Can a damaged battleship still attack? -AAG40

@SS-GEN @betaphi It is gamey, it does permit extra moves. We usually call it a “strafe”. You can also get extra moves by squatting on a friendly carrier and riding along, though there are some downsides to that too (planes as cargo, etc.)

I kind of think its crazy to leave the UK with large expensive THREE capital ships that you could easily sink and only lose your subs and maybe a plane or the battleship.  At the very least I can see the value in trying to do the battleship retreat.

If you really wanted to convoy UK into oblivion, I’d plan on Barbarossa G3 or G4… buy the G1 bomber and carrier.  Kill as much fleet as you can, retreat the German battleship if there is only 1 UK ship.  2 subs at Canada, ignore cruiser down south… G2 buy depends on if the battleship is alive but you need a destroyer and bombers and 2 or more subs.  1 sub is for sz 125, the destroyer for the Russians, 1+ sub joins the bombers in killing anything at Gibraltor.

I’d also consider taking S. France on G1 so on G2 you can build a carrier and transport there, which protects the Italian fleet and can help out with ground forces.  Puts more pressure on UK in Africa to push their spending all over, not concentrated.

By G3 you’ve got an idea whether you can get away with convoy sz 109.  Maybe the German carrier heads north after turn 3 if Italy gets things under control quickly.

Or if things don’t go Italy’s way, they can buy subs to hit things off Gibraltor, too.

6 is correct, as “Total damage to an industrial complex can’t exceed 20 for major and 6 for minor industrial complexes.”

Italian canopening is even more effective when combined with the Germany “Dark Skies” option with lots of bombers.  The tanks+mechs+bomber attack options means that the Allies cannot place moderate-sized stacks within two spaces of the German/Italian main stack.  Russia ends up cowering in Moscow with a few minor exchanges each round.  UK ends up with a strong stack near Iraq, never daring to move it too close to the Germans.

Meanwhile the huge range of the German bombers give that power flexibility to find opportunistic attacks:
*Allied ground forces in W. Europe
*Allied ships in the Atlantic
*Allied ships in the Med
*Push into Siberia
*Mid-game Sealion or Egypt attack

I am not saying that this plan guarantees victory, but it allows League players to aim towards eventual victory in G13-17.  Most face-to-face games end up with a Moscow attack on G5-8 when the Axis players just decide that the numbers look close enough.  With the battlecaculator and more time on PBEM/PBF games, Germany can comb through the options every turn and patiently wait for the right opening with a big TUV swing.

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).

Okay cool. Thanks. We’re still playing the 1st edition rules where Italy goes before the US BTW, but the point is still the same. Thank you again. That’s what I thought

@techroll42:

Actually, IIRC, there’s a helluva good reason: Mongolia. IIRC Mongolia doesn’t convert if USSR declares war.

Nope.  Only if Russia attacks a Japanese controlled territory bordering Mongolia before Japan does the same.  That means Manchuria almost specifically, but also addresses if Russia were to attempt to liberate Japanese held Chinese territories adjacent to Mongolia.  Note that Japan is free to attack chinese territories occupied by Russian soldiers and that will result in no penalty, as they are chinese (not russia) territories.

There’s absolutely nothing that penalizes either for a state of war between them.  It’s better for Japan if the US can’t land bombers in Russia and if the reds don’t reinforce china or india, but there’s NOTHING that prevents Russia from declaring war R1 and freeing movement for themselves (and their allies) on the pac board.

Soviet/Japanese Non Aggression Pact: Due to their mutual border conflct with Japan in 1939, the Soviet Union and Mongolia have a special relationship. If the Japanese attack any Soviet territory that is adjacent to any Mongolian territory, all Mongolian territories (Olgiy, Dzavhan, Tsagaan-Olom, Central Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, and Buyant-Uhaa) that are still neutral are placed under the control of the Soviet Union at the end of the Japanese Combat Move phase, in the same manner as though the Soviet Union had moved land units into a friendly neutral territory. These territories have Soviet control markers placed on them, and their standing army units are placed on the board and are controlled by the Soviet Union player from then on. This occurs regardless of the state of relations between the Soviet Union and Japan at the time of the attack, with one exception: If the Soviet Union attacks any Japanese-controlled territory bordering these Mongolian territories while Mongolia is still neutral, Mongolia will remain neutral and not ally itself with the Soviet Union. In addition, the Mongolian territories will never become pro-Axis unless one or more of them is attacked by the Soviet Union.

Attacking is different from declaring war.  Japan and Russia are free to declare war on each other without ever attacking each other at any time, over the entire length of the game.

Tally one for the Axis this weekend.  It was a good war and the Axis won a few key battles with some luckier rolls than the Allies ,  no Sea Lion or fake Sea Lion just Barbarossa .  Japan went after China and the Soviet Union on one,  set up for landings in the Philippines Aleutians Hong Kong the Pearl Harbor battle and Borneo I also put pressure on ANZAC with my Carrier and Destroyer from the Caroline Islands.  I brought the Carrier and planes up to hit Hawaii along with the Destroyer . J1 was 2 Trans and 2 Subs. J2 was 1 Carrier 1Dest 2 Subs 1Trans.  J3 was a Minor Fact, Inf, Art enough to fill my Trans and the rest on Navy.  I was lucky on a few key battles to keep the USA at bay time after time, of the 4 times I’ve pulled Japan out of the cup,  the Axis have won 2. My Axis partner, this was the first time he’s pulled Germany, he’s had 10 or so games to see how everybody else has played the Axis.  Yes Japan has taken some real beatings.