• Since “we” are having an India I.C. conversation, I figured the South Africa I.C. conversation would be a good one. Cecrowca points out on the other thread that he would regroup into south africa if india were not an option. I assume that that is if one wants to play with an I.C., which is often fun to do. One of the more amusing options if you wish to keep your sanity playing the allies in 2nd edition with no bid.

    Anyhow, I have never really seen the point of an african I.C. Sure if germany is sitting around in africa this will pretty much allow you to take it back. However, taking africa back should not be that hard. Even with a power africa bid, it will probably be taken back eventually.

    Honestly I haven’t given it much thought, as I have always discarded it as an effective idea. Maybe others can enlighten me on the prospect of it. When I look at the board, I just can’t convince myself that there aren’t much more effective ways to accomplish whatever it is a SA IC is supposed to do.


  • Every time i saw an southern african IC is when germany as half of africa (and secure it) and/or put an IC in Egypt. In both case an SA IC always made the job to retake all of Africa but it’s become really useless when it’s done (4-5 turns max)


  • W. Africa is just as close to Egypt as S. Africa. I’d rather buy two transports as UK and take Africa back from there than buy a S. Africa factory. The transports are more useful.


  • I haven’t explored a South Africa strategy in as much detail as I should. Primarily its goal is to quickly cancel any attempt by Germany to gather IPCs in Africa, which to me suggests hastening Germany’s fall quickly enough that Japan cannot compensate. That’s a sufficient end in itself.

    A fleet of transports ready to cross from South Africa to India, threatening an expanding Japan’s flank could be interesting. On the flip side, Africa becomes fairly well protected against an aggressive Japan. Tanks via the Suez canal can also hinder Japanese expansion.


  • Out of curiosity, is this with just plain old 2nd edition a&a, or is there any sort of power africa (or any) bid in play?


  • @Cecrowca:

    A fleet of transports ready to cross from South Africa to India, threatening an expanding Japan’s flank could be interesting.  On the flip side, Africa becomes fairly well protected against an aggressive Japan.  Tanks via the Suez canal can also hinder Japanese expansion.

    S. Africa only has an IPC of 2.  It would take a LONG time for UK to build up enough naval and transportable forces at 2 a round to create any real threat to Japan; and then they would still have 2 moves to reach any original Japan territory.

    And all the time UK is building navy and “transportables” in South Africa, Germany is running rough-shod over Russia.

    The simple fact is that the cost to build the IC, and then the cost and time to develope it simply DO NOT EXIST if the Axis is being played by even a slightly competant gamer.

    UK has ONE job, and ONLY one job:  Batter the heck out of Germany, no matter what.  Anything less, and Russia falls, and then it is just a matter of time for US and UK.

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