I’ve played a game where this was done. USA moved a tank to FWA round 1 and it gets to Iraq round 4. UK has to risk its planes to remove the infantry from Iraq, perhaps a strafing attack. Or USA can follow up with a couple of planes via the same route and probably sacrifice them.
It’s a viable move and if you use the transport around Cape Horn it takes the same time but ties up the transport for longer. This move is definitely more valuable in 2nd Edition than in Balanced Mod though because with the extra money UK gets in BM it can easily enough support 2 mICs.
Downside is that now you have two nations with armies in the Middle East (not counting Anzac and France). This is not as good for attacking the Axis but still pretty good for static defence.
I’m also not too sure about waiting all this time: building the mIC round 5, first units round 6! By this time Moscow can have already fallen but I guess good players should have it living longer.
@simon33 what if they moved not one tank but 4 fast and 4 slow movers per turn. This will give the US some striking Power in the ME. UK can focus on building subs or fleet to convoy italy or reinforce India?
A minor in ME for US is too late i think.
Did Allies win in your game?
@Cornwallis said in Sahara express:
Did Allies win in your game?
Don’t remember to be honest, was like 4 years ago.
Not an expert, but from my experience slow movers are, well, too slow to get to the Middle East from French West Africa.
Additionally, I often find that if the Allies need to defend substantially in the Middle East, they’ve effectively lost as Germany probably already took Moscow and Japan likely took India. If either place is the ultimate destination it’ll take even longer. There are 10 territories seperating French West Africa to either of those destinations in the most direct route (best case scenario assuming the Allies even control all those territories).
It’s a much better investment in most cases to launch amphibious assaults in Europe or even North Africa than trying to buff up the Middle East via French West Africa. As I’ve said previously, only transport units there if absolutely necessary (usually if Germany and Italy are still too menacing in the Atlantic and the UK activated Brazil early and that’s the only spot they can safely transport units to the mainland).
@SuperbattleshipYamato of course it´s better to hit North Africa or Europe directly.
But when Germany fends of with fleet and bombers you gotta do something.
It´s only the fast movers that go there. They can reach India turn 4.
As i explain it´s a three turn investment. Other than that US can invest in Pacific. But with this move you have already some back up in the Middle East. UK can´t do this alone.
I guess as a short term move (rather than a long-term strategy) while you wait for the fleet to build up may have more utility.
GHG has a strategy called Middle Earth. You build a mIC, and naval base in Persia. That works well enough to reinforce anywhere you need to. If UK concentrates spending there the Middle East is quite secure. Hardly anything from America is needed.
Apart from getting diced in Taranto America can keep the lid on containing Italy. Agreeing with @SuperbattleshipYamato moving across Africa is too slow for anything meaningful.
Middle Earth is solid, and as far as I can tell the best strat for the Allies. Apart form Germany building up a major fleet Allies should be able to push a win through without a bid.
@SuperbattleshipYamato that is precisely the goal.
@Pinch1 true but that doesn´t change that US is faced with a German navy and bomberfleet.
What do you do with US when UK does Middle Earth, go full pacific?
That’s an option. Just in case Japan captures India and threatens the Middle East. If the US gets good research dice they’re very hard to stop in the Pacific if they put their mind to it.
If US goes full pacific they can make like super hard for Japan.
There’s a good video by GHG on the Middle Earth Floating Bridge combo. Its a killer strategy. He likes to dump a lot into Europe, get boots on the ground. I struggled to find a counter play to it for a while. Its strong enough to overcome a moderate German navy and push it into the Baltic.
@Pinch1 yes i know that video but it demands huge US resources so by doing that you are abandoning the Pacific and Axis can easily repulse the US landings. Plus they can destroy a portion of your fleet very easily.
