Free For All Game Strategy Recommendations

Giddy makes some excellent suggestions.  Many of the ideas mentioned have worked out splendidly for me when playing the United States.

It is really impossible to consider the U.S. strategy without considering the Allies strategy.  That is to say the only good U.S. strategy is one that fits within the framework of the overall Allied strategy.

The most commonly successful of these strategies usually includes sacking Berlin before the Axis can sack Moscow (commonly known as KGF or Kill Germany First).  This is probably the easiest path to victory for the Allies and imho should be mastered first before considering execution of the other common path known as Kill Japan First.

If this is the Allies strategy then certainly many of Giddy’s statements apply to a good U.S. Strategy.  The key is to know how & when to play each of these strategies according to how your German opponent is playing.

U.K/U.S. 1-2 punch!  The turn order allows the U.K to attack Germany followed by a U.S. attack on the same turn (and the possibility of a Soviet Union attack at the beginning of the next turn) all before poor Germany can counter-attack or reinforce.  The allies should use this to their advantage as often as possible.  A lost battle for the U.K. just may whittle Germany down enough for the U.S. to knock them out.

Amphibious Assaults (Early & Often) - Your German opponent should show signs of frustration every time you land more troops in the European theater.

*Sea Zone 1 makes an excellent naval staging area.  You have a triple strike option from that sea zone (Norway, Western Europe, or Algeria).  Strike where Germany is weakest or perhaps least expects.  Force Germany to play your game and not play his own.  Any pressure on Germany is relief for Soviet Union.  If Soviet’s don’t have to worry about Germany they can start to stack units and shift them East to prepare for Japan’s march.

I usually prefer to strike Norway on turn 2 (especially if he moved the fighter out on his 1st or 2nd turn).  Germany may be gaining IPC’s in Africa, but I’m taking them back just as fast in Europe.  By turn 3 or 4 Fortress Europe can feel like a tiger cage to Germany and they will retreat their forces out of Africa and condense near the center.

In addition, should fortunes change and Japan is pressing Moscow early it is easy for U.S. &/or U.K. to reinforce Moscow when Norway is held.  This squeezes Germany south and allows the allies free movement over Scandinavia straight to Russia.

*Bring all Fighters to England.  i even vacate my fighters in the Pacific and bring them here so I have 4 without buying any.  They can be used in combination with amphibious assaults or in sea battles.  England acts a bit like it’s own Carrier in this sense.  (I also bring my Bomber for the same purpose).

It is best to keep all Fighters (& particularly Bombers) on the territory of England until you are certain your foothold on the European continent is strong.  Only when you are certain Germany cannot attack & win should you move your precious air units to the European mainland.

*Shift your Pacific navy to the Atlantic.  This is done by many of the best players.  In addition if I play United Kingdom I vacate the Indian Ocean around the Horn of Africa and meet up with the U.S. Pacific fleet (except I use my destroyer to take out Japans transport on turn 1).  I also move the Australian navy East and they join the U.S. Pacific navy at the same time.  In fact I usually take 2 infantry from Australia and use them to harass the African coast which Germany has probably left empty.

I have lost my entire Atlantic navy to German heavy bombers only to have my combined U.K/U.S. navy show up from the Pacific & Indian Oceans combined with new purchases and without missing a step continued the onslaught of Amphibious Assaults on Germany’s Europe.

*Purchase - I like to purchase as many transports as I can & as many infantry that will fit aboard to ship each & every turn.  You begin the game with 2 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 tank & 2 transports so I like to move transports to sea zone 1 & ground units to Easter Canada.  Then I’m poised to strike on turn 2.  My 1st purchase is 3 transports and 6 infantry so on turn 3 I’m landing those.

I keep purchasing the same mostly and keep slamming them into Germany in 1 of 3 places.  Once I’ve established control over a landing zone territory in Europe (meaning I don’t think Germany could or would attack it) then I consider other purchases. This game is a race and Allies must sack Berlin before Moscow falls.

