Here is a UK strategy I have been thinking about. It is inspired by what one of the UK players did in one of Hilltop Pillbox’s games.
Full disclosure, I do not own GW36v3 and have not played it, but am looking to get it and have been reading up on strategy and mechanics. So proceed to pick this apart!
The Med Lockdown
(I am not married to the name, so If you see a better one, please suggest it. )
The basic idea of this strategy is to make full use of the Commonwealth’s overwhelming naval power. The UK and associated actions have the largest navy on the board at the start of the game, but it is highly dispersed and facing many threats. There are the Germans in the North Sea and Atlantic, the Italians in the Med, the Japanese in the Far East, and each one needs a fleet to help hold them off. Or do they? In this strategy, the commonwealth (hereafter referred to as the UK) will combine their fleets into 2 entities. The key to this is threat projection. we are going to project so much threat on the Weakest member of the Axis, and the only one who can reasonably challenge the UK at sea in Europe. In many games I have seen the UK pile ships in the Med, then get jumped on and destroyed by Italy, who then takes Egypt and Gibraltar and locks the Med, giving them a few turns to build and save their navy. So we are going to place our navy outside the Med, immune from Italian Navy schemes (mostly). Thus the defense is moved to the land where we have the upperhand as the defender, and the Italians are weaker, due to their need to amphibious assault. But you say, “They will just roll to Cairo, and you will be cut off, and their supplies will be unmolested!” No. The Italians will be deterred from a ground campaign by your navy. I am realising I forgot to say what we are actually doing, but it is simple. All of the UK navy in the Home islands and Atlantic will go to Sea Zone 79 off Gibraltar. They will place a few militia and some infantry there, and then sit. Meanwhile, in the East, the Med squadron and FEC fleet will combine off ADEN. This leaves 2 fleets on either side of the Med, and each very powerful. Each will have around 2 Battleships or Battlecruisers, a light carrier or two once you finish the one on the production chart, tons of cruisers, and several destroyers and a sub. But most importantly, each has 2 transports with 4 units, a rapid reaction force. The Italians now have a conundrum. They can either attack Gibraltar, most likely losing to the fort and small army there, or attack Cairo, and try to close the suez. But whatever they chose, their fleet will be hit with a larger UK fleet, and 4 transports will descend to liberate one door of the med, or, attack Rome if it is lightly defended. Thus, the Italians must build up their navy to defend against a counter strike, invest in transports to carry the first strike force, and build units to defend their homeland. You may be wondering why the Italians don’t use their large Libyan army to take cairo. That would require 2 turns to fight to Eastern Egypt, by which time the Brits would be in the war, and the Italian fleet would be gone, and the UK would be knocking on the door of Rome. So the Italians now must out build the UK, which is unlikely, or risk destruction, or sit out the game. That is a hard choice for any Euroaxis player, and no decision is ideal.
So the Italians are stuck and neutralized by our firepower, but what about everybody else? Germany now has free access to the UK and a Sea Lion attack, and you are giving the Japanese a free hand. But did you? This is the beauty of threat projection. From Aden, your Eastern fleet can reach Gibraltar, Italy, Greece, all of North Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, South Africa, India, Malay, etc… This enables power projection and a response force across the center of the map. However, you don’t even need to commit this force to the east or Med, just having it there allows you to avoid a strike by Italy or Japan, as they would be far out of position, and threaten any half hearted attack on India. The Anzac are to guard the western Pacific and Dutch along with the US, relying on the threat of a powerful enemy to restrain Japan. and after Italy casts their lot, then this fleet can go catch the Japanese between hammer and anvil. In Europe, the position is more defensive. You can reach Normandy or Aquitaine, but the main value lies in the ability to hit anywhere on the soft underbelly of Europe. Your only weakness is your inability to hit London with transports in one turn. However, note that all distances quoted were for Battleships and Transports. Your cruisers and carriers and other such ships, of which you have many, can move 4 spaces, far enough to hit a German invasion fleet. Thus you can power project far into the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Med. The Japanese and Germans can do what they want in the Pacific and Baltic, but If they move close to you, then you can make them pay for moving out of position.
Two things remain: The Army and the Battle of the Atlantic. For your army, they are going to just sit. Fortify London, Gibraltar, and Egypt, mabe invade the Middle East or Vichy if you get bored. but do NOT lose either door to the Med or London. In the Far East, just build and build with FEC and put pressure on Japan in SE Asia as you will not attack the islands. The RAF can bomb Germany and keep pressure in the North via airborne in the Midlands if you get extra money. For the Atlantic, build Seaplanes. One per turn and a few destroyers should work wonders. Also, get the Americans up to 35 quick so they can escort you.
Obviously if the Italians decide to sit it out, then your UK fleets are just sitting there. However, I believe that is preferable to the other option of Italy running rampant in Africa and the Middle East. The Med can be an explosive situation, and this aims to diffuse that as much as possible. This is a patient strategy, waiting for your opponent to blow before you.
This strategy is made to complement the US Polar Express Strategy, but that is another post.
