@Clyde85:
Not to be annoying, but I think we missed the point here, about an EARLY Barbarossa. Lets get past the G1 moves against the UK, and focus here, I for one have never been big on invading the UK, but I see the merrits in it.
Anyway, lets get to the meat of this and talk strats here for Barbarossa! I usually never play as the Germans but I still enjoy reading peoples ideas, if nothing else it helps me plan to play against such strategies. Since I have played a hell of alot more games as the Soviets then I have as the Germans, I’ll talk about it from that perspective.
On SU1, I buy 3 infantry, 3 arty, 2 tanks and a mech. Mind you this is barring a G1 attack. I will move the tank and mech from Stalingrad along with the tank and mech from Moscow and move them to Bryansk. the 2 infantry from the Cucasus to Rostov and the infantry from Archangel to Novgorod. Then I will do the very standared fall back from the borders, leaving 1 infantry in the Blatic states, E. Poland, Karelia and none in Vyborg. The karelian and Vyborg infantry go to Novgorod, the E. Poland and Blatic states go to Belarus, the Ukraine Infantry go to W. Ukraine. I place the 3 infantry in Novgorod, the 3 arty in Ukraine and the 2 tanks and mech in Stalingrad. Thats my opening as the SU, prepare a German counter gearing towards a G2 or G3 Barbarossa and lets get back on topic please
I don’t think the G1 attack is an option for Germany, then we are talking about a G2?
I’m having a hard time seeing how the early Barbarossa can work because ignoring UK navy in early rounds is really detrimental.
What I can see work is for Italy to declare war on Russia I2 and take baltic states with 2 tanks and strat bomber (assuming defense is light). On G3, Germany walks in Baltic States with everything (including planes, as necessary for defence) without declaring war to Russia (5 extra IPC) or declaring war on Russia (to destroy fleet)
Baltic states are a great place to consolidate. Any force that was sent to Karelia is trapped because needs to go back to Leningrad first to retreat. If the SU goes all out to defend Leningrad, then can attack it on G4 if odds are favorable. If odds are not favorable, Italy can open up Belarus on I3 and all German Mech Forces can roll to Smolensk, threatening just about everything.
Not mentioning that need to wait to G3 for mechanized forces in France to come back to Baltic States anyway!
So you can tell my italian plans involve moving the 2 tanks to Slovakia on their first turn.