Operation : Sea Lion

[Warwick]

I have played 4 or 5 sessions using rules 7.0 through 7.2. I have played the Axis 4 times and the allies once. In each Axis game I have followed the same path.

Turn 1 - Take Reims, Paris, Denmark, Oslo, Narvik, Warsaw, and West Poland. I active Finland and the other Axis Minors. Hit China in 3 spots killing 6 or 7 INF and build a couple factories on the main land. Occupy FIC and Siam. Take out Greece.
Turn 2 - Take Eastern Poland if offered. Sink the Eastern Med Fleet. Reduce China a bit further.
Turn 3 - Hit Russia and hit DEI in the pacific

In all 4 sessions Japan has exploded with 90+ IPC by turn 5. Topping out out in my most recent game around 110 with more growth coming. Germany tends to do well with 70 to 80 IPC and Italy struggles with 30 or so. I generally win an attrition struggle in Russia and with Calcutta secure an Axis victory. I do not think this strategy is unbeatable in anyway but it is somewhat historical. My 5-0 record has mostly to do with my roommate. Who is a very nice guy that has a lot learn about strategy games. In each of our games he has lost significant battles late in the game by overlooking my force dynamics and positions. This results in the American counter-attack being delayed a couple turns and the Axis using the time to secure a victory. In our most recent game he finally came close to victory and with the speed he improves will certainly be competitive if I continue doing the same opening over and over.

In that light I want to swap to an Operation Sealion on turn 1 to shake things up. Here is my basic opening.

Combat moves impulse #1
1 - German Navy at Stettin to Sea zone 15. TRS carries 1 Tank and 1 INF. Sink DD in 15. Amphib into Scotland. Support amphib with BB and CA for shore bombardment and 1 Bomber for ground support.
2 - Elbing forces move into Warsaw with 1 FTR in support.
3 - Hit Reims with 10 INF + 5 MECH + 1 ART + 2 TANKS + 2 FTR + 2 TAC
4 - Hot London -SBR- 2 FTR 2 TAC - Target AA (can be reduced to 1 TAC but I want that AA)

Builds
3 TRS - Stettin
7 INF + 2 ART - West Germany
1 ARM - WEST Germany

NCM
1 - Rebase 1 INF to Helsinki (Bomber to West Germany)
2 - MECH through the Axis Minors to active
3 - Berlin INF move to West Germany to support ops against London
4 - Position Atlantic naval assets for impulse 2

Combat Moves Impulse 2
1 - All subs hit carrier fleet off the Scapa Flow (northern UK fleet)
2 - Survivors from Scotland + 4 INF + 2 ART + 2 ARM hit Liverpool + 1 or 2 FTR in support
3 - SBR - London - 2 FTR + 2 BMB + 2 TAC
4 - Paris - All in Reims + 1 or 2 FTR + 3 TAC
5 - Hit the canadian fleet with a CA and 1 sub

This should result in Liverpool being reduced to a Minor factory and 7 or 8 Land units occupying it. Turn 1 UK has 32 points to spend (with the 3 going to SA) and 20 points of damage on the UK factory. (21 being the average from the bombers hitting the factory.

All German naval assets are in area 15 under the scramble protection of West Germany. Turn 2 sees a London assault with 12 to 15 units plus air support. The US enters a turn or so early compared to my usual actions. However I like the play of the game from that point. First Italy is freed up to expand against a weakened UK. Japan gets free reign to strike where they want. German simply needs to expand into Norway and the Balkans and defend against Russia rather than attack.

Some of the Axis powers that are undermined by normal Allied play now have teeth. For example, the German +1/-1 attack on the Eastern Front reads on the first turn Germany attacks Russia. Normally the Russians backwards deploy their forces making the attack wasted. Now the Germans can use it as a devastating counter-attack.

In any case I invite critique from the peanut gallery. Thanks

[Ben_D]

This sounds like a viable strategy for an early Axis expansion.  That’s usually what the Axis need to get the edge in the game.  I’ve played as the Allies much more than the Axis on several different versions of A&A, and Sea Lion usually seems to have the same effect with varying degrees.  How I respond usually makes Russia a much less defensive minded nation.  Like you said, it changes the dynamics of the typical strategies.  Canada also becomes much more valuable.

