How does this sound? It’s what I’ve come up with over the last 6 hours.

1. Taking the 4 tanks, 1 mech from Leningrad along with 2 strategic bombers from W.Germany and hitting the 4 Russian inf/3 arty in Smolensk.

2. 1 Inf from Leningrad and East Poland each, arty from Baltic States and a fighter to engage the 2 Russian Tanks.

3. 4 Inf, arty and tank from Bessarabia along with a tank and mech from Romania plus a tac bomber into Western Ukraine to attack the Russian 3 inf/3 arty.

Non combat the aircraft used in the attacks close to the front lines while pushing the one arty left in Romania forward to Bessarabia. The land units used to take Smolensk would be vulnerable to the 4 Russian arty in Moscow along with 1 arty and inf from north of Moscow. The UK would probably fly more fighters up to help defend giving the Italians some relief in the med.

Purchasing 2 mech, 1 tank for Leningrad and Romania. 1 strategic bomber, 4 inf and an arty for West Germany.

Game started with a clean sweep of the UK fleet while losing only a few fighters and a DoW on USSR taking out 7 front line inf. On G3 I lost most of the remaining German air taking Leningrad. It is now the start of G5, America is two turns away from being a problem and I have a garrison in France that should handle what they bring, The UK took Norway and has control of the med (but no transports). Japan is starting to backdoor the USSR. I’m Germany and Italy. Germany has 56 IPC to spend and Italy will have 22 IPC on their turn. No tech for anyone yet and no damaged facilities.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WHsIPu1vEtDYfdUYl_HvyLXpwLpd_P8S Europe North

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jbseenKAQ2JKGHGnfTTy08K-d7z3zcbY Russia East

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tYqfPmVkX5QVflWdZIqqbblyMIzyomAH Europe South

I couldn’t figure out the image posting. Ugh.

If the Japan isn’t aggressive enough the UK-East can send resources stalling or completely stopping that Italian advance in Africa/Middle East. If America decides to send a fleet into the med the same thing can happen. Germany, Italy and Japan need to plan together. I’ve played far too many games with a conservative Germany while playing an aggressive Japan or conservative Japan while playing aggressive Germany.

@bjba:

What is the starting income for USA in the global A&A second edition. Is there a pre war and a declared war income difference?

52 Prewar

77 War (If Japan didn’t take the Philippines)
79 War (If the USA takes Brazil and still have the Philippines)

Basically America has 25 IPC worth of NO cash if they declare war and lose nothing.

A conservative Japan and Aggressive G1 DoW doesn’t work too well, America ends up sending a death ball fleet to assist in Europe.

Japan should go on an all out offensive against China but keep constant pressure on them, eventually they will collapse. Once war breaks out it’s better to spend resources against ANZAC and India than to keep pumping units into China (unless there’s some to spare).

@Momentum:

A neutral power cannot make a move into a neutral territory (E40 rulebook, pg 15, “Powers Not at War with One Another” side bar, under “Neutral Powers”)

The Soviet Union is still considered to be a neutral power on the Europe map even if it is at war with Japan (E40 rulebook, pg. 37, continuation of Soviet Union’s “Political Situation, National Objectives, and Bonus Income”, under Political Situation)

Taking both of these rules together, the Soviet Union must be at war with either Germany, Italy, or both to move into any neutral territory, pro-Axis, pro-Allies, or strict on the Europe Map.

So the answer to your question is a definite no.

This is an argument I’ve been having with the group I play with for months.

Not a must but it buys Germany and Italy some time.