Strategic bombing raids and heavy bombers

@Arthur-Bomber-Harris said in Let's talk the Taranto raid.:

@shadowhawk it does take either good dice rolls, an Allied bid, and/or meticulous execution to pull of the alternatives to Taranto. Otherwise you find that you lose Egypt, Gibraltar, or London early in the game and it is almost impossible to recover.

I have to spend a long time battlecalcing every scenario if I decide to place my fleet next to Gibraltar. That certainly is the best option if you can avoid mistakes, but I wouldn’t do that in a face to face game.

Yea i agree there, taranto is the easier option to pull off.
But in the case or rare dice in 110, or just a weak attack there, sometimes you can pull it off.
Having a BB + 2 cruisers + destroyer + carrier + 3 fighters available will deter any attack on it from italy or germany and that fleet can easy defend sea lion or punish the italians for moving anywhere but stay put.

But just doing taranto is the easier and safer bet.

I find Taranto to be a great way to slow down Italy and pick off some German planes, which is critical. You can also land in Greece with the Malta troops and leave the transport in 99. That way you can lose the carrier first against a German counterattack, and you offer an extra target to hit.

Example in this game in which a Taranto was done, and Greece held until I3:

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=39603.0

@simon33:

DOW G1 is not normally advised. Those 3 tanks in Gr Sth Germany are better used assisting in France.

Getting Russia down is the one and only objective Germany has in that game. So DOW1 on Russia is a but risky but a valid strategy because it take several Russian units out.
In order to compensate the missing tanks Germany should definitely let 111 or 110 go or even both seazones to get firepower at France with the Luftwaffe.

Exposing air to the French AA is a calculated risk Germans can definitely take.

It is a general mistake that beginners stretch the German forces too much at G1 (often attacking Normandy and SF that turn). Diluting the France attack to 90-95% odds not yet understanding that 95% and 99% makes a HUGE differences. You could describe it in other words: 95% is failing 5 times as often as 99% and even more important: winning is not everything. Germany taking France with 1 tank remaining is a pyrrhic victory and Germany is almost lost when losing almost all ground units in France G1.

I did read somewhere a post or repost where Larry agreed with adding the Rus bomber to the G40 starting set after the 2nd edition was released. He was just concerned how the rest of the world would know about the bomber. Could anybody confirm this and/or post a link?
Thanks.

@wittmann:

I do not think it matters. Just because you DOW, doesn’t mean you have to invade.

Many Russians will DOW first, as they can then move into Western China with Mech units to help out.
If the Russian players moves all 18 INf into Amur and has not DOW you first, I think you have to do so and ATTACK!

The bigger reason for Russia to DOW Japan on Turn 1 is so if Japan DOW’s the Allies, Allied units can move into Russia in the East.

With the new setup, Italy can only do what the UK allows them to do, and with the pressure off sealion, it’s put squarely on Italy with the threat of an IC in Egypt UK1. Italy should have been given a tac bomber in northern Italy IMO.

@The:

Can tactical bombers intercept (defend against bombings?).

No.

@The:

And when it says that bombers attack the intercepters (defenders) on a one, does that include both strategic and tactical?

Yes.

@The:

And can tactical bombers and fighters both scramble in to defend their sea zones/interceptors?

Yes.

HA!  My guys are idiots.  It is only one extra space.  Can’t wait to bust their A$$e$.  I’m glad they know how to read.  I was REFing our the Double Blind game and going back and forth.  I’ll have an After Action report on it AFTER they rewrite it!!

Thanks guys…