Axis and Allies Europe 1940 - Strategies

OK.  So I’m about 30 games into it.  Played Europe stand-alone, then Pacific,  then Global.  Here are a few key observations in regards to an overall strategy…by country

GER:
1.  NEVER lose Norway.  Allies bomb your factories relentlessly from there, and it’s game over for Axis
    a.  Turn 1:  send a tank, inf, and 2 or 3 fighters.  That’s the tax,  never move them from there
    b.  If all is going well for Italy in the Med Sea,  you can also build airfield in Norway for scramblings, and reaching far into northern Russian when the time comes
2.  Turn 1 and every turn you can,  bomb UK factories…all the time.
3.  Don’t bother invading UK…never seems to work, the cost is too high
4.  Available air units should get rid of French ships in Southern France
5.  Take out the French cruiser in Gilbraltar, with subs

ITALY:
1. There are only 2 targets that matter for Italy:  Gibraltar and Egypt.  Everything else is a waste of precious IPCs.  Go with what is possible NOW,  don’t wait
    a.  Take Gilbraltar first.  It’s easy,  and no counter attacks possible if GER subs have taken out Cruiser and remain in sea zone blocking the Med Sea
    b.  Take Alexander with ALL available land units on 1st turn (takes precious bonus points away from UK)
    c.  Move ALL available Air units to Alexander or Gilbraltar as soon as possible (Alexander on 1st Turn)

2. Hold the line…  if UK builds up in South Afrika,  add Air Units to Egypt.  If not,  add all you can to Gilbraltar.

FRANCE:
1. The only unit that matters is your inf in west Africa.  Put it on a UK transport,  take Brazil and startup a new factory…you will be relevant on turn 5…sorry, but that’s all they can do.

UK.
1.  DO NOT commit Med Fleet on turn 1…  back up (through Suez), wait a turn.
2.  Hold Egypt.  Clear out inner Africa with new troops from South Africa
4.  Get the Middle East.  Move from India…
5.  UK Navy will not win the war…get the basics to thwart Subs…but that’s it.
6.  UK Air Force WILL win the war.  Stack up,  Intercept, Scramble, but keep them at home…wait for US
7.  Norway is your ultimate target

US
1.  US needs to be relevant as quickly as possible.  So get busy buying Strategic Bombers asap.  You’ll knock off GER factories by turn 5.
2.  US Should take Norway…build Air Field first (to support bombings of GER lands,  and to defend)
3.  Put an industry and Port next…you pull that off, you win
4.  US NAVY is Med Sea…Gilbraltar is ke y.  You can attack anywhere (almost) on Europe Coast or Italy from there…  The Port there will allow you to move between ‘theaters’ quickly (between Norway and Gilbraltar

Russian
1.  Stack in Leningrad and in Ukraine, leaving a single inf on other font line territories.  You need to position troops for counter-attack
  a.  first 2 turns, build ‘complimentary’ units  (Artillery for your units,  tactical fighters to pair with tanks/fighters)
  b.  Pull everything back… you have more troops then you think.  You’ll get strong quickly if you consolidate everything in Leningrad and Ukraine.
2.  All this leads to gaping hole in the middle of russia… if GER takes the bait and attacks through the gap towards Moscow,  GER will have lost…  Russia can counter-attack in the middle from both massed up areas.  GER will need to leave too many units behind to cover  it’s north and south flanks.
3.  Remember,  in the end,  Russia only has 4 territories worth holding… play it that way.

@Gargantua:

Why would anyone - EVER - want to “defend the coast” in Axis and Allies?

I mean that’s a lovely notion and all, but an absolute waste of IPC’s.

