German Navy

@The_Good_Captain The rule applies in all sea battles where there are sea units allied to the attacker present, regardless of the type(s) of defending German sea units. The rule mentions only German subs because the author failed to take into account the possibility that the situation could also exist with German surface units if they were mobilized in a hostile sea zone. This oversight was corrected in the Axis & Allies Pacific Rulebook.

Yeah, I don’t think I’d go so sub-crazy now, knowing that my blockade idea is illegitimate. In our next game, I played Germany again, and allowed the Atlantic to fall to the Allies pretty early. I spent the rest of the game attempting to rebuild my fleet, and at one point I even had a couple of aircraft carriers. I actually took Moscow pretty early on, but it was quickly reclaimed (by one stinking British tank, would you believe), and I never got it back. From there, it became a huge naval arms race that turned out to be Germany’s downfall. After about 8 turns, Germany was still very much alive, but spread thin and poorly positioned; the British and U.S. fleets killed most of my navy, Russia was growing stronger and Moscow was totally out of the question. Aside from an occasional skirmish into Leningrad, it was pretty hopeless. I resigned, saying that this was the point where Hitler locked himself in a bunker and ate a bullet.

I’d have to agree that Germany needs to focus on the USSR in order to be really effective. I’ve read a lot of stuff on this forum since then about the tank-stacking strategy that supposedly really does make Germany nigh-unbeatable, but that doesn’t interest me. Guaranteed-to-win strategies are no fun at all. I like to try something new in every A&A game I play; one of my favorite things about the series is that no two games are ever the same. Win or lose, I am in it to see something I’ve never seen before.

We’ve done a few games of Guadalcanal and Battle of the Bulge since then, but my wife and I agree that Europe is our favorite so far. Can’t wait to try it again, and I think I want to be the Allies next time. I’d like to see if it’s possible for the U.S. to build a permanent outpost in France… Or maybe Russia could build a navy…

@Aretaku:

3)Do Not attack Russia on G1. Force them to attack you & trade land for time as you ship units into the Mid-East to flank them from the South.

While I do like the strategy of flanking via the middle east, I think that it is better to attack Russia in round one…lightly, but take some land, and force him to expose himself to counterattack if he tries to take it back.

Also, Middle east shipping requries naval investment that I am often loathe to spend IPCS on…initially you need tanks to press Russia, later you need inf for counterattacks against US/UK landings.

Even if not going for the “tank stack”, taking a round to allow INF to get into Poland before invading Russia is not necessarily a bad idea.  (Also allows troops from the Balkans vicinity to get abit closer.)

I found a strategy for Germany that actually got me to win. :-o

The main idea of this strategy is to destroy Russia.  Once they are gone, it’s pretty much over for everyone else.  Our rules for this game were: No convoys, take the convoy points off of countries points (except for Uk, only lower 5), only able to build on ICs, and battleships can only attack on amphibius assults.

Turn 1: Start off by building 8 tanks.  For your attacks: take out russia’s fleet, the strait of gibraltor, Uk’s transports that aren’t protected by a battleship, and americas fleet.  And that’s just sea!  Next Use your forces on the eastern front to destroy all of the purple countries (inbetween red and tan).  Non combat a lot of forces to the eastern fronts.  You should be right on Lenningrads doorstep now.  Also noncombat 2 units over to africa for some extra help.  Place your tanks on Germany to move towards Russia.

Hopefully you’ve taking out Americas navy, now it should slow them down and buy you some time.

Turn 2: Buy as many tanks as you can.  Try and take out Lenningrad’s forces and take it for one turn at least.  If belorussia or any other countires are weak attack them and get the money.  Keep some subs on Americas and Russia’s sea so they can’t build and start moving the other subs to great britain to attack that battleship.  Use your battleship/destroy in the strait of gibraltor to head back towards great britains other ships near africa.  Place your tanks in Lenningrad if you’ve taken it to get a foot hold.

If great britain tries to launch an amphibous assult use planes to take them out!  Make sure they don’t land.

