Posts made by z0m4d

Very interesting, Spendor.  So UK doesn’t make it back to Gibraltar until Turn 4 when US can rendezvous.

So how do you threaten Sealion?  Purchase 4x transports on Turn 1?  If Germany changes his mind, he could use them to bolster Finland, then attack Leningrad?

Thanks.  The forum won’t let me post links even without embed code, though!

The subs are protected in SZ 113, as Denmark controls that passageway.  In SZ 112, they’re vulnerable to the SZ 111 fleet, which I don’t attack on Turn 1.  (Not enough resources to attack all fleets, prefer to leave the fleet that’s of less immediate use to UK.)

Germany certainly can attack USSR a Turn early, and I haven’t tried this yet.  However, USSR gets 14+ extra IPC on National Objectives once they’re at war, and Germany gets 5 IPC less, so why not wait as long as possible?  As long as Germany produces more than USSR (and purchases those units to attack USSR), then Germany only increases their advantage.

You know, the more I think about it, the more like your Turn 1 plan for UK.  It’s absolutely devastating to Italy!  If they can also take out the SZ 96 Destroyer and transport (with Gibraltar fighter and SZ 91 cruiser or SZ 98 destroyer), then I wonder if the SZ 98 can amphibious assault Tobruk.  It’d be 3x infantry, 2x arty, mech inf and tank versus 3x infantry, 1x arty, mech inf, and tank.  Approx 66% win.  Or divert one fighter from the SZ 97 fight?

Given your first turn UK strategy or the addition of a Tobruk amphib assault, how can Italy recover?  Buy nothing first turn to save for a fleet purchase on Turn 2, then take Gibraltar, leaving the transport exposed?

Hi, I once posted an Excel file as an attachment, but that option doesn’t seem available anymore.  Also, if I try to post a hyperlink I get an error stating I don’t have permissions.  Is there a reason for both of these?  Thanks in advance.

Here is my rough guide to playing Germany, but with all good strategies, flexibility to the particular circumstances is key.  This forgoes Operation Sealion (UK amphibious assault) and an early Barbarossa (drive to Moscow).

On turn 1, buy 5 subs.

Attack SZ 109 with SZ 117/118/124 subs.  If UK scrambles, the subs might get just the destroyer or nothing at all, but at least they deflect scramblers from SZ 110.  Since subs defend at 1, they’re better used on the attack, and the transport at 109 can be an early thorn if used.

Attack SZ 110 with SZ 103/108 subs, battleship, 3x fighters and 3x tac bombers.  The battleship isn’t good for anything else anyway, unless you’re planning Operation Sealion.  Even if UK scrambles, you have overwhelming odds.  Might as well take the battleship as a casualty over a fighter, as it’s good as dead in the counter attack.  The Germany tac bomber has to land in Holland, where it’d be susceptible to a counter attack from Normandy and/or the transport in SZ 109.  Therefore, don’t use this one there unless you take Normandy and expect to take the transport.  (Conversely, you can land all your aircraft there, expecting to lose at least one in either/both counterattack.)

Leave the SZ 111 fleet alone.  It can’t reach the Mediterranean or even Gibraltar.  Since it’s not at a naval base, it can only move 2 spaces.  Your 5 subs can get them in turn 2 b/c they’ll launch from a naval base.

Attack Yugoslavia with: 6x infantry, 2 arty from Southern Germany; 2x infanty, 1x tank from Slovakia; 1x infantry and 1x tank from Romania; and tac bomber from Poland.  The fighter from Slovakia can either join and land in Southern Italy to scramble with the Italian fleet, or attack Southern France with 2x mech infantry from Western Germany.  I don’t recommend this, as it starts to stretch the forces thin.

Attack SZ 93 with: 2x bombers from Germany and 1x fighter from Western Germany.  This is important b/c the Italians need all the help they can get and the small French fleet can be an annoyance.  If the fighter survives it can land in Southern Italy and scramble if necessary.

I recommend taking out Normandy.  If you land your air units in Western Germany, they will need Holland or Normandy to reach SZ 109 on turn 2 with the newly bought 5 subs, should the SZ 111 fleet try to regroup there.

Send everything else into France.  It’s a much tougher battle than it looks.  Fortunately, there is no real Western Front for several turns, so it doesn’t matter if your forces are decimated, as long as they win.

During non-combat, don’t forget to walk your Romanian into Bulgaria.  Use the transport to bring an infantry and arty into Finland.  Move your forces eastward toward Poland.  This keeps them available for the transport.  You can always decide how much to move south just before turn 4.