Breaking the first wave.  :-)

@Calpandrid:

OK.  So I’m about 30 games into it.  Played Europe stand-alone, then Pacific,  then Global.   Here are a few key observations in regards to an overall strategy…by country

GER:
1.  NEVER lose Norway.  Allies bomb your factories relentlessly from there, and it’s game over for Axis
    a.  Turn 1:  send a tank, inf, and 2 or 3 fighters.  That’s the tax,  never move them from there
    b.  If all is going well for Italy in the Med Sea,  you can also build airfield in Norway for scramblings, and reaching far into northern Russian when the time comes
2.  Turn 1 and every turn you can,  bomb UK factories…all the time.
3.  Don’t bother invading UK…never seems to work, the cost is too high
4.  Available air units should get rid of French ships in Southern France
5.  Take out the French cruiser in Gilbraltar, with subs

ITALY:
1. There are only 2 targets that matter for Italy:  Gibraltar and Egypt.  Everything else is a waste of precious IPCs.  Go with what is possible NOW,  don’t wait
    a.  Take Gilbraltar first.  It’s easy,  and no counter attacks possible if GER subs have taken out Cruiser and remain in sea zone blocking the Med Sea
    b.  Take Alexander with ALL available land units on 1st turn (takes precious bonus points away from UK)
    c.  Move ALL available Air units to Alexander or Gilbraltar as soon as possible (Alexander on 1st Turn)

2. Hold the line…  if UK builds up in South Afrika,  add Air Units to Egypt.   If not,  add all you can to Gilbraltar.

FRANCE:
1. The only unit that matters is your inf in west Africa.   Put it on a UK transport,  take Brazil and startup a new factory…you will be relevant on turn 5…sorry, but that’s all they can do.

UK.
1.  DO NOT commit Med Fleet on turn 1…  back up (through Suez), wait a turn.
2.  Hold Egypt.   Clear out inner Africa with new troops from South Africa
4.  Get the Middle East.   Move from India…
5.  UK Navy will not win the war…get the basics to thwart Subs…but that’s it.
6.  UK Air Force WILL win the war.   Stack up,  Intercept, Scramble, but keep them at home…wait for US
7.  Norway is your ultimate target

US
1.  US needs to be relevant as quickly as possible.   So get busy buying Strategic Bombers asap.   You’ll knock off GER factories by turn 5.
2.  US Should take Norway…build Air Field first (to support bombings of GER lands,  and to defend)
3.  Put an industry and Port next…you pull that off, you win
4.  US NAVY is Med Sea…Gilbraltar is ke y.   You can attack anywhere (almost) on Europe Coast or Italy from there…  The Port there will allow you to move between ‘theaters’ quickly (between Norway and Gilbraltar

Russian
1.  Stack in Leningrad and in Ukraine, leaving a single inf on other font line territories.   You need to position troops for counter-attack
   a.  first 2 turns, build ‘complimentary’ units  (Artillery for your units,  tactical fighters to pair with tanks/fighters)
   b.  Pull everything back… you have more troops then you think.  You’ll get strong quickly if you consolidate everything in Leningrad and Ukraine.
2.  All this leads to gaping hole in the middle of russia… if GER takes the bait and attacks through the gap towards Moscow,  GER will have lost…  Russia can counter-attack in the middle from both massed up areas.  GER will need to leave too many units behind to cover  it’s north and south flanks.
3.  Remember,  in the end,  Russia only has 4 territories worth holding… play it that way.

I’m not sure you’ve played Europe enough against solid opponents. A lot of what you say you must do with each power isn’t totally correct.

Germany:

1. Germany can’t hold Norway in most games.
2. Bombing UK factories is risky, but can be a viable strategy. Normally I find other uses for my bombers, and if not I’d rather not risk them on bombing a factory that doesn’t get used much after turn 1, and not until around turn 5 when they are linking up with the US.
3. Agreed.
4. Problem here is that you won’t have enough planes to take out the UK ships in 111 and 110.
5. Same as above.

Italy:

1. Not all games are the same, and usually Italy can’t take Gib without loosing his fleet. You have to remember that almost everyone attacks Italy’s Cruiser/BB/transport first turn with UK. You can’t scramble against his supperior numbers, so UK will have 2 fighters/tac/bomber on Malta at the end of turn 1. Also makes it harder to stack Alexandria, but with German planes you can do it.

