Agressive Russian Strategy

[OpTorch]

1 ftr vs trn, sub? You will lose that ftr half the time.

[dezrtfish]

I agree, you've probably got about 50% odds of taking a hit if you have to go 3 rounds.  I prefer insurance to luck.

[Cmdr Jennifer]

I prefer 2 Fighters in the Baltic, sub and tranny at France.  May as well take out 60% of the German naval vessels with USSR while you build infantry.  

Odds are you'll loose either a plane or a transport.  Neither will loose the game, but the fighter is definately the worse one to loose.  On the plus side, you may have saved the life of at least one British BB saving the Brits 18 IPCs.

[dezrtfish]

with both fighters you cut the odds quite a bit, I would say about 30% to loose one fighter.

[AgentSmith]

Why not simply send a transport to the Baltic, and a sub to Spain.  You achieve both advantages Jennifer lists, but at much lower risk.  There is in fact a good chance you'll end up with both Russian ships for the second round and thereafter.

[APolaris]

Because, smith, of the exact reason I just mentioned, which people seem to forget an awful lot: SUBS CAN'T FIRE AT PLANES! If you throw the transport in the attack, you're throwing in the ability to take an extra hit... you're also throwing in the German sub actually being able to fire and hit the transport, making the entire point a waste. If you attack a sub & transport with planes only, all that's able to hit the planes is the transport. Why not take the advantage of rendering a sub useless besides as cannon fodder, and why throw in something that allows them to actually fire at it? Yeah, you're giving yourself twice the number of hits before your plane gets taken down... you're also tripling your opponent's hit rate until such time comes as the transport is lost.

[AgentSmith]

If you throw the transport in the attack, you're throwing in the ability to take an extra hit... you're also throwing in the German sub actually being able to fire and hit the transport, making the entire point a waste.

Ahh this explains much of your confusion.

If you attack a sub & transport with planes only, all that's able to hit the planes is the transport.

Even if you attack with a ship though all that can be hit is the trannie.  Why is this, because of rolling by columns.  The rules actually state that the defender has to roll his lowest numbered dice first, in this case a transport.  Should this ship hit, and you logically kill your transport then the sub cannot fire back as all that remains are planes.

Why not take the advantage of rendering a sub useless besides as cannon fodder, and why throw in something that allows them to actually fire at it? Yeah, you're giving yourself twice the number of hits before your plane gets taken down... you're also tripling your opponent's hit rate until such time comes as the transport is lost.

Like I said if you observe the column rolling procedure this will not happen, but sending two planes against a trannie sub is very risky.  I would assume that the trannie will get two shots and therefore has about ~30% chance of hitting a plane 1-(5/6 X 5/6).  The chances of two transport shots both missing.  This is frankly not how I would like to start a game on R1.

[Cmdr Jennifer]

I actually prefer to take the risk.  For one, your odds of killing the Spanish sub increase dramatically with the addition of a tranny for cannon fodder, and if neither die, at least you get a shot at any attacking German fighters.

Also, you have a 50% chance of hitting with both attacking fighters in the Baltic while the Germans only have an 18% chance of hitting anything on round one.  Even if there is a round two, that chance is only raised by 12% to 30%.  

But unlike most, my goal isn't to get the non-threatening transport, I want the submarine.  I want to hinder their chance of killing any British units I can.  Although, I'd prefer to take the cannon fodder (transport) as well, if possible.

[AgentSmith]

Also, you have a 50% chance of hitting with both attacking fighters in the Baltic while the Germans only have an 18% chance of hitting anything on round one.

Actually you have only a 25% chance of getting two hits, and also the same odds for no hits.

I actually prefer to take the risk. For one, your odds of killing the Spanish sub increase dramatically with the addition of a tranny for cannon fodder, and if neither die, at least you get a shot at any attacking German fighters.

Well if you want to make Germany spend a ftr to kill the NorthSea fleet on G1 then my way does that as well, but with virtually no risk to air.  Further the odds of actually getting the spanish sub don't increase any as it must be assumed that it will retreat after the first round of combat

But unlike most, my goal isn't to get the non-threatening transport, I want the submarine. I want to hinder their chance of killing any British units I can. Although, I'd prefer to take the cannon fodder (transport) as well, if possible.

I wouldn't call the transport non threatening.  In fact depending on the bid the use of this unit could be the difference between life and death in Karelia.

[Cmdr Jennifer]

I meant that each fighter has a 50% chance of a hit.  You really only need one, IMO. (sorry, I just plain dont see that transport as a threat.  it's only 1 tank or 2 infantry!)  Besides, the UK can take it out later.

And yea, I conceed that you might still loose the sub in spain.  So perhaps dumping that tranny on Canada would be better.

I'm still not going all out with Russia as mentioned in post 1.  Although, I was thinking about it, and it is a good way to reduce the number of units on the board, dramatically.  Perhaps a way to open Finland or E. Euro up for an invasion sooner by the allies?  (BTW, unless I can get ��� fighters, I don't like to attack with my eastern russian forces.  If I can get ��� fighters, I'll sacrifice 7 infantry and a tank just to get 1 or 2 enemy fighters!)