Posts made by hcp

Hello all.  I would like to ask for advice to Allies stacking Yunnan in turn 2.

In my previous game, there is a J1 attack.  In turn 2, Japan positions itself with the following troop.
Hunnan/Kweichow: 6 inf, 3 art, 1 mech
FIC: 6 inf, 1 art (or I forget maybe there is 1 more inf+tank come from Philippines)
sz36: 3 transport
The 21 planes can attack Yunnan

I stack Yunnan with Chinese 14 inf; UK 8 inf, 3 aa, 4 mech; Russia 1 tank+1mech
However Japan still wins with some land units that China is not able to counterattack and retake Yunnan in turn 3.

As the photo shows a rough replication of what happened in end of turn 2 in the previous game.  America tried to slow down Japan by fully-Pacific build in the first three turns.  And Russia is putting some pressure with 6 inf, 1 tact in the North (it cannot dedicates too many units as Germany is pushing into Russia with dark skies). 
I wonder if there are better ways to stack Yunnan?  ANZAC basically only takes Java and hold itself back (not shown in photo).  Thank you!

@Zhukov44:

When Germany has such a large mech/tank stack (eg 30+, in this case 40+) they are more or less free to drive wherever they want on the map.  What Allies need to bear in mind is this mechanized force can only go 1 (or 2, if they split up) ways.  So Allies should adapt to what Axis does.  This mechanized force cannot be everywhere at once, at where it is not, the Allies need to go on the offensive.

Thanks Caesar Seriona and Zhukov. 
Given my board situation.  In case Germany and Japan go for Egypt or Middle East, perhaps the US player can transport troops and land in Egypt/Middle East to provide additional defensive forces.  Anyway I will test it in my next game.

The thing that the Allies worry most is the German mobile stacks going to Calcutta from turn 6 onward, and help defend that VC, so that Japan can focus all naval/bomber build for the last VC.  Do allies have any counter-strategy for it?  I am afraid that the Moscow stack is too slow to exert timely offense pressure on the Pacific side of the map.

@GeneralHandGrenade:

I’m not sure if this could help because I can’t see all of the exact numbers there in the photo, but you could take the transports in sz 91 and the fleet in Southern France (along with the troops there), and land on Rome. It would break the bridge but you could always purchase more transports on the same turn. That might have surprised your opponent and taken Italy out of the game. Not sure if it was too late for that but you could get a couple of extra factories in Italy and then move your fleet either to the north Atlantic or the Pacific. Then you wouldn’t need the extra transports after all. My sense is that you’re too late though.

Thanks GHG.  In our game European allies always had an issue on whether to break the bridge to conquer Rome - which means less money on Pacific. 
Actually on the same vein, Germany also faced a tough choice on whether to use its bombers to break the bridge - the loss of Germany planes means Russia can build up more counterattack units, but the four American transports are attractive.

@Caesar:

Also, this is one the weakest naval presents by both Japan and US in Pacific but Japan controls India so why not have Japan smash UK in Middle East?

Thanks Caesar Seriona.  That’s a good idea.  In our game Japan stopped advancing into the Middle East because it preserved those transports and go back to Japan to reload land units.  But it seems Japan smashing Middle East would further interrupt Allies defense/counterattack.
To prevent this, shall we pull back some UK/France destroyers to seazones 78-79 as blockers?

Thank you for all your replies!  Attached are the rough replication of the game play by the end of the sixth turn (perhaps I forgot some details, and I did not put down facilities in the map).

On the Europe map:

• We see the Bryansk and Moscow stacks.  Russian does not have the odds to counterattack Bryansk even when Germany splits >10 tanks south.  Thanks to the NOs in Russian south, G6 get a handsome income of >70.
• The German bombers are so threatening.  It can threaten Russia inf. build, allowing Germany mobile units to blitzing Russian south, hold the UK planes not going to assist India retake, threatening seazone 93.
• UK has Persia-Iraq factories … but Egypt is about to fall to Italians with plane support.
• The Eastern Persian stack are used to counterattack India.

