Beating the Americans is all about cheap tricks. And one thing…. Gibraltar. Remember you have 4 turns to prepare whatever defense style you like, to prevent them from landing there, to recapture it if they do, or preemptively attack / disable, their naval elements G4.
I’ve been playing alot of Europe - stand alone lately, F2f games. I can usually stiff the Americans until turn 6, sometimes until turn 9, from getting access to Gibraltar. Even Longer from getting into the Med. Long enough to make Italy a miniature monster… Eastern Front is all about the stalemate - until you get the upper hand.
Keep a few things in mind…
1- US Fighters/Tac’s can’t attack Gibraltar, from the home territory / seazone. Any large amount of
Bombards can be prevented by the scramble of a single plane.
2- In a pinch effort, 2 destroyers can be sacrifieced by either axis power to deny ANY type of US landing (Who isn’t willing to pay $16 to prevent the American Entrance into the Mediterranean by a turn?)
3- a SBR by Italy, OR Germany on Gibrlatar, on the naval facility can really screw with the Americans - they often don’t see this and lose this move 3 ability, after the facility is taken. As it’s a British Facility, and the brits can’t repair it until AFTER the American Move.
4- American starting ground forces are infantry and Mechanized…. alot of rolls at 1… And thier income is only 35 at the start… they don’t build up much before Turn 4, atleast nothing you can’t match with Germany AND Italy.
5- Being PREPARED to take back Gibraltar from inside the med, against the American ground forces SENT there is one of the BEST ways to screw the Americans Say they land 8 men in Gib, As long as you kill their forces and taken Gib back with your own ground troops, air power and navy, thier navy (minus subs) Can’t get through - OR Return home.
6- A destroyer off the east coast of Gibraltar can block American advances for ANOTHER turn,
7- Killing American Grounds units, is FAR more important than their naval elements for the most part. It’s becuase it’s the ground units that take territories.
8- Keep a CLOSE eye on American naval builds…. lots of Subs in a navy, can be SUBVERTED by JUST attacking with air, or attacking without a destroyer. Nothing better than scooting around all that fodder, and wasting capital ships.
9- American Aircraft Carriers, in large clusters (2 to 4) are susceptible to dual attack. Italy goes in first, naturally America Tips. Then Italy pulls out?? wtf, all the American planes have to land on a local territory 1 space away, and then you come with the Germans…
10- Navies are WAY better on defence… especially with the new scrambling rules, it’s not that hard to get 2 acc’s and a dst out of germany, by G3, and into Gibraltar by G4. Do you know how difficult it is for the Americans to take Gibraltar, against 1 bat, 1 cru, 1 or 2 dst, 2 acc’s and 7 mixed axis planes? Not to mention sub hits if they are available? Difficult…
11- Make the Americans pay DOUBLE the IPC cost, JUST to take the territory, by killing THAT many more units that go there… and you neutralize thier intrusive income. The more desperate they become - as the game moves forward, the more outlandish and expensively silly their attacks become.
The list goes on and on and on… cheap trick, after dirty move…
All in all it requires small scale Sub and Aircraft builds by the axis, which help them with interdiction, AND all thier fronts (Air is always good that way). Hold on to Gibraltar as LONG as possible. Know when to stand and fight, no when to run, Commit Ground Units to Gibraltar, and Italian and German planes. If you have to, but be willing to pull them out for a counter attack if you know they are going to die.
Do your DAMNDEST, to keep all of your starting planes ALIVE.
Just do whatever the hell you can do to screw them around, and on the flip side, grow your income as quickly as possible to match there own…
A side note aswell… subs from Gibraltar can head south to Africa, you can hit the allies for as Many IPC’s down there as you can from England. And even with the Capture of Gibraltar, Axis subs in the med can still come through to hit the yanks with air support.
Hope that helps… got to jet.