Before 7.2 came about (last time I played was just over 10 months ago now) Canada would take all of South America to have enough IPC’s to do anything.  I would then move to Africa and get whatever I could there, after which I would try for the Middle-East.   I managed to have them collecting over 30 at one point when Sea Lion was done.  This is because the U.S. needs to fight Japan and can’t fight on the Europe side effectively without the U.K., so Canada has to fill in that role.

I’m pressed for time atm.  I’ll come back to this later.

Edit: Probably not worth noting, but I house ruled Canada into Global 1940 and had them completely separate from the British.   Just figured I’d post this to clarify how I used Canada in another version of A&A, since they were never their own power officially until Global War 1939 came out.

[Ben_D]

I’m also wondering here if you’ve considered the Lend-Lease capabilities of the U.S. and the defensive bonuses the U.K. gets when the British Isles are attacked.  If the U.K. has one turn to react to Sea Lion, all of the available aircraft will fly to London if there are any and defend at a bonus and the player should only spend in London.  The U.K. has 35 IPC’s to spend on turn 1, so assuming no German Bombers got shot down and did the average 21 damage, the U.K. has the capacity to build 6 infantry units (because who says you need to fully repair the I.C. to build if it’s not worth it?) after doing the necessary repairs.  You’ll have up to 4 fighters (defending at +2), 10 infantry units (defending at +1), 1 mech and 2 bombers as cannon fodder most likely when turn 1 is done, based on what you described for Germany’s 1st turn.  On top of that, Germany receives nothing for I.P.C.'s when they capture London.  The British government simply moves to Ottawa and continues producing and fighting from there, in conjunction with Canada.  The U.S., as you know already, starts having fun sooner as well.

In my opinion, do Sea Lion late in the game if the Commonwealth player isn’t paying any attention to London’s defenses, assuming if you kept the German fleet alive and you can do it unexpectedly (speaking from experience as U.K. lol)  Otherwise, it’s a very costly operation early on or when the U.K. can see it coming, but very worth it if you can pull it off.

[Warwick]

Where do the two extra FTRs come from?

The power of the early attack is seems to be a trap for UK. If they defend London they lose Cairo and Gibraltar. Italy gets to grow into a 50 pt power. Germany should still hit 70 IPC per turn to 75 IPC and Japan can get to 100 IPC. This matches well versus a 45 to 50 IPC Russia, 100 US, 40 pt UK (8 - 10 ANZAC, 12 - 15 FEC, 20 UK). The Axis would be out producing the Allies while operating on interior lines. I like that match up.

A London+Cairo+Calcutta sweep is the same as a Leningrad+Stalingrad+Moscow sweep from a VP standpoint.

EDIT I was in error using TAC to SBR a factory. Unless a Bomber is part of the first turn builds the average damage to the factory will be 14 not 21.

[Dafyd]

I tried a late game move on London using German paratroopers.  I had been adding them to my buys and scattering them about the German air bases within reach of London.  The ploy almost worked but the UK player noticed a dozen paratroopers just standing around and beefed up his defenses.  In hind-sight, I should of hit his factories and air bases a round before and then make the move.  This was a round fifteen attack.  I just wanted to make sure that I had morethan enough cities for the Axis victory.  London stood but Singapore couldn’t hold or be rescued by the Allies. I’m really begining to appreciate the paratroopers.

[Gargantua]

Hang on hang on…

I thought since 7.0, that the German fleet didn’t get to move in the 2nd impulse???

[General 6 Stars]

Germany has there 2nd naval impluse back now since 7.1

[ghr2]

@Warwick:

Where do the two extra FTRs come from?

The power of the early attack is seems to be a trap for UK. If they defend London they lose Cairo and Gibraltar. Italy gets to grow into a 50 pt power. Germany should still hit 70 IPC per turn to 75 IPC and Japan can get to 100 IPC. This matches well versus a 45 to 50 IPC Russia, 100 US, 40 pt UK (8 - 10 ANZAC, 12 - 15 FEC, 20 UK). The Axis would be out producing the Allies while operating on interior lines. I like that match up.

A London+Cairo+Calcutta sweep is the same as a Leningrad+Stalingrad+Moscow sweep from a VP standpoint.

EDIT I was in error using TAC to SBR a factory. Unless a Bomber is part of the first turn builds the average damage to the factory will be 14 not 21.

Depends, the UK gets ridiculously rich if played right.  It does not take much to hold cairo for a few turns until London is secure.

[Ben_D]

@Warwick:

Where do the two extra FTRs come from?

