and start building a big Axis fleet in the Med, heading towards Egypt.

@taamvan:

Take Iceland on G2.   Fly the entire airforce there on G3.   Everything.

Invade Alaska, Aleutians, full out Japan in America, J2 is the timetable I believe.   Fly the Luftwaffe onto Western Canada on G4 after the Japanese have taken over on J3.

Use your remaining fleet to block his transports and counterrush.   We lost this gambit last time because we tried to keep the German fleet alive instead of using it as a screen to stop the initial takeover territory from being recaptured.

**Actually the other way is better!

G1 -Buy 7 Mechs….Kill SZ 110 ( 2 Subs+5 planes)111 (1 Sub+BB+ 3 planes) ,106 (2 Subs)., Kill Bess-2 Inf+FTR+TB, Kill Baltic (3 Inf+2 SBR)… .Kill E.Poland with 2 Tank GSG and Poland) +2Inf(Hungary)…  Usual Paris , Finland , Bulgaria with Tank.  Force UK to defend Gib…hopefully.

J1 Buy 3 TR. Land planes in Kiangsi…so they can get back to Japan on J2. (Kiangsi feint). Do usual attacks on China.

Now at end oF UK1, there should be No TRS in Liverpool or Canada…for this plan to work.  A Taranto is necessary. …no SBR and only max 2 UK FTRS should be in UK…for this to work.

Italy 1 -  Albanian tank to Romania. N. Italian tank to Slovakia. Buy only inf.

G2 - Buy 9 Tanks + CV. Go into Baltic light…and Bess and E.Poland heavy… with all Land units.G1 Mechs to E. Poland.

J2- Take Alaska Tank+ 3 Inf (2 TR). Fly planes back to Japan…take Siberia with Inf. Take Borneo, HK, IndoC, PHP. Take BC with 1 inf (1 TR).  Fleet should be in Hawaii…so no need to block…or lose momentum…with IJN.
Buy 2 CV+2 TRS. Keep options open. Build Navy.

Italy 2 - 1 Tank to Ukraine (if empty)… 1/2 Tanks to Bess more likely
… 2 planes+SBR to Bess

US2 should come to Gib. Germany should watch to see how many CVs+planes are on Eastern seaboard.  If safe!-

G3-Take Iceland…with CV+TR!!! DO THE UNEXPECTED! Block SZ117 with CRU. Land army goes into Ukraine heavy. Build Tanks in Germany. Take Leningrad.

J3 -Land planes in Alaska…except for 6 on CVS and 2 TB…all planes.
Take Malaya , Java . Build more navy.

Italy 3 - If Bryansk defended by 3 or less …then 2 Tanks + 2 Ftr+SBR take Bryansk.

US3- Dilemma…If US/UK resources cannot kill Iceland TR…

G4 - Take Greenland!!! Just use TR…sacrifice! Rest of Kreigsmarine in Iceland waters. Go into Bryansk…land planes… if Italians took it. G2 Tank buy (9 Tanks join up). Build TBs. Build 3 Tanks in Ukraine and 3 in Leningrad.

J4 -Land planes in Greenland. Take Celebes…Stack Navy on Phillippines. Build mIC in HK, IC.

G5 - Build Airbase in Iceland.  Build 3 Tanks in Ukraine… Build TB in Leningrad. Launch first attack on Moscow if odds look good… Withdraw if it comes to Mechs only. GSG army and Germany Inf will catch up next turn.

J5 - Land Japanese planes on W. Germany!

G6 - Should take Moscow.

No chance for Allies to take Paris or W. Germ… Rome if taken will be reconquered. Allied Navy in peril.

Egypt or London should fall in 4 turns…**
Edit - J5 land on Iceland. J6 on W. Germany.

MeinHerr.

The Japanese plane threat on J6 is a 1-2 punch…On Allied Navy on SZ 112… or Channel SZ110…

Luftwaffe could hit first on G6
and then Japanese airforce could Kamikaze themselves on J6.

Simple answer: Don’t be use the same strat every time. For instance, if your group is used to you attacking on J1 don’t attack to J3 or J4 to throw them off. If they are used to you prepping for Sea Lion, don’t.

Marsh

When you play chess they say that a goofy opening move is a good opening move, because your opponent think you are stupid since you gave him an advantage, then he believe he will win and he will not pay attention, and then WHAM you surprise him with some backstabbing moves, man, and turn the tide to your favor. Just figure out a real lame derogatory move, and play it.