What about this strategy for the USA: build a bunch of ships and transports on the East coast, and then, once there’s a declaration of war, move all your ships and troops to Iceland (it’s only 1 move away from the East US), and then take Norway on the next turn, and, here’s the kicker, then build a major factory in Norway and send 10 tanks per round into Europe.
Germany could conceivably block the fleet with destroyers, but that won’t help in the move to Iceland because you can take out the destroyers with a plane and then non-combat the whole fleet to Iceland. If Germany puts blockers between Iceland and Norway you can take them out too and then non-combat the whole fleet to Norway, only to land the next turn.
That would be great if you could build a major complex there but the rules won’t allow you to build one outside of your originally controlled territories. You could build a minor complex there though.
I’m very keen on this strategy even with the minor complex limitation. It isn’t enough to get USA on Norway alone to defeat the Axis in Europe, although it’s a pretty big step in the right direction. I think you still need to weaken Italy as well by controlling the med and convoy disrupting.
Regarding the blocker, that is a major obstacle. The USN can’t just sit in the north sea away from an airbase early on. The Luftwaffe will take them out. My move is to buy a CV US1, leave it unloaded in SZ123 and threaten to use the Soviet air out of Leningrad to clear the blocker. Try to keep the Barents Sea sub alive too. This works fine so long as the Japanese DOW before the Germans do. I don’t think I’ve ever had to use this force to clear a blocker - it isn’t worth putting it down if it can be cleared. With a G2/J2 DOW you are unlikely to be holding Leningrad after G3 although you could position Soviet planes on Finland if you hold that with enough strength.
If the Soviets claim Finland, that gives a landing field for fighters from Iceland and the planes can defend the soviet troops from a German landing.
In one game the Germans kicked the Yanks off Norway the next turn (so no IC) but the Soviets kicked the Germans off and it looks like they’ll stay off. This means the Soviets get the communism NO for two territories. The Germans also lost a couple of planes sinking the carrier fleet.
One thing to watch out for with this strategy is losing in the Pacific while you’re doing it.
The best current strategy is to pull everything out of the Pacific for the US and use all of the US’s money to build at least 10 fully loaded transports on the east coast and America’s first move after war declaration is to the Gibraltar sea zone to take Gibraltar if needed and then the next move is to take Italy’s capital or Western Germany or Normandy or Southern France! Wherever the axis is weakest. It makes the European axis have to defend the vital areas instead of sending everything towards Moscow. We have played this strategy out many times and as long as the pacific allies guard their capitals the Japanese can make as much money as they want and it doesn’t matter! If they make a move towards the US west coast the U.S. Can just buy land units to cover it. The last thing the European axis want is the Jap’s to attack somewhere and bring the US in early! With England pulling off a successful Taranto the Germans are left trying to invade Russia and defend Italy. The major sticking point is sending Moscow allied planes while the Russians trade space for time and drop back on Moscow with losing as little units as possible. The British builds a complex in Egypt or in Iraq or Persia can also help by sending planes towards Moscow. With this strategy the Italians are the Axis’s Achilles heel.
The best current strategy is to pull everything out of the Pacific for the US and use all of the US’s money to build at least 10 fully loaded transports on the east coast and America’s first move after war declaration is to the Gibraltar sea zone to take Gibraltar if needed and then the next move is to take Italy’s capital or Western Germany or Normandy or Southern France! Wherever the axis is weakest. It makes the European axis have to defend the vital areas instead of sending everything towards Moscow. We have played this strategy out many times and as long as the pacific allies guard their capitals the Japanese can make as much money as they want and it doesn’t matter!
I have found in my games that this strategy essentially guarantees an Allies loss.
The best current strategy is to pull everything out of the Pacific for the US and use all of the US’s money to build at least 10 fully loaded transports on the east coast and America’s first move after war declaration is to the Gibraltar sea zone to take Gibraltar if needed and then the next move is to take Italy’s capital or Western Germany or Normandy or Southern France! Wherever the axis is weakest. It makes the European axis have to defend the vital areas instead of sending everything towards Moscow. We have played this strategy out many times and as long as the pacific allies guard their capitals the Japanese can make as much money as they want and it doesn’t matter!
I have found in my games that this strategy essentially guarantees and Allies loss.
