Interesting thoughts…
Some feedback…
The only way that the Allies can prevent a link-up on G2 is to suicide the initial UK navy, plus some UK1 build navy, all of it moved to/placed in SZ6. Without that block, the Baltic fleet sails to SZ7 unopposed. Even if UK (or USSR) places 1 ship there to “block”, Germany takes it out with AF, and moves the Baltic fleet to SZ7 in non-combat move. By the time UK or US is in a position to actually attack the German fleet with Allied navy, the link-up has already occurred.
You could, theoretically, have Russia suicide their AF against the Baltic fleet to weaken it, then use the UK navy to block, forcing Germany to use up some of THEIR AF. You could also suicide the UK AF into the Baltic fleet (though in this case, the AC and 2 FIGS are present, making losses minimal, basically 1 round of hits before the RAF is gone). This of course assumes that Germany did NOT Sea Lion in G2, in which case there is a 62% chance (including tech roll) of UK not building a darn thing, EVER. But, if Germany does not Sea Lion, at least SOME of that Baltic fleet is going to end up in SZ7 with the sub, BB and tranny. Not the strongest fleet, but with UK lacking a bomber and 2 figs, and with Russia being down a pair of figs also, and with UK also possibly being down their initial UK fleet plus some build material… well now that fleet isn;t looking too bad. UK is not going to be attacking it again until UK3, and the US needs to get there first…
As for the UK sailing their fleet into the Med…
Balkan and Ukraine figs solve the problem of taking Egypt without the German med navy, sealing the canal to UK on UK1.
And as for the South African IC…
If UK did all it could to stop the fleet link-up, as you advocate, then UK can ill afford to spend half of their money on an IC in South Africa. They are lacking an AF and a Navy, with Germany having a loaded carrier, a BB, and a tranny within striking distance of UK, plus the remainder of their massed AF (probably another 2 figs and a bomber, allowing for Egypt moves) within range of London. That is a first round attack roll of 24 (4 kills) against a UK that no longer has any figs for defense and spent half their money in South Africa, and the rest blocking the German Baltic fleet.
Your Russian strategy deserves a LOT of thought though. Taking out the cannon fodder from any German attack is a hell of a viable concept. It slows Germany more than you posted. Germany will not have any G1 purchases of INF available before G3 for Ukraine or Bel. It will be G4 before the surviving G1 purchased INF can reach Caucuses/West Russia. And, with the Baltic AC build, THAT is only 8 INF in combat range on G4, less losses from strafing or from re-taking Ukraine or Belorussia.
Germany CAN make some initial advances due to less-than-maximum stacking and spreading their forces, but they still maintain the ability to counter any German attack in R2, and wiping out the lion;s share of any German gain, as well as the potential for gains in the rounds to come, for quite some time. It does create a bit more of a dead zone in mid Europe than would otherwise have occurred with a total R1 INF build, but the trade off appears viable on first review.
DEFINITELY deserves further review.
I’m just curious. I don’t know if this was posted above, but what happens if Russia takes the Ukraine, and then you take it back, but you only have, let’s say, 6 tanks plus 4 inf to take it back, and you lose 2 inf, so you’re down to 6 tanks and 2 inf; if you have more armour than inf, is it even a good idea to try and take back the Ukraine, considering that the guy has, for example, 4 infantry and 3 art, plus a couple tanks in Moscow? Hope I’m being clear in my questioning. I guess I just really want to know if creating one massive hardstack in UKraine is even a good idea if Russia has taken WR with 6 inf there and then 4 inf and 3 art in the Caucasus ready to massively counterattack.
If Russia has stacked hard on all sides of Ukraine…
Stack Eastern, then when Russia moves on Ukraine, counter HARD from Eastern, using Med Fleet for additional INF and a support shot as well as available AF. Kill hard and fast, to keep as many of your troops alive as possible.
Instant hard point in Ukraine AFTER killing a lot of Russians. AND you can still stack Eastern with your previous round German build just by moving it to Eastern…
My imediate reaction to your G2 linkup, is that (i atleast) as Russia allways put my sub in SZ6 to prevent that. (and often it´s disregarded, or people send 1 Fig and i manages to submerge).
