All tapped out for strategies? Is it Game Over?

My purchase and exact unit allocation will depend on Russia’s move and how it went. I prefer to build only land units on G1. If I’m able to stack Karelia or Ukraine, I’ll build 2-3 tanks. No matter what, here’s what I attack in no particular order:

1. Gibraltar Battleship: sub, 3-4 fighters
2. Karelia: minimal force or full stack, depending on counterattack
3. Egypt: 2 inf, 2 tanks, maybe a fighter, bomber
4. East Med Destroyer: battleship, loaded transport, fighter

If Russia attacked Ukraine or Belorussia, I will always counterattack. An attack on Ukraine changes where I play my fighters. Attacking West Russia on G1 is a risky play that I’ll only consider if Russia had really lousy dice.

A large part of the game depends on who the Allies decide to attack. They can decide between KGF (kill Germany first) or KJF (kill Japan first).

For people who are new to the game, I think a KGF would be easier to pull off. All the Allied capitals are near(er) to Berlin, so the logistics are easier. Also, Germany can threaten Moscow quicker than Japan if not threatened.

However, a KJF can work against players who are used to playing against KGF. It is usually best to go this route if Japan has a bad first turn, although I have won games where I had a KJF in mind before the game started. In this strat, your goal is to reduce Japan down to Tokyo and maybe a couple other territories, and to wipe out their navy. In this way, only a minimal Allied force is needed to contain them, and all attention can shift to Germany.

Note that I don’t mean to ignore the other axis power that you aren’t focused on. This is usually only a problem in KGF, and Japan can reach Moscow quickly if left unchecked. Usually the U.S. will deal with Japan a bit in KGF, and Russia will hold off Germany with a little U.K. support in a KJF.

As the Axis, you must identify if your oppenent is playing a KGF or KJF. The nation that is the focus of the Allied attacks must play defensively while the other nation kills Russia.

We switch between the 12 point bid, and the axis again 4 NA’s and the Axis seem to win 50-60% of our games, and the last few months no one can beat them. Axis has one 13 of 17 games since this past september.  We have 20 man group that plays about twice a month.

Strat 1:  2-3 transports in Baltic and move Mediterranean fleet west.  Usually only feasible if Germany received bid units in Africa, and/or USSR did not take Ukraine (the extra German fighter’s needed on the attack).  Threatens invasion of London.  Should not be used if Russian fighters landed in Moscow (Allied response:  UK 3 fighters and transport E.Can tank, US transport 2 inf 1 art 1 tank (sacrificing US transports) Russia fighters to London resulting in strong UK defense and immediate threat to Baltic fleet.)

Baltic transports can be used to transport German infantry to Karelia as well as threaten London and reclaim Norway.  If a united Allied fleet gets close, the Germans can counter with German air plus fodder German transports.  However, this strat is not effective against quick Allied air.

Strat 2:  Carrier in Baltic.  To prevent UK 2 fighter 1 bomber destroying German fleet straightaway.  Carrier gives German fighters added range, allowing German threat to London, as well as allowing German fighters stationed at West Europe and on the carrier to rotate duty when attacking Karelia, West Russia, or other points east.

Carrier protects Baltic fleet until the Baltic fleet suicides against the Allied Atlantic fleet.  Carrier is much less inherently useful as attacker or defender; its use to effective extend fighter range is of limited use.  A carrier is stronger against Allied air, but continued Allied buildup force the Germans to use more IPCs on navy, or lose their existing navy.

Strat 3:  Carrier and transport in Baltic.  Threatens London and extendes fighter range.  As above, but with so many IPCs in the water, Germany’s attack on Russia is stalled.

Strat 4:  Nothing in Baltic.  The UK has a lot of targets on UK1:  retake of Anglo-Egypt, the Baltic fleet, etc.  If Germany builds NOTHING in the Baltic, the UK may either attack Anglo-Egypt with less (good for Germany), or the UK may lose lots of air on a risky attack against the Baltic fleet.  Either way, the strategy here is to build infantry and tanks, to press on Russia early; if the UK lets its fighters die, that’s just less force the UK can hit the German ground with later.

Wow!
Were bombers flying around the world?
I’d love to play a game like that.

I may surprise you all soon…

I am less than an hour away from logging 100 DAYS of active posting on the site (in 2 years).  That may be worth an update…

Pre-LHTR Lend Lease is insane.  Non-LHTR Super-fortresses is also pretty crazy.

Colonial Garrison makes KJF much stronger.  Radar messes with things a lot.  Mobile Industry makes the Caucasus no longer a vital country, and increases the strength of a KJF.  Mechanized infantry lets you do a lot of stuff, as does fast carriers, as does island bases . . . really, MOST of the Allied NAs are quite good.

Germany’s Blitzkrieg is decent because it frees up fighters.  Japan’s Banzai is okay.  (Banzai’s not great against a KJF, and even for a KGF, you need tanks and fighters for that last push into Moscow).  Most of the Axis NAs suck.  It is usually a matter of HOW MUCH they suck.

How to abuse pre-LHTR Lend Lease - UK fighters, US fighters.  You haven’t seen “stupid” until you see Russia producing 8-9 infantry a turn with 14 fighters for backup.  No, seriously.  Russia just beats the hell out of everything.  LHTR changed this, thank goodness.

How to abuse Superfortresses - build bombers to strat bomb, go for tech dice on US3 or US4.  With heavy bombers, you shut down Germany.  LHTR limits total damage per turn, I believe, instead of total damage per bomber, so stops this from doing more than 16 IPC damage.

How to abuse Blitzkrieg - well, you take this fat load of tanks, and use 1-2 infantry to trade territories with Russia early.  Since you can use your tanks to trade territories without committing, now you can use your fighters for other things.  Like . . . getting EVEN MORE territory, or fighting off that Allied Atlantic fleet.

How to abuse Banzai - use a lotta infantry, surprise.

the best way to respond is to reach moscow