What's up with the strategies posted on this site?

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.

CC:

Yeah, I don’t like options 3 or 4 either. But they are possibilities that could be used.

The PA or PE bids are the most conventional strats and generally both seem to give the Axis a good chance at winning.

With operation sea lion, I’m not convinced that it is an automatic win because I think Russia will be all over Germany and the ipc’s Germany gains by the UK will be needed to keep the US out of England. But I haven’t played this strategy enough to really try it out.

With rolling for tech, you are right, Germany had better get lucky soon with this. I think this would make for either a very short game (Germany doesn’t get IT) or a very long game (Germany gets IT). Again, I haven’t played this enough to really know how well it works.

Feedback on these is a good thing because even if an idea is half-baked it still might be fun to try sometime :wink: .

@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.

Japan seems to have the best AI, or the AI is the best at playing japan.

@TG:

having said that TG, you must concede that your sister’s “ill-fated” grasp at France must have exceeded your expectations. I think that move may be a telling blow for the rest of the game.

The sheer ignorance and luck in that move has left me dumbfounded! :)
Now if you know me and read my strategies on America, I’m all in favor of an aggressive American approach (Conveyor belt vs. ATB). But what TM was suggesting was suicide! Suicide that might’ve won a World War… what are the odds? :roll:

Also i think that you can over-extend yourself as Japan depending on how Russia and UK are playing and still get away with it.

I agree. But I think there’s something to be said for “biting off more than you can chew,” especially on J1. Remember your risky move into Sinkiang? :wink:

ahhh that was a lucky bit of rolling in sinkiang :)

See here’s the deal: Germany could WASTE Russia in short order if there were no other players, right? But he/she can’t because the western Allies require Germany to spend some of her IPC’s to counter their threat, right? So USSR is free to spend a whole bunch of IPC’s just fighting Germany with Allied help, right?

That’s where YOU come in! It’s not japan’s task to “kill” USSR (though that is sometimes possible) only force USSR to SPLIT her meager funds to fight both you AND Germany! Meanwhile you can pound on UK and USA (the Western Allies) to pick at their assaults on Germany.

So…gain control of the Pacific. Don’t lose capital ships. Use a minimum of money holding off the Western Allies. Build (or capture) an Industrial Complex in Asia and put 3 ARM, 4 INF onto the Continent each turn. If you can keep this up, and move reasonably aggressively, you and Germany can win the game. Simple as that.

This is not the be-all, end-all of Axis strategy, only the beginning…

Ozone27

Like japan against russia in normal A&A.
Or Germany against anyone but russia.
:smile:

look at it this way, T1 USA builds 3 Transports 4 infantry. At the end of this turn, USA has 5 Transport in the water (although the fate of the Pacific transport remains to be decided) T2 USA has 4 Transports load 8 inf into its Transports and puts them anywhere. Since it doesnt seem your making any Africa Effort, the Infanty can go to Finland- Normay. Britan builds an India Factory and 3 tanks, moving it’s transport into Blocking position so you can’t invade india. If China Survives, (You never know) America Retreats into Sinkang. Russia, seeing Japan playing aggresively, retreats into Novobrisk. Then, when(Max) 9 inf 3 tanks get into Yakut, Russia Counter attacks, destroying or at least killing a few. Turn 2 Britan attacks Indochina with 4 Tanks 2 infanry, more if he didnt block with his transport. Japan has been stalled, Germany has tons of Transport bound D-Dayers coming in, and Britan may just overwhelm Japan with it’s India Factory.

Radical Strategies = Embarassing Defeat