I can´t really see why people keeps sending it to SZ2.
Yes, but even with the sub in SZ6, you force it to submerge with the FIG, and then sail through free and clear in non-combat phase.
So the sub alone is NOT adequate protection against a G2 fleet link-up (if Germany decides to go that route)
@ncscswitch:
If Russia has stacked hard on all sides of Ukraine…
Stack Eastern, then when Russia moves on Ukraine, counter HARD from Eastern, using Med Fleet for additional INF and a support shot as well as available AF. Kill hard and fast, to keep as many of your troops alive as possible.
Instant hard point in Ukraine AFTER killing a lot of Russians. AND you can still stack Eastern with your previous round German build just by moving it to Eastern…
Yeah, but what if they’ve already taken Ukraine and West Russia? Should I still counterattack Ukraine, even though he’s got more than enough guys the next round to kill my stack of men and destroy 8 or 9 of my guys? Or I should I wait a round before moving in for the kill in the Ukraine with more guys? I once counterattacked Ukraine, took it, put pretty much all my armour and inf there on the first round, and then the next round, had them all wiped out and from there I pretty much went on the defensive because I couldn’t keep any of my territories very well because I had to rebuild my forces.
If you want to play conservative as Germany… just turtle up from the get-go and wait for Japan… IF they can get to Moscow in time with Russia having lots of money and German offesnive against them…
You have to take risks.
The object is to make your moves smartly… and when in doubt, go HEAVY, so that you win easilly with few troops lost and your opponent takes maximum losses on the counter.
For every move their is a counter.
Ultimately, the game decides the outcome.
true yes,
the actually strategy always asserts itself.
ive about decided germany cant really do much against a well coordinated allied attack, unless they get lucky in some early key battles like taking anglo-egypt on g1 with enough forces left to repel the british counter attack on b1
Well there are some neat tricks and stuff you can try with Japan to help out Germany. Have you ever tried floating your Japanese airforce over to Egypt? That’s a swift kick in the shins if the Allies aren’t well-equipped to dislodge you. You can also drop stuff into Africa a turn after you drop stuff into Indochina with transports.
I allways considered it a good thing, that the allies abandon India and geos to egypt, makes it a quicker journey for Japan to moscow…
i agree nix, giving japan india on j1, instead of j3 (my usual sacking schedule) puts them in position to pressure russia on j3-4. plus the whole spirit of the victory city concept
@ncscswitch:
If you want to play conservative as Germany… just turtle up from the get-go and wait for Japan… IF they can get to Moscow in time with Russia having lots of money and German offesnive against them…
You have to take risks.
The object is to make your moves smartly… and when in doubt, go HEAVY, so that you win easilly with few troops lost and your opponent takes maximum losses on the counter.
Well, I’d actually like to play somewhat aggressively as Germany, so doing the slow withdrawl doesn’t really make me happy. AT the same time, though, I also don’t want my one and only huge stack completely wiped out and be forced to retreat to regroup. Unless of course I go the northern route and attempt to get to Moscow that way instead of going south, which would probably be a really slow grind.
I may be wrong but if Germany turtles up wouldn’t Russia be able to just turn and crush the Japanese offensive?
But that turtle can open up… in MASSIVE force… in ANY direction.
I always think that massive battles are a better way of going for statistics…
if you have a one on one encounter…
1 armor versus 1 infantry let’s say…
the armor can be sacked in just one roll…
if you have 20 armor attacking versus 20 infantry…
(I know, it’s a waste of IPC’s as attacker ;-))
then more likely the outcome will be victory for the attacking army.
the more dice are involved, the better you can depend on statistics…
so, I prefer massive armies :-P
@ncscswitch:
But that turtle can open up… in MASSIVE force… in ANY direction.
You seem very frightened of the turtle after octo pummeled you with it. While it’s true that it can open up, it is three rounds before russia has to worry if germany is turtling in berlin.
Ah, but it is not just a German strat. Have seen it used to phenomenal effect as Russia too (pushed japan all the way back to the coast…)