The power of the early attack is seems to be a trap for UK. If they defend London they lose Cairo and Gibraltar. Italy gets to grow into a 50 pt power. Germany should still hit 70 IPC per turn to 75 IPC and Japan can get to 100 IPC. This matches well versus a 45 to 50 IPC Russia, 100 US, 40 pt UK (8 - 10 ANZAC, 12 - 15 FEC, 20 UK). The Axis would be out producing the Allies while operating on interior lines. I like that match up.

A London+Cairo+Calcutta sweep is the same as a Leningrad+Stalingrad+Moscow sweep from a VP standpoint.

EDIT I was in error using TAC to SBR a factory. Unless a Bomber is part of the first turn builds the average damage to the factory will be 14 not 21.

The extra fighters come from Scotland.  As for the other points you bring up, it comes down to how the dice rolls sometimes too.  Are you saying that you’re still going to take London?  I’m not sure what you were intending do in this particular case, going off this post you put up.  If you are, like I said, it would be tough, and Cairo would get to build anyway.  If Germany doesn’t attack and doesn’t show any sign of persuing that objective, the U.K. has no reason to keep building in London and will start producing in Africa regardless.

That TB changes things too, as you’re aware of already.

@Gargantua:

Hang on hang on…

I thought since 7.0, that the German fleet didn’t get to move in the 2nd impulse???

In my opinion, Germany shouldn’t get a 2nd impulse at all…  I’m writing this in vain, I know, but I just wanna throw that out there :p.

Edit: Just to be on the same page with everyone, I’m basing everything off of 7.1/7.2, just in case there was any misinterpretation.

[Warwick]

My plan call for ignoring London on turn #1 and reducing the rest of England. When England starts it move it will have lost Scotland and Liverpool. Only the forces in London will be able to fight.

There should be 2 INF + 3-4 ARM in liverpool. London is struck at the start of turn 2 with 8 INF + 3-4 ARM + 4-5 FTR + 4-5 TAC + 1 BMB

London defends with 12 - 13 INF + 2 FTR + 1 MECH + 2 BMBs

Round 1
Avg hit on attack 8.4 or so
Avh hits on Def 7.4

Round 2
Attack - 7.25
Def - 4.6

Round 3
Attack - Finishes London
Defense - 1.75 hit

Losses Attacker - 8 INF 2 ARM 2 FTR 2 TAC
Losses Defender - 13 INF 2 FTR 2 BMB 1 MECH 32 IPC in bank

Total IPC Losses
Attacker - 78
Defender - 119

[Ben_D]

Ok, I missed that Scotland detail I guess…

It would be interesting to see how it plays out.  Have you done it yet?  Have you seen the longterm effect?

Also, keep in mind that I haven’t played in over 10 months, since New Year’s, so the game isn’t fresh in my mind.  I would definitely like to see how it plays out myself, but I just can’t at the moment due to my current circumstances.

[General 6 Stars]

On your attack moves for Scotland, if not using optional rule to split navys, you got to bring 2 bombers. The problem with that is the airbase gets a shot at planes and the fighter can scramble. Then if you lose both planes odds are you ain’t takin Scotland.

[Larrie]

The problem with this is that if you attack Denmark on the first impulse, the Danish straits are closed and you can not move your navy out to amphib Scotland. As long as Denmark is attacked on the second impulse or later the straits will be open on the first impulse for you to move through and amphib Scotland.

[General 6 Stars]

The rules say as long as Denmark is neutral anybody can go through the Straits. If you control Denmark then only the controlling country can go through and Subs.

Page 9  Straights and Canals.

[rohr94]

first impulse: you dont attack denmark, you can go through the straights and their neutral navy doesn’t cause combat.  if you attack and conquer denmark on the first turn you would control the straights but their two ships may cause combat if the neutral rolls don’t go your way.

[Warwick]

Yes this opening assumes the optional rule regarding splitting the fleets on invasion.

Denmark is left untouched until the 2nd or 3rd turn of the Game.

I can not find a rule stating an Airbase can operate as an AA for general combat. If I send a bomber it just hits on an 8. Also we do not use the optional rule regarding FTRs going to CAP or ground support.

[Larrie]

SS - You are missing my point. You can not move your navy out from the Baltic on the same impulse that you attack Denmark. So attacking Denmark on the first impulse would close the straights until the second impulse, then you could move your transport out to amphib Scotland.

[General 6 Stars]

I wouldn’t attack Denmark. Not until turn 3.