Anyone want a '42 League game?  Tech or no tech, just PM me…

Looking for a '42 game, with or without tech (I’m flexible).  I’d prefer an auction-style bid for the Allies or even just a straight-up dice roll for sides.  I’m not picky

In the top right corner of the map it says “UNDO DEL ESC.”  Click “DEL”, and then your mouse turns into a crosshair–any time you click any icon on the map it will delete one of whatever you clicked.  Shift+Click will delete 5, and Ctrl+Click will delete 10 (that shift and ctrl trick also works to place that many pieces respectively).  “UNDO” will undo whatever your last action was (duh!), and “ESC” turns off “DEL” or returns your mouse to a movement function if you were just using it to place units/markers.

Count me in!

1.  DarthMaximus
2.  BigRedOne
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I just saw the thread too and am interested in playing if there’s still room…

A few Russian infantry diverted into China can help stall the Japanese long enough to accumulate more “free” Chinese infantry, especially if Japan is busy trying to convoy units into Alaska.  And, as I pointed out before, if the UK tank and/or fighter survive in Egy, they can link up with the Trj and Ind forces in Per for a pretty strong 5xInf, Arty, (tank), Ftr, and AA.  This can be bolstered by fighters or bombers coming from the UK (especially if Egy is wiped out on G1), and once again will force Japan to commit some serious forces to overcome.  I don’t believe that the Japanese can simultaneously mount a credible Polar Express, gobble up Siberia, subdue China, grab Australia, land in Africa and push thru India-Persia against those kind of threats.  Something will have to give, even if it just means that they ignore Africa and Siberia (which will take a 10-IPC or so junk out of their potential “Godzilla” income).

I wouldn’t have taken the time to elaborate on my points if I had been offended by your remarks; I just wanted to point out that it is quite possible to win as the Allies.  The key is to go KIF by beating them down thru SBR and eventually taking Rome by sea thru the Med, or overland from Fra.  Once they are eliminated, the Axis player(s) loses their ability to counter the UK-US 1-2 punch, which means that Germany will fall sooner or later.  Check out my league game against Panther to see this strategy in action (it doesn’t play out exactly as I wrote, but of course the actual tactical actions are determined in a large part by my opponents’ actions) before you play your game.  I will of course play a game against you if you still want to see the practical application of what I’m talking about.

Also, three other points of clarification:
The US can bridge units to Fra in one turn by moving them overland into Wca, and then staging out of Z9.  This sea zone is critical to the US troop shuck, as it can hit both Fra and Alg in one round (although watch for German bombers out of Fra!).  It just makes sense to start hitting Alg on round two as it is the first place the US can make its presense felt in an effective way (and begins the all-important process of eliminating Italy’s NOs and IPCs), but switch to the Eca/Z9 staging area as soon as feasible.

Second, you can’t compare the UK production of 8 units to Germany’s 10–because Germany has to split its attention to the East.  You have 20 Allied production spots (8 UK + 12 Russian) vs. 16 Axis (10 German + 6 Italian); in actual practice, the amount of locations that can be fully utilized is more like 16 Allied (8 UK + 8 Russian) vs. 13 Axis (10 German + 3 Italian), even if the Germans capture Kar, it only gives them 15 spots (and its no loss to the Allies because after the first turn or so, the Russians can no longer fill their 12 spots anyway).  The US production shipping across the Atlantic at a good 4-6+ units a turn plus aircraft is just icing on the cake!

Finally, I forgot to mention the UK DD/tran with an inf and arty out of Aus.  This force can reach Z12 by turn 3, and can reinforce Alg or recapture Gib as required.

Good luck in your future endeavors as the Allies!

I have more games under my belt in FtF than the few I have here on the forums, against several “skilled” Axis players, and I still haven’t seen an effective Polar Express.  I will wait to fear it until I have seen it successfully used against me .  I also don’t believe that the Japanese can mount the Polar Express while simultaneously thrusting into India/Africa, conquering China, taking Australia and threatening Russia.  The Japanese may get strong quickly, but they can’t do it all, and I have to believe that a Polar Express that would seriously threaten the US will divert major resources from Japan’s other offensives, allowing the Russians, Chinese and British time to mobilize against and defeat them.

As for the “paltry” US force in Z12 on US2, the UK fleet is already there with DD, BB, CV, 2xFtr, (Rus) Sub.  Add the US DD, CV and 2xFtr, and it is invulnerable to the Italian fleet.  When UK3 comes around, leave the BB behind to support the Americans, and use the rest of your fleet to threaten the Germans in the north (take Nwy maybe).  Although this can be countered somewhat by a strong Luftwaffe presence in Fra, then the German attacks against Russia will certainly be weaker (you can’t attack more than the border TTs with Fra-based fighters, so they either have to defend the west or attack in the east, but not both).  I am also aware of the Axis attack against Gib, but I don’t go after the Italian fleet on UK1 unless my fleet is still alive in Z12 (which doesn’t happen against a “skilled” Axis player).  The Italian fleet is ripe for the picking at any time; there’s no need to rush it until you are assured of an easy victory.  And if the Italians bolster their fleet, than they’re not defending Fra, which means you either have an easy shot there, or the Germans are maintaining a serious presence there (and thusly not in the East).  Either way the Allied player comes out ahead.

Finally, if you don’t believe that this will work, I welcome you to play a game against me as the Axis, and I will use the strategy I describe here.  I think that practical examples go much further in proving/disproving a strategy than any amount of empty discussing/arguing/theorizing in the forums.

