Is Vichy a good idea or a trap? Balanced Mod 3

Yeah, the Allied strategy is hard to prescribe as the Axis decide the direction the game goes, best way is to just get some games under the belt. I have some sugestions, based on the few games I’ve played, which are hopefully are easy to follow. I’m not very experienced though, so these tips may be sub-optimal.

Russia:
1 Avoid losing units, focus on gradually pulling back and defending Moscow.
2 Build defensively (infantry, maybe mechanised infantry in Leningrad so they can get back to Moscow when needed).
3 Pull infantry back from the far east and try to keep Moscow until they arrive.

US:
1 Put most of your IPCs into the Europe side.
2 Get transports shuttling troops across to Morocco and have enough navy to protect them. Push the Italians out of North Africa.
3 Threaten landings on mainland Europe to force Germany to spend defensively and ease the pressure on Russia.

China:
1 Be careful of leaving units in range of Japan’s air units, and be sure to protect your one fighter.
2 Take out any Japanese land units you reasonably can, they are hard for Japan to replace initially, but focus on staying alive for as long as you can.

UK:
1 Try to deny Italy income. Attack Italy’s African territories where reasonable (e.g. Ethiopia), and stop it from getting objectives.
2 Concentrate whatever navy remains after German and Japanese attacks, try to get control of the Atlantic and Med to help move troops.
3 Keep hold of key territories (e.g. Egypt and India) and if you push out from these be wary of being outflanked by transports and losing them.

ANZAC:
1 Your income is limited, if possible grab an objective or one of the Dutch East Indies to boost it.
2 If Japan comes after you early then defend as long as you can as it keeps their ships and planes out of position.
3 Otherwise annoy them as much as possible, keep grabbing Dutch East Indies islands and forcing them to invest units in takling them back.

France:
1 Stay out of the way and enjoy the ride!

If you are playing a VC game then keep an eye on the VC count, if Moscow falls make sure to hold Egypt, if India falls make sure to hold Sydney and Hawaii.

@Maddog77:

After looking at the game table (board) I can understand why this idea is intriguing. But after thinking a bit, Russia & GB can very easily keep any the black sea ship free with their air force. At least if I was Russia, I would sink anything built there. Also would love Germany to spend that kind of $$ ion an IC & navy instead of tanks, art & inf……still, it might be fun to give it a go sometime.

I once built an airbase in Romania in a Tech game where I had rockets and paratroopers. If you had that, I guess you could protect a TT with scrambled fighters and hit Caucusus from the Ukraine.

Ah man… it’s not looking so good. The US fleet off Hawaii looks like it can take you, and in my experience that’s never a good position to be in for Japan. Unfortunately, you have fallen into the trap that is China. For future games, don’t go all in for China until you’ve taken Calcutta. It’s just a huge cesspit that devours Japanese ground units and does nothing to help you win. There are no victory cities there for you to grab, and because there is no capital China is the easiest Allied power to bring back into the game. Also as Japan you want to grab SOME, not necessary all, of the money islands the turn that you go to war. I prefer a J2 DOW and grab Borneo, Kwangtung, and Malaya, as I’m a firm believer of storming Calcutta as soon as you possibly can.

In your current position, I would finish off China since you’re already so deep and there’s very little Chinese units left. I would focus all of my ground efforts in southeast Asia with the ultimate aim of taking Calcutta, and going on the defensive in the Pacific. For me this would mean huddling everything I can into SZ6, with a full scramble waiting to go on Japan itself, and then basically waiting for the opportune moment to strike. You’re definitely in it for the long haul at this point, it may be too late to get the money islands. Good luck!

Then u have a better chance at taking Finland if guys are left behind.  I’ve never done it but I missed a perfect chance at doing it once.  Germany had no transports and the whole air force was out of range.  They were busy taking out the uk navy and the us navy.

I was just adding ideas to the thread.  It’s only 7 ipcs and it makes Germany have to think of different scenarios to defend as opposed to pure offensive.

OK thanks! Glad I’m up to date.

Playtest it a bit and see if you think it is balanced.  I have to admit in my games Axis usually won but that could be due to differences in skill.

@Cmdr:

But you wont get Washington.

For one, there’s already units in the US, all of which can be in DC if need be.  There’s the British in Canada.  British ships to block the way, American ships to prevent the landing from ever happening too. (6 Aircraft already on hand, what’s it cost to put 3 carriers in the water to add all those fighters too?  48 IPC?  Leaving what, 22 IPC?  Another 2 fighters for scrambing!)

You will have the effect of pulling all the Americans out of the Pacific for a round, however.  If that is your goal.

True, it could be prevented, bringing your turn 4 fleet to sz 89 (G.O.Mexico) which puts it 2 turns from Hawaii, or the W. Coast, with those carriers in the East coast, I just prevented a build in the west coast. Those carriers will be 2 turns from Hawaii if they go that way. Seems like it would be a major disruption for a planned USA Pacific first approach, buy Japan 2 additional worry free turns, and even permit the sacking of Either India or Australia before the US could thwart them.

All this by simply sliding a few boats already in the water to another spot in the water. True, It would buy Russia 2 turns as well as my transports would be out of position…but given that Pacific first is your favored approach, taking your attention from the Pacific seems warranted.

great news looks like my post over on larry’s site did not fall on deaf ears.
i hope my idea is not only being considered but does get implemented into the errata.