• Sponsor

    Besides the standard, Normandy/France/Yugoslavia/110/111/112 attacks and the Finland/Bulgaria walks; I am considering (for my axis this weekend) a G1 Major IC in Romania for an early Barbarossa attack as early as G2, instead of a G1 navy purchase for Sea lion. Does anyone have experience with this strategy or any advise on the merits of doing this? Keep in mind that I am committed to attacking the Pacific Allies everywhere I can during J1.


  • Big fan of this strategy - your ticket into Russia. I have heard people arguing that its only 1 step closer to Russia and that you can build 10 inf for the same price and move them up in the same time it takes to build the IC and then produce there, but I’ve seen it work in practice and the real difference is made with tanks and mechs that can reach moscow and stalingrad in 2 turns. It may not help your initial stack but it does resupply that initial stack almost wherever it is in Russia with 10 mechs/tanks a turn EVERY single turn. You have some tired guys catching their breath in Bryansk or Belarus - WHAm there’s 10 bright new shiny tanks right out of the factory

  • Sponsor

    Do you think a minor IC for $12 is just as efficient for the money that can be saved?


  • As speed is key for Axis - I must admit that I’m more of a fan of building small ICs and then push tanks/mech out from them and then as I push forward - put down more small ICs to keep the flow coming.
    Did that with great success this weekend when I won an Axis OOB game.


  • Don’t think I agree - the major in Romania you can jot down right at the start of the game

    But minor IC’s on Russian territory take longer :1 turn to take the territory, 1 turn to build the IC, 1 turn to start production

    And I think a minor in Rom is less efficient: for any kind of Barbarossa you will need more than 3 tanks a turn. Which means that with a minor in Rom you will in addition to the 3 tanks produced there produce units in Germany as well. The units in Germany will then lag behind (i) to your initial front stack and (ii) to the reinforcements from Rom. If that happens I see players build tanks in Rom and mechs in Germany, because they need the tanks fire power at the front faster. Your attacking force becomes unbalanced and your expensive unprotected tanks will get smashed by the Russki airforce

  • Sponsor

    Sounds like a solid strategy. Two minor ICs are still $6 less that a Major. What territories did you build minor ICs in?

  • '12

    I think that the Major IC is only worthwhile if you are doing an “all-in” Barbossa strategy (one that does not involve buying a fleet with the Germans on G1).

    In our last game, the German player did a standard CV, 2 Transports buy with the Germans on G1 to force the UK to pull everything back in defense in London.  The second turn he bought a major IC in Romania and attacked Russia on G3.  While the Major IC was helpful, he used too many resources early game between the Fleet buy and the Major IC and was not able to topple Moscow before the US was fully in the war.

    I think that the Alpha 2 setup makes the Major IC buy helpful, but not necessary.  If you are aggressive with the Germans and capture the Minor ICs in Russia, you can pump out all the tanks that you need in the later turns with your newly captured IC’s.  Again, if you are going with a true Barbossa, I think that buying the Major IC is only worthwhile if you forgo buying any fleet on German G1.

  • Sponsor

    If you want a major IC G1, that’s all you will be getting. They cost $30 IPCs which is all Germany has to begin the game.

  • Customizer

    I often go with a Minor in Romania and a Minor in Norway.  This way the Finns are supplied in the north, the southern thrust is supplied by Romania and the Major in Berlin can supply the central thrust.  A Major in Romania, especially on G1, just seems to be too much.  While it would be nice to be able to pump out 10 units on the southern thrust, since I always seem to end up getting weak there because of the Russian IC in Ukraine, a Major IC down there is just too big an investment.  Plus, what if a Russian counterattack gets some lucky dice before you are able to start producing?  Then suddenly the RUssians have a Major IC on German territory.  Too risky.


  • the Russians can’t declare war on Germany though so that’s an unlikely scenario plus if they would take it, it would convert to a minor


  • 30 IPC’s is a lot. That is 30 infantry units built in Berlin that you can upgrade to Mech inf for the same price. Mech inf from Berlin will reach Moscow faster than regular inf from Romania.


