One thing I have tried with success against skilled veteren players is to throw everything Germany can muster for the first 3 rounds. Basically take out France, and UK ships in 110,111,112, and 106 attacking 112 with 124 sub. Move all 3 inf into finland and a tank into romania. Buy all tanks and mech rounds 1 and 2. Protect your fleet with 3 fighters. Move all other units to the Russian border

You can still threaten sealion with this purchase, buying all fleet G2 if the UK doesnt put any extra land forces in the UK, but it should be obvious to all what your intentions are. G2 invade Russia, E Poland to be exact, with 26 inf, 5 art, and 3 tanks. Russia will be unabe to counter. Move your France/Germany tanks/mech into Yugo along with Bulgarian inf.

G3, on to Belarus or W Ukraine, moving Yugo/Germany tanks/mech into E Poland. Either buy 4 tacs for Moscow or ground for defence.

G4, move beside Moscow. There should be nothing in your way as you now have 26 inf, 5 art, 16 mech and 17 tanks depending on purchases and losses. In addition you should have 5 fighters, 9 tacs, and 2 bombers in range of Moscow less losses and/or if you were forced to build a defence in the west G3. If possible, build more bombers G4 for the next turn.

G5, Attack. Germany might lose some tanks in the battle depending how aggresive they were. I have taken Moscow without losing any before.  Now you are making 60+ a turn and dont have 2 fronts to worry about. However, the US and UK will be on you quickly. Try to keep the US out of the war till T4.

This may not work every time, but I have found it quite effective. Others might not, but I think Moscow in german hands on round 5 is very possible if not inevitable if you follow this. Question is can you hold off in the west while you do this. Also, if you dont take Moscow G5 you will be finished, but do the numbers or play it out and judge for yourself.

@Cmdr:

Yes, the destroyer in SZ 109 is why the fighters scrambling can hit your attacking submarines.  You would have to hit in round 1 with your submarines and pray England does not get two hits in order to get that transport - that’s a risk I would not take.

Actually, if you are doing a SBR on England’s Airbase and succeed, England would not be able to scramble any planes into SZ109, 110 or 111, making an attack with only subs and few planes instead of many a very viable option. The only change I would suggest is hit SZ110 instead of SZ109. Also, your Germany Tac doesnt reach SZ111 unless you plan on building a Carrier.

@stormafro:

@seiger83

Can you explain how you obtained this figure of 70%.  From what I can tell, for a G2 sea lion Germany will have at most 5 tactical bombers, 5 fighters, 1 bomber, 1 inf, 1 art, 4 tanks.  That’s with a G1 build of 4 transports.  Ave. rolling for hits is around 8 - assuming 1 fighter and 1 tac bomber are killed through anti air.  Any return fire from uk troops can be allocated to the planes.  So, when pressing, Germany will have 1 inf, 1 art, and 4 tanks compared to 5 inf and 5 fighters.  I fail to see how Germany has a 70% chance of winning that battle.  Or am I missing something?

Germany has 5 Inf and 5 art or tanks and would take the inf/art/tank casulties first except for 1 tank and then figthers and bombers. Attacking round 2 is risky - you will likely lose about 3 fighters and 3 tacs depending how the rolls go and if UK dumps everything they can to defend - but you should win 70% of the time according to every odds calculator I have used. That being said, one thing I neglected to consider is if UK scrambles. To prevent a possible catastrophe, it would be best to keep 1 Fighter with your navy, which would drop your land battle odds down to 60% if they dont scramble, but a sure victory if they do scramble but fail to destroy your transports - keep in mind all you need is a draw.

Has anyone considered a G2 attack on London? If you buy 2 transports instead of a destoyer and a sub G1, you put yourself in a good position to take London. With the new scrambling rules it is even possible to buy 4 transports and still protect your navy as long as you knock out the British fleet G1. You have 70% odds of victory assuming UK has 13 Inf and 5 fighters and block your bombards with 91 cruiser and 109 destroyer. This should be the best defense UK can muster. Germany may take some air losses but should win the battle. The beauty of this is that Germany does not need to build 10 transports G2, but can instead rebuild an airforce and/or an army to invade Russia G3. The sooner Germany can hit Russia the better, as is the sooner UK falls and stops spending money on the board. UK also would have only one turn to react, reposition and fortify themselves instead of 2 or 3. If successful this should fulfilll the German shock and awe doctrine used in their lightning war.

@questioneer:

@Krieghund:

Is Germany destroying England’s home fleet?

What are Italy and Japan doing while UK is running rampant in Africa and the Middle East?

If India is moving significant forces west, Japan should be able to take it and the DEI easily.  I’m not seeing UK having this kind of power in my games.

Also, what is Germany buying and sending against the Soviets?

Sealion can be effectively threatened without buying a single transport, and the Luftwaffe can keep London at arm’s length for a few rounds after that, allowing Germany to buy quite a few land units in the next several rounds after the first.

