Combining Italian navy is a bad idea


  • frequently as of late it has been suggested thta the italian navy should be consolidated into either SZ95 or 97 so that taranto raid is less appealing or effective.  And while i do agree that something needs to be done about the raid, as it effectively cripples Italy for the first 4 turns at least, the combining of the fleet is not the answer.  The reaso i say this is because it will lead to a fairly easy capture of Rome for the British in turn 1.  On turn one the brits could potentially get 1 inf, 1 tank, 1 fighter, 1 tak bomber and a cruiser amphibious assualt on Rome where there is only 2 inf and 1 fighter defending.

    i think the best solution for the taranto raid problem is combine navy from sz 95 and 97, but also to combine te sz themselves so that there is only one zone that italy has to defend.

    Please tell me what you guys think.  I will be testing by suggestion in an upcoming game and will post how it goes.


  • I’ve been hearing around the boards a plan to add subs to the sz 95 fleet to even out odds. I personally think its the best idea floated yet.


  • @jroc:

    frequently as of late it has been suggested thta the italian navy should be consolidated into either SZ95 or 97 so that taranto raid is less appealing or effective.  And while i do agree that something needs to be done about the raid, as it effectively cripples Italy for the first 4 turns at least, the combining of the fleet is not the answer.  The reaso i say this is because it will lead to a fairly easy capture of Rome for the British in turn 1.  On turn one the brits could potentially get 1 inf, 1 tank, 1 fighter, 1 tak bomber and a cruiser amphibious assualt on Rome where there is only 2 inf and 1 fighter defending.

    i think the best solution for the taranto raid problem is combine navy from sz 95 and 97, but also to combine te sz themselves so that there is only one zone that italy has to defend.

    Please tell me what you guys think.  I will be testing by suggestion in an upcoming game and will post how it goes.

    I personally don’t believe Taranto should be eliminated as an move, but it should be revised so that it is more costly for the UK, or at least less costly for Italy.  The two seazones represent historically the problem that Italy faced: the naval base of Taranto and the ability to field a Fleet in Being.  Taranto represented a threat to the UK, while other naval bases weren’t as threatening.

    I would prefer the setup revised so that Taranto can be accomplished as an air attack that eliminates a surface fleet portion (definately leave the BB there, that’s what were hit) or a massive committed attack that obliterates Taranto but leaves the UK weaker in other places.  It’s just too much of the Italian fleet and the UK has no downside for doing it.  Either the UK naval presence needs to be reduced in the Med, or Italy should have subs in Taranto as well.

    Personally, I wonder if the UK carrier at Gib should have another fighter (or Tac) and remove a fighter from London and add two or three subs to Taranto, and (maybe) switch the cruiser for a destroyer from Italy’s second fleet.  The UK can either commit 3 planes against a DD and battleship, guaranteeing survival of their med ships for a round at the risk of airforce but leaving 3 subs alive, or send in the cruiser and/or destroyer as well and running the risk of losing fodder to subs.  And London gets a strategic choice of  instead flying the fighter to London to defend (if sealion is threatened early), or participating in Taranto for a sure win.

    I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that Taranto can be an easy win for the UK.  But if the UK has the option to get an easy win it should be at the expense of a weaker London or Med fleet in danger to an italian fleet that won’t shrink from a fight.

    Ironically though, Taranto and Naples are implied as switched in the setup.  SZ 95 (with battleship) is Naples.  SZ 97 is Taranto.


  • @jroc:

    frequently as of late it has been suggested thta the italian navy should be consolidated into either SZ95 or 97 so that taranto raid is less appealing or effective.  And while i do agree that something needs to be done about the raid, as it effectively cripples Italy for the first 4 turns at least, the combining of the fleet is not the answer.  The reaso i say this is because it will lead to a fairly easy capture of Rome for the British in turn 1.  On turn one the brits could potentially get 1 inf, 1 tank, 1 fighter, 1 tak bomber and a cruiser amphibious assualt on Rome where there is only 2 inf and 1 fighter defending.

    i think the best solution for the taranto raid problem is combine navy from sz 95 and 97, but also to combine te sz themselves so that there is only one zone that italy has to defend.

    Please tell me what you guys think.  I will be testing by suggestion in an upcoming game and will post how it goes.

    Your planes can’t reach Italy, you’d still have to do it with a tank and an inf (and if without fleet) 1 coastal shot.


  • How about, instead of joining fleets, adding 1 italian DD in SZ96? This would block the cruiser from Egypt and make a taranto raid possible, but more risky. And adds 1 extra unit for italy to retaliate with.

    If no raid takes place it makes the italian fleet strong, but not completely invincible.


  • Well guys,  Germany can destroy all the UK fleet on Atlantic using shps and planes, so Italy is 100% secure.

    A big mistake most players do is use german air power to invade France instead of destroying the british fleet on turn 1.

    You do not need air power to invade France, and if you are unlucky, Italy can finish the job on turn 1, so by the end of turn 1 there is no UK fleet on Atlantic and France capital is hold by axis.


  • @MEGAEINSTEIN:

    Well guys,  Germany can destroy all the UK fleet on Atlantic using shps and planes, so Italy is 100% secure.

    A big mistake most players do is use german air power to invade France instead of destroying the british fleet on turn 1.

