This is my first post, but I thought I would get some feedback. I was playing as Germany in a live game and Russia tried the cheeky first move of buying a carrier and a sub. He only attacked West Russia and then landed his two planes on the carrier. How do you respond to this move as Germany?
It would seem that you cannot take out this fleet and make the usual attacks in Egypt and the Gibraltar SZ. If you attack the Russian fleet you can certainly take it out, but then you leave GB with its Egypt forces intact which essentially gives a defending fighter right back to Russia.
I just figured that leaving the Russian fleet was the best thing to do. I made the usual attacks as Germany and ignored the Russian fleet. I bought all infantry on my first buy and we went for a 5 turn victory in Russia strategy. Both US and UK threw everything at Germany but I held them off and Japan was able to take Russia on turn 6 which gave us the win. So it worked, but then again building a Russian Navy is doomed to fail. So out of cusiosity what would you have done as Germany?
I would have ignored the russian fleet, at least on G1. At first the sight of a russian navy waiting to break out of the black sea is unnerving, but the fleet you described really doesn’t carry much of an offensive punch & without a transport it’s no threat to your land troops. You never did say what happened to that fleet, did the russians ever use it for anything?
Yeah, they used the fleet to take out my southern fleet and cut me off from Africa. Then he moved the fleet back to the Baltic SZ and build a couple transports. I could have gone after it with planes, but I just pressed on. Also the UK took out my northern fleet right away and parked a fleet outside Germany. I just defended the mainland and pressed on into Russia. Given that they were all coming at me, Japan was free to march through asia and take Russia in turn 6.
Sounds like the russians spent a lot of money for a fleet whose sole accomplishment was to take out the German Med fleet. Russia is cash poor to begin with, diverting all that money to Naval purchases was really a waste. The $40 they spent on a navy would have been better spent on ground & air units. If taking out the german fleet was a major Russian objective they should have bought air units, at least those would have been helpful in the land battle.
That’s a good point. Even if for some reason Russia wanted to take out the German fleet, fighters wouled be cheaper and may help on defence as well if they survive.
Besides, why bother building the Russian fleet??? America is in a MUCH better position to clear Africa and make Germany"s africa corps life a living nightmare leaving Russia and Brition to deal with mainland Europe.
Biggest mistake I"ve seen so far is an ultra tight focus on Eastern Europe territories and not as much on France. If the Jerries are gunna leave the west lightly defended then take it! At the very least you diverted some german assets from the front lines to clear a few infantry you put in France giving Russia a respite for a round or two.
Do a little dance because an AC and a sub :-o are much easier to kill in the march on Moscow than eight INF!!!
Friemml has it cold…
FORGET Africa’s IPC’s if Russia gives you NO land force purchases in R1 or R2.
Just drive in to those thin lines with no back-up and claim Moscow on G3-4!
And let Japan build ONLY TANKS to REALLY drive the threat of those missing land units home… Both nations should converge in Moscow about the same time the US has cleared the last of Germany’s starting units from Africa and UK has solidified a position in Karelia.
if my opponent makes that purchase in r 1 i start planning my victory speech :-D
if my opponent makes that purchase in r 1 i start planning my victory speech :-D
My fellow Germans, you’ve heard the news, and now you’re going to hear, the rest of the story! :-P
Besides, why bother building the Russian fleet??? America is in a MUCH better position to clear Africa and make Germany"s africa corps life a living nightmare leaving Russia and Brition to deal with mainland Europe.
Biggest mistake I"ve seen so far is an ultra tight focus on Eastern Europe territories and not as much on France. If the Jerries are gunna leave the west lightly defended then take it! At the very least you diverted some german assets from the front lines to clear a few infantry you put in France giving Russia a respite for a round or two.
I agree 100% in saying the battle shouldn’t be focussed to the East. Just today I captured France from my Dad just to drain him of Ipcs and to take strain off Russia. I’d say this is a good move because the land units in Britain are in a good position to attack considering they’re within 1 boat trip. I say this because I don’t like taking risks with full transports at sea trying to get to Africa.
I’d ignore it first turn, kill it second turn with German fighters and Med navy.
USSR building navy is a bad idea. I’d be happy to see a USSR naval build. Japan and Germany will march right on into USSR.
if my opponent makes that purchase in r 1 i start planning my victory speech :-D
That’s exactly what I thought, and it came true. Obviously this was a terrible strat for Russia, I just wanted to see how others would handle it.
The other way I would deal with it in a friendly game is to ask if the Russian player was sure he really wanted to do that. I would ask again in my best “do you understand how very bad an idea that is” tone. This thing falls under the 6th and 7th Axioms “Be more concerned with the certain paths to defeat than the uncertain paths to victory.” and “Don’t do anything stupid.” Navy for Russia stupid and a certain path to defeat. Frankly I’d trade the sub in setup for two INF.
The other way I would deal with it in a friendly game is to ask if the Russian player was sure he really wanted to do that. I would ask again in my best “do you understand how very bad an idea that is” tone. This thing falls under the 6th and 7th Axioms “Be more concerned with the certain paths to defeat than the uncertain paths to victory.” and “Don’t do anything stupid.” Navy for Russia stupid and a certain path to defeat. Frankly I’d trade the sub in setup for two INF.
Well, until Germany is defeated. Afterwards, if Russia owns a significant portion of the land, enough that htey can afford land units and navy, a navy might be a wise investment. It gives them a chance to attack islands and the ally with the most land wins, imho.
I will concede that it is not “always” :roll: a bad idea for Russia to build a Navy. It is very rare that it isn’t.
As I said, if Germany’s dead and you have more then enough forces to take out Japan (you probably do if Germany died the round previous) then making a navy is just an investment in the future. You’ll eventually need to grab those islands so you can afford heavy bombers to knock down the stack of 500 infantry on the motherland.
You know, Shadow, that used to be my exact method way back when…(like 1995-1996 in college.)
I’d sit there with 8 American BBs, 1 Transport and 1 Infantry a round until Japan was down to 1-2 guys and then invade with 2 infantry. Of course, we played that infantry blown up by shore bombardment couldnt return fire…the basic idea was, this guy was blown up hours before landing troops by BBs sitting miles off the coast…what’s he gunna hit with his carbine???
Offhand I’d say I’d just try to knock out the Russian navy straight away with your BB + tran + 4 fighters + bomber. Clearing those Russian fighters, combined with no Russian land purchase, puts Russia in defense mode on the following turns. Of course you are giving up Africa very quickly and the UK will have an extra BB to play with in the med and stuff, which makes a German naval purchase hard to justify, but you’ve shocked the Russians out of their key units to trade territories.
