Can you set-up without the charts?

I think a very important component to strafing is understanding how it can rapidly move units beyond their normal movement range - which has been displayed in the G1 Yugoslavia to Romania example in prior posts.

It would be impossible to get the units from Greater Southern Germany to Romania on G1 without understanding strafing.

Of course, the units could simply step into Hungary and still be in position to strike at Eastern Poland.  However, you sacrifice the utility of clearing out much of Yugoslavia and thereby helping Italy by not understanding the mechanics of the “Strafe”.

Russia can also employ a Strafing strategy that would trade resources (generally Russian infantry) with Germany in a way that blocks a German blitz or denies the Germans the use of a minor IC.

In example:

Russia withdraws its stack to Bryansk in response to a German stack in Eastern Poland, inviting a German blitz of
Armor and some Mech into the teeth of 30 infantry, and another half dozen armor and artillery supported by Ftr and Tac.

Germany, unwilling to risk its Armor without protection, elects to blitz a single armor to Ukraine, waiting on a stack of Mech to arrive as reinforcements in Eastern Poland.

On the subsequent Russian turn, the Russians strafe into Ukraine, which is currently owned by Germany with 2 Infantry, 2 Ftr and 1 Tac.  Russia prevails, losing 1 Inf.  Effectively, Russia has denied Germany the use of the Ukraine IC, and traded a 3 IPC INF for a 6 IPC ARM.

On the subsequent German turn, Germany claims Ukraine for good, losing 1 Inf in the process.

Total cost for the Russian strafe:  6 IPC for Russia, 9 IPC for Germany + losing a turn of production out of Ukraine that can immediately threaten Moscow.

That, is the value of a strafe from the Russian perspective.

The list goes on, but understanding the strafing technique helps develop the early round strategies to keep pressure or alleviate pressure depending on the nation you play as.

Later in the game, understanding the strafing strategy can completely ruin your opponent and potentially tilt the scales in your favor to an economic stalemate or quickly end a game for a player not cognizant of the strafing applications.  From experience, this becomes a significant strategy to understand in the Pacific theater in application during the mid to late game.

A final input, is a variant of the strafing is a can-opener applied by Italy.  Italian units, due to their turn in a round, can open a door for a German blitz that Russia planned on having blocked.  Italy typically accomplishes this with Mech/Armor and a Bomber whereby opening a flank can ruin Moscow’s day.

The US has a variant of this if Germany leaves Berlin undefended whereby the US seizes Denmark, and the UK sails through the straights to land on Berlin.

Neither of these are true strafes, but they employ the same strategy of taking territory or denying territory in unconventional ways.

No neither is gamey in my book, it’s part of the game that can lead to a victory (should be a 1 or 2 trick pony). Once your group see’s these moves, it’s up to your opponent to do something about it. Our group see’s a couple Italians at the Russian front often, which can help the Germans to push deeper into Russia. So if this is happening the Russians might need to picket with 2-3 inf in key territories, so you have a chance to kill off the Italian ground unit(s). A few Italians can allow you to sack some Russians, or simply bring your German air to the front so the Russians can’t strafe your German stack w/o air cover. Can also get you to Stalingrad or Caucasus faster, but often times it risks your German mech/tanks if the Russians see it and set up a counter. Sometimes Russia has to deal with a 3 ring circus if both Italy and Japan are knocking on the door w/Germany, it is up to the other Allies to even up the score. Even if Moscow falls, it’s all about what they can take with them, and if the western allies are in position to put the hurt on. Besides, if those Italian bombers are picking off Russians, they aren’t helping much in the Med (although the range allows them to threaten both theaters through the Black Sea).

@Darby:

No you need De Gaulle

……and I like those “lost patrols” in the desert and the last couple of games they have actually done good things !
(they were able to bring done the fighter from England to lend some punch to their attacks

Haha, yeah, the Paris roundel thing was just a joke since Paris is taken so soon.

Nice one on the using the “lost patrols” so effectively!  I know they can be used to do good things, just have to get them there (and I’m an impatient man)  :-D

Except doing so meant, I’d give italy egypt, get rolled by japan and be totally out of the game, all for the sake of london.

I mean I bet I could have an easier time taking japan than reclaiming london at that rate lol.

For clarity -

A Blitz is defined as a combat movement where a tank or mech/tank pairing enters an unoccupied enemy territory, captures it, and moves to a second territory as a single combat move.

Any other movement of two spaces, whether during combat or noncombat, is NOT a Blitz and should not be called a Blitz.  It’s either a combat move or a noncombat move, but not a Blitz.

This is important because Mech Inf can always move two spaces as a combat or noncombat move, provided it’s not a Blitz. Calling such moves “Blitzes” implies that Mech can only move two spaces with a tank under every circumstance, and that is NOT the case.

Well i was misinformed then.Do you think there is going to be a “global edition” or something that improves on AAG in the near future or do you think that AA42 is the standard and AAG is the deluxe for the next 5+ years ( excluding AA50 reprint )

I Can’t wait minor they are excellent.

Bob has told me that he’s too busy to update his creation, and he has denied me permission to do it… so I it looks like these charts will remain obsolete.