• I was planning on different ways to create a train of transports from the US mainland to Western Europe and got to wondering about something.

    Is it better to have 2 large waves of 6 transports landing in Europe every other round. Or 4 smaller waves of 3 transports that land every round? Maybe the US could afford to refill 16 transports instead of 12 if the Pacific was going really well but the question remains, is a larger invasion force better than more numerous smaller forces?

    I’m leaning towards 2 large waves for the following reasons:

    1. Fewer groups of transports needing protection.
    2. Allows for more intensive Pacific buys on the “off-rounds” not spent on filling transports. This allows for navy in the Pacific to move in force and not get picked off so easily.
    3. Allows the UK a round to build up so they can put a full load of troops in with the Yanks. In 1 round the UK can fill around 4 transports (6 inf, 2 art, 1 tnk = 32 IPC’s) but that doesn’t leave any room for additional navy/airforce or units in South Africa. And the UK isn’t necessarily going to be making 32 IPC’s either.
    4. Adding AA guns to larger forces would wear down the Luftwaffe faster since for smaller forces Germany is less likely to use their planes.

    So what do you think?


  • My plan

    Move units from Novia scotia and move them to the UK.

    You need 16 transports

    Move 8 transports fully loaded from Nos-UK Next turn Move the 8 trans plus some fleet to z110 make sure the Brits have fighters ready to scramble or use your own and make sure you can defend z110 it is the key. Then on the same turn move 4 fully loaded transports from NOS-UK then next turn move those back and then move the other 4 fully loaded to UK and vice versa. Every turn move units from EUS-NOS to be picked up. Then bridge them to Normandy every turn

  • '10

    @The:

    You need 16 transports

    Move 8 transports fully loaded from Nos-UK Next turn Move the 8 trans plus some fleet to z110 make sure the Brits have fighters ready to scramble or use your own and make sure you can defend z110 it is the key. Then on the same turn move 4 fully loaded transports from NOS-UK then next turn move those back and then move the other 4 fully loaded to UK and vice versa. Every turn move units from EUS-NOS to be picked up. Then bridge them to Normandy every turn

    In that scenario you would only need to send 4 transports on the initial move (the ones that will end up at sz110) since you will only ever be landing 4 transports worth of units in the UK on each turn.  Although, having more there would be beneficial if you plan to do larger invasions later in the game.


  • Yes but 8 means you can bridge more units to normandy


  • @The:

    You need 16 transports

    Move 8 transports fully loaded from Nos-UK Next turn Move the 8 trans plus some fleet to z110 make sure the Brits have fighters ready to scramble or use your own and make sure you can defend z110 it is the key. Then on the same turn move 4 fully loaded transports from NOS-UK then next turn move those back and then move the other 4 fully loaded to UK and vice versa. Every turn move units from EUS-NOS to be picked up. Then bridge them to Normandy every turn

    Interesting, I didn’t think of using stationary transports in sz110 to bridge. That’s a bit more graceful than the plan I had. Although as Sime points out you would need 8 transports in sz106 and sz109 to shuttle enough units to fully use all of the initial 8 American transports. Unless you were going to use British troops, might be useful if all of the UK’s transports got destroyed.

    It would be difficult for the US to field 8 transports worth per turn though (8 inf + 5 art + 3 tnk = 62 IPC’s). 4 or 5 transports would seem right to me with the above setup. That still leaves enough extra cash for navy and airforce.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    1. Fewer groups of transports needing protection.

    This is almost never a problem,  by the time the U.S. get’s going, it’s not like you have swaths of German subs and aircraft to get worried about.

    And making sure you move every possible unit including your aa guns - as you mentioned is crucial.


    In all honesty,  why bother with a shuck that does ANYTHING but land in gibraltar?  In Gibraltar you can base planes with the Airbase, and have Scramble protection for Free,  you are also at a naval base with insta-return home,  you threaten  an Axis Capital,  and threaten 7 traditionally axis held european territories including denmark, excluding rome.

    Your naval elements defending your transports are also in strategic positions to strike against any mainstream axis naval movements, particularily Italian fleet, AND! You are always in position to open the Denmark door for the British to make the capital grab of Berlin.  Don’t forget, from Gibrlatar you can cancel the Sweden NO, the Morocco/Tunisia etc NO, the clear med NO, and possibly the 3 of GIB/GRE/SFR/EGY NO.

    There is no reason to do this differently. Reinventing the wheel here isn’t going to score you an extra INCH!


  • @Gargantua:

    In all honesty,  why bother with a shuck that does ANYTHING but land in gibraltar?  In Gibraltar you can base planes with the Airbase, and have Scramble protection for Free,  you are also at a naval base with insta-return home,  you threaten  an Axis Capital,  and threaten 7 traditionally axis held european territories including denmark, excluding rome.

    Your naval elements defending your transports are also in strategic positions to strike against any mainstream axis naval movements, particularily Italian fleet, AND! You are always in position to open the Denmark door for the British to make the capital grab of Berlin.  Don’t forget, from Gibrlatar you can cancel the Sweden NO, the Morocco/Tunisia etc NO, the clear med NO, and possibly the 3 of GIB/GRE/SFR/EGY NO.

    There is no reason to do this differently. Reinventing the wheel here isn’t going to score you an extra INCH!

    Going via Gibraltar does make a lot of sense. The only reason you may not is if you can’t keep sz91 and sz110 safe. Or Italy can do an amphibious assault on Gibraltar to mess up your flow. But usually Italy is taken care of by the time you start invading.


  • until I have landed in force and hold Normandy permanently, I don’t send any transports back to N.America.  A transport for every two ground units!  No Shuck.

    Humondo Ginormous transport fleet!!!

