Axis National Advantages (LHTR 2.0)

Wasn’t really talking about Balancing of it, just thinking about how it would look. I’d say EE would be Soviet because as you said, Stalin had annexed the Baltic Republics, and Eastern Poland, both of which lie in EE. Also when Looking at GER its bigger than Germany actually is because it includes the Western half of Poland, and Czech which at this point Hitler had Annexed.

What you’re saying is all correct. Typically, people do choose KGF or KJF, unless Japan has awful first turn rolls or leaves another opening and the US changes plans.

My Japanese play puts the emphasis on Russia but I also take advantage of my battleships in the Red Sea/Indian Ocean to trade land in Africa and take potshots at Allied soldiers. The UK’s farflung territories like Australia, New Zealand, and Madagascar should be taken quickly. Rarely can Japan not afford these small, early diversions from the Soviets.

If you’re looking for Axis team tactics, I believe the most important is positioning Japan’s fighters well. Early on, I keep my fighters around Frindo to support a German stack in Ukraine or Egypt depending on Allied moves. Later, I like my fighters in z34. From here, they can reach Novo, Kazakh, Russia, Caucuses, West Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe, Germany, and Karelia. They can reach most everywhere that Japan will want to attack or help defend. This tactic also breaks the the UK-US double because if the UK suicides into, say Germany, the Japanese fighters swoop in and turn the odds against a US followup.

The reason they are rated low, for me, is as follows:

1)  Submarines are expensive
2)  Submarines die to fighters without risk to the fighters
3)  Submarines purchased take 4 full turns to break even (odds?)
4)  The two submarines in SZ 5 die in every game I’ve ever seen.  It’s just a debate over when, not if they die.
5)  Germany has no business buying up lots of submarines.
6)  America is relatively unaffected by U-Boats.  Sure, they have less money, but honestly, -3 IPC from 42 IPC is not that much.

Those are ranked in order of importance to me.

That said, if you get them as a random bonus, it isn’t horrible.  Germany, of course, has no worthless advantages.

I’m teaching my cousin how to play I was the Axis b/c he was born in England and moved to Canada so he was die hard about having the UK any way I gave him a bid last time b/c he got wasted the time before I gave him 15 IPC’s to use for any allied country. I wasn’t worried b/c I thought he would buy a US Pacific Navy. Instead he bought 5 INF and put them in Moscow. Needless to say that slowed down the Axis advance early on.

I like your idea about mixing it up. Keeps them on there toes. he he

-LT04

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Leet is just short form of elite.

When using NAs, we usually have 3 each for Axis and 2 each for Allies.

I have to agree with Duke that Germany is the hardest to play :D