This is for NO BID players
We find that the combination on UK1 usually consists of Taranto, Tobruk (if available) and activating Persia.
As such
Taranto
Bmr, 2 ftrs London >SZ97 use AC in 98 if needed
Tac, DD, CR SZ98 > SZ97
ftr Malta > SZ 97
74% win with full 3 ftr scramble from S. Italy, BB, CR SZ 97
Tobruk only if available (UK CR in 91 alive)
CR, ftr Gib > SZ 96
95% win with Italian DD
Art, inf Egypt via TT to 96 >Tobruk
2 inf, art, armor Alexandria > Tobruk
mech Egypt > Tobruk
66% win its iffy but worth it.
Activate Persia
Art from india pick up inf w. India
Move CR to 80 move BB to 79 for Iraq bombard next turn.
This has pretty much neutered Italy for the long term in practically 80% of our games. Ethiopia or Iraq gets slammed in the following round.
Non Combat
UK places blockers in Kenya and Anglo Egypt Sudan, DD SZ71 > SZ 81
Everything else lands in the usual places. AC retreats if needed.
USSR has a lot more options in our NO BID game.
We push into China which allows our USA player a bit of room and frustrates Japan. Suiyuyan becomes a base of operations for the the final push to Manchuria with all of the Amur joining in. Use the chinese to can open so you don’t upset the mongolians. Read pg 39 of the AAP40 rule book 3rd paragraph last sentence
So if the Chinese can get Manchuria you can non combat in there and blast infantry all the way to Shanghai.
UK sends Ftrs to Moscow via Persia. We usually only send the Buryatia inf west as they are the only ones who can really make it in time to do anything R6. At that point Germany is probably about to siege Moscow.
With the massive impending American landing becoming a reality Germany always begins to contemplate a big troop purchase. Italy is never a factor after about one can opener because they get bombed by USA from Algeria. Most of this strategy relies on the fact that the USA commits early to the European theater with an occasional submarine purchase in W. USA. Yes, Japan becomes a monster but with a little help from the USSR when needed, China can cause major problems and keep the India crush as a non starter along with the USA subs. Japan can be reduced to trying to get mainland asia back.
We borrowed/modified some stuff from Young Grasshopper’s strategies and played around with it bit and made it just a smidge better (read as more effective) in our opinion.
Thoughts? Please feel free to poke holes in this as it help me to find counter attacks that I haven’t seen or thought of