New Italian Sculpts?

@Moxin The axis do have an advantage, but when you’re just starting out you only need a bit of help as the Allies to win, 12 or 16 bid

@Tolstoj:

Retreating to the Red Sea seems like a good option. The downside seems to me that Italy can block the British way into the Med. At Gibraltar British options seem more attractive:

1. Converging with the US fleet
2. Threatening to land in Italy or France
3. Pressure on the Italian fleet
4. Landing you airforce to help in the above mentioned

I agree. Add to that list that by bringing the planes closer to the UK you make Sea Lion a lot more difficult, which allows you to avoid “turtle infantry builds”.  The airbase at Gibraltar (depends on where the German air is located) has long term benefits. It’s a tremendous force multiplier (protects 91 and 92 with same units). You can reinforce Egypt immediately with air.

If Germany makes a build that isn’t suited to Sea Lion, then it seems better to simply strike 97 to finish the Italians (goes long way to secure Egypt) and scratch the German air force.

@daefish:

Okay so if I land US trooper on a land zone that has Italian troops on it and one german soldier but I’m not at war with Germany, this is not a valid combat move until I’m at war with Germany.

If US troops attacked an Italian territory that also has German units in it, you would basically be declaring war on Germany at that point. In land battles, all Allied units defend together so there is no way not to have war between US and Germany.
I think that going strictly by the rules you are supposed to declare war on a nation before making your combat move, but I think most players simply take the combat move as the DOW without making a formal declaration.
You have an interesting situation there with the US being at war with Japan and Italy but not Germany. I can’t help but wonder how well that would work if you kept it up, but I don’t think it would work out. Germany would simply put an extra infantry in each Italian territory and you would never be able to fight the Italians without attacking Germany as well. Then again, in most of our games, Germany and Italy are pretty separated. Italy usually goes up against the Brits in the Med and Africa while Germany dives into Russia.

I think UK should start with a fighter or Tac Bomber in Canada.
But we seem to be well beyond that.

Minor ICs can be built on any territory you control worth 2 IPCs or more.

I think attacking a strict neutral may become a late game move in which the other tt on the board are worthless to the outcome of a game that may end in 3-4 turns.

So do you have some fancy rule for Italy switching sides in the game? 
I understand the history, but not directly sure how that would work with a game.

In our house rules we let TAC bombers choose a target at -1 on the dice roll. He can chose to do so.

Cruisers defending can force their hit on an opponents aircraft (instead of, say, a hit on a battleship).