Turn 3: Buy more tanks (if you can’t see the pattern yet).  You might have lost Lenningrad but that’s ok, because that means that he is spreading his forces.  Use your units in finland if they’re still there to move north of lenningrad, it should hopefully be mostly unaccupied becuase of Lenningrad.  Use your southern european forces to move along the black sea to stalingrad.  you won’t be able to reach it this turn but now russia has to worry about two fronts.  keep moving forces towards the eastern and western front (mostly eastern).  Place your forces in Lenningrad or germany if you’ve lost it.

Keep this plan up of alternating attacks on lenningrad and stalingrad so they spread out.  If your forces above lenningrad haven’t been lost, which hopefully they haven’t because they’ve been worrying about their ICs, move into the IC above moscow.  Once russia is gone, the game is basically yours.  Start moving your some forces into the middle east to finish it off and the rest back towards germany and norway.  After you’ve secured your IC’s start building subs, they can strike twice a turn.

Try this idea, it worked for me because america lost turns trying to gain their sea back.

I Completly agree. I never play wiht bids, so the extra money would be nice, but yes build the kriegsmarine and go to sea. I do not know why but I almost always have a kill GB first mindset, Build A wall and ships, then send out the surface fleet. Now that this beatiful map by positronica has been created, I think the Axis Have a Pretty good chance at winning alot more games. Bids in my opinion are not needed for this one. It is no longer 2vs3 it is now 3vs3. Britain and america have a nice 1 two punch together for a long whileand in a few different games.  It is a nice site to see a Germany- Italy combo also.

Thought i’d add my tactics for the 1st German attacks in R1. A&A Europe.

Having played this version a lot, i think the African oil $$$ is vital for Germany, and it’s an easy target in 2 rounds. Germany are always fighting Russia for the low IPC borders in the build up arms race, they need that extra $$ as the Usa & Britain will be planning DDay and it’ll be on the way soon enough.

With the 12 IPC’s, buy 2 tanks and place them on Tunisia, buy another trans for the med, this is a quick dash tactic. Spend their remaining IPC’s on troops & art, and all at the start of the 2nd rnd

BB strikes Malta with transport carrying 1troop & 1art, object is to land on Malta, BB will take at least one hit from Fgtr, risky but the BB will probably hit and you have 2 shots at 2 in the landing.

Use the three tanks on Tunisia to blitz the 3 Brit units in Egypt, costly but it will almost eradicate the already weak British presence in Africa. They will be retreating after that.

Use the German Dstyr & sub in s atlantic to take out the Brit dstyr in Gibralter.
Use all the German subs and attack the Brit sea zones, i usually spead them out with the majority on the British BB. Use the bomber and 5 fgtrs too. It may cost 6/7 subs but the Brit navy will be 90% destroyed and will give Germany breathing space.

Attack Russia frugally on R1, smash into E Poland and use the transport to move units from Ger/Denmark too. Use one fighter in an E European attack and land it as near to the med as possible, likewise the bomber heads as south as possible after it’s done it’s work in the channel.

If you use everything possible with overwhelming force numbers on the first round, and throw the right dice, Germany will be in strong position with the oil dollar money on the way.

Germany on 44 IPC’s and above each round enables them to massively build up land units and armour, they need lots of tanks. Forget buying any more naval units for the rest of the game, use the subs to threaten in the atlantic and try to place them all together in a pack.

On R2, use the German BB / fghtr / bomber and destroy Brit E Med navy, landing units in Egypt & Libia with both transports if possible too. Africa will be overrun in R3.

The Usa will usually be paying the oil bill, and 5/6 IPC’s less will affect their buying ability, especially as they start with almost nothing too.

Turn the German BB round in R3 and slip towards the Atlantic, round up the remaining fleet and wait for a gap in the Allied convoys……

Germany need the oil money, that or really good luck on the dice!

only an east coast :wink:

you can find it on thrashers site at http://www.wargamer.com/axisandallies