On the Pacific map:

• Japan gets India in J5.  Japan will conquer Asia in the upcoming one or two turns, to solidify its economic position, and build boats and land units for sail.

PS:

• The Axis’s strategies are originally Dark Skyies (Germany), but the US floating bridge (GHG’s strategy) prevents Germany further build bombers.  For Japan it is India crunch, then securing Asian income, then go for the last VC.
• The Allies’ strategies are (Russian) Moscow R6 stack, (UK) Persian-Iraq factory, (US) floating bridge.  But since Moscow dominates, so UK does not get much land units in middle east.

Larry, wish that you can find some optimal equilibrium strategies for Axis and Allies.  Thank you.

Hello all.  In my previous game,
Germany originally targeted a G6 Moscow attack, and in G5 stack with Bryansk with 33 inf, 12 art, 3AAA, 11 mech, 30 tanks (with 5 fig, 5 tact, 8 bombers in Leningrad/Berlin)
With UK 14 fighters help, Moscow has 74 inf, 7 art, 4AAA, 1 mech, 2 tank, 16 fig, 1 tact - just enough to defend G6 Moscow
(Please see picture in reply #12 below)

However, in G6 Germany blitzed Russian south, collecting a large amount of IPC, and looking at the middle east NOs and Persia factory.  (Italian can-opener is always there.)
UK-Persia has been exhausted its production capacity by producing fighters in previous turns, and there are basically no allies land units in Russian south in G6.

Might I ask how the allies can counter similar mid-game German blitzing Russian south situation? (I know it mostly depends on the board situation, so just ask for some general ideas/strategies.)

@simon33:

Why don’t you just build a third fighter in Calcutta to defend against sbr? It is well spent.

Because I am worrying about a quick J3 Indian Crunch.  I am preparing for the following Japanese movement:
J1 move 1(2) inf from Kiangsi to Borneo, move 3 inf, 1 art from Japan/Korea/Manchuria to Philippines; J1 build 3 transports
J2 move 3 inf, 2 art, 1 tank from Japan/Korea/Manchuria to sz36; J2 build naval base in FIC; concentrate all carrier groups in sz36 (each with 1 tact, 1 fighter), bombers in Siam, block sz38 with some fleet
J3 attack India with 6-8 inf, 3 art, 1 tank, 3 tact, 3 fighters, 2 bombers (can have offshore bombardments)

According to the build & movement below (no Russian fighter to India), I will have
16 inf, 1 art, 3 AA, 1 fighter in India for defense.
This should just be enough to defend India.  If I build a UK fighter in India, then I don’t have enough infantry to defend India.

Middle East-Indian Wall strategy
[[to counter J1 attack, no matter Germany goes for sealion or barbarossa]]
Turn 1
C1: take Yunnan with minimal force, build 4 inf in Szechwan

UK1:
India 1 tack+fighter to Middle East (Middle Earth strategy)
Sz39 transport 1 inf to Persia
India 5 inf, 1 art=> Burma
Burma fighter=> India
Malaya 3 inf => Shan state
India build 5 inf

ANZAC1: Malaya inf => Shan state

Turn 2
C2: take Yunnan with minimal force, build 5 inf in Szechwan

UK2: (consider the case J1 take Borneo, build 3 transports; J2 build MIC and NB in FIC; move 3 transports to sz36)
Burma 7 inf, 1 art => India
Shan state 3 inf => Burma
India build 4 inf
(if no Sealion, build Persia factory)

ANZAC2: Shan state inf => Burma

Turn 3:
China: aim at taking Yunnan

@simon33:

I haven’t had much success with strategies like the one proposed except when Germany spends some of its money on fleet. That gives ussr a bit ight breathing room to do something.

But I agree with you, in case Germany goes for barbarossa, Russia should focus on wars in Eastern Front.  Again Yunnan and India worries me.  The above implies that China should defend J3 take and hold Yunnan by itself…

@Argothair:

If you transport Indian troops to Africa on Uk1, how do you also take Persia on uk1 to prepare for your uk2 factory?

Thank you Argothair.  My mistake - it should be “transport troops to Middle East” (corrected in Reply#28).

