@mobius1:
Sorry, I was talking about the 1941 setup here. Attacking Finland is 5 infantry and 1 artillery vs. 2 infantry, and Norway has 2 infantry. Usually I take it with just 1 casualty. It does cut off counterattack options because of sending all those infantry away, but that extra 2 income is a huge blessing for Russia. Even better if you can manage to take Norway as well!
My bad, I was trawling the 1942 setup boards and accidentally came over to 1941 haha. You’re absolutely right. Germany usually has a fighter and a bomber to land in Norway after hitting the British home fleet.
@mobius1:
If you take Finland, and UK takes out the German navy, then they don’t usually have a large enough force to take and hold Karelia on G2.
In fact I usually move one of the infantry out of Finland into Norway–USSR can have the two IPCs this turn, if they want to send infantry/artillery to take it they will be killed on my counterstroke G2.
@mobius1:
I know Germany can take Karelia turn 1, and eliminate that infantry stack. But I personally think this is an inferior move for Germany, since you waste your chance to wipe out most of the British navy by sending so many planes to take Karelia. No one I play does it, anyways.
I agree. I have a friend that has done it twice and then wonders why he loses, and quickly. A 1-round naval buildup for US/UK and moved into France on turn 3, he couldn’t hold it and lost all momentum on the Eastern Front because he wasted his fighters and tanks.
@mobius1:
But actually, maybe that is another reason why the bomber is valuable to purchase R1 - It can help with taking Norway. That extra 5 IPC’s is a godsend for Russia if they can get it. Granted, it doesn’t always work out that way, since you usually need to use those forces to retake Karelia.
But part of me is wondering if it would be better to go all out tanks and infantry, have UK take Norway, and push hard for the +10 NO.
An archangel buildup is imperative for USSR as you want to keep Germany from thinking too much about renting a room for the night in Karelia. I find I usually have two core infantry groups; one in Archangel and another in Caucasus. Tanks in Russia can hit anything from Karelia to Ukraine. First round buy is usually 2 tanks, 2 inf, 1 art, 1 fighter. I think for this strategy, I would do 5 inf, 1 tank, 1 fighter R1. Move the 5 inf, 1 art into Finland. Hope you don’t take any hits, two hits will probably mean you can’t take Norway. The bomber would let you still take norway, but you give up the defense of the fighter in Caucasus. And you can’t keep Germany from stacking Ukraine turn 2 if you are stacking Archangel to contest Karelia, so you need the fighter.
If I see you move that stack into Finland, I will capture Karelia with minimal effort and push south turn 2. I can contest Caucasus turn 3, which caps your unit production at 6, maybe 8 if you play aggressive and push hard enough into Karelia to make me choose. Losing Caucasus is a heavy foreshadow of game over for USSR.
Italy in the '41 turn order can clear infantry blockers for Germany to move panzers through, and Japan starts with, as you said, Godzilla air force. He can spare four fighters to land in Ukraine to ensure a G3 smackdown on Caucasus or even Russia if you are spread this thin.
Then Japan can build an IC in East Indies and India J3 and use four of their five starting transports (which usually are well-guarded enough by the three aircraft carriers and 7-8 remaining fighters, two battleships…) to shuck four armour into India from East Indies, plus 3 in India. :|
The problem with the '41 setup is how unbalanced the action is: Japan can steamroll everyone in the Pacific. Assuming the standard losses J1, to match the IJN America needs to build:
1 BB = 20
2 CV = 28
2 Fighters = 20
1 CA = 12 (America will be up 1 DD so lets call this 4)
That’s a total of 72 IPCs, or 82% of USA’s expected cash in the first two rounds. And then, finally, on US3 it can move and unload in Carolines or Iwo Jima to trigger UKs NO, if Japan’s navy is far enough away. But with an IC in East Indies active on J4, he can buy more ships if he feels the need and dump 8 infantry in Japan if necessary. You’re only going to have at max 2 transports with you, because that would be 86 IPCs, and unless Japan lets you keep Phillipines on the first round you’ll only have 88.
TL;DR: USSR-Germany is a fun struggle, Japan ruins the game by backdooring Caucasus from India.
I’m writing an ‘Alternate History Scenario’ where Mao takes Lenin’s advice and builds a coalition in 1923. Able to consolidate support he begins the Revolution/Civil War and unites the country in the early 30s. Stalin continues to support China, seeing it both as a strategic partner and, in his paranoia, a place to unload troublesome generals. Thus instead of the invasion of the Soviet Union by millions of Japanese ground troops and tanks somehow able to compete with the T-34, I can have China controlled by the Russian player, extra NOs and a factory in Sikang and Yakut or Stanovoy to compensate for fighting a two-front war and give the Japanese player an actual challenge instead of moving pieces around and not even needing to roll dice after the first round.
