• '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I used to be of the impression that Germany needs to focus on Infantry only for a few rounds, but I’ve recently changed my mind.  What do you guys think of this?

    (Assuming 0 IPC bid for cash on G1.)

    G1: 40 IPC = 8 infantry (24), 4 Artillery (16)
    G2: 42 IPC = 9 Infantry (27), 3 Armor (15)
    G3: 46 IPC = 10 Infantry (30), 4 Artillery (16)

    That’s infantry every round, enough to replace losses, but it also adds in just a few more tanks to improve the ratio and punch a bit and a lot more artillery to massivly increase punch.

    I’m of course asssuming that on G1 germany gets Karelia and Egypt but is down W. Russia and on G2 Germany gets a significant portion of Africa as well as Karelia to get her up to 46.  Those numbers may not be 100% accurate all the time, but they seem to be close to “normal” in traditional games.

    And no, I am NOT a proponent of the German carrier.  It’s like throwing away 16 IPC you KNOW is going to get sunk.  You never use it for attack because it hits on a one only.  Defense is okay, but honestly, England and America are perfectly content with walking around the Baltic sea.  Even iwth the fleet in SZ 5 sunk, they usually walk around SZ 5 anyway preferring to stage in Norway over Karelia.


  • Honestly I rarely purchase ART.  for some reason I always see land units in terms of ARM for offense and INF for defense.  Those purchase look good but I would probably be inclined to buy more tanks.

  • 2007 AAR League

    I would go without the armor and just purchase inf/art in round 2. The frontlines aren’t going to move quickly so unless you are able to take and hold Belo, Kar, or Ukr in force and extend you reach toward Cauc, Arch, or WR then armor isn’t neccessary yet. Since you won’t be contesting the Baltic, then your entire airforce and the 4-6 armor Germany will most likely have in the eastern front will provide more than enough support. Once Western is secure I would move the Southern built units to Germany before moving east. That will give you around 13 or so units plus a couple fighters for defense rotating with the advanced fighters, to keep them all working on offense too, will provide enough defense to ward off any thought of Allied invasion through sz5.

  • 2007 AAR League

    It will vary greatly depending on when you plan on attacking.  If you are not bleeding off your infantry stacks by strafing, then you want to continue building both offensive (art/arm) and defensive units (inf).  But if you are planning on strafing (or expecting to get strafed) then anticipating that with a pre-emptive all-inf build a few turns before the strafe will go a long way to preserving your front lines.


  • I only buy ART as an offensive unit to boost the INF stats. My rule of thumb for Germany and Russia is to buy no Less than 6 or 7 INF per turn then accessorize with what ever is left.

    -LT04


  • wow…I’m ths same way LT04.  I oscilate between 6 and 8 inf every turn and buy some fun toys with the change.


  • Some rounds I just buy the 8 INF keep the change for bigger toys the next round.  8-)

    -LT04


  • i’ve done that on occasion but very rarely.


  • I get get to extravagant, the biggest thing I would save up for would be a FTR.  :? your probably looking at me funny asking why couldn’t Germany afford a fighter. Well I use this method for Russia as well.

    -LT04


  • the thing Ive done, and only once or twice but it can be fun…i ssave some money and just keep putting it away and save it for one massive counter-attack or offensive when the allied player starrts focusing somewhere else.

  • 2007 AAR League

    If you put units on the board right away using all your money it would probably be more productive … there is also a build limit so you wouldn’t be able to place that many more units anyway


  • I think the only countries the build limit would hurt would be UK, and Japan b/c Germany, Russia and US all have two tandem IC’s. I have found for Germany its a good secret weapon to put money away for a rainy day fund. I do this b/c the Allies are all over and around you when you start and have eyes on your every move, but when you save up here and there and buy 4 CV after already have the standing AF its fun to watch the allied players s*** their pants when they see an instant Navy just add water.  :evil:

    -LT04

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I purchase the tanks in Round 2 because I assume that I’ll lose infantry garrisoning forward territories and taking forward territories and I want to keep more infantry then artillery - since they’re cheaper.  Meanwhile, tanks add a significant boost to offense and defense (on paper.  In reality they’re about as effective as my fighters are, which si, not at all.)

  • 2007 AAR League

    I’ll agree with U-505, an art purchase is better than an arm purchase in this scenario.  Dollar for dollar art actually defends almost as well as arm and offensively art (combined with if) attacks better than arm (combined with inf) dollar for dollar.  If you don’t need the mobility of arm (and you shouldn’t early in the game with GER) then art is a better offensive purchase to bolster your inf.


  • Artillery are not all that great on offense, because they do not offer the hitting power and skew and flexibility of infantry and tank based forces.

    For example, if you have 10 infantry 5 artillery, or 10 infantry 4 tanks, one has a punch of 25, the other a punch of 22.

    However, once the FIRST force loses five infantry, it starts losing 2 punch with every casualty.  The second force only loses 1 punch with every casualty until after ten infantry are lost.

    Also, tanks are far more flexible, and can move faster.

    I generally do not see more than about six or seven German artillery as useful, because I can’t keep enough infantry alive to keep that many artillery useful.

    Also, at some point, I am pumping out mostly tanks with Germany.  Steady stream of inf/artillery do NOT offer flexibility, unless you have a load of transports, which I usually do NOT have with Germany.  Tanks let me switch my attacks around, and ALSO let me reinforce the front line faster.

  • 2007 AAR League

    True dat.  But an early Germany already has many arm and fighters for good skew.  I’m not saying don’t buy arm, but early on I think art is as useful to GER as arm is.


  • I can now see the early ART purchases.  You don’t want to over extend yourself too early as Germany and builds of INF and ART assure that doesn’t happen.  Once you have the infantry I would recommend tanks for versitility.  Their ability to move 2 spaces means you can pretty much bounce them from front to front, wherever the Allies are building up.


  • ART alone aren’t the best option I think I use to to aid the INF on an advance to make their stats equal to defending INF stats.

    -LT04


  • see, i personally feel that if germany can’t destroy russia, or least take out the vast majority of russia, they are NEVER going to be able to win…

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    Combined punch is really only valuable for LL.  I like to do segregated punch.  How many of my shots are 2 or less?  How many 3 or less?

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