What to do with Italy

@barnee I tried! But the person I am playing against has been playing for many years and this is only my second year of playing so I am not always correct with the rules. I plan on attacking when we get back to it!

Actually UK raiding Italian navy might promote Sea Lion because UK just weakened their airforce against Germany and if UK was too stupid to beef up London, Germany might favor it.

Yeah well a bunch of Italian ground troops on N Italy can retake S Italy right away. Of course losing Rome even if it’s retaken straight away is still a significant setback for the Axis.

@taamvan:

1.  buy infantry.   Help Germany defend.  Defend yourself so Germany doesn’t have to.   Warding the allies off the Atlantic wall is very easy if you don’t waste Italy’s troops or money.
2.  buy mechs and tanks.  Have them follow Germany into Russia.  At a key moment, Italy will be able to rush forwards and kill the screen protecting a key Russian counterattack force, which Germany can then blitzkrieg through.
3.  fly your bomber all the way from Romania to china.   from China, have it land on Japan.   Use this and/or German bombers to kill the screens that the US is using to protect their key offensive fleet.
4.  don’t worry about Africa.   Even with your full navy, it is very difficult to either leave the med or defend it against a determined attack.   Even with your full African army, you will need very strong support to defeat the UK, unless they make a stupid mistake
5.  if you intend to take the extra assets for Italy (southern france, Bulgaria, etc.) do it with a plan in mind.  It is much easier for Germany to use this money to strong effect.   
6.  take Gibraltar, but you’re not going to hold it.  You may need it as a base for either Germany or Italy, or just to slow the allies down/get your bonus.   Use a destroyer or a cruiser to block the allies entry into the med from SZ92
7. don’t lose your airforce.  it can go all sorts of different directions to follow up on Germany.  It can hang in western Germany and do Italian sea lion.  It can attack Russia with your mobile force
8.  you can attack UK with Italy.   It helps if you have 2 or more transports;  Sea Lion is far more effective if you attack with 2 (or even 3 lol) Axis powers one after another.   It may still not be a winner, but it makes it far easier for Germany to win even if you lose everything with Italy.
9.  Africa is a distraction.  Egypt is a distraction.   Your bonuses are not keepable and are largely, distractions.  Don’t mess with 1 IPC territories.  win the game.   
10.  Syria and Bryansk/Belarus are better goals than any NO or abstract victory (high income alone).

Thanks for this sound advice!

@Young:

@UKMaverick:

By leaving the UK boats alone after the Taranto raid, isn’t this detrimental to Italy in regards to the convoy zone? Can they afford to lose the max amount of IPCs by not attacking the Brits? I realize the French boats can escape into the Atlantic or hit your remaining fleet off of Rome, but you can still scramble there. I tried YG’s Italian move after being decimated R1 in Taranto and off of Malta then was convoyed so I didn’t really make any money. Just looking for more opinions on this. Thanks as always.

The Axis must try to control the Med Sea, even if Taranto gets smashed, and even if the idea of controlling Egypt is lost… because if the Med Sea belongs to the Allies, Rome will soon follow.

Understandable, I guess I was just curious if the Italians should take it out even if for example a loaded carrier and a destroyer is remaining after Taranto? After you hit southern France’s boats you’re virtually left with A couple boats anyways, and you bank around 16/17 IPCs depending on what you attack, not 7ish. Let the French escape or come in to try and wipe the rest of the Italian fleet out? I don’t know honestly. This is my first game with the axis using the 2nd edition setup. It’s only round 2 and I feel Germany and Italy are both weak and not in position to do a successful push into Russia by say round 3. I could be wrong since I’m normally a Debbie downer ha.

Is for gameplay first but history two, the Italian is not prepare for this war and Russia two. Is simple and give a little more time for Italy. I repeat  i dont playtest this rules.

I think that UK has the advantages in the Mediterranean, and that Italy won’t have Egypt when the US comes in.

However, I have seen it all when it comes to rolls in the Med. I’ve seen all Italian naval units lost, save 1 transport, for 1 British destroyer lost.
I have also seen the reverse. So if Italy gets good rolls they can be a superpower. But if not, they’re in trouble.

If Germany goes Sea Lion, Italy will thrive. If Germany goes Barbarossa, Italy will most likely slowly halt.