German strategy for building AC

@Kreuzfeld:

CVs are good. However, the reason DDs are bad, isn’t that it is a “bad” combatship if you plan on attacking. It is just that the TTs really are good combatships in the game. You will  usually have enough heavy ships surviving the first turn. Those ships combined with TTs will be enough to stop the luftwaffe. The TTs really are great combatships in this game. (seriously)

I understand that TTs are the best ship economy-wise, but I believe that a CV may be an extremely cost-efficient buy for the first turn only (because you have the two FTRs in UK that can land on the carrier no problem).  Later in the game the CV would become extremely cost-inefficient, of course (you’re paying 16 for a 1 HP 3 DEF when you could be spending that same 16 IPC for 2 HP of 1 DEF that can also transport units).

@Kreuzfeld:

I usually land in africa until my pacific fleet makes it to the atlantic. then I split and send uk into norway and start landing in the americans in europe the round after that.

Do you advocate sending the Indian Fleet south?  What do you do about the TT in SZ59?  When I used to play Revised/42/42SE I always remember going out of my way to eliminate it (as forcing Japan to buy more TTs is a good way to buy the allies precious time).

A)  As for the submarines, part 1 applies.  Let the submarines die so your surface ship gets more shots at the British air force (which I view as their navy, given that they are an island.)

B)  Given the location of Western Europe, leaving the fighters there makes the best sense.  They prevent the British from landing (and the Americans in round 2+) while still being used to pound the Russians.  Again, part 1 applies until Japan is in position to take over, then Part 2.  4 Ground units should be fine round 1, but review the board each round and up the defense as needed.

C) In general, keep parts 1 and 2 in your mind and act accordingly to the position on the board.  If you need to pull of Russia and start turtling in round 5, do it.  If you dont need to until round 7, then dont.  But certain things always apply:

1)  never let the Allies have Western Europe.
2)  Never let the Allies get Southern Europe
3)  Is self explanatory, derive from 1 and 2.
4)  Geramny’s goal is to inflict damage, Japan’s goal is to take Russia.  Not a hard and fast rule, but a good guideline.
5)  If you go navy with Germany, you will have to keep building up to keep it.  Personally, I dont recommend it unless you are strong with Japan.
6)  Tanks are good defenders.  I like stacks of 5 or 6 infantry and a tank in forward areas against the Russians.  It’s big enough that Russia has to invest heavily in winning, but small enough that Germany can recover the losses. (It’s economics, like the cold war.  Spend them into submission!)

Correct.

It’s nice to have, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not investing valuable IPC in maintaining it.  (I’ll use it as fodder if I attack the allied navies though, if the allies are silly enough to let it live that long.)

@Mr:

Kind of like one of the optional games in Mapview (Can’t remember the name of it… it’s where everyone starts out the same around the edge of a custom map with a large sea and island in the middle ?)

It’s called the Crucible, by Imp Games.

Jap player could sometimes not do pearl, in tempting US to come to pacific.
All Jap units could be used on mainland J1.
If UK goes all in, those units should be killed, though.
Problem with not doing pearl, is that US may send the pac fleet against Japan, and still build everyhing in EUS.
Pressure on Germany would be the same, the US pac fleet uses 3-4 rnds before it’s in European waters.
If US catches the bait, pressure on Germany will be much weaker.

In my two recent games however Russia has kept nothing in the East anyway. I guess you would still have to build more TRN anyway. Maybe the EI IC is a better build later on.

Have to agree with Grime here…

Germany and Japan have to be able to strike Russia together, preferably at least a 1-2-3 punch, 1-2-3-4 if they can manage it.

Reson being, once Germany starts to go hard on Russia, and has a large stack 2 territories away (about to take Caucuses, West Russia or Arcahngel in FORCE) then suddenly every Allied FIG in existence will make its way to Moscow before the final attack, adding 5-10 FIGs to Russia’s 20 +/- INF means that neither Germany nor Japan can crack Moscow alone.

Sukcer the UK in early… while you still have lots of planes  :evil: