The Italian Theory

@freh Ok, I see it now. Pretty sneaky :)

Italian canopening is even more effective when combined with the Germany “Dark Skies” option with lots of bombers.  The tanks+mechs+bomber attack options means that the Allies cannot place moderate-sized stacks within two spaces of the German/Italian main stack.  Russia ends up cowering in Moscow with a few minor exchanges each round.  UK ends up with a strong stack near Iraq, never daring to move it too close to the Germans.

Meanwhile the huge range of the German bombers give that power flexibility to find opportunistic attacks:
*Allied ground forces in W. Europe
*Allied ships in the Atlantic
*Allied ships in the Med
*Push into Siberia
*Mid-game Sealion or Egypt attack

I am not saying that this plan guarantees victory, but it allows League players to aim towards eventual victory in G13-17.  Most face-to-face games end up with a Moscow attack on G5-8 when the Axis players just decide that the numbers look close enough.  With the battlecaculator and more time on PBEM/PBF games, Germany can comb through the options every turn and patiently wait for the right opening with a big TUV swing.

It’s a 69% attack against starting units in Leningrad. 49% if they put 1 extra inf in. So they can withdraw 5 troops on the peninsula back to Leningrad and 4 troops from Leningrad - perhaps more if they fly some planes in. In balanced mod, this theory has more merit if marines are bought G1.

The point here is that it slows the Soviet withdrawal to Bryansk. Particularly good if the southern force is sitting in Western Ukraine at the end of USSR1 - they can’t counter attack a force smashing the withdrawing Leningrad forces although may be able to hit a weak German force in Eastern Poland.

@Eggman:

@rmcbride:

When you say “If Germany drops a Naval base into the territory, it can contribute ships”  Doesn’t Germany also have to have an IC there before it can place ships in the SZ during ‘Mobilize units’ phase?

Yes, that is a misstatement.  I should have written drops an IC into the territory.  You don’t need a Naval Base in Yugoslavia since you can make use of the ones in Italy proper from the same SZ.

Ok thanx, that clarifies & now makes sense.

And to answer your question, a lot of people don’t do SeaLion b/cuz it’s not always a guaranteed thing. Depends on what the UK does. If the UK makes it as difficult as possible, then most likely the Germans can take it still but it might be a little dicey and leave them vulnerable to the Russians. If the UK makes it easier then the Germans will be more likely to do a SeaLion. I don’t think a successful SeaLion always means an Axis victory.

Sorry, I’m thinking of my own historical rules in which Romania starts neutral. ~Posting on this soon.  Yugoslavia or maybe later on Ukraine?

Saving money can be wise but for Italy, I don’t buy it since Italy is forced into a reaction based plan rather than true offensive since you have to see what UK does to the Italian navy before anything comes into play.

Italy always ends up doing one of three things: 1. Get aggressive and go after Egypt. 2. Can open for Germany. 3. Play defense exclusively to buy time for Germany to get to Moscow.

Anything else I’ve seen usually ends up with Rome going to US.

Just roll the dice correctly and you will win each time……bamb…fixed