Richters first 41 game - ongoing game report…

I managed to set up the game yesterday (Fortumately I have gaming space in the cellar, so I don’t have to clean up)

Before the 1st turn was done I noticed a few things - I might do or face , depending whom I get to play…

Germany/Italy NA Strategy

First thing to do will be an German attack on Egypt. uusing the transport to bring in another tank.

If that suceeds I might follow up with an Italian Blitz into Syria combined with a naval assault (2 shore bombardment should do the job ;) - if the dice are at least average - I assume this will enable a quick linking up with teh Japanese forces (if Japan goes not after Russia) - China also should fall quickly with not much resistance

The rest of africa should fall slowly to the axis then.

Germa attack on Russia - I think Germany best move would be to go after Stalingrad and neglect the north for the time being - russian northern armies are quite big, but the south should be open.

Atlantic - Germany should go after the transports - delay a D-Day as long as possible.

China - I assume the Russians should build up a defence in the western most Chinese Province and I ask myself - shoudl Russia fortify the Far east or attack Manchuria.

Japan - so much to do - Buy DDs and Transports + Inf to Island capture - Would it be wise to go after NZ in the first turn?

Should japan ignore Russia and go for India first (hooking up With Italy/Germany)

I assume the US will have a hard time building up a substantional attack force if it splits its attention.

UK will surely soon loose its chip-leader position with this Set-UP

Played this out this weekend

Result: Turn 7 ended the game as Axis had more production +50% and more units on board…

Allied Strategy was a KGF + a token resistance in the Pacific…

What shall I say - Italy Killed a S and UK fleet twice in the Atlantic (turn 3+4 after securing the Med including Gebel al Tarik…

Germany was constantly harrassed by the Soviet and lost Scandinavia early to the Brits…
(Turn 7 all western russian territories were in Russian hands, (Stalingrad was held by
Germany)

Territories east of Moscow were almost all in Japanese hands.

japan ignored SU and China for 3 turns (mostly only put enough Inf to discourage an attack)

Japan spread into the Pacific (I must admit a little gamble- it put 9 ships 3CVs+5ftrs vs 7 ships 2Cvs+4Ftrs and won because of some real great rolls (IIRC it lost the fighters, but nothing else - maybe a DD).

BTW crusiers seem to be better than we first thought - if DDs absorb damage they are excellent units)

Italy once captured Canada! (shortly after thrown out by the US, but this and constant invasions to Alska prevented the US to build up a naval fore after the Pac and AT fleets were sunk)

Uk quickly lost all Pac+Asian posessions and Africa was slowly eaten by Italy (which really shone this game - a few early fleet builds (CA+Tr + a few dds) while ignoring the SU.

Both sides made some serious blunders (Japan only seized an empty borneo at turn 5, Russia maybe waited to long to attack German tank forces - maybe an attack a turn earlier and hoping for a few 1s would have turned the tide)

US should have built up MORE pacificx sea units and waited a few turns (1-2) before it attacked IT/GE…

UK - NO more ICs in the Pacific/India - Japan can muster enough force to capture them even if it holds it with ONLY 1 unit - UK can’t get it back…

UK did bomb GE, but repairs were quick to follow…

In the End JP had 3 Fleets - a large off Alaska

A small DD fleet in JP proper to defend against possible bomber threats. and a medium south pacific fleet (AU was conquered on turn 6 - with an IC UK could hold it and even pose an potential threat with a small DD+TRP fleet)

Germany focused on Stalingrand and never came to attack to Leningrad as UK went to Scandinavia (I will do it again) and so Russia could build up before Germany could strike - UK even amph landed at the baltic states…

An observation - If any nation went after lone Transports (it sunk them) - the Ftrs would have probably decided another battle in this nations favor - so my advice - use a few subs for thios duty…

So my solution - KGF is dead - Japan grows too fast - Japan soon had no markers left for occupied territories…

NO favor the winning side ;)