The Italian playbook

@colonel-ace said in The Italian playbook:

Would it be viable to buy fighters to protect your Mediterranean fleet while you start using your transports to pump troops into Syria in order to take Iraq and put a complex there so you could still be able to do stuff

I see nothing wrong with buying a fighter on I2 to help protect your fleet and provide more counter attacking power. I would not do it on I1 as that $10 should be used for fast movers to assist Germany in taking Moscow as can-openers.

Regarding Syria and then Iraq. There is no way you can take and hold Iraq against any competent player. At best, you can take it.

Taking Syria you would need to block the UK SZ92 fleet with a single DD; otherwise they will just retake Syria. Since Trans-Jordon was not taken UK will move their SZ92 and SZ76 fleets to SZ98 plus adding their Egypt build to it. If UK did not take Persia on UK1, many people do, then they certainly will on UK2.

Thus, on I2 there will be, at most, 7 ground units in Iraq. UK can counter with, at least, 7 ground units plus 4-6 planes and that is all she wrote.

Benefits:
Italy collects Syria for probably 2 Turns, maybe only 1, and Iraq for 1 Turn. +4
Iraq goes British and thus Russia does not get to take this territory. (Most important benefit)

Detriments:
Italy is out 4 ground troops that could have been used in defense of Europe.
Syria will be collected by UK for the rest of the game. (Most important detriment)

@colonel-ace said in The Italian playbook:

you can scramble up to 3 fighter’s or tacs FROM EACH TERRITORY which means Germany could send more fighters to northern Italy to help against Toronto

Northern Italy does not have an airbase to scramble from.

@colonel-ace Nope…

@AndrewAAGamer

So that’s what Gibastion is! I didn’t really know what you meant when it was mentioned before. Thank you so much!

Now that I think about it, someone did do that on me before, and I didn’t come out of it very well.

Hi @colonel-ace

Nice to see you got some discussion :) I’m a intermediate player at best myself, so don’t have anything to offer that the Pros haven’t already :)

Can open for G on the E Front and help defend W EUR. That’s about it.

There are some House Rule mods you could try that make Italy a little more viable. Oztea 41 is an Excellent G 40 mod https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/20624/oztea-s-1941-global-setup?page=1

and @The-Captain and Company have this Awesome one. It definitely can give Italy a larger role. Or be removed completely :) But that can happen in OOB too :)
https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/36945/axis-allies-global-1940-house-rules-expansion

Playing OOB depends on your opponents. It’s still an Immensely Fun game for the casual as well as Expert player. The experts have just crunched it out to where they play with a bid.

Another popular mod is BM3 as well as PTV. https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/category/13/other-axis-allies-variants

Idk them well enough to comment on how Italy plays other than i believe it gives them a few more options.

Anyway, some other stuff to check out if you want :)

Edit
If you find one that works you can call it the Recipe for Success

Peace :)

Edit 2
N Italy has an AB in Oz 41

@colonel-ace I love it when people call it a “TORONTO” raid.

@ampdrive said in The Italian playbook:

@colonel-ace I love it when people call it a “TORONTO” raid.

Huh - I just assumed they were misspelling it. They really don’t mean Toronto Canada do they? (Versus Taranto Italy)

Taranto is correct. That is the Italian Naval Base that the British hit in 1940. With Swordfish biplanes no less!!!

@AndrewAAGamer

Although maybe the Canadian gamers would approve of Toronto ? Unless from Quebec :)

When they come out with a War of 1812 game,then we can conduct a toronto raid.