Basic strategies for Axis

I will offer a strategy that may seem counter intuitive but has proved to be quite effective (for me).

Play yourself again, but this time do not purchase armor for Germany or Japan.

See how your gameplay changes.

Good Luck

Play people better than yourself.  If on TripleA, save the game and go back and analyze it.  You can only learn so much playing yourself.

The most reliable Axis strategies involve concentrating on destroying Russia and taking Moscow.

It’s been a while since I played the TripleA AI, so I’m not sure what strategies it’s using to beat you (I’ll assume a fairly traditional KGF…)

Don’t be too concerned if you’re behind in TUV.  I’ve won a ton of games as the Axis where I was behind in TUV right up until I took Moscow.  Position is more important.  If you’ve managed to equalize the production, that generally means you’re doing well even if your TUV is behind.

A few miscellaneous thoughts:
—Use the battle calculator often to make sure that Allied attacks on Germany, Western Europe, etc aren’t likely to win.
—Get mostly inf with Germany.  Assuming the computer does indeed go KGF, Germany will ultimately be on the defensive.  You may play a fairly aggressive defense, pushing against Russia, but you won’t be able to actually take out Russia with Germany alone in KGF.
—Try to keep most of your units in stacks where they’re hard to kill.  On the eastern front, you have two basic options: Stack Karelia, or stack Eastern Europe.  The former is more aggressive and will increase your income, but the latter is safer.  I generally stack Kar when I can and Eeu when I must.  Use inf and fighters to trade border territories with Russia.  You have a bigger air force, so you should have an advantage in the attrition war.
—Don’t spend any money on German navy.  Some people like a carrier on G1, or an extra tran in the Med, but try going without any naval purchases.  Don’t spend much on air either (ideally, none).
—With Japan, I usually prefer to build the first factory in FIC rather than Man.  It’s closer to the front line (3 spaces from Cau) and better positioned to get you into Africa if needed or to participate in the Pacific if needed.  You should eventually get up to 5-6 tran and 2 mainland factories with Japan; it’s generally pretty easy to get your income in the mid to high 40’s and then you can be pumping 12-14 ground units into Asia each turn.  Russia can’t hold up against that for very long.
—It’s worth experimenting with ways to get the Japanese navy into the Atlantic (again, assuming KGF) in order to disrupt the Allied supply lines and ease the pressure on Germany.  One way is to go through the Suez, which requires some teamwork since Germany must open the canal for Japan to go through.  Another way is to send part of your fleet west around Africa and part east around South America.

Good luck!

It’s pretty well known that the Axis has lower chances to win.  Just because you can’t beat yourself doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with your Axis play.

I read a comment about not buying a german fleet at all. But what if the allies don’t seem eager to get their fleet busy in the medditerenean ( dang first time I have to write this word in english ! )
If that’s the case, and you still have the italian BB and tranny offcourse, would buying extra fleet not be worth it? Transports off Italy can strike Caucasus in one turn… This could germany’s rush against Russia a speed boost. Yes in the end it will mean less units to fight against the russians but if those extra units a turn earlier can be the difference between failing at the doorsteps of russia and taking it after all…

Also can you ever hold africa from the americans? Those pesky 4-6 units each and every turn really are a drainage on your troops. Is it worth to try and hold them off?

As Germany, you are the shield of the Axis.  As Japan you are the sword.

Therefore, Germany builds primarily Infantry.  However you want Rockets as Germany.  Once you get Rockets, the Southern Europe AA gun moves forward so it can hit Russia with Rockets.  You can roll 2,3,4 or 5 dice per turn until you get it, depending on your preferences and what the USSR has done.  If the USSR did not build almost all infantry, or has units in bad position, or failed to take your most advanced army or whatever else, you might use less dice.  If you feel secure use more dice.

Those Rockets will drain an average of 10 IPCs from the Allies each turn.  That means they pay for 2 dice of the Rockets research cost each turn they are firing on three ICs and after that it’s profit.

Put your aircraft all on Western Europe.  Your primary objective is to hold Germany.  Your secondary objective is to hold Southern Europe and Western Europe.  The third objective is to go after Russia.  Many new players don’t follow this thinking which means I make first turn landings in Western Europe as the Brits fairly often, and second turn landings in Southern Europe with the Americans.  Sometimes I even have transports in position to drop on Germany itself.  I did this recently, turning a losing game into a winning one.

As Japan, your first priority is to defend your transports.  Second is to have four transports that are dedicated to Japan itself, and third is to send 8 units (mostly infantry) a turn over to the mainland.  Attack China first turn and expand as quickly as you can SAFELY.  First turn kill any and all ships you possibly can in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.  That includes Pearl Harbor II, the British Indian and Australian fleets if possible, and any other ships in range.  You are going to gobble up land in Asia nearly unopposed until you reach Moscow, and then you are going to take Moscow once you get enough troops piled up there (lots of guns and a few tanks at this point along with massive piles of infantry if Moscow is well guarded).

If the US and Brits are scrappy in the Pacific, you can defend your transports with fully loaded Carriers and as many Destroyers as you need to counter enemy Submarines.  Those four Transports and eight land units are in range of Alaska, by the way.  Every turn you have the option of amphibiously invading Alaska with eight ground units supported by Carriers and maybe a Battleship or two.

Oh, yes…as Germany - take Egypt first turn! You don’t want that British Indian fleet to make it into the Med.  As Germany, I don’t recommend building ships unless you can eliminate the enemy fleet with aircraft first.  However I don’t tend to shuttle troops through the Baltic much.  The AAA that you moved forward to hit Russia may need to be recalled to Southern Euroe if you get pushed back.

I don’t recommend early IC for anyone unless you feel like you are good enough to experiment.

I agree with the shield and sword statement. It is my experience that Germany on its first turn should buy a transport for Italy and all men. Regroup your tanks and all your infantry into Eastern Europe and plan to take Karelia on turn 3 if possible. Turn 2 can work but can be costly. Germany should buy mostly all men on turn two and three as well and move them into Eastern Europr so as to overwhelm Russia and get ahead of their infantry total. Once Germany has more infantry than Russia attack Karelia with men and tanks only, save your planes. From Italy send two full transports every turn into Egypt and Trans Jordan until you secure the Suez and subsiquently Africa.  Meanwhile Japan hits China, and India and then all out Russia, while still maintaining suppremacy in the Pacific by staying one step ahead of the US and as someone else mentioned take out as many US and UK ships as possible while not over commiting your fleet and only losing the cheap expendable replaceable pieces. An IC is a good idea if you are sure you can hold it: Manchuria is good to go after Russia, but can be reinforced by Japan transports anyway, FIC is safer but India is the best of both if you can capture and hold it, because it is two squares “a tank blitz” away from Caucauscus and Trans-Jordan and you can move fleet through the Suez if needed and assist Germany in conquering Africa as required. Not to mention taking precious money away from the UK. Japan would then purchase three tanks every round for India (or FIC) and keep that up until Russia falls. From India or FIC you can also launch a strike on Australia and New Zealand to further hurt UK. If UK buys an IC on India, Japan MUST capture it at all costs or UK will get the upper hand and its game over. If Germany and Japan hit fast and hard as a unit first at UK to bankrupt and “stall” them and get the valuable money they need and at US to “stall” them, then maintain that stall on both of them and go all out Russia so as to hit Moscow on the 5th or 6th turn from both sides, the Axis will have an IPC victory easily or if using victory cities (AA50 and new) or complete victory rules they will be on their way to world domination. :-)