Turn 1  UK
Sz39 transport 1 inf to Persia

@WILD:

If the Russians are at war with Japan by the rule you quoted they would have no movement restrictions on the Pac side. Russia DOW on Japan in many games to send units into China to help prop them up. The UK has some restrictions about moving units into China if not at war w/Japan, but isn’t a neutral power so there are no restrictions stopping Russian planes from landing in India. So I see no problem with Russian units migrating to India through China.

Thanks Simon and Wild Bill for the answers and discussion.  I learn more about the rules now.

I would like to try sending Russian units to help China in my next game.  I am thinking the following Russia+China+UK defense strategy against J1 attack:

Turn 1
R1: Moscow fighter, Volgograd tank+mech => Sikang

C1: take Yunnan with minimal force, build 4 inf in Szechwan

UK1:
India 1 tack+fighter to Middle East (Middle Earth strategy)
Sz39 transport 1 inf to Persia
India 5 inf, 1 art=> Burma
Burma fighter=> India
Malaya 3 inf => Shan state
India build 5 inf

ANZAC1: Malaya inf => Shan state

Turn 2
R2: Sikang fighter => India (there will be R+UK fighters in India to intercept J2 st. bomber SBR)

C2: take Yunnan with minimal force, build 5 inf in Szechwan

UK2: (consider the case J1 take Borneo, build 3 transports; J2 build MIC and NB in FIC; move 3 transports to sz36)
Burma 7 inf => India
Shan state 3 inf => Burma
India build 4 inf
(if no Sealion, build Persia factory)

ANZAC2: Shan state inf => Burma

At the end of turn 2, the following units will be available to retake Yunnan from Japan:
Szechwan: China 5+inf, 1 fighter
Burma: UK 3 inf, 1 art
Sikang: Russia 1 tank, 1 mech

I think the two strategic keys for Russia is to help defend against st. bomber SBR, and prevent J3 take and hold Yunnan, hopefully these can delay Japan by a turn.
Such strategy tries to utilize Russia’s units before Germany/Italy DoW.  Of course, it might invite Germany to start Barbarossa in G2 (or normal G3).  If this is the case, I will fly the India fighter back to Samara in R3/R4.  But this also means that the UK Persian factory can start pumping tank+mech to India, and arrive India by UK5.  Again the key is not to let Japan hold Yunnan in J3.
(If Germany goes for Sealion, then Russia builds tank+mech in Volgograd, and pump the UK-Persian factory equivalent amounts to India from R3 onwards.)

Do you have any comments on how to improve the strategy, or kindly point out things I miss/drawback? (Perhaps a lot of experienced players have tried this before.)

PS.  Mr.GeneralHandGre’s UK “Middle Earth” strategy: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=39611.0

@taamvan:

1)  Once their capitol is dead, you are no longer “liberating” for your ally you are taking for yourself.  This is the only time your partners can pull income from territories that once belonged to another friendly nation.  Once London is liberated, all of its original territories not held by the enemy revert back to the home team and this possibility ends.

“If the original controller’s (the power whose territory you just
liberated) capital is in enemy hands at the end of the turn in which
you would otherwise have liberated the territory, you capture
the territory instead. You adjust your national production level,
and you can use any industrial complex, air base, and/or naval
base there until the original controller’s capital is liberated.”

2)  Yes.  There are no penalties for declaring war USSR–>Japan, so it is purely a political move.  As soon as you have activated war, you can fly in on that side of the board and should feel free to do so.  However, Germany must be at war with you in order for you to enter NW Persia, as that territory is on the Europe board and you are not allowed to freely declare against Germany.

“As a result, if the Soviet Union is at war with Axis powers on only one map, it is still under the restrictions of being
a neutral power”“In other words, a state of war with
Japan lifts those restrictions from the Soviet Union on the Pacific map only,”

3. None.  It is only the attacking an enemy held territory that activates the troops or deactivates them.  The declaration of war itself only serves to greenlight your entry into china or the UK areas on the side of the board to the right of the board break.

