Stalingrad good post we think alike. For italy I like to try and get to Iraq. Take the infantry there and add a minor IC. Take the No’s for middle east and march on Stalingrad from the south. Have Germany try and push South early with your transports head north to reinforce Finland. When the time is right push on Leningrad. Russia no longer has enough units to defend. Lights out. I agree with you if USA goes all out in the Pacific I can usually take down London and over time Italy and Germany will overwhelm Russia.
Buy mobile ground units (I prefer mechs only)
Take France and Normandy with all available ground and enough aircraft to ensure as little tank losses as possible (and no airplane losses).
Use remaining airforce, navy and subs to sink as much of the fleet around the British Isles as possible (use subs against the non-destroyer stacks when possible)
Move infantry and artillary from southern germany and at least one of the Romanian infantry into Yugo and retreat after first round of combat to Romania
Land 2 of the France attack planes in Italy to protect italian fleet.
Take Finland and Bulgaria.
This strategy neutralizes the immediate UK threat while setting you up for a G2 Barbarossa. Also, even without the additional German navy/transports, the UK player will need to spend some of their income to stop Sealion – the last time I used this strategy, the UK player saw my Barbarossa tell, went full into Africa on UK1, trusting on a lone surviving cruiser to stop Sealion. On I1, I flew my Italian airforce up and sunk the crusier, and I was able to take London G2 with a single loaded transport, battleship support and the remaining German airforce.
I have a question for all gamers regarding strategic bombing under Alpha 2. Germany attacks Russia from East Poland with 4 SBM’s supported by 2 fighter escorts. Russia puts two fighter interceptors. The rules state if the attacker(germany) get a hit with either its fighters or bombers with a (1) the interceptor is removed immediately. Thus, if Germany with 2 fighter escorts and 4 SBM’s scores 2 hits does that mean the escorts do not get to shoot back at (2). Or, if the german rolls snake eyes and hits both interceptors does this mean they are removed immediately before they can shoot at the german bombers?
Please help
Escorts fire before Interceptors, so the Interceptors would not get to fire, whether they hit or not.
Edit:
I’m sorry, I was not correct.
If the escorts get hits, those hits do not get returned. Escort casualties get removed immediately.
The Interceptors and Bombers fire simultaneously, so any Interceptors left after the Escorts fire will get to fire. Even if bombers hit, those leftover Interceptors get to fire back.
Thank you for that clarification
Dear Alsch91: I believe your comments about the Strategic Bombing and escorts and interceptors is incorrect. Alpha 2 Rules state that the interceptors are removed immediately, not the escorts.
Example: Germany with 3SBM and 6 fighter escorts vs UK with 6 fighters. German escorts fire at interceptors at 1 and achieve 2 hits (luck). Does this mean only 4 interceptors can fire at the bombers or still the 6 and the losses are taken after firing at the bombers? If so, why do the rules state remove the interceptor casualties immediately?
I understand your confusion, it’s simply strange wording that’s the issue.
In your scenario, it means that interceptors are the casualties, not casualties of the interceptors. Only 4 would get to fire back.
When I said “escort casualties”, I meant those planes that got hit by escorts - the interceptors.
Thank you all for your posts and strategies for Germany, I can’t wait to implement some of these fantastic moves. I’ve been away for a few days, but have read through all responses and have a much better idea of what can be done in the Global game.
You’re welcome!
If you try the strategy I outlined, please report the results - I think you’ll be happy. From what I’ve seen, it doesn’t matter if your opponent knows exactly what is coming - it is hard to stop.
Over this past weekend I learned in greater depth that one of the keys in Europe is understanding Italy’s support role - to vigorously protect the underbelly of Europe, help protect Normandy, and punch a few holes on the East Front for Germany… don’t get caught adventuring in any more than a token way in Africa… that was a mistake made by Mussolini, but you don’t have to! Look for the right time to evacuate your more expensive units to Europe - they’ll make the difference against Russia, but just get burned up for next to nothing in a fight for Africa. There’s just as much money to be had for Italy on Russian soil… I’m in a game right now where I pulled out of Africa completely at just the right time (around turn 6), and am still collecting around 25 IPCs per round with Italy (on turn 9) - 8 IPCs of which were once Russian territories. The simple trick is - Italy takes out a territory and Germany reinforces heavily. Repeat. Repeat. It takes a toll on Russia that Germany can’t accomplish alone.
Has anyone considered ignoring the British Atlantic navy? Instead of buying naval units, just getting more ground units and hitting Russia?
I am NOT endorsing this idea, I am just CONSIDERING it and THINKING about it.
Do you mean clearing out as much British navy as you can in the first couple rounds but not building any new German navy?