    You do not need air power to invade France, and if you are unlucky, Italy can finish the job on turn 1, so by the end of turn 1 there is no UK fleet on Atlantic and France capital is hold by axis.

    Actually not true.  There are usually no UK sea units left around the British Isles.  There are certainly still UK naval units spread through the atlantic.  The carrier, destroyer and tac, the cruiser off south america, and the destroyer and transport off Canada are usually spared, and if they weren’t, that means other UK naval pieces survived.  If Taranto happens, then it’s just a cruiser, destroyer and transport left in the Atlantic, plus the destroyer around the horn of africa, and those can form a backbone to a future fleet.

    As for France, yes it’s been mentioned that Italy could finish off Germany if Germany is unlucky.  The only problem with this is that the UK can actually reinforce Paris with several planes before Italy attacks.  If Italy attacks with everything they stand not only a decent chance of losing, but also just BARELY winning.  If Normandy wasn’t hit by the Germans (often the case if the luftwaffe is occupied in the channel) France can attack back and immediately activates those pesky free french infantry.

    It’s a bad thing if Italy has to kill France.  And Italy is rarely, if ever, “secure”.  Their future is certainly not 100% secure on round 1.

  • '10

    @kcdzim:

    @MEGAEINSTEIN:

    Well guys,  Germany can destroy all the UK fleet on Atlantic using shps and planes, so Italy is 100% secure.

    A big mistake most players do is use german air power to invade France instead of destroying the british fleet on turn 1.

    You do not need air power to invade France, and if you are unlucky, Italy can finish the job on turn 1, so by the end of turn 1 there is no UK fleet on Atlantic and France capital is hold by axis.

    Actually not true.  There are usually no UK sea units left around the British Isles.  There are certainly still UK naval units spread through the atlantic.  The carrier, destroyer and tac, the cruiser off south america, and the destroyer and transport off Canada are usually spared, and if they weren’t, that means other UK naval pieces survived.  If Taranto happens, then it’s just a cruiser, destroyer and transport left in the Atlantic, plus the destroyer around the horn of africa, and those can form a backbone to a future fleet.

    As for France, yes it’s been mentioned that Italy could finish off Germany if Germany is unlucky.  The only problem with this is that the UK can actually reinforce Paris with several planes before Italy attacks.  If Italy attacks with everything they stand not only a decent chance of losing, but also just BARELY winning.  If Normandy wasn’t hit by the Germans (often the case if the luftwaffe is occupied in the channel) France can attack back and immediately activates those pesky free french infantry.

    It’s a bad thing if Italy has to kill France.  And Italy is rarely, if ever, “secure”.  Their future is certainly not 100% secure on round 1.

    In 100% of our games, the destroyer and transport off Canada have been sunk on G1 with 2 subs. It is very important to destroy these boats if you want your sealion (or sealion threat) to be effective.

    It is true that France will resist once in a while to the G1 attack, but if you send  planes to reinforce it on UK1 as you mention, then Sealion on G2 REALLY is a piece of cake…

    So i totally agree with Megaeinstein post. Just my 2 cents…


  • I have never seen Germany fail to take Paris before. Take all of France yes but not Paris itself. Its just too easy they have too much stuff to push in.

    Rome is still at risk if the fleet is combined. And losing Rome on turn 1 would really suck even though Germany could take it back in a turn or 2.


  • why not switch the 2 navies?
    so the weaker one gets destroyed, and the stronger with battleship gets to live…


  • @RedHunter:

    I have never seen Germany fail to take Paris before. Take all of France yes but not Paris itself. Its just too easy they have too much stuff to push in.

    Rome is still at risk if the fleet is combined. And losing Rome on turn 1 would really suck even though Germany could take it back in a turn or 2.

    Actually, i’ve seen it happen. they were terribly unlucky with the dice.


  • Part of this game is deception.  As Germany I usually build a couple of transports in the Baltic to threaten sea-lion and kill all his destroyers.  Sometimes this will draw the U.k. Destoyer, Carrier and Tac. up to England to destroy the subs sitting off of Wales.  They are now not being used to sink Italian boats.


  • @Daedelus:

    Part of this game is deception.  As Germany I usually build a couple of transports in the Baltic to threaten sea-lion and kill all his destroyers.  Sometimes this will draw the U.k. Destoyer, Carrier and Tac. up to England to destroy the subs sitting off of Wales.  They are now not being used to sink Italian boats.

    The only problem with that deceit and if someone knows the math they’ll know it’s hollow.

    A)  Germany will do sealion anyway, and the tac probably won’t help stopping it, especially if sealion is G3 or 4.  So it’s better for the UK to suckerpunch Italy.  And moving them north leaves UK’s meager remaining navy vulnerable to the entire luftwaffe and kriegsmarine.

    B)  Germany is only foolin you.  So it’s better for the UK to suckerpunch Italy.


  • @SalothSar:

    USA kills it

    Are you even paying attention, or just mass spamming/trolling?

    We’re talking about UK1.  Not US6.

  • TripleA

    @kcdzim:

    @SalothSar:

    USA kills it

    Are you even paying attention, or just mass spamming/trolling?

    We’re talking about UK1.  Not US6.

    i do not think he is purposefully spamming, but he is spamming. i have just read many salothsar responses that are one word or less than a full sentence. his posts do not add anything to most threads. he posts opinions as if his are superior to others and has made personal attacks.

    salothsar, i recommend you be less negative towards others.

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