4. As soon as Russia declares, it can start tooling around in China in the noncombat.  The only thing that it can’t do if it still wants the 6 guys is attack a Japanese controlled (control marker or original terr. still owned) that is adjacent to any Mongolian square.    Moving into Chahar doesn’t lose the troops, but attacking a Japan-controlled Chahar does.  If China owns Jehol, Russians noncomming int there do not implicate the Mongolians.  It is only when Russia attacks a “japan controlled Mongolia adjacent” square, or Japan attacks a “Russia controlled Mongolia adjacent” square that the troops are either lost to Russia or given to them, respectively.

"Also, if Japan attacks any Soviet-controlled territory that is adjacent to any Mongolian territory, all Mongolian territories that are still strict neutral or pro-Allies, or have joined the Allies as a result of a failed Japanese attack, are placed under the control of the Soviet Union
at the end of Japan’s Conduct Combat phase. "  "If the Soviet Union attacks Korea or any Japan-controlled territory bordering these Mongolian territories while Mongolia is still a strict neutral, Mongolia will remain neutral and not ally itself with the Soviet Union.

It took a long time and a lot of explanation before I fully understood all these nuances, probably still don’t have them exactly right.

hth

Thank you for your detailed explanation!  Some follow-up questions:

1. Can I say that, after the first control marker is placed in a neutral territory (e.g. Persia, Finland) - then throughout the whole game such territory becomes a new “original territory” for the power who places the control marker on it the first time?

1b) For example, consider the story: UK2 gets Persia => G3 success Sealion => R3 gets Persia => R4 builds Persian factory => R5 produces three tanks => US5 liberate London

Then at the moment when London is liberated (US5), is that all things in Persia revert to UK-Europe control?  A UK control marker is placed on Persia at that moment?

2. When Russia is at war with Japan but not Germany, can Russia fly a plane first from Moscow to Szechwan/Yunnan, then from Szechwan/Yunnan to India?  Does UK-Pacific’s relationship with Japan affect whether Russia can fly the plane to India?

@ShadowHAwk:

1 :) whenever it is suitable to do so. Basicaly unless J1, pose to be able to move in there. In case of a J1 consider if you can pose to get there. Since you can walk back to india in 1 round and into yunnan in 1 round japan at least has to do something to that stack.
2 :) just do it, if no J1 certain. With a J1 might still be worth it japan has to get it and might lose valuable land forces south ( or even air if your lucky ).
      Taking persia helps clear the med and the middle east but you clear that anyway. Taking the DEI slows japan down 1 round or more.
3 :) consider your losses, and the losses for japan. Sometimes staying and pulling more forces away is preferable to retreating and giving it to japan for free.

Thank you!  Might I ask three additional rules question that I encountered before - sorry that I lump quite a lot of questions in this thread:
(1) if UK2 takes Persia, in G3 London falls to Sealion.  Then can Russian turn Persia into a Russian territory in R4, and use the facilities there?  What happen if London is liberated in US5?
(2) Once Russia is in war with Japan, can I land Russian plants in India to help defense?
(3) What are the drawbacks of Russia declaring wars on Japan?  Does this affect the 6 Mongolia infantry Russia can get from Japanese attack? 
(4) If Russian attacks Japan through Tsinghai and Siking first, can Russia still get the 6 Mongolia infantry in case Japanese attacks from Mongolia-adjunct territories?

@Argothair:

I think the heart of the issue is that as Britain, you need to be willing to compromise. If Germany spends 30 ipcs on fleet on G1, and you want to do Taranto, then you have to build a minimum of 6 ing, 1 ftr for defense in London. If Germany follows up with another Sea Lion build on G2, then you build at least another 6 inf, 1 ftr on uk2. At that point, Germany has no good options. There is so much defense in London that Germany’s odds for Sea Lion are terrible, but Germany has spent so much on fleet that Germany’s odds against Russia are also terrible. Yes, Italy will be doing ok, but with the taranto raid, Italy is not going to get huge enough fast enough to cover for Germany’s terrible position. So when Germany goes all out sea lion, then as the uk, you accept a slightly stronger italy to create a much weaker germany.

