Best way to get cash?

@MM1940

Well done!

It’s point 1 which matters.

Point 2 - well you still deny the Leningrad NO and potentially gain the Lend Lease NO. You have to lose the Lend Lease NO while giving up the Caucusus and Stalingrad NOs to be on a loser here.

Germany cannot go “hog wild” with a competent UK/Soviet player without some truly decent dice luck. Germany can push up to Moscow, but they often times can’t take Moscow immediately. That, and they can’t really spend their resources in any way but to facilitate as much power as is possible against Russia, or risk losing a turn (or worse, two), toward the eventual goal in the east.

Right about the time the European Axis are crashing the gates or ducking south for that sweet, sweet Caucasus/Volgo/Middle East money, America should be turning around or have already turned around form the Pacific.

On the other hand, Japan fucking can go hog wild without American intervention: J1 DoW specifically. I favor 100% Pac buys as the US (apart from maybe the first 52 or a sub or two a turn or whatever else, depending on a ton of situations that can’t be covered here) because the sooner you can start crumpling up Japan, the sooner you can go try to play hero in Europe.

It might be worth mentioning that Hawaii and Gibraltar are “only” two turns away from one another. It is not impossible to change your mind. It’s usually not the best idea, mind you, but it is an option, and it is occasionally useful.

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.

@ozimek1:

I realize that the AA guns are more effective when definding in the west against Allied “liberation” attempts. The big question is whether the tempo gain of bringing them east is worth it, and ultimately more efficient.

What I mean is: Yes, an AA-gun is better at defending a stationary stack than advancing with the aim of possibly taking some very random pot-shots at enemy planes. That is pretty obvious. � BUT they happen to start on the board in round one, and they typically won’t be needed in the west for the first several rounds. Bringing them east from the beginning will add some momentum to Barbarossa, but at the cost of a less attractive puchase mix during the mid-game if they are to be replaced by newly purchased AA-guns or their equivalent in infantry. Is the boost worth that downside?

There’s no yes or no answer to that.  Even on G1, where I move the aa guns depends on what went down on G1.  I’ll still be making those choices on G2-G3, depending on how the game is playing out.  The aa guns in the East have limited utility because they have no attack value–their utility is to lessen Russia’s odds of a successful counter-attack.  Whether Germany needs them out there depends on what Germany and Russia are doing.

I would avoid buying new aa guns mid-game as Germany.  With that in mind, I’d keep half the aa guns back, barring exceptional circumstances.  There’s the possibility of moving east until G3, and then turning back, in time to protect Berlin.

I think if I would’ve waited one more turn, I wouldn’t be succesful in capturing the UK as he was building nothing but infrantry to reinforce it. Facing another 10 infrantry would’ve been devastating to my invading forces as a lost a lot of airforce too taking out the Royal Navy. It had to happen turn 3. If by then the Russian attack would’ve come turn 4, I would have been able to release some pressure and that would’ve made an easier game. But I’ll keep this US invasion strategy in mind for another game and when the oppurtunity gives itself, I will post it here. Thank you for listening hehe :)

Advanced Arty would help as well.  However, I don’t think Russia can afford to start rolling TECH unless you use the AA50 token house rule.

I use tool boxes too. They are great, but a little expensive

yours look a bit better than mine,mine are a soft plastic,and smaller,but only cost 5 euro,thats not very expensive