R1 - To Defend ARC or LEN or not?

I agree.  England is usually the nation that takes it.  Though, I have gotten allied players to take it with America, which makes me giddy!  Because I too write it off as a lost cause and, let’s face it, of the three nations, America is in the least need of the 3 IPCs.  Russia, I feel, is in the most need.  England is in a very close second.  America is in so far a distant third place as to almost not even be in the running!

Jen your exactly right in theory, but If the US player is the “babysitter” for the less experienced UK, and Russia player US might need every extra IPC it can get to hold all 3 allied capitals. Food for thought.

-LT04

Yea, maybe.  But odds are, the allied nations are all being played by one player - at least on the boards.  And even if it is multiple players and America is the “babysitter” (to use your word) then isn’t the babysitter probably telling them what to purchase and what combats to make?

touche Jen, touche  :-)

Ahh but Jennifer you are not factoring pride.  I just played a 5 man game and the Russian player, who is inexperienced, pretty much committed suicide by running their largest army into a stack of 25 german INF and 6 ARM.  Why? he just didn’t like the US “babysitter” telling him what moves to make.  It was a cheap win for the Axis but with the group I play with pride and ego ruin  as many allied strats as bad dice.

I’ve done that, and won. :P  Don’t discount my russian infantry, they’re the best offensive unit I have on the board!

Sorry I let this one get away. I mentioned earlier about making 2 or 3 strafing runs to take Norway and Jen said that no one should have to. What I was saying is that it could behove Russia to take Norway using that method of approach. We all agree its bad if Russia gets Norway, I think that through a series of strafing runs thats Russia can take Norway and not necessarily compromise its defensive posture in Karelia S. S. R.

But now that I look at the starting setup that idea is better in theory then in practice. Just wanted to make my point clear.

-LT04

I don’t think it’s worth it to Russia to devote any ground forces to combat in Norway.  However, if it’s open and there is no German fleet in the Baltic to retake it, then it’s worth sending an infantry or a tank to take it if you can. (Depending on what you ahve available.  Blitz in/out is best, invade with infantry next best, invade with tank third best.)

I leave Archangel and Karelia wide open.

1.  Germany can kick the crap out of Karelia anyways.  It’s like throwing away a 3 IPC unit for 1 IPC.  (it’s expected that there’s about 1/3 chance of the Russian infantry killing something a 3 IPC German infantry).  I do not expect the Russian infantry to survive more than one round of combat, because of the overwhelming force Germany can bring to Karelia.

2.  Since Germany can take Karelia if it wants it, I will leave Karelia open.  If Germany DOES take Karelia in force, well, that’s that anyways.  If Germany blitzes Karelia, I just re-blitz from West Russia.  Free IPCs.

3.  Leaving a unit in Archangel is no point.  Only German unit that can take is a tank.  I will happily kill that German tank on R2.  Germany traded 5 IPC of MOBILIZED units for 2 IPC in the bank and 1.5 IPC of mobilized Russian IPC (infantry).

Therefore, I leave Archangel and Karelia open.  Germany can do whatever.  Russia has strong counters to any German play.

This is after West Russia/Belorussia, plus no fighter buy or Russia.

Like I said before if I was Germany I wouldn’t break my back to take Karelia if it was reinforced I’d rather have the Caucasus b/c its worth as much as Karelia and Archangel together plus it has an IC, and then the icing on the cake is that now your front with Russia’s capital has just doubled.

-LT04

I agree the southern route is the best for Germany.  Once Caucasus is firmly held by Germany Moscow doesn’t last long.  However the southern route takes you through German territory which you already recieve for.  Go North you take Russian money and make a UK northern landing a battle, instead off them just landing troops to reinforce Russia while you put the hurting on Moscow.

I agree with you but its still going to take UK a wee bit of time to muster troops and a Navy to get to the mainland. If Germany plays its cards right it can take the Caucasus and reserve its Luft Waffe for killing off the UK Navy. Then on G-2 Germany can take Karelia.

-LT04

3 Rounds, dear.  If it takes longer then 3 rounds for England to get 4 transports up and 6 to 8 ground units a round into Norway the game’s lost.  That’s my humble opinion, of course.  But I have personally never seen the Allies recover if England cannot get up and running that fast.  After all, they only need to buy 2 transports and a carrier to make that viable.  Maybe not even the carrier, considering they can bring the one from the Indian Ocean and use American destroyers for cannon fodder until it arrives on turn 4 or 5.

All depends,

Sometimes it takes me 4-5 turns to get that going because I decided to kill the Baltic Navy and I’ve enjoyed great success with the allies.

Extremes do not a strategy make, dear.

I fail to see how 50 IPC income on Germany 2 is a strategy.  I don’t care if you made 50 tanks in 3 rounds because of insane position on the board. :P

Germany cannot hold Caucasus early in the game.

If it tries, all Russia has to do is take Ukraine with West Russia forces, cutting off any reinforcements, and take Caucasus with combined West Russia and Russia forces.

On the other hand, Germany has a very easy time smashing Karelia early.  If Russia reinforces in Karelia, I think the Axis have an excellent chance of winning, as Germany smashes the Karelia stack with the Baltic transport, Norway, Eastern Europe infantry plus assorted tanks.  West Russia will not have enough to counterattack (since so many units were in Karelia in the first place), and the Germans have seriously damaged Russia’s ability to trade territories from W. Russia - the Germans can even secure Ukraine with that weak of a Russia.

Leave Archangel and Karelia open with Russia; do not defend.  That’s my recommendation.