  • @ozimek1:

    30 IPC’s is a lot. That is 30 infantry units built in Berlin that you can upgrade to Mech inf for the same price. Mech inf from Berlin will reach Moscow faster than regular inf from Romania.

    Exactly, and they can also change direction much faster when it is needed.

  • Sponsor

    @ozimek1:

    30 IPC’s is a lot. That is 30 infantry units built in Berlin that you can upgrade to Mech inf for the same price. Mech inf from Berlin will reach Moscow faster than regular inf from Romania.

    I like what your saying, I just don’t understand the math. In our games, infantry cost $3 each.


  • True, but only under the assumption that you will build inf in Rom, which doesnt make sense - if you build mechs in Rom they reach Moscow faster than mechs from Germany


  • @Trisdin:

    @ozimek1:

    30 IPC’s is a lot. That is 30 infantry units built in Berlin that you can upgrade to Mech inf for the same price. Mech inf from Berlin will reach Moscow faster than regular inf from Romania.

    I like what your saying, I just don’t understand the math. In our games, infantry cost $3 each.

    30 Inf + 1 Maj IC = 30 Mech

    And if mechs start from West Germany, even then they still arrive 1 turn faster in Moskou than INFs made in Rumenia. (not counting obstacles, of course)


  • @Trisdin:

    @ozimek1:

    30 IPC’s is a lot. That is 30 infantry units built in Berlin that you can upgrade to Mech inf for the same price. Mech inf from Berlin will reach Moscow faster than regular inf from Romania.

    I like what your saying, I just don’t understand the math. In our games, infantry cost $3 each.

    He means that you can buy 30 mech inf in Berlin for the cost of the IC in Romania and 30 normal inf with the added bonus of 2 space movement for the mech.
    Not quite sure what the point is other than 30 IPC for a IC is expensive and possible could be spend better.


  • @Piet:

    True, but only under the assumption that you will build inf in Rom, which doesnt make sense - if you build mechs in Rom they reach Moscow faster than mechs from Germany

    Not really,  :mrgreen:  at least not if you count the turn it takes to build the IC.


  • i have to agree to “special forces”. this major IC is waste of money. and: i think a lot of poeple underestimate the ability of the mechanized infantry to move two spaces.
    invest in mechanized infantry instead of a major or minor IC in romania.

  • '12

    The more games that I play, the more value I see in the Germans buying naval units in the Baltic sea to threaten the UK.  Even if you don’t go for an operation Sea Lion, I think that the fleet is helpful in keeping the UK off balance, and at the very least it helps facilitate a northern attack against the Russians on G3 (and it strengthens the Italian position in the med).

    I think that the benefits of buying naval units on G1 outweigh the advantage of the Major IC (and you only have the resources to do one or the other).  I think that the best bet is to buy fleet on G1 and mech inf on G2 to hit Russia on G3.

  • Customizer

    @Piet:

    the Russians can’t declare war on Germany though so that’s an unlikely scenario plus if they would take it, it would convert to a minor

    Ugh!  Yeah, I’m getting my rounds confused and forgot about the captured Majors reverting to Minors.  Still, even with a minor IC in Romania and if it was after round 4, if the Russians took it that would be a major blow to Germany.
    I agree with naval purchases on G1.  In my last game, I failed to completely destroy the Royal Navy and lost a lot of Luftwaffe.  What I did manage to do was kill the UK transports wo while they had warships, they had no way of getting troops over to Europe.  So, I stacked up on Denmark and hid my fleet behind the Denmark straight and used transports to ferry men and artillery to Norway instead of placing an IC there.
    Also, I didn’t place an IC in Romania and my southern army ended up getting creamed by a strong Russian force down there.  Fortunately, it cost the Russians a number of casualties and since my tanks and mechs from Berlin could reach, the Russians never made it past Bessarabia.  It took about 3 rounds, but I eventually cleared the Ukraine pockets and captured that IC.  A round or two later, Germany took Moscow and Stalingrad.  So maybe it’s best not to go the expense of an IC in Romania, especially not a Major.

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