How would you have the Germans play then, should they try to sink both battleships and build an AC to protect the trannies?

You can merge all of your naval units of Gibraltar and reinforce it with planes from London to the Gibraltar airbase.

The key to making Sealion work is to play aggressively with the japanese against the US. This way the Germans will be able to prevent the US from retaking London.

Here is my suggestion:

G1 Buy trannies and a destroyer to protect them. Sink the Royal Navy in sz 106,  111, 112. Don’t attack USSR.

J1. Buy trannies and a artillery.

Make a few moves against China, but don´t attack anything else. Move the all Tokyo warships to the seazone containing Midway. The navy sz 19 and 20 moves to Tokyo and incoming transports unloads on the mainland. Move the Tokyo Planes to Solomon Island together with a transport.

G2. Buy Trannies and units for g3 Sealion. Attack the remaining UK navy and invade Scotland.

J2. Buy an AC and some other naval units. Attack Pearl, Solomon, Guam, Philippines and Kwangtung. This way neither UK or Anzac gets any bonus while gaps is gaining 10 IPC. The US income is reduced by 10 for loosing the Philippines and Hawaii.

G3. Invade London and start the war with USSR.

J3 Head for Anzac.

If this is successful the US will be spread to thin. The Japanese only needs one more victory city to win and London is captured. This gives the Germans enough time to deal with Russia alone without the US occupied in the Pacific.

I’ve just finished my first game with an axis victory.
It seems to me like even though Germany can force Sea Lion on the third turn, doing so simply isn’t worth it, for numerous of reasons.

1. It drags to much attention away from the Soviet Union which will be to strong if the Germans don’t strike them early on in the game.

2. It’s too expensive in numbers of transports you will have to build and in potential loss of planes.

3. UK Europe can easily be contained by Germany before US enters the war.

On the basis of these observations I have developed at G2 Barbarossa strategy designed to cripple the USSR so much that Germany will be able to shift focus towards the US and UK when the total war breaks out.

G1
Buy and aircraft carrier and two subs.

Strike the British navy with your subs and all your planes. Make sure he has no battleships left. Take out the two cruisers outside Scotland. And place your purchases in that zone.

Move into France with all units that can reach it, and claim Paris with Germany.

Activate pro axis Bulgaria

Don’t attack Yugoslavia (it’s not worth it) instead move all remaining troops towards the Russian border to prepare a G2 Barbarossa.

G2
Buy a major industry complex in Slovakia, two or three more subs and spend the rest on mechanized infantry.
Sink all remaining UK ships with a combination of planes and subs.
Enter USSR with by attacking all border provinces.

Keep the pressure on the USSR, by every round spending minimum 30 IPC on units to attack it. You should be able to crush early on, considering that you already have the upper hand in unit strength.
By subs every round to hit all UK naval purchases, and to prepare for the American crossing of the Atlantic. This should contain the UK for a relatively small amount of IPCs.

What do you think?