- American landings in Normandy, Western Germany and Southern France can be crushed relatively easily with a handful of German infantry backed by Germany’s large air force. They force America/Britain to invest substantially in their Navy to protect those transports from the Germany air; IPCs which will sit off the coast the rest of the game doing nothing to justify their enormous cost. They also take 4 turns to return to the US to reload. Rome can be defended for ages with Italian infantry, blockers in the Med. and, if necessary, German aircraft. It requires huge numbers of transports to take, which can’t return for 4+ turns and will likely be retaken by Germany immediately. You might stop the German advance into Russia, but:
- Without serious and early US commitment to the Pacific, a good Japanese player will win the game for the Axis long before Germany falls since Japan only need to take 2 of 3 from Calcutta, Honolulu, and Sydney. Japan’s starting navy and air force are enormous, and by turn 5-7 they’ll be outproducing the US. Those VCs won’t hold long enough.
My experience as well. A good German player will usually keep sufficient force on hand to nuke any Norway landing.
Also, reinforcing Norway can be hard. If your transports come from Iceland, then they can’t be protected by UK air base. To keep them moving back to the US with a 4 turn rotation, you have to build a harbor in Iceland. Also, if you end up having to move your ships down to 110 or 111 for protection, then you shuck gets all screwed up.
I prefer the transport shuck to Southern France because you only need 3 groups of transports to continuously put units into Europe. Germany will fend them off for a few turns but eventually you will wear them down and when the time is right then you bring up your UK transports from Africa and take down Rome. I don’t care how good a Japanese player is, he can’t make transports appear out of thin air and if you pile enough ground units on Honolulu and Sydney combined with a strong effort in Calcutta they can’t gain the 6 VC’s needed before you wear Germany down. If all they had to do is destroy boats then sure it looks great, but to get the required number of ground troops to those cities if they are defended properly is a different story.
I prefer the transport shuck to Southern France because you only need 3 groups of transports to continuously put units into Europe. Germany will fend them off for a few turns but eventually you will wear them down and when the time is right then you bring up your UK transports from Africa and take down Rome. I don’t care how good a Japanese player is, he can’t make transports appear out of thin air and if you pile enough ground units on Honolulu and Sydney combined with a strong effort in Calcutta they can’t gain the 6 VC’s needed before you wear Germany down. If all they had to do is destroy boats then sure it looks great, but to get the required number of ground troops to those cities if they are defended properly is a different story.
I agree. Continuous small landings every turn is much more cost effective in the Allies’ favour, since Germany is going to have to send a couple of infantry to each province every turn and then lose them rather than smashing a stack and retreating from the coast before you can respond. Since you’re defending only a few transports instead of a dozen, you also don’t need to defend your transports nearly so well. If Germany wants to trade vital aircraft in exchange for surface ships/defending fighters and a few transports, that’s just playing into your hand.
I also agree on your Pacific strategy, I just think it’s likely that those VCs will fall before Germany - or at least before the Allied strength can be brought from Europe into the Pacific. But then, that’s exactly why most people play with such a huge Allied bid.
Also, reinforcing Norway can be hard. If your transports come from Iceland, then they can’t be protected by UK air base. To keep them moving back to the US with a 4 turn rotation, you have to build a harbor in Iceland. Also, if you end up having to move your ships down to 110 or 111 for protection, then you shuck gets all screwed up.
You can avoid the harbour on Iceland by walking the troops up to Quebec.
It can become a 3 transport group shuck by going Quebec->Scotland->Norway but that raises the question: why? Are you trading Norway and if not doesn’t the IC plus planes flying in defend it well enough?
I personally prefer my Allied fleet off of Gibraltar because it can threaten additional targets beyond the west coast of Europe. I like to force Italy to spend more money reinforcing Rome. I also can use the Gibraltar airbase to protect a destroyer that is breaking the Med bonus. What would be the advantage of the northern route (Iceland or UK) compared to a traditional southern route?
Going via Gibraltar means you can’t use the Iceland airbase to defend the fleet and a blocker can be put mobilised into SZ110, much more easily than one can by pushed to SZ124.
EDIT: The other potential issue going via Gibraltar is that you have to be sure that Italy can’t take Gibraltar and therefore the naval base. Also going via Gibraltar you need to cover the scramble and can’t use the USAF to take down any forces in Norway.