I think it’s absolutely worth consideration, and playtesting.
Do you mean clearing out as much British navy as you can in the first couple rounds but not building any new German navy?
I think it’s absolutely worth consideration, and playtesting.
No, I mean completely ignoring it and using your units to hit Russia early.
You could hit Baltic, E. Poland, Bessarabia, Bulgaria, Finland, SZ 115, Normandy, France and have your navy pretty safe in the Baltic.
Of course, I’d use the submarines to hit what I could since they cannot get somewhere safe really, but from then on it’s all about taking down Russia and building up airpower to keep the Allies out of Europe.
Of course, it probably won’t work, but I’d be interested in trying it.
oh, and one more thing, England’s going to consolidate, which means you could amass your units to hit them hard as well.
The idea would be to get:
Paris
Berlin
Warsaw
Rome
St. Petersburg
Stalingrad
Cairo
Moscow
and win. The only one you need to have fleet for is Cairo, and even then, you COULD (in theory) go through Turkey or Caucasus to get there if you had too.
I think you would be done pretty soon. As Britain I’d do Taranto, maybe Tobruk and have a stable landbridge by turn2. You’d probably loose Norway turn 1 if sinking the transports failed.
I don’t believe Germany could go fast enough into Russia and be able to defend against England in Mainland Europe. The Americans would not have to buy so many Warships and accordingly, would land with a very big army protected by British battleships and Acc.
I too thought about a Barbarossa turn 1 but IMO sinking as many Brits as possible is a must.
And turn one with only one Transport you cant really make a difference in Russia anyway. G1 2 trans and a Carrier is the better option IMO.
I tried to ignore the british fleet once, and it ended badly.
My Idea was the same, a Barbarossa in Turn 1, and buying all land stuff. The problem is that the first units you send to the east are lost due to Russian revenge round 1. I think it is better to consolidate your troops and attack Russia in turn 2. In that case you can take care of the british fleet.
Yeah, that would be a dream come true for UK. You go right on the offensive (instead of guarding against a possible SL). Your buying a carrier (instead of boring inf), and merging a hearty Atlantic fleet. Take out what you can of the Italian navy (UK1), because your Med fleet is now expendable. You could also just merge parts of your navy into sz 92 (UK1) to deliver a death blow to the entire Italian navy (UK2). The merger into 92 will also limit what Italy can do on IT1. I probably buy a tpt for S Africa to get more units to Egypt, Italy is of little threat to N Africa w/o fleet to back it up.
Taranto fails almot every time it’s tried. I am not sure why people are still recommending this. (3 fighters scramble from S. Italy drops your odds significantly and gives Italy the advantage there.)
@Cmdr:
Taranto fails almot every time it’s tried. I am not sure why people are still recommending this. (3 fighters scramble from S. Italy drops your odds significantly and gives Italy the advantage there.)
I totally agree with you Jennifer. Every time the UK has tried Taranto in our games, it ends up a dismal failure with UK losing all fleet and air power in the Med, especially in the Alpha+2 setup. Now, the UK often trounces the Italian force at Tobruk, but with the loss of fleet and air power, and Italy having 3 transports to shuttle men and equipment to Africa, Italy will quickly gain the upper hand and have the Med, all of North Africa and control of the Suez by round 3 or 4.
The only time Taranto was a “success”, England only had 1 Tac bomber left after the battle. That still leaves Italy with the 2nd fleet and really only delays them by 1 round, maybe 2.
Taranto was a success until people figured out they had to fly a couple German fighters down to S. Italy and that stopped it from working ever again.
Now, I do clear out the Italians in Toburk on a semi-routine basis, because it’s my best opportunity to hurt Italy. (All those units + no N. Africa NO + no Med NO + no Egypt trilogy NO) and like to bring what ships and planes I can into the Med so that Italy has to keep an eye on what they have defending those 3 transports. (Keep in mind, if London falls, America is in the war INSTANTLY which is a great deterant to a round 2 sea lion.)
@Cmdr:
Has anyone considered ignoring the British Atlantic navy? Instead of buying naval units, just getting more ground units and hitting Russia?
I am NOT endorsing this idea, I am just CONSIDERING it and THINKING about it.
Hey, I did this already and it was one of my most SPECTACULAR STRATEGY FAILURES EVER, PERIOD. :cry: If my memory serves me correctly my opponent was landing 8 UK units a turn into Europe on UK 3 (plus, the UK had a crap load of bombardments to boot). That did not yield very good results for my Barbarossa campaign.
I don’t know if you have to buy a lot of fleet, but at a minimum, I will always kill what I can on G1 and buy some subs (if not planes) to keep the UK fleet in check for at least a moderate amount of time.