U.K. purchases should be similar so that your placing fat stacks of infantry (supported by artillery & tanks when possible) on the European mainland.

*Sea Zone 5 - at some point (use good judgment on when) you should look to eliminate the German navy on sea zone 5.  You may do this with a combined U.K./U.S. assault on the same turn before Germany can counter or reinforce.  This will open a path to an Amphibious Assault on both Germany & Eastern Europe.  In addition any troops already in a neighboring territory to either of these may join the attack.  This should make Germany VERY nervous.

If the allies have made smart purchases & coordinated their play together either U.K or U.S should be in position to strike and take Germany including Berlin (maybe it will require a same turn combined strike).  Once Berlin has fallen if the allies can keep it for 1 turn then the outcome of the game should become fairly academic at this point.  You can begin sending your combined forces to the Eastern front into Asia and the U.S. can even focus on naval production in the Pacific once again.  It may take 8 or 10 more turns depending on the Allies efficiency, but the Axis will be doomed.

Playing the U.S. is fun for me.  It requires patience as I only make non-combat moves on turn 1, but by turn 4 it’s fun to smile & laugh with the U.K. while the German player studies the board & sweats.

No Strategies out there hey?

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.

lol… :-D

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.

@ncscswitch:

You must have missed a few of the games in the Games threads…

**NAVAL BATTLES DO NOT AND WILL NEVER WIN A GAME WHERE VICTORY IS DETERMINED BY CONTROL OF LAND TERRITORIES!**  …

Go ahead, play test it a few times.  You will quickly see what I mean.

Well, I agree and do understand your point. But it is sad that control of sea is not worth anything when history shows a different story. What if one included a rule for convoy raids! Try my rule for convoy raid in 2-3 games and then tell me if you think the game becomes more interesting. I just want you to try this rule to see what I mean. Navy will be more important, but with the twist of Axis favor!!! Then you will be more open for the discussion of cheaper navy!

Convoy Raids

The U.K, U.S. and Japanese players are susceptible to supply line interdiction. This rule imply that enemy submarines may conduct an economic attack against the supply lines (sea zones) adjacent to any of these nations industrial complex to “sink” IPCs. On the U.K, U.S. and Japanese players collect income phase, the player must subtract 2 IPCs to the bank for each enemy submarine within 1 sea zone of an industrial complex contolled by respective nation. For each enemy submarine within 2 sea zones of an industrial complex, the player must subtract 1 IPC. Any submarine that became submerged during the subjected players turn’s conduct combat phase, does not cause any economic loss. Multiple submarines may affect a single industrial complex, but the maximum combined loss can be no more than the territory’s (containting the industrial complex) income value. An individual submarine may only affect one industrial complex during each turn, but can affect multiple industrial complexes each round (i.e. one industrial complex per player).

Maybe you could make a thread about your strategy.  Unless your waiting to unleash it against one of the people here?

A long term consideration of the S Africa complex- that I’ve gained through experiences both good and bad- a British complex gives you the capacity to produce 10 pieces total. Given competent Axis play, Britain should not be collecting 30 IPCs for very long (sometimes never after the first round). So that means less than 10 Infantry per round. If you’re building anything other than Infantry in S Africa that also means you’re probably getting far less than 10 units- maybe 6 or 7 total.

If I’m the German player the initial 15 IPCs for the complex + the lessened pressure in the north makes me feel more at ease.

On the plus side it will make it more difficult for Japan to get their meathooks into Africa. If you keep your Indian ocean navy lingering in SZ 34 for a time and then move to S Africa with it it’s a potential thorn in Japan’s side.

I’ve definitely tried it and had it work against less experienced players, but even in those situations I could have probably used the IPCs more wisely.

I’m not trying to shoot down the idea, just pointing out the sacrifice that you have to make elsewhere on the game board.