Technology for Germany?

@marshmallow-of-war Nice! Sometimes unexpected things develop in this game. Good for the French! They deserve some credit, every once in a while.

@Caesar:

But doesn’t that also mean that because you share a sea zone with your enemy, you are required to engage them unless you leave it?

Sort of true. Just that you are able to load units before leaving it. So the exception is of no use if you want to land on a territory which you already own.

Going back to Italian can opening, I like to buy a mech or two It1 and send a tank with them w/bmr to open up some doors for the Germans. The Italians can take territories and have the Germans move in with land and air to stand next to the Russian stack (no Russian hit and run). Having the Italians take out Russian pickets can possibly let German units get to the Ukraine IC or oil territories quicker. Another form of Italian can opening I do is taking out the Russian cruiser blocker in the Baltic w/It air so the Germans can include an amp on Leningrad the turn they attack Russia. Having a small Italian force at the front lines can also head off a splintered UK force trying to come up from the south. If the Japanese are at Russia’s back door, or have managed to push the UK from the Middle East (USA going heavy Europe), then the Italians may be able to break into the Oil territories for income, leaving the Germans intact to push into Moscow. It seems like a waste for the Japanese to get all the oil territories when the Ger/Ital get a bonus, but having the Japanese get Caucasus works for the Euro axis. Also having the Japanese invading the Far East Pac territories to drain Russian income is a must IMO. Invade no later the J2, and don’t fear the Mongolians just have some ground units in place to to chase most of them down w/air power.

On a side note I generally build some combo of ships/tpt/bmrs G1/G2, or save most income G1 to keep the UK honest. By the end of G2 I’ll have at least 3 tpts, 4 bmrs along with some support ships to again make the UK pay attention (even when my intention is to use navy to drop units in Russia). I just don’t like to give the UK the freedom to do what she wants. I have been using SBR more on London/Moscow to force the allies to pay extra for their units. In some games you can force the Russians to build every other turn, but the RAF can make that difficult in both capitals though. I also like to add art to the early German buys to give the front lines a little more bite. Most allied opponents will get some air to Moscow, so the German stack will most likely get stalled allowing art built G2 to catch up as you use the Russian ICs to add more units.

I play a more balanced game of 60/40 leaning to teh Atlantic early on and then switching to the Pacific at around turn 6-7.  U.S. bombers to the UK to help pound German factories and loaded transports, destroyers and cruisers to Gibraltor.  Your there in one move from the East Coast and from there can hit Norway, Normandy, Gibraltor, Morocco, or Italy.  If the Italy has taken Gibraltor…take it back and open up the Med.  If the UK is strugling in North Africa, Help them out.  How does this Contain Germany?  The opening of the Med means the usually less protected souther Europe or Balkens are easier to take and advance right at the heart of Germanyand can redirect their efforts to give the Soviets a chance to fight back. Once you get a series of convoys going back and forth between Gibraltor and the East Coast and the Med has been opened, you can hit the Germans in so many places that they will have to expend Soviet bound resources in Western Europe.  They can’t fight in every direction.  Fighters and bombers from Gibraltor (add an airbase) and London can help defend against dark skies and also activate green skies and we in the midwest know what green skies mean.

@ronrye:

Was I just playing against someone who wasn’t very good at playing Germany?

Perhaps, but not necessarily.  You might have been a little extra good at playing Russia.  Maybe the dice were a little lucky for you or unlucky for Germany.  I remember a game where Germany went into Russia with four huge thrusts – Finland into Karelia, Poland into Baltic States, Slovakia/Hungary into E. Poland and Romania into Bessarabia.  All four armies smashed the Russian early defenses with a lot of stuff left.  Then strong Russian counter-attacks end up decimating half the German force.  After that it was very slow going for the Germans.  The Russians managed to keep putting up strong defenses and whenever a particular German army was whittled down enough, a Russian counter-attack would wipe it out and the German drive was set back again.  I think the Minor IC in the Ukraine was exchanged between Russia and Germany about 4 or 5 times.
So your German player wasn’t necessarily bad, maybe just inexperienced.  Perhaps he learned his lesson and will take Moscow from you next time.  He seemed to do pretty good at taking London.

thats y i like to have build transports at least 2 on the first turn if for no other reason then to reinforce norway if sealion doesnt happen and yes the ic in the ukraine is very nice if u do decide to go for russia

Paratroopers don’t move in noncombat movement.

I think Larry should change the rules for tech to this: buying dice costs 10, and you have to roll a 6 still, but you can then choose the tech you want. And no tokens either.