How will Rommel get to Africa?

[Make_It_Round]

@SAS:

Guess they won’t be able to do much more than provide air support until they can build/capture an IC on the coast.  Anyway, I think that even if Germany can’t start putting land units in Africa until turn 4 that they should be able to at least form the rear guard for the Italians in holding off the Americans so the Italians can keep pushing into Africa.

Yeah, it’s important to remember that the US will, in most cases, be doing nothing in Africa until turn 4 (with a competent Japanese player resisting attack).

It’s doubtful the UK will have much in the way of starting attack forces in Egypt, either, which means it’ll probably be a stalemate between the Brits and the Italians until the Germans and/or Americans arrive to tip the balance one way or the other.

[Fishmoto37]

@Brain:

Well now we definitely need and Axis and Allies North Africa game.

YES

[Guest]

I guess Graziani will have to take Rommel’s place.

[Bigtiti]

i really think that’ll be the way
italy buys the transports and protecting navy, germany shuffles troosp from germany to italy to be loaded in those italian transports

[WILD BILL]

@Frontovik:

i really think that’ll be the way
italy buys the transports and protecting navy, germany shuffles troosp from germany to italy to be loaded in those italian transports

G1-move German ground units to coast
G2-load Germans on to Italian transport
I2-move Italian transport to Africa
G3-unload German units in Africa

Italy will need to buy more transports beginning rd #1, so it can still maneuver its own units, as well as the German ground forces. This could require Italy to split its navy, which could be risky. In the mean time Germany should look for a place to build a minor IC on the Med that will produce units by rd #4 or #5, so it doesn’t have to rely on Italy. It would be good if that IC could also aid in invasion of Russia. Turkey is looking very tempting. Germany should be able to invade by land from Bulgaria via Istanbul across the straight. It would also unlock the Black sea for amphib. The Med will have a whole new level of strats, it going to be really cool working those out.

[Fishmoto37]

@Brain:

I guess Graziano will have to take Rommel’s place.

NEVER

[Guest]

@Fishmoto37:

@Brain:

I guess Graziano will have to take Rommel’s place.

NEVER

The new desert fox:

Graziani, Rodolfo Marquis, Marshal of Italy

[finnman]

@WILD:

@Frontovik:

i really think that’ll be the way
italy buys the transports and protecting navy, germany shuffles troosp from germany to italy to be loaded in those italian transports

G1-move German ground units to coast
G2-load Germans on to Italian transport
I2-move Italian transport to Africa
G3-unload German units in Africa

Italy will need to buy more transports beginning rd #1, so it can still maneuver its own units, as well as the German ground forces. This could require Italy to split its navy, which could be risky. In the mean time Germany should look for a place to build a minor IC on the Med that will produce units by rd #4 or #5, so it doesn’t have to rely on Italy. It would be good if that IC could also aid in invasion of Russia. Turkey is looking very tempting. Germany should be able to invade by land from Bulgaria via Istanbul across the straight. It would also unlock the Black sea for amphib. The Med will have a whole new level of strats, it going to be really cool working those out.

Turkey will be a great spot for an IC. It could send units to the eastern front or invade the middle east. It could also build a mediterain fleet. PLus it will be worth a nice pile of resources.

[Danger Mouse]

Possibly so, but think about how long it will take to get troops to Turkey, and then build an I.C. there.  Russia is probably going to be a tough customer so I’m not sure if Germany is going to have time to invade.  Think about how much Germany is going to have to prepare for its war with Russia in terms of units considering the size Russia will probably be in this game.  If Pacific 40’ is any indicator on the size of Russia then Germany is in for at least a four turn march to Moscow which means they are going to have to hold off America and the U.K. in the west until turn 8 at least!  I think extra IPC’s for invading Turkey and building a complex there are a luxury, and if Turkey ends up like Mongolia there won’t be any territorys worth 2 IPC’s making it impossible to build one.

Who can say really what will happen, and after the J1 DOW debacle for Pacific 40’ perhaps the Germans will be able to invade Brtiain on G1 and ruin that game.

[idk_iam_swiss]

I can actually see that happening…

[Guest]

The only way you would send Germans to Africa is if Italy can not send enough troops on their own.

[maverick_76]

What happened was I believe they came through Greece, using Italy’s navy.

[Fishmoto37]

@Brain:

@Fishmoto37:

@Brain:

I guess Graziano will have to take Rommel’s place.

NEVER

The new desert fox:

Graziani, Rodolfo Marquis, Marshal of Italy

I may never play Axis&Allies again.

[Guest]

@Fishmoto37:

I may never play Axis&Allies again.

Don’t kid yourself. You know you will.

[Fishmoto37]

@Brain:

@Fishmoto37:

I may never play Axis&Allies again.

Don’t kid yourself. You know you will.

