Will this work in alpha setup?
I’m not sure you should attack 18 inf in Yakut with just planes.
You might want to try just giving chase to the 18 inf with your land units in Manchuria/Korea backed up with enough planes to keep the russians running. If you push simultaneously through northern China you may be able to cut them off. I also like building an airbase in Suiyuyan on J3 so that from J4 onwards you can start strat bombing Moscow with your 4 (or 2 depending on setup, although I’ll normally have bought at least 1 more by now using Alpha setup if I’m trying this strategy).
@calvin
I’m sure this wouldn’t be as good of an idea in Alpha setup. However, in OOB, if you use all 28 planes you should on average be able to eliminate all but one inf on the first round if if the Russians retreated 17 inf and left a blocker to stop the tank/mech blitz. That means they’re firing 18@2 total over both rounds, which will take out 6 fighters on average. That’s a loss of 75 ipcs including the air base in exchange for taking out 54 ipcs worth of infantry, so the Russians gain 21 on you. I think it’s worth it given that the planes have little else to do on the second round if Japan is holding off the war declaration and considering that Japan now gets to grab Siberia, make up the ipc disparity after a few rounds, stop the Russians from reinforcing Moscow, and eliminate the threat of the Russians liberating China. Japan could then focus entirely on China, eliminating them and making the Brits and the Aussies the only threats left (barring American intervention).
@calvin
I’m sure this wouldn’t be as good of an idea in Alpha setup. However, in OOB, if you use all 28 planes you should on average be able to eliminate all but one inf on the first round if if the Russians retreated 17 inf and left a blocker to stop the tank/mech blitz. That means they’re firing 18@2 total over both rounds, which will take out 6 fighters on average. That’s a loss of 75 ipcs including the air base in exchange for taking out 54 ipcs worth of infantry, so the Russians gain 21 on you. I think it’s worth it given that the planes have little else to do on the second round if Japan is holding off the war declaration and considering that Japan now gets to grab Siberia, make up the ipc disparity after a few rounds, stop the Russians from reinforcing Moscow, and eliminate the threat of the Russians liberating China. Japan could then focus entirely on China, eliminating them and making the Brits and the Aussies the only threats left (barring American intervention).
I think you lose more than 6 planes since it’s unlikely you’ll kill all the inf in one round
In OOB, you’re attacking with 14 at 3 and 14 at 4. This results in a pip value of 98, which means on average you’ll kill 16 infantry. If Russia left one to block a blitz, that’s 17 firing on the first round and 1 firing on the second for a total pip value of 36, which means on average you’ll lose 6 planes. If they didn’t block the blitz, you can add a tank and a mech to the attack, eliminating 17 on average in the first round and taking the cheaper land units as the first two casualties. If the dice don’t behave as they should you might lose more, but I tend to make plans based on what ought to happen. The Axis can’t afford to play conservatively.
The Axis can’t afford to play conservatively.
Agreed but there’s a difference between a gamble and a calculated risk. 1 or 2 strings of bad rolls and Japan may lose too many fighters/bombers.
You forgot one German attack G1:
Attack Yugo with everything in GSouthern Germany that can reach + 1 Inf from Romania.
Retreat after 1 rd to Romania
You might want to try just giving chase to the 18 inf with your land units in Manchuria/Korea backed up with enough planes to keep the russians running. If you push simultaneously through northern China you may be able to cut them off. I also like building an airbase in Suiyuyan on J3 so that from J4 onwards you can start strat bombing Moscow with your 4 (or 2 depending on setup, although I’ll normally have bought at least 1 more by now using Alpha setup if I’m trying this strategy).
@ Chompers
I was thinking if this tactic on the way home from work today before I read your post. I figured I could set up about five bombers are so to start bombing Moscow every turn asap. I wondered if just maybe that would give Germany what it needs to finally crack this nut.
Also @ Chompers
I like your strategic bombing idea and I’ll try using it in my “moscow crush” strategy. I sill like using my planes to knock out the stack on J2 though because from J3 onwards I’ll need them elsewhere on the board; either I’ll knock out the Chinese stack on turn 4 with them or take them and throw them at America as discussed above. Britain and Australia will be rampaging if I go through with this so I’ll probably want to use the planes against them eventually as well, if only to pin down the British stacks, stop them from entering China and/or take them out.
Bombing Moscow seems like a good idea but it can be easily countered. It only takes a few fighters and the bombers will have a hard time getting to the target. The Russians start with a few fighters that can intercept and the Brits can send a few over from India to cover the Russian capital.
My two cents….