True, without the Persian factory, Japan can march into India by turn 4 or 5. That by itself isn’t enough to win the game for the Axis, though. With enough defense in London to hold London, and a relatively weak Germany, the US can afford to spend 80%+ of its income on building up a monster Pacific fleet that can link up with the Australian forces, first in the Solomon’s, and then later in New Guinea and Java/Borneo. Japan can take India, but with heavy US investment in the Pacific, they won’t take Sydney or Honolulu, so they won’t win.

If you see the Japanese attack on India coming, you can retreat to West India or Persia…and by turn 4, you should have the breathing room to build that Persia factory after all, so you may be able to hold the line at Persia. Russia can send down a couple of mechs from Stalingrad to help plug the hole, and your UK fighters can start heading southeast to Persia as soon as the sea lion threat is contained.

Thank you!  I see UK-Europe’s comprise issue now - as you said, with Taranto raid, in sealion’s case I am willing to accept a stronger Italy for a weaker Germany.

With scarce resource, I think UK-Pacific do not have many options.  I get used to build infantry until being SBR to zero production.  My only counterattack is perhaps on Shan state before Yunnan falls.  I sometimes read threats saying that India should be more aggressive.  Might I ask under what conditions we can consider the following options?

1. enter Yunnan to help Chinese defense?
2. move the seazone 39 transport to get DEI money, instead of activate Persia?
3. as Argothair mentioned, retreat to West India rather than staying in Calcutta?

@WILD:

If there is a J1 attack w/Sea Lion build-up besides flying over the US bomber you could also bulk up allied ships/ftrs at Iceland on turn 1. Then on US2 a US ftr is also on London to defend. If the Germans attack the Iceland fleet (would have had to purchase a carrier G1 or some subs) they will lose some key units or expose their fleet to counter attack. Either way they wouldn’t be able to over power a well defended London (plus you may have saved parts of the UK navy).

Thank you.  I used to ignore Iceland’s role in defending London in case of J1 attack.

In case of J1/J2 attack (usually the Japanese fleet stack at sea zone 36), shall UK Pacific defend Malaya (with the 4 infantry and potentially UK/ANZAC fighters)?  I struggle between moving those force back to help later Calcutta defense or to diverse Japanese air force from attacking Yunnan/Szechwan stack.

Thank you a lot for your reply!

The core of this strategy is not to get London per se, but to help Japan to win the Pacific side.  Say, if the axis adopts Sealion + J1 dow, as an allies I am so worry that this drains too much money away from the Pacific side of the map in the early game.

Following cow’s suggestion (building bombers in Eastern US), perhaps we can cause serious damage to Germany, or defend London.  But I am afraid there will be an early fall of Calcutta (J4/J5).  Then Japan can focus on Sydney/Honolulu as the last VC.  Is there any way to help defend Calcutta against an early fall, or to prevent Japan from winning in this case (Sealion + J1 dow)?

PS. For the Russian front, I prefer to move 12inf 2aa back to Moscow.  Because by R1, I don’t know whether the Sealion is real or fake - in case it’s a fake, I need those infantry to help defend Moscow in R6/7.

Hello all.  This is the first time I post in the forum.  I am from Hong Kong who love playing Global40.  Hong Kong’s working hours are so long that we can only played it once or twice a year.  I love reading the brilliant discussion and strategies in this forum.

As an allies player, I struggle to counter the following axis coordination strategy (call it Kill UK First) - Sealion + J1/J2 attack, where the Axis’s strategy is to knock UK out, preventing an UK Persian factory build, and to draw US attention/resource to liberate London.  Then Japan can do a quick Indian Crunch and aim at a fast Pacific win. 
–- The key is that, this satisfies Germany’s firepower against Russia to prevent UK Europe reinforcing UK Pacific through Persia factory.

Might I ask your suggestions to counter this strategy?  e.g. shall Russia declare war on Japan and move some of its force to the Chinese/Indian front?  Thank you!

• Note: I always do Tornado raid in UK1.  Because in case the G1 AC, 2-transport purchase is a faked Sealion, then UK lose the chance to contain Italy early in the game.  Observing what UK1 did in Mediterranean, on G2 Germany always has a choice to turn Kill UK First to G3 Barbarossa.