In my opinion Italy’s main goal is to build up ground units on mainland Europe, unless the opportunity presents itself to take and hold Egypt. If you build only ground units with Italy, by the time the allies have a landing force to attack you, which won’t be till US turn 5, you will have at least 30 Italy units that can defend Southern Italy and Western Germany. This way you can continue for one more turn of all out buy against Russia with Germany.

UK:

1. You should use the fleet you have in the med to hit the Italy fleet. The resulting loss of Italy’s NO, transport, and possible convoy damage greatly outweighs the loss of your fleet. The only time I wouldn’t hit Italy’s fleet is if Germany didn’t kill 110, and then in that case I would stack SZ92 with everything that could reach.
2. Agreed.
4. Don’t know what you mean by “move from India”. In Europe there isn’t an India factory…
5. Agreed that UK Air force is crucial, but UK also needs a factory in Egypt and maybe one in Iraq as well. UK needs to spend almost all her money on ground units in middle east and Africa. This is because after Moscow falls, which is always falls in Europe, Germany will be heading toward Africa with a ton of units.
6. Don’t keep your planes at home. If he is strat bombing you, then that is fine. Let him take the risk of loosing a bomber to AA gun fire. Your planes are much more important in the middle east and Africa.
7. UK isn’t the aggressor on the allied side. UK is there soley for support. Have US take Norway so he can build a factory there, and have UK back him up.

US:

1. Agreed that US needs to be relevant as soon as possible, but I don’t think strategic bombers are the way to go. You need ground troops. US is the only one that can take out Germany. If you are spending money on strategic bombers then you are loosing the ground war game. Also the only place you can bomb on turn 5 is Western Germany, and to be honest that isn’t that great of a target on turn 5 anyways. Turn 5 is usually the last turn Germany builds 100% against Russia, and he will build 3 tanks for Ukraine and the rest on bombers for Western Germany, but if Western Germany was bombed then he’d just put the bombers in Novgorod.
2. Taking Norway is a big step, but be careful about how many transports and units you use to take it. Because if you have say 7 transports sitting off Norway, then those transports are 2 turns away from SZ106 and 3 away from Eastern US.
3. I don’t think you win just because you took Norway and put a port there. You again have the problem of not enough ground to actually land and hold in France.
4. Agreed

Russia:

1. Big mistake I see new players make is they try to hold Novgorod. If you do this then Germany can literally walk right by you and beat you to Moscow. In Europe Russia only has 1 option on units to build, all infantry and then either 1 arty or 1 mech depending on the turn or personal preference.
2. You are wrong here. Germany doesn’t need to leave any troops behind to cover his flanks. Germany can literally walk to Moscow by T6. On T3 he attacks, and in your plan of holding Novgorod, on T4 he stacks in Western Ukraine. Your units that are in Novgorod now can’t make it home to Moscow in time before Germany attacks T6. He doesn’t need to cover his flanks if you give him your capital for free.
3. Russia only has 1 territory worth Keeping, and that is Moscow. Russia should Have the majority of his forces in the south. The south is where all the money is for Germany, and he will want to get there as soon as possible.

I’ll add that Russia’s main job is just to hold off Germany till T6, and cost him as many units as you can in the battle of Moscow.

@Calpandrid:

OK.  So I’m about 30 games into it.  Played Europe stand-alone, then Pacific,  then Global.   Here are a few key observations in regards to an overall strategy…by country

GER:
1.  NEVER lose Norway.  Allies bomb your factories relentlessly from there, and it’s game over for Axis
    a.  Turn 1:  send a tank, inf, and 2 or 3 fighters.  That’s the tax,  never move them from there
    b.  If all is going well for Italy in the Med Sea,  you can also build airfield in Norway for scramblings, and reaching far into northern Russian when the time comes
2.  Turn 1 and every turn you can,  bomb UK factories…all the time.
3.  Don’t bother invading UK…never seems to work, the cost is too high
4.  Available air units should get rid of French ships in Southern France
5.  Take out the French cruiser in Gilbraltar, with subs

