Start of Germany 6 - Moscow has fallen (for good). Paris has been liberated but will be re-taken.
The US fleet was trapped in the north Pacific and then suicided into the Japanese armada. Gave my son a brief and ultimately futile lesson about blockers as mine were at first mocked, then explained, then admired… and summarily swept away.
At the end of J5 he ended up with 4 carriers and a wounded Battleship off the coast of Southwestern US, but no surviving destroyers within 4 Sea Zones… so on US5, instead of staffing transports headed for Germany, I built 7 subs underneath his carriers out of spite and a desire to educate >:)
Italy has been pushed nearly out of Africa and is turtling.
Japan has been pushed almost completely out of China, has 6-7 IPCs in Russia, and is outrageously strong at sea.
UK has remained very strong, which has been extremely fun and unusual.
French/free french struggle was good, although Vichy did not take much action.
ANZAC [big] cat and [little] mouse game with Japan feels great, could see them being a pest for a Japan that goes hard into china/russia/mainland IC.
Russia pathetically weak with no hope of survival, adjustments needed. Maybe start with half income and a 1-turn income delay instead of 3.
US very weak, unable to defend coastline against determined Japan even with 100% pacific investment. adjustments needed. Needs more money on the board, period, and also a significant bonus & maybe boost once at war. Not sure how to pull that off in a middleweight map.
Allied surrender in game 1 looms.