Your right Brain, I just had a fit of deep depression. I will probably play AA50 tomorrow. I have been playing a series of practice games of scenario #1 to see if I can find a way to fix the China problem.

[Guest]

The way to solve the problem would be to have Italy and Germany move together and have the ability to use each others transports.

[idk_iam_swiss]

We call that 1942 edition….

[WILD BILL]

@Danger:

Who can say really what will happen, and after the J1 DOW debacle for Pacific 40’ perhaps the Germans will be able to invade Brtiain on G1 and ruin that game.

With US and Russia not able to attack until rd #4 (unless provoked) the Euro axis only have two enemies. The first one (France) should fall rd #1 for the most part. That leaves UK on an island by itself for the next 3 rds (how it was in the war). I could see many of the UK Euro possessions being taken, including a possible Sea Lion. Why wouldn’t the axis try to take its enemies down one at a time early on when the are isolated. Having said that, Germany better be ready for Russia by land, and US by sea, because they will be coming hard. Even if Germany takes England will they have enough forces to keep it, and push into Russia?

So I don’t think that if London is lost by rd #4-5, that its game over. It will also be interesting to see if a J1 attack is as good a play in global, as it might put an end to any Sea Lion attempt, or keeping your enemies isolated early on.

**Also I wonder if a German invasion of a true neutral (Turkey) would void the Russia can’t attack til rd #4 thing (like a Jap unprovoked attack on UK allows US to enter the war early). Just a thought, any of the true neutrals could be thrown in to keep them off limits early in the game.

[idk_iam_swiss]

Cool idea. but that really depends on Turkeys IPC value

[Make_It_Round]

@WILD:

With US and Russia not able to attack until rd #4 (unless provoked) the Euro axis only have two enemies. The first one (France) should fall rd #1 for the most part. That leaves UK on an island by itself for the next 3 rds (how it was in the war). I could see many of the UK Euro possessions being taken, including a possible Sea Lion. Why wouldn’t the axis try to take its enemies down one at a time early on when the are isolated. Having said that, Germany better be ready for Russia by land, and US by sea, because they will be coming hard. Even if Germany takes England will they have enough forces to keep it, and push into Russia?

So I don’t think that if London is lost by rd #4-5, that its game over. It will also be interesting to see if a J1 attack is as good a play in global, as it might put an end to any Sea Lion attempt, or keeping your enemies isolated early on.

True. It might turn out to be like the scenario in Pacific 40: the game only gets interesting once India falls (there’s never any question of if it will fall; it surely will if the Axis want it).

On the other hand, Larry has stated that the game starts post-Dunkirk, so there’ll probably be a stack of 10 infantry or so to represent the 300,000 men that were successfully evacuated from France, as well as 6 or 7 fighters to represent the air squadrons that Churchill held back for the Battle of Britain. It’ll be well-defended, and will probably only provide a pyrrhic victory–or a complete rout–for Germany (if the playtesters have done their jobs well).

I’m also interested in the apparent conflict of interest that seems to be shaping up between the Axis powers in Global 40: Japan presumably can’t wait to nail the Allies, and will want to strike on J1, but Germany will probably need until G3 to contain the UK and France before the US gets involved. There’ll be some <ahem>heated negotiations, I’m sure, between the Axis players as to when it’s in their mutual interest to take the plunge into total war (default compromise = G2 attack?). To make matters even more interesting, the Soviet Union will be sitting there like a ticking time bomb, getting bigger and meaner with each passing round… brilliant!

To bring it back on topic, though, I suppose we should discuss the role of the Italians in all of this. They’ll have the biggest Axis navy on the board, so if Sea Lion’s going to work G2 or G3, they’ll need the Italians to help out with that, providing cover for their fleet of transports and giving the option of a possible follow-up attack on London. But this will mean abandoning the Italian national objectives in the Med, and more naval purchases = fewer land purchases to help out with the USSR. Plus! The French navy will still be in existence (there’s no Vichy rule to switch them into Axis units; they’ll stay Allied), as will many elements of the British navy: it’ll probably take a few turns to fight through those units, and then another turn to secure Gibraltar (it now needs to be taken over to leave/enter the Med). Therefore, I think it’ll be I3 or I4 before the Italians will be able to get anywhere near the UK; by which time the US will have entered the war, and will presumably be flying tons of fighters and bombers across the Atlantic to help stabilize the situation. By this time, the Brits will be running wild in Africa and the Middle East, and the growing threat of the USSR will not have been adequately checked. To sum up: a dedicated Sea Lion strategy against competent Allied players sounds (in theory, at least) like a complete disaster for the Axis in this game.

Which means: Italy will need to stay focussed on Africa and the Middle East (for lack of a better strategic target), and Germany will have nothing better to do than help Italy get stronger while building up to take out the USSR.

So: How will Rommel get to Africa?</ahem>