@Calpandrid:

OK.  So I’m about 30 games into it.  Played Europe stand-alone, then Pacific,  then Global.   Here are a few key observations in regards to an overall strategy…by country

GER:
1.  NEVER lose Norway.  Allies bomb your factories relentlessly from there, and it’s game over for Axis
    a.  Turn 1:  send a tank, inf, and 2 or 3 fighters.  That’s the tax,  never move them from there
    b.  If all is going well for Italy in the Med Sea,  you can also build airfield in Norway for scramblings, and reaching far into northern Russian when the time comes
2.  Turn 1 and every turn you can,  bomb UK factories…all the time.
3.  Don’t bother invading UK…never seems to work, the cost is too high
4.  Available air units should get rid of French ships in Southern France
5.  Take out the French cruiser in Gilbraltar, with subs

Dude, why on earth would you ever try to Bomb other factories??? The bombers are way to costly (12 a piece) and for very little gain. To actually make a difference, you would need at least 6-7 bombers (72 to 84 IPCs) because some get shot down, and then you can only score on a 1 or 2. That is enormously costly. You need tanks and men and Artys and subs. NOT Strategic Bombers. The only time I would ever bomb a factory is if I had the complete upper hand, and I was trying to just get the final blow.  But as a whole, pretty good points

ITALY:
1. There are only 2 targets that matter for Italy:  Gibraltar and Egypt.  Everything else is a waste of precious IPCs.  Go with what is possible NOW,  don’t wait
    a.  Take Gilbraltar first.  It’s easy,  and no counter attacks possible if GER subs have taken out Cruiser and remain in sea zone blocking the Med Sea
    b.  Take Alexander with ALL available land units on 1st turn (takes precious bonus points away from UK)
    c.  Move ALL available Air units to Alexander or Gilbraltar as soon as possible (Alexander on 1st Turn)

2. Hold the line…  if UK builds up in South Afrika,  add Air Units to Egypt.   If not,  add all you can to Gilbraltar.

FRANCE:
1. The only unit that matters is your inf in west Africa.   Put it on a UK transport,  take Brazil and startup a new factory…you will be relevant on turn 5…sorry, but that’s all they can do.

UK.
1.  DO NOT commit Med Fleet on turn 1…  back up (through Suez), wait a turn.
2.  Hold Egypt.   Clear out inner Africa with new troops from South Africa
4.  Get the Middle East.   Move from India…
5.  UK Navy will not win the war…get the basics to thwart Subs…but that’s it.
6.  UK Air Force WILL win the war.   Stack up,  Intercept, Scramble, but keep them at home…wait for US
7.  Norway is your ultimate target

US
1.  US needs to be relevant as quickly as possible.   So get busy buying Strategic Bombers asap.   You’ll knock off GER factories by turn 5.
2.  US Should take Norway…build Air Field first (to support bombings of GER lands,  and to defend)
3.  Put an industry and Port next…you pull that off, you win
4.  US NAVY is Med Sea…Gilbraltar is ke y.   You can attack anywhere (almost) on Europe Coast or Italy from there…  The Port there will allow you to move between ‘theaters’ quickly (between Norway and Gilbraltar

Russian
1.  Stack in Leningrad and in Ukraine, leaving a single inf on other font line territories.   You need to position troops for counter-attack
   a.  first 2 turns, build ‘complimentary’ units  (Artillery for your units,  tactical fighters to pair with tanks/fighters)
   b.  Pull everything back… you have more troops then you think.  You’ll get strong quickly if you consolidate everything in Leningrad and Ukraine.
2.  All this leads to gaping hole in the middle of russia… if GER takes the bait and attacks through the gap towards Moscow,  GER will have lost…  Russia can counter-attack in the middle from both massed up areas.  GER will need to leave too many units behind to cover  it’s north and south flanks.
3.  Remember,  in the end,  Russia only has 4 territories worth holding… play it that way.

You really have to worry about China. I mean that they can build a lot of infantry, and seriously hamper plans. I would try to kill china fully by J5-6 just to get that of your plate. Japan has so many countries to worry about, and they can all hurt Japan. You need to try to watch ANZAC and US, they will KILL you later. Take China, and aim for these VCs. Tokyo, Shanghi, Hong Kong, Manilia, Honolulu, and your choice of New South Wales, or Calcutta.
Trust me, it works.