Dude, why on earth would you ever try to Bomb other factories??? The bombers are way to costly (12 a piece) and for very little gain. To actually make a difference, you would need at least 6-7 bombers (72 to 84 IPCs) because some get shot down, and then you can only score on a 1 or 2. That is enormously costly. You need tanks and men and Artys and subs. NOT Strategic Bombers. The only time I would ever bomb a factory is if I had the complete upper hand, and I was trying to just get the final blow.  But as a whole, pretty good points

ITALY:
1. There are only 2 targets that matter for Italy:  Gibraltar and Egypt.  Everything else is a waste of precious IPCs.  Go with what is possible NOW,  don’t wait
    a.  Take Gilbraltar first.  It’s easy,  and no counter attacks possible if GER subs have taken out Cruiser and remain in sea zone blocking the Med Sea
    b.  Take Alexander with ALL available land units on 1st turn (takes precious bonus points away from UK)
    c.  Move ALL available Air units to Alexander or Gilbraltar as soon as possible (Alexander on 1st Turn)

2. Hold the line…  if UK builds up in South Afrika,  add Air Units to Egypt.   If not,  add all you can to Gilbraltar.

FRANCE:
1. The only unit that matters is your inf in west Africa.   Put it on a UK transport,  take Brazil and startup a new factory…you will be relevant on turn 5…sorry, but that’s all they can do.

UK.
1.  DO NOT commit Med Fleet on turn 1…  back up (through Suez), wait a turn.
2.  Hold Egypt.   Clear out inner Africa with new troops from South Africa
4.  Get the Middle East.   Move from India…
5.  UK Navy will not win the war…get the basics to thwart Subs…but that’s it.
6.  UK Air Force WILL win the war.   Stack up,  Intercept, Scramble, but keep them at home…wait for US
7.  Norway is your ultimate target

US
1.  US needs to be relevant as quickly as possible.   So get busy buying Strategic Bombers asap.   You’ll knock off GER factories by turn 5.
2.  US Should take Norway…build Air Field first (to support bombings of GER lands,  and to defend)
3.  Put an industry and Port next…you pull that off, you win
4.  US NAVY is Med Sea…Gilbraltar is ke y.   You can attack anywhere (almost) on Europe Coast or Italy from there…  The Port there will allow you to move between ‘theaters’ quickly (between Norway and Gilbraltar

Russian
1.  Stack in Leningrad and in Ukraine, leaving a single inf on other font line territories.   You need to position troops for counter-attack
   a.  first 2 turns, build ‘complimentary’ units  (Artillery for your units,  tactical fighters to pair with tanks/fighters)
   b.  Pull everything back… you have more troops then you think.  You’ll get strong quickly if you consolidate everything in Leningrad and Ukraine.
2.  All this leads to gaping hole in the middle of russia… if GER takes the bait and attacks through the gap towards Moscow,  GER will have lost…  Russia can counter-attack in the middle from both massed up areas.  GER will need to leave too many units behind to cover  it’s north and south flanks.
3.  Remember,  in the end,  Russia only has 4 territories worth holding… play it that way.

Man, there are some serious horrible suggestions and strategies in this thread.

Whilst I applaud the effort I would seriously like to play against some, because it would be so much fun cutting through these plans like tissue paper.

I pretty much use the same strategies as global. :\

@alex-henseleit I never try to hold Leningrad. I withdraw all my units from Leningrad and withdraw all my units to the south, to Tambov. THis way I can defend Stalingrad and Moscow, and attacking Rostov is going to be hard for Germany

@gargantua Let’s have game then, I have an unbeatable allied strategy.

@victoryfirst said in Axis and Allies Europe 1940 - Strategies:

@gargantua Let’s have game then, I have an unbeatable allied strategy.

let us know the out come of this !

@gen-manstein I think he is going to crush me though, but I am continiously testing my Allied strategy, and improving it. I just found out that a particularly axis strategy can hamper my Allied one, so it’s not completely perfect, but in my solo games it almost seems impossible to take Moscow and then also win the game. But I am sure Gargantua has a brilliant Axis strategy that completely crushes my one lol :)

Probably depends on the bid

@gen-manstein Actually haven’t played with bid in solo games, so I hope that will be an advantage.