Perhaps it’s the competition you guys play against? You think that the British are sitting by and letting the US do everything alone? Nieve! The British air force crushes ANY Italian effort to do anything after turn 1! With Italy being neutered by Taranto it leaves the Luftwaffe to cover Europe while the British run over the Italians in the Med. And Africa! The Japanese can’t and won’t win any game unless they take a Pacific capital like Sydney, Calcutta! We are coming from the Hartford area and playing the WBC Axis & Allies champs in NYC on Saturday, April 29 th. Why don’t you guys come up and put your big boy pants on! The US with 2 loaded carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 5 destroyers and 3 bombers and 10 to 12 loaded transports landing in Rome with salvoes and the Italians making 10 to 15 bucks a turn can hold the US alone!? Really? And the British won’t be helping? Wow! You eggheads put away the inept AAA and play some REAL competition! Most are only pretenders! Stop misleading the new players who log in to learn some real strategy and get a lot of pretenders who base their responses and criticisms on playing the same inept competition and a lackluster AI on AAA on low luck! There should be 2 Axis & Allies websites!
Let us know how you really feel, Gen. Nehring! Btw the AI is really tough so don’t make fun of us people who struggle to win against the computer :wink:
Perhaps it’s the competition you guys play against? You think that the British are sitting by and letting the US do everything alone? Nieve! The British air force crushes ANY Italian effort to do anything after turn 1! With Italy being neutered by Taranto it leaves the Luftwaffe to cover Europe while the British run over the Italians in the Med. And Africa! The Japanese can’t and won’t win any game unless they take a Pacific capital like Sydney, Calcutta! We are coming from the Hartford area and playing the WBC Axis & Allies champs in NYC on Saturday, April 29 th. Why don’t you guys come up and put your big boy pants on! The US with 2 loaded carriers, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 5 destroyers and 3 bombers and 10 to 12 loaded transports landing in Rome with salvoes and the Italians making 10 to 15 bucks a turn can hold the US alone!? Really? And the British won’t be helping? Wow! You eggheads put away the inept AAA and play some REAL competition! Most are only pretenders! Stop misleading the new players who log in to learn some real strategy and get a lot of pretenders who base their responses and criticisms on playing the same inept competition and a lackluster AI on AAA on low luck! There should be 2 Axis & Allies websites!
You know, I started to run the numbers and try to figure this out. You know, 328 IPC of units committed to Rome at minimum. Factor in America’s starting units, ships pulled from the Pacific, etc. 10-15IPC stolen from Italy. 5-6 turns of Italian builds at 10IPC each. 4 turns returning the mainland USA to reload Germany liberates Rome the following turn. Etc etc. Too many factors.
Instead of just spouting off nonsense and insults, why don’t you walk us through your strategy? Where are those units coming from? How will you respond to J1/J2/J3 DoWs? What turn do you land in Rome? When can you re-retake Rome with follow-up landings after Germany liberates it?
Amalec, this is Gen. Nehring. He doesn’t have to elaborate because he always wins as Allies. Boom, game over since he has overwhelming force in every theater in the board. The Axis obviously don’t have a chance against him so there is no point even talking about tactics. He has over 500 wins against top League players this season alone.
@Arthur:
He has over 500 wins against top League players this season alone.Â
500 wins this season alone? How on earth do you have time for this…? Sometimes I log onto triplea at a reasonable time like 7:45pm EST and can’t even find someone to play a game with.
Anyways, I wish I knew how to have overwhelming US forces at every theater all the time. 500 wins! Amazing!
What are some of the largest bids has he given to Axis players?
Sorry Ichabod, my post was sarcasm. The guy has 5 posts on this forum and I don’t think he plays League matches ever. Going against weak competition in local gaming groups can make people overconfident in their abilities.
MAN, I was going to try his ways too ! WTF :evil: But It gave me an idea with the Gib attack ! :-D
Never underestimate your opponent. Men having been making that mistake for thousands of years and paying the price for it. Just because someone doesn’t play in your group or league that doesn’t mean that they are less of a player than you or your comrades. Making an assumption that each other’s play groups are weaker doesn’t make it so.
Never underestimate your opponent. Men having been making that mistake for thousands of years and paying the price for it. Just because someone doesn’t play in your group or league that doesn’t mean that they are less of a player than you or your comrades. Making an assumption that each other’s play groups are weaker doesn’t make it so.
Sure… but that comment seems like it might be better directed at the guy who said he had “the best” strategy and then went on to call basically the entire community garbage because a few people said “here’s why I don’t find that the best” and gave some reasons.
And hey, maybe the Allies’ 2-board predicament has been solved by a guy who can’t take light criticism of his strategy without flying off the handle, who seems to think most of the largest AAA communities are trash, and who isn’t willing to discuss what happens in the turns before or after (let alone on the other board!) he executes the best strategy of showing up with overwhelming force and taking the opponent’s capital. I’m entirely willing to listen to his ideas, just in case. But generally speaking competition in any form is improved by diversity and discussion. An unwillingness to engage with either doesn’t lend much hope.