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    The only reason you may not is if you can’t keep sz91 and sz110 safe. Or Italy can do an amphibious assault on Gibraltar to mess up your flow.

    The intention is to have the Italians focusing their resources TOWARDS America, as oppossed to the middle east.

    until I have landed in force and hold Normandy permanently, I don’t send any transports back to N.America.  A transport for every two ground units!  No Shuck

    Crazy talk! :p  Holding Gibraltar maybe,  but Normandy?  Please.

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    With all this cash going into Europe, what are you using to hold Japan at bay?

    16 Transports is 112 IPC and you need to fill those transports for a minimal cost of 48 IPC for one full load for a total of 160 IPC.  That’s America’s first three rounds + some of round 4.  You do not think Japan is just going to sit there and let you pummel Germany, right?  Not when I can deny you so many NOs in the Pacific if you do not fight me.  Philippines gone -5 NO, Alutians gone -5 NO, Hawaii gone -5 NO.  With no reinforcements to the fleet, this shouldn’t even make Japan break a sweat.  Add to that some ships in SZ 10 to Convoy W. USA and you are down 12 IPC in Convoy damage, down 15 IPC in NOs for a total loss of 27 IPC, a significant figure seeings as that is more than half of England makes, more than ANZAC’s income and more than Italy’s initial income.

    I’d have no problem dropping 6 submarines in SZ 10 if America is going after Germany.  Then, Germany really only has to turtle up to slow down the Allies with Italian reinforcements as can be spared to prevent the fall of either half of Germany while Japan makes a dash for the cash.


  • I never said I don’t spend any ipc’s in the Pacific.  I just choose not to shuttle transports back and forth.  Once they arrive in gibraltar, they remain.  What good is 30inf sitting in Gibraltar if only 10-12 can be mobilized for attack?  Works for me.  You guys go ahead and go with what works for you.

    That is how I roll.   :-P

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    So how much cash are you dedicating per round to the European theater?  I am just interested in how long it takes to get your equipment mobilized.  After all, if it takes 20 rounds to get set up because you only spent 8 IPC a round to the European front, it isn’t a really viable strategy.  If it takes 8 rounds, well, I have seen many a game conceed before 8 rounds.  England falls and there are no Americans to liberate, Russia falls, Italy falls, Japan is cleared out of the Pacific…so I would have to say to be viable to the size you want, I am envisioning having to spend = realistically = 40 IPC a round in the Atlantic leaving 12 IPC a round for the Pacific for the first four rounds.


  • On that note, I just conceded the game that prompted this post. Moscow was going to fall on round 6  :|

    I had opted for using a 4 transport shuck that would have allowed me to keep up naval production in the Pacific and applied some pressure in Europe but to no avail.


  • I can’t be so rigid as to give a specific dollar amount invested in each theater.  It all depends on what the axis do.  The axis have the innitiative after all, correct?  What I can say is whatever amount of ipc’s the USA dedicates towards the European theater you can be sure I will not be shuttleing transports.  Not in G40.

    again, “That is how I roll”  8-)

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    I was thinking some kind of round figure “half” " a third" etc…give or take, granted in base due to what the Axis do.  I am just thinking about feasibility, since Japan HAS to go navy in this game, it’s just not economic to ignore the pacific like it was in revised.


  • I don’t know, it all depends.  sometimes I might spend it all in the atlantic sometimes I may spend it all in the pacific.  It varies from turn to turn.  Like I said, it depends on which side I percieve to be the greater threat.  Once things are in hand I will try to flood one side or the other.  Then two or three turns later, start flooding the other theater with cash.  There are no absolutes.  disclaimer- you need not be a jedi to play the USA  8-)

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @M7574:

    I don’t know, it all depends.  sometimes I might spend it all in the atlantic sometimes I may spend it all in the pacific.  It varies from turn to turn.  Like I said, it depends on which side I percieve to be the greater threat.  Once things are in hand I will try to flood one side or the other.  Then two or three turns later, start flooding the other theater with cash.  There are no absolutes.  disclaimer- you need not be a jedi to play the USA  8-)

    No, all you really need to play America is a body temperature of about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.


  • I agree with Jen, the dilemma for the US is where to concentrate on the first 3 turns.  Having experimented with a J2 or J3 attack on the US fleet in the pacific, I am now reluctant to leave my US fleet anywhere near the possibility of attack on J2 or J3.  I move it to SZ64 (Panama) asap now and defend the west coast with ground/air units.  That way I save the pacific fleet and can build a reasonable task force in the atlantic to cause some havoc against the Germans/Italians.  Also if the jap fleet has gone hunting the US fleet, then I declare war on the japs with the UK/Anzacs and use my transports to take as many islands as possible which is great nuisance value (as well as generating more income for the allies) and turns the attention of the japs back to the DEI/Australia etc. I use the two turns it takes the jap fleet to get back into action (against the UK and Anzacs) to build some nice BB’s and CV’s for the yanks, join up with the intact pacific fleet and then off I go hunting.

    Its about buying time as the allies…do as much as you can to avoid engaging the japanese fleet too early, it is too strong.

    So to summarise, retreat the pacific fleet to safety, build in the atlantic the first 2 turns (2CV’s, a BB, 4 destroyers and 3 or 4 transports will do the job) and then concentrate on building up the pacific fleet thereafter.

    I target Norway (vide Gibraltar) as the yanks when possible in order to build a US factory on Germanys doorstep.  The atlantic build also gives the German player something to think about when considering sealion.

    Just my experiences.


  • No, all you really need to play America is a body temperature of about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

    That’s harder than you think.  :wink:

  • '18 '17 '16 '11 Moderator

    @anchovy:

    No, all you really need to play America is a body temperature of about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

    That’s harder than you think.   :wink:

    I shoulda said +/- 4 degrees. lol.

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