Buying a Destroyer for the Soviet Baltic Fleet

@shadowhawk I can’t argue with that.Take out india 1st and then go toward Egypt and middle east to obtain victory on the Europe side.

@andrewaagamer I definitely agree, I was horrible at playing the Axis but it just took a few games and some new strays to see the unbalance. And I too don’t like nerfing strat bombers because it seems to unbalance it more.

It projects a bigger threat by still allowing a destroyer and even a carrier if you want to reach 54 in case America or Anzac puts a blocker in 46.

I find this move allows more flexibility than keeping that carrier off Carolines.  Granted, it doesn’t allow me to move 2 carriers back to 6, but I’m never going to do that anyways; I want to bring them to the money islands to protect my transports.  And provided that I commit myself to taking at least either Indonesia, Celebes, or Philippines on J2 (a no-brainer), then that carrier off New Guinea won’t be out of position.

So the major advantage, besides the one I listed at top, is that it allows you to get 2 more planes into any fight off 54 without requiring you to leave a carrier out of position.  You just have to remember that you’ll be shuffling your planes all around on to different carriers when you plan out your J2 combat.  Planes from your carrier in 36 should land in Asia, making room for the planes from the carrier off New Guinea, which hop over to make room for the planes from Carolines.

From what I remember doing

G1: carrier (save 14 IPC, collect 51 (france, Yugo,fin) + 17 french = 81)
G2: 20 mech

USSR 1: 1 ftr, 4 art, 5 inf
USSR 2: 5 art 7 inf

UK1 EU: 6 inf 1 ftr
UK2 EU: Depends, mIC in egupt/ Carrier in europe/ 2 infs and trannie in s Africa / start building ftrs

UK1 P: All inf
UK2 P: mostly inf, if at peace. If at war, some fleet/ftrs and some land

Anzac1: 3 inf
anzac2: start builign ftrs while making some landunits

USA1: if a peace: 9 subs, if at war: 2 carriers, 1 sub and 2 DD for japan
USA2: 2 carriers for europe, 2 carriers 2 subs for japan

it1: either ftr or 1 mech, 1 tank for easter front.
it2: 1 mech + ftr + ??? Depends on money

The key map is number 4 where you see the German tanks make it back to Germany/Norway. Taking the transports out with planes to prevent this is the obvious solution but it may be more difficult if Italy has a navy. If you lose Gib on round 1 and Italy has a navy then you may not be able to defend seazone 102. Remember if the carriers take hits the planes sink. If USA Builds bombers instead then you make sure they cant land by taking Eire and consolidate the navy with the German navy.

There is obviously mistakes by both sides in this game but I’m just using it as an example. The best way to defeat Sealion is to avoid it all together by defending London and Gib on round 1.

My gaming group instituted a house rule on the Soviet NO.  The Soviet Union can get the IPCs for any Neutral territory on the European Mainland ONLY if the Axis powers occupied that territory first.  In other words, they would have to take it from Germany or Italy.

We did this because we didn’t like the idea of the Soviets simply walking into someplace like pro-Allied Greece and getting 4 free infantry, 2 IPCs for the territory and the NO on top of it.  Also, we didn’t like the idea that the Soviets could attack a strict Neutral, like Turkey or Sweeden, and get an NO bonus for it while turning all other strict Neutrals pro-Axis, which could make things harder on US and UK.

well, italy runnign wild is EASILY made up by the fact that germany made 70+ ipcs worth of transports that will hardly do anything to help him vs russia besides threatening Novgorod.
With US entering the war soon, italy will be beaten, you would just need to conserve your afircan forces and try to slow down or contain italian advances.  You dont need to hold egypt, you just need to prevent him from getting too much more.  Usually of germany tries to sealion, Japan does not bother you on J2 to prvent US from entering earlier.  The extra money you wil collect from controling your stuff in the pacific can be used to make stuff than can reinforce persia.  Eventually when germany is going full bore on russia, you can just leave a strong garrison on uk and start wearing italy down and investing your money into africa/persia from the europe side.

Bear in mind that the USSR moves before England does (OOB) and before America and England (Alpha 2) thus it can be used for the “Can Opener” maneuver as well.  (Pop a blocking destroyer so the war fleets can sink the Italian/German navy and invade Hamburg/Frankfurt Germany, Berlin Germany, Rome Italy, whatever.)

If for no other reason, moving the Russian submarine to the combined Anglo-American fleet in the Atlantic might be worth it.

And, to belabor the point, it is another defending ship if your Anglo-American fleet is ever attacked, and one that neither England nor America has to purchase.

Note, these are the same arguments for using the Russian Submarine in previous versions of the game.  It’s always been semi-useless, but it has also always had a use in the rare situation it was needed.  Sometimes it was America who had to make a hole for the Russian due to the turn order, but it was the same basic situation.  Another unit that the Axis have to account for if you use it properly.  Sure, if you sit the submarine off the Cape of Good Hope (S. Africa) the Axis can virtually ignore it.  If it’s near Panama, the Axis can ignore it.  But why not use it as another unit with the Anglo-American flotilla?  It does not cost anything, it cannot be used to defend Russia in any meaningful way and if you do not use it thusly, you are essentially giving the Germans (and maybe the Japanese if you move it to the Pacific/Indian Oceans) a 6 IPC bid. (8 classic, but you dont start with a submarine in classic)