@Frank:
I am starting to think there is not a convential road to victory for the Axis in Global Alpha +2 like in say Spring 1942. That game was all about killing Russia. While killing Russia is certianly nice and mostly still neccesary in Alpha +2 it in and of itself will not win you the game. If France is liberated in the meantime or Italy is defeated in Egypt then getting that last victory can be out of reach if Axis timing in finishing Russia is off even a little bit.
Yeah, I think Global 40 is the first game where defeating Russia is not a game winner for Germany. In previous games, it seemed to me that once Germany took out Russia, it was just about over for the Allies. Germany just had too much money for the Allies to stop them. There are exceptions, like if Germany concentrated so much on taking Russia that they left Berlin absurdly weak and UK or USA slips in with a relatively small invasion force and takes it. I have seen this happen. UK takes Berlin, USA lands troops to back them up and most of Germany’s hardware is too far away trying to take Moscow.
Still, in Global 40, there are a lot more variables. Even if Moscow falls, so could Rome and Germany has Allies right on their doorstep, not to mention losing a precious victory city.