Hi ColonelCarter,

Thanks so much for your reply. I will tell a bit about the background of my question. We played Axis and Allies 1940 Europa a number of times, in the beginning the Axis player could still surprise the Allies player with a new strategy now and then, but at the end we had a ‘solution’ for every Axis strategy, and the Allies always won. So, we were looking for ways making the game a little more balanced, and as a result we wondered whether Russia and USA actually have a turn before they are at war. But after reading your response, I must admit that there still Axis strategies to try and hopefully our games with become a little more exciting:)

Hi theROCmonster,

I would really like to play sometime against you. Believe me, if Russia consistently avoids any battle until Moscow, it can easily hold it.

Hi ColonelCarter,

I doubt whether the German player should protect the Russiun player from getting the Lend/Lease bonus: as long as Russia collects this bonus, no British, French or American fighters will be flown in. Secondly, the British player will easily destroy a submarine in SZ 125.

Hi ColonelCarter,

Thanks a lot for your answer. I’ll try your strategy next time. But I still think it is not very difficult for the Russian player to hold Moscow if it has two turns 28 IPCs to spend and another three or four turns with an average of about 32 IPCs (also 14 IPCs bonus) to spend on defensive units, like infantry and fighters. If it spends all its IPCs on infantry and Germany attacks the sixth turn, the Russian player has added not less than fifty infantry to its army to defend Moscow.

Thanks for replying, but I do not really have an answer on my question.

I understand that USSR and USA do not recieve bonusses until they are at war, but my question was: do the USSR and USA have a turn, when they’re not at war with any Axis powers yet? Isn’t the effect of surprise in operation Barbarossa totally gone if the USSR can prepare itself for one, two or three turns? Secondly, it is not realistic if USSR puts as much money in its army as Germany (both about 30 IPCs) in summer 1940 and the USA even more (35 IPCs), is it?

As soon as UK and USA start invading the mainland of Europe every turn from the fifth turn on, Germany can’t spend its IPCs on stuff heading for Russia anymore, and it’s impossible to break Russia before the sixth turn, certainly not if you only start the fourth turn?

Does anyone have a clue?

I’ve been playing Axis and Allies Europe many times now, but it seemed impossible for the Axis powers to win. Operation Barbarossa crashes after Ukraine and Leningrad, due to too long supply lines, and UK and USA invade on the European mainland on the fifth turn already (USA lands on Gibraltar/Morocco the fouth turn). So, I was wondering, do Russia and USA actually have a turn when they’re not at war with any Axis power yet? Without, the game seems to be much more balanced. Moreover, the element of surprise in Operation Barbarossa is totally gone if Russia already has to chance to prepare itself one or two turns.