My UK Strategy

[captainhook]

My question follows:
In Alpha +2, if Germany play "as expected", meaning that they threaten the sea lion (by having a few barges, ect...) but are actually going more towards invading Russia.  How do you manage to keep the Italians off Egypt?

I know that might sound strange, but in all my games, the damn pizza-eating bastards take it...

[JimmyHat]

I've won before without a declaration of war against Russia in G3.  Then G4 you declare just to kill Russian shipping and take their NO away while your army redeploys from London to Germany.

[Frontovik]

My question follows:
In Alpha +2, if Germany play "as expected", meaning that they threaten the sea lion (by having a few barges, ect...) but are actually going more towards invading Russia.  How do you manage to keep the Italians off Egypt?

I know that might sound strange, but in all my games, the damn pizza-eating bastards take it...

leftovers from taranto and indian fighters should be enough.

[Xandax]

My question follows:
In Alpha +2, if Germany play "as expected", meaning that they threaten the sea lion (by having a few barges, ect...) but are actually going more towards invading Russia.  How do you manage to keep the Italians off Egypt?

I know that might sound strange, but in all my games, the damn pizza-eating bastards take it...

leftovers from taranto and indian fighters should be enough.

The fighters you need to keep off Japan?

[Commando Brado]

Building an IC in Egypt is a bad idea.

[Frontovik]

My question follows:
In Alpha +2, if Germany play "as expected", meaning that they threaten the sea lion (by having a few barges, ect...) but are actually going more towards invading Russia.  How do you manage to keep the Italians off Egypt?

I know that might sound strange, but in all my games, the damn pizza-eating bastards take it...

leftovers from taranto and indian fighters should be enough.

The fighters you need to keep off Japan?

what japanese force? and btw, 2 figs more or less won't matter i think
but true fact, it gives japan a bit easier job
but it stops italy dead in its tracks
and in my case, the game has seldom been won by axis on pacific board.

[Rorschach]

but, like i said before, would germany really try a sealion and bring america into the game 1-2 rounds early?

Absolutely. 

Bringing the US in early in this manner brings them in to the Atlantic full force, freeing up Japan.  Plus you've taken out the UK from producing anything in Europe until the US can (hopefully) come and liberate London.  If you've done it cheaply (by the UK NOT building a london defense) that means that you have probably got more german units sitting in London that the US can handle in one round as well.

Then, Italy can concentrate on taking out Egypt all on it's own..

[knp7765]

Building an IC in Egypt is a bad idea.

I agree.  The UK building an IC in Egypt is pretty much a gift to the Italians.  In the games I have played, Italy just about always gets Egypt, usually round 1 or 2.  The Italian navy is too strong for what British navy is in the Med and with 3 transports full of troops and equipment, the Italians almost always over run the Brits and Aussies on Egypt.  As for the Taranto raid, it never happens in my games.  With the Germans sending a couple of planes to S. Italy, it is suicide for the British to attack SZ 95 or 97.

[Frontovik]

Building an IC in Egypt is a bad idea.

I agree.  The UK building an IC in Egypt is pretty much a gift to the Italians.  In the games I have played, Italy just about always gets Egypt, usually round 1 or 2.  The Italian navy is too strong for what British navy is in the Med and with 3 transports full of troops and equipment, the Italians almost always over run the Brits and Aussies on Egypt.  As for the Taranto raid, it never happens in my games.  With the Germans sending a couple of planes to S. Italy, it is suicide for the British to attack SZ 95 or 97.

2 transports at taranto can easily be taken out, so no egypt for italy...

[Commando Brado]

Yes, you can take out the 2 Italian transports but at what cost? If you do that, the Brit navy is toast by the Germany airforce and if anything is left over, the Italians finish them off, then rebuild their transports(cheap), get 5 NO's for no Allied navy in the med, can take N. Africa(another 5 NO's) and take Gib(denied Allied access to the med). I've always put the Brit fleet in SZ92, away from the German airforce, 3 spaces away from SZ109 and SZ110 and the Italians don't have enough firepower to take them out if you put 3 FTR's in Gib, plus another 2 FTR's or 1 FTR, 1 Tac on the AC. Much better option, IMHO. I'd rather lose Egypt than the Med, N. Africa & Gib. I always retreat from Egy if I need to. Kill the Italians in Eth, build in Saf because usually the Germany player doesn't go for Sea Lion once you build enough stuff in the UK and you usually have enough IPC's to build a few units down in Saf. By the time the Italians take Egy and every thing else they need, the US is the in war, takes Gib and Mor back Turn 4 and makes things very sticky for the Italians the rest of the game. And the Brits would have held most of Africa from the Italians. And the Italians can't really do much w/Russia by then, so it's game over for the Axis. I believe the better Italian strategy is, take N. Africa, forget about Egy, unless it's really easy to take, try and take out the Brit navy in the Med if possible but go hard for Russia, by going through Syr, Irq and Npr in the south. And helping the Germans through Rom.

[Cmdr Jennifer]

My question follows:
In Alpha +2, if Germany play "as expected", meaning that they threaten the sea lion (by having a few barges, ect...) but are actually going more towards invading Russia.  How do you manage to keep the Italians off Egypt?

I know that might sound strange, but in all my games, the damn pizza-eating bastards take it...

Ignore Germany, defend Egypt!  If England falls, WHO CARES???  Seriously, the Germans still can't win if England falls, England's going to fall anyway and you may as well make life has hellish for the Italians as possible anyway, since they are the deciding factor on whether or not Russia is defeated before America's invading West Germany.

[Commando Brado]

I think you can defend Egypt AND prevent Sea Lion if you play your cards right. Or, at the very least, make things difficult in Egypt/Med for the Italians, until the US comes into the war and takes Gib, if it was taken and Mor/N. Africa. Then, it's really bad for the Italians.

[captainhook]

leftovers from taranto and indian fighters should be enough.

At the risk of sounding retarded: what do you mean "taranto"?

[poloplayer15]

Taranto was the British attack on the Italian Battle fleet in the italian naval base of Taranto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Taranto

[captainhook]

I see.
So by saying "Taranto" what is referred to? The british fleet attacking the italian fleet in 95 or in 97?