I might be able to help with some basic concepts here.  I think the best way to go for the Western Allies (US and UK), is to create a two-pronged threat into Europe, in much the same way they did historically.  The British should build a fleet (based around BBs for those invasion supporting fires), and park it in Z6.  From there they can land in Nwe, Nwy and Fin (all typically weakly- or un-defended) while still threatening Fra and Ger (the 1st key).  The US simultaneously builds a fleet (based around carriers and fighters cause that’s what they start with lots of).  This fleet bridges from Eus to Alg, and streams troops into North Africa starting US2, while simultaneously threatening Fra and Ita (the 2nd key).  The bridge can eventually be moved from Eca to Alg, which improves the US ability to strike Fra.  The beauty of this two pronged approach is that the Italians are then forced to defend Italy and battle for North Africa (if they can) and thus are unable to reinforce Fra.  This then forces the Germans to reinforce Fra, which draws vital ground troops (infantry–and they can only make 10/turn if they don’t build/capture any ICs) away from Russia.  Simultaneously, the US and UK need to begin a combined SBR campaign against Italy, which should leave them unable to produce more than a few inf/tanks a turn.  Coupled with this, the Russians need to build as many infantry as possible while conserving what they start with, and back them up with a few tanks or fighters for counterattacks and defense.  With German forces tied to Fra and Ger, the Russian infantry stacks should be able to go toe to toe and grind down the German attackers.

My first couple turns look like this (in brief outline form):

R1 (5xInf, 3xTank)
Counterattack one of the NO territories if feasible to deny the Ger NO
Build a huge stack in Bel with all available forces (abandon Kar as it’s essentially lost anyways)
Screen the rest of the front with 1-2 inf per territory
Inf from Siberia retreat towards Mos, inf in Kaz and Nov move into China (slowing the Japs down will help hold Mos later)

UK1 (BB, CV, Tran)
Destroy Ger fleet
SBR Italy if possible (ie bmb isn’t needed for fleet destruction)
Any surviving Egy forces (tank and/or ftr link-up with 2xInf from Trj and the Ind defenders in Per)–this creates a big stack that can hold out for a bit rather than being defeated piecemeal

US1 (CV, bmb, tran, inf, arty)
2xBmb to Gbr
Surviving carrier/dd to Panama Canal with Haw ftr
Place fleet in Z10 along with Wus and Eus fighters

R2
depends on Ger/Ita turns

UK2 (depends on available money, but should be a fleet unit or two, a loaded tran or two, and an extra bmb)
SBR Ita
Land in Alg with fleet (no more Ita NO)

US2 (more fleet units, loaded trans and a bmb)
Land in Alg with fleet
SBR Ita
Move Pac carrier/DD to Z10

On round 3, the UK can move their fleet away from Z12 to begin my previously described threatening action (the BB will probably have to stay to provide backbone for the fledgling US fleet), but all the elements are now in place.  When the 2nd US carrier arrives on US3, that should free the UK BB to go back to its primary task in Northern Europe.  With all of Europe’s coastline threatened, you should be able to make a convincing landing somewhere (ideally you can get Fra, and then 1-2 punch it with the Allies) around Turn 5 or 6 (and Russia SHOULD be able to hold out that long!).  Italy will probably fall the turn after Fra, as it should be at 10-12 IPCs after Round 2 while being hit with 3-4 bmb minimum.  Once Italy falls, it almost doesn’t matter if Germany takes Russia, as they will be too far away to stop the UK/US bum rush into Berlin (8 production spots in Gbr, plus 6 in Ita, plus what the US can ship over in the transport chain) that will happen approximately 2 turns after that.

I have used this formula numerous times now and it is very effective, and the Japs can’t stop it (although I admit I’ve never faced the Polar Express, but it just doesn’t sound that effective on paper).  By the time Japan is knocking on Moscow’s gate, the Germans will have more pressing problems to worry about in their rear, and the Commies should be able to turtle up against the Japs and wait for the cavalry (and/or the Ita/Ger demise)…

Hope this helps.

I think Poland is an ideal location for a G1 IC:

1. It’s closer to the Eastern Front
2. It’s easily defensible (the bulk of your units will march thru there on their way to Moscow)
3. It’s not an auto target for the Allies (like France is)
4. It’s further from the established US/UK sea lanes and therefore less likely to be attacked
5. It’s “safer” from SBR, as it can only take 6 damage
6. You don’t need 16 production capacity (just buying infantry costs 48 IPCs–by that time you’ll have a SU IC)

Further, a good G1 buy would be IC (15), 4xInf (12), Arty (4).  That gives you 5 units to start your push East into Poland on G2.  Assuming about 45 IPCs for G2, you can then place 3xInf in Pol, and 7xInf and 3xTank in Ger.  That means you have 8 ground pounders in Pol on G2 (compared to 10 for the “typical” G1 build of 9xInf, Arty), so you’ve only traded 2 units in the short term for 3 units every turn for the rest of the game.

Also, let’s compare a G2 buy with a Pol IC to one without (and assuming 45 IPCs).

G2 w/ Pol IC: 10xInf, 3xTank
13 units, 19 attack power, 29 defense power

G2 w/o Pol IC: 6xInf, 3xTank, Bmb
10 units (one can’t hold ground), 19 attack power, 21 defense power

A French IC would let you buy 15xInf, but you get 4 less attack power, and only 1 more defense power; plus you will struggle to “max” those production spots, especially once you capture a Russian IC.  I’ve ruled out the Nwy IC as too far off the beaten path to be worth it for Germany, and it would be hugely detrimental if the US could capture it (which they could relatively easily.

Just my $0.02…