G2 Karelia Smash

[Butcher]

Do you set up for an attack against Karelia on G2 that the Soviet Union can’t defend? I normally set up a G2 attack, but I find that it limits other options (i.e. bomber can’t be used to attack SZ2). I was just wondering if the income in a NO game makes setting up the attack worth it, along with preventing Russia from building there for a turn.

[Octopus]

The G2 smash is a reason why I do not go for the Ukraine on turn 1.

I keep enough armor in play that can get to Karelia if necessary. That move typically forces the Russian player to withdraw his units (from Karelia) leaving only an infantry or two to deal with.

What this does is allows Germany to take Karelia with a minor group that won’t get trapped in the north.

Anytime you can take a territory with minimal force (which also means minimal loss) it is a strategic victory.

[bugoo]

And this is why I prefer a UK buy on turn 1 of AC, 2-3 transports and leave my ruskies inside of Kar.  That way even though G can take it on turn 2, the russians will start to push hard in the south or toward India while the UK destroys your tank stack on UK2.  The only way setting up for a heavy hit into Karelia is worth it for G2 is if the Russians are foolish enough to abandon it.

[Gargantua]

If you’re gonna setup for anything, setup to give yourself thr maximum amount of options.

Group the bulk of your armor in EPL,

from here you are always in the possible position of blitzing KAR, CAU, and RUS.  Not to mention if you can keep enough units coming, always able to keep your 2nd NO.

This puts the russians in very awkward positions, he cant lose his little battles, or he’s exposed, and he has to defend all of his factories at the same time, with a stack equal to your stack.

This also means then that more of his infantry are forced to attack, and then exposed to overwelhming counter attack (if you can spare a fgt or bmb or 2) in which you usually come out a few IPCS ahead.

Couple this with Italian support, and you can punch holes for your German armor all day long.

even if dice turn bad for you, and you never get an open break for a factory in the east. you’ve managed to keep the war that much farther away from Berlin, for that much longer.