1.) Yes

2.) Pushing forward toward China and India

3.) India doesn’t move west right away- maybe around round 5-6.  By that time US (if going 100% Pacific) has built a massive stack in the South Pacific, threatening a counter attack on DEI, launch on Tokyo itself, solidly defending ANZAC and Honolulu.  India moves toward Russia when and if necessary- if Japan take the bait, the US makes them pay- very simple.  Your not seeing it because nobody has the balls to try the 100% Pacific approach- don’t knock til you try.  Granted you must play Russia wisely with efficient buys and such.

4.) Germany buys what they always buy- a combo of inf and art/tanks maybe a plane or two over a few rounds- in other words- efficient buys that max the most punch possible.

5.) If you go Barby, then England makes cash, you lose a VC you need- doesn’t matter if you hold them for a few rounds AND you will NOT get Africa- you make it easier for the US by round 9-10.

3.) Launch on Tokyo by round 5 or 6??? Even if the US goes 100% Pacific (at least for the first few rounds) it cannot take Tokyo unless you are playing against a moron. Seriously, Japan is not to be underestimated and you simply cannot make a blind statement like that (explain how you put yourself in that position by that round and get past the huge navy, airforce and men that Japan can put there or attack preemptively with, not to mention the kamakazis). IMHO if US goes 100% in either theater, the allies lose.
4.) Why do they always buy that? Its not always more important to buy the most punch possible if it takes too long to get into position. Try buying mech and tanks along with airpower. Germany can be at Moscow’s doorstep with (for example) 24 Inf, 5 Art, 7 Mech, 21 Tanks, and a bunch of airpower by ROUND 4 and hit Russia round 5 against 40+ Inf and maybe a couple planes and tanks (thats 100+ attack with 50+ units - not counting the luftwaffe! - vs 80-90+ defence with 40+ units ). Now Germany has time to prepare a welcoming party for those India troops since the US is busy in the Pacific with Japan (basically a 1 on 1) and Russia is dead leaving UK Europe alone against both Italy and a monster Germany. Oh yeah, and that’s NOT going sealion.
5.) Yeah UK makes cash, but Russia gives everthing to the Axis (its income when captured as well as its territorial income and dont forget about german objective income - 20 IPCs plus middle east) By round 9 or 10 UK is trying to stay alive after you have given the axis all of Asia, Europe and at least half of Africa = over half the board!! It depends on who you play against but a good axis player will take advantage of what you give him and ignor what you dont give him. Sea Lion can be good but not EVERY time. And above all else dont be predictable.

@Cmdr:

@gamerman01:

@gamerman01:

“… units can’t end their movement in friendly spaces during the Combat move phase except in four instances:” (and now I paraphrase) Tanks that have blitzed, units escaping from combat (sea units), sea units that will participate in amphibious assault (this would include scrambling - has been clarified by Krieg) and sea units attacking subs/transports (not considered a hostile zone)

Did you not read what I wrote?  It’s one of the four exceptions.

Did you read what I wrote? It’s an exception because sea zones are BOTH hostile AND friendly simultaniously.

Destroyers that come with the ships are not participating in the battle, but they are permitted to go as well.  For the record.  Because the sea zone (empty) is considered hostile during your combat move.  Aircraft Carriers may also end their combat move in an empty sea zone, because it is considered hostile.

However, destroyers and aircraft carriers may also end their non-combat moves in said sea zones because they are considered friendly.

Therefore, they are BOTH friendly AND hostile at the same time when they are empty (or only have enemy submarines and transports present.)

What you wrote makes no sense. You cannot move destroyers or any other vessel, FOR THE RECORD, during the combat move if there is no chance of them engaging in battle (no threat of scrambled fighters or kamikazi) BECAUSE the seazone is not nor can be made hostile, therefore, by use of proper logic, it is friendly. LOGIC states that something cannot be 2 opposite things, it is either one or the other. Admit that you are wrong and move on.

If the brits move their entire fleet into 98 without making any attacks on the Italian fleet or Tobruk army, I would rejoice as Italy! There is a 65% chance that UK loses that entire fleet with scrambled planes and Italy keeps its BB and CR (loses sub, 2 destroyers, 1 cruiser, 1 fighter = net 44IPCs / UK loses 67 + no med fleet/airforce anymore = no pressure on Italy). They can also use 1 transport to drop 2 inf in trans jordan sealing the canel and 2 transports to hit Alexandria along with Tobruk forces effectively eliminating whatever you put there. The Egyptian airbase would soon be a nice Italian gift, an endowment if you will. The key with UK is to be aggressive, do not let Italy be untouched or you will be burned by a good axis player. BTW, with this strategy you are seriously undermining an already weak force in the very heart of UK. Even if Germany isn’t threatening, you are relieving a huge burden off them - they do not even need to defend the west coast, so heavily you have spent towards Italy - which allows them to mow down the Russians, and when they fall it doesn’t much matter what happens next, IMO.