Strategies and input

Im looking for an experienced classic opponent, any variant will be fine.

IRL on triplea or pbem.

Usually when I play multiplayer in person, we have a rule of 5-10 minute discussion period at the end of each round.  Each side gets about 5 minutes took look over the board and discuss strat, then the other side.  It allows for a bit more cooperation.

Fairer sides may have helped too, but this Axis strat should never work.

As Russia, you can afford to be aggressive.

Personally, I’ll focus on Germany and hit Ukr and Baltic sz, while falling back in the East.  If possible I’ll never engage the Japanese until they approach Novo  (about rd 3-4).

But in those first 3-4 rds you should be able to cripple Germany.

If Germany is building ships and planes, you should be able to hold EE as Russia very early (by rd 2-3).

My guess is they went after UK, because that guy was new to the game.  Seems kinda cheap to me, but you guys should ask for a rematch and then beat the snot out of them.

If you give some specific examples of the Axis early moves I’ll give you counters so you can beat them.

Here is a brutal Russia 1 to get started

Buy 8 inf

Attack Ukr with 8 inf, 3 arm
If it goes badly retreat to Kar (while trying to reduce Ger to only a ftr), if it goes well take it with 4-5 inf and 3 arm
Attack Baltic sz with 2 ftrs (the G sub cannot shoot at your ftrs)

Attack W sp sz with your sub  (sub vs sub)
most likely his sub has to retreat

Non-Combat All troops to Kar and place there (if Ukr was taken), Kar will have 12 inf, 2 ftrs
and fortify Yak with 7 inf and move arm to Novo.
and move your trn to the UK sz

if you only strafed Ukr, Kar will have about 15-16 inf, 3 arm, 2 ftrs.

This moves takes out all German Navy and gives Russia a strong opening position.

This strategy works particularly when when the allies are using a “kill Germany first” strategy. The key is having Syria-Iraq or Egypt in Axis hands for a turn so Japan can land fighters there, for travel to Berlin the next round. Those three or four extra fighters really help Germany when the aliies are pounding infantry at the capital. In my experience, it has been enough to give Japan enough time to take over Russia, because Germany just has to keep building infantry.

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

@Kidhorn:

England can easily remove the german navy from Southern Europe. It’s happened in every game I’ve played. They start with a bomber and many fighters and will likely have a battleship and sub to fight with also. Russia has two fighters that can hit the navy. The US has a bomber.
Germany buying ships in Souther Europe to protect the flow of units being tranported into Africa is a losing strategy. They would slowly be eaten away by Russia and even if they did take the IC in SA, it wouldn’t help them offensively.

Ahm …which BB, which sub … i mean after the germans move…
And how many fightersfor the UK? 2 AFAIR plus 1 from India. I’d be happy to see the latter one leave India, be assured of that.
So, would you send 2 Russian fighters against a BB and 2 Transports (after the G1), or send any planes against that? … i doubt that.

The IC would not help, sure.
But being eaten up by russia, well i dunno. The 1-2-3 punch would hardly work with the UK placing its IPCs elsewhere. Russia will hardly try to battle continuusly for say EE. For the more eastern german provinces … well, once the situation in Africa allows it, i would just send the whole fleet into the black sea and have a bit of fun.

@Zakes:

The trick to screwing over Russia on the first round is to throw everything, literrally everything at Karelia on the very first round, and buying tons tanks so you can reinforce your front on the second turn.

I initially thought so as well.  But these folks showed me the implementation of US and UK strategies that I had never seen developed to the level they use them that preclude Germany from HOLDING Karelia to be able to build there in G2.

To take Karelia against the best defensive buildup that Russia can muster requires your Air Force.  But if you use your Air Force against Karelia, the UK navy is intact, and does an amphib in Karelia (2 BB’s, 3 fighters, 1 bomber, 2 INF, 1 tank) to kick Germany’s few remaining forces out in UK1.

Even if UK fails to kick Germany out of Karelia, what forces does Germany have left?  2 INF in Western, 4 INF and a tank in Eastern, 1-3 tanks in Karelia, 2 fighters, and a bomber; and their “total tank” build of 6 tanks in Germany.  That is a BEST case survival scenario.

Going forward against this, you have Russia building 7 (or more) INF per round, UK with a “full” transport fleet to use against Germany and the US also with a transport fleet that starts hitting Germany in US3.

Believe me, I used to agree whole heartedly with you, but failing to take out the Allied naval forces in the 1st and 2nd rounds is certain quick death for Germany.  And without them, you can;t crack Karelia.  Even if you can, you can;t crack it with enough force to threaten Russia the following round.

Hmmm… yeah, the finding the perfect balance is always key. However, I think the best case for a two pronged offensive is if the Pearl Harbor invasion is based on sea, leaving the 1 CV (w/ 1 ftr) free to support Germany’s role in the Suez. By doing so, I suggest to sending 2 BB’s, 1 sub, 1 ftr (launched off the CV, lands back at Wake) under these conditions, I will win 96% of the time. Though I will probably lose the sub and trns (35% chance). I will probably lose the counterattack, though I won’t think the American will press his luck by then shifting to a Japan first strat (which will actually be helpful to you :wink:)

Pulling out of Eastern Europe is a deathtrap! But seriously, you’re screwed if you did and screwed if you don’t since you’re know forced to defend two separate territories along with the unbearable 3 IPC loss. But anyways, Western Europe is probably the most feasible and the most advantageous of all the territories to take with USA and UK. But if you can position your transports correctly, you can strikes all German territories at once depending what is the most heavily under-defended.

In my personal Opinion, Japans main point in exsisting, Is to take some of the allies attention away from Germany, and to force russia into a two front war. Since Japan has a larger Pacific fleet then America does, after you deystroy the hawaiin fleet, the coastal fleet will run to panama with its tail between its legs. While japan attacks china, india and russia, this takes IPCs away that cant be used against Germany. Japan Is usually the turning point against The sovies.