Place your 5 subs in SZ 113.  They’ll be able to reach the SZ 111 wherever they go, unless they flee for 118/123, which is out of the game anyway.

On turn 2, purchase 10x artillery for Germany and the rest mech infantry for West Germany.  Take Southern France if it remains and Greece with the Yugoslavia tanks and Bulgarian infantry.  Take out what remains of the SZ 110 fleet.

On turn 3, purchase all tanks for Germany.  You’ll need them for Barbarossa on turn 4.

On turn 4, purchase 3 subs for Southern France and all of the rest on mech infantry into Germany to resupply the Eastern Front.

On turn 5 and thereafter, purchase 3 tanks for every USSR factor your capture.  Purchase 3 subs for Southern France.  Use the rest to purchase infantry/arty for France/Normandy and aircraft.  You will soon need to challenge the US fleet.

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Actually, an attack on SZ 97 has really good odds for the UK if they send everything that’s available to attack.

At first I thought you were mistaken. If Germany lands at least one fighter on Southern Italy, they can scramble 3. Pushing the SZ 98 fleet, Gibraltar fighter, and Malta fighter still wins only 46% of the time.  (For some reason I’m not allowed to post links, otherwise I would to the battle calculator.)

But you’re right, you can add one fighter and one bomber from England (not both fighters, since they and the Gibraltar fighter must land on the carrier). That raises the odds of winning to 93% against 3 scramblers, but there are some issues with that.  First, the UK fleet is dead to a counterattack, and the Italians will still have 1x sub, 2x destroyers, 1x cruiser, and 2x transports. Secondly, the Malta fighter, carrier tactical bomber, and strategic bomber from England all have to land on Malta, leaving them also susceptible to a counterattack the next turn. So even in this case the Italians have total Mediterranean naval control, only now there’s no UK fleet left to harass them.

Not saying you’re wrong per se, just sharing some counter analysis. What are your thoughts?

Hi, everyone.  I’m going to play Europe 1940 2nd edition today as the Allies and am thinking about trying a new strategy, abandoning Egypt as UK on turn 1 and consolidating the Atlantic Fleet on SZ 109.  I would only try this the SZ 111 fleet remains.  Would like to hear your ideas on this, though.

Reason: If Germany lands a fighter or more into Southern Italy, the Italian fleet at 97 has an 80% chance of winning against an attack.  Conversely, the SZ 95 and SZ 96 Italian fleets (assuming SZ 96 is destroyed) has a 96% chance of taking out the SZ 98 UK fleet (even with a fighter landing on the carrier).  Egypt is likewise not going to last more than a few turns, so I’d rather withdraw, consolidate and reinforce, then counter attack later with overwhelming odds.  South Africa will pump out mech infantry and tanks until UK can retake, hold and maintain Egypt.  Atlantic Fleet will either reinforce SZ 91 on turn 4 with the American fleet, or SZ 92 to harass the Italians.  At the appropriate moment, perhaps when the Italian fleet is at SZ 92, the African fleet will move back through the Suez Canal to their rightful place in SZ 98.

Purchase 3x mech infantry (for South Africa) and 2x destroyers for SZ 109, leaving 1 IPC.

Africa Theater: Transport in SZ 98 picks up infantry and artillery in Alexandria.  Entire SZ 98 fleet goes to SZ 76 to launch an amphibious attack against Ethiopia, along with Sudan infantry and Egypt mech infantry.  Gibraltar and Malta fighters attack SZ 96 transport and destroyer.  Tank from Alexandria and infantry and artillery from Alexandria non-combat to Sudan.  Destroyer from SZ 71 to SZ 76.  Both South Africa infantry move to Rhodesia.  West India infantry to Eastern Persia (incidentally, that infantry can move to NW Persia by USSR Turn 4, when he can attack Iraq with several mech infantry and tanks).

Atlantic Theater: Move all ships to SZ 109.  If the transport at 106 survived, bring the infantry and tank.  If the transport at 109 survived, go to SZ 106 so it can pick up the infantry and artillery next turn.  If Germany moved the battleship into SZ 110 or 111 and it remains,  attack it with all aircraft only.  If Germany purchased subs, move one destroyer into SZ 110 to block and protect SZ 109.

Veqryn rules!

These are pretty sweet!  Any motivation to do one adjusted for the different national objectives in the 2nd edition?

Check out the attached Excel file that tracks IPCs, National Objective income, unit purchase cost, and industrial complex/base damage.
Axis & Allies Europe 1940 2ed IPC Chart.xls