• Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    Fighters are great for defence, that’s no lie.  You want them, you need them, your allies can used them to help you in a quick pinch.

    But everyone forgets…  Infantry are the BEST Defence.  There is no unit is better.

    For the price of a fighter… 1 Hit Point… 1 dice at 4…

    3 infantry + save an IPC…  3 hit points,  3 dice at 2…

    Multiple this so it’s equal.

    3 fighters = 30 IPC’s   Total defence value  12.  Statistically 2 hits a turn,  with 3 hitpoints.

    10 Inf = 30 IPC’s  Total Defence Value = 20  Statistically 3.2 hits a turn with 10 hitpoints.

    A few fighters on top of a stack of infantry is a strong defense

    • This is Incorrect.

    a SUPER STACK of infantry, with no planes - per above, is an even STRONGER defence.

    The DIFFERENCE however, is all in the attack.  The mobility of the fighters, and their punch, is what gives them the edge.  You build fighters to attack, NOT to defend - though they obviously get used for that.  And of course, a good offensive leads to an easier defence - hence why you build however many fighters you NEED, as opposed to just a fighter a turn every turn.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    70 infantry, 2 tanks, 2 mechs, 1 tac bomber, and 8 fighters makes for a tough Moscow.

    96 Infantry, 2 tanks, 2 mecs + 1 tac,  save 2 IPC’s is a STRONGER defence.  :)

    (Yes I am aware some of your 8 fighters are the ones you start with - Just saying)

  • Sponsor

    @Gargantua:

    70 infantry, 2 tanks, 2 mechs, 1 tac bomber, and 8 fighters makes for a tough Moscow.

    96 Infantry, 2 tanks, 2 mecs + 1 tac,  save 2 IPC’s is a STRONGER defence.  :)

    (Yes I am aware some of your 8 fighters are the ones you start with - Just saying)

    OK… but when the smoke clears and Russia has won the battle of Moscow, wouldn’t you rather have and 8 fighters left over, than 27 infantry?

    I really don’t know what I’m saying right now.


  • I dont think Russia’s strenght here lies in its ability to attack but rather to hold up the Germans and defend. I think in a scenario where the Germans attack on G1 you need to look for the Soviets salvation to come via other fronts. If the Germans are attacking on G1 then it should be assumed that the Japanese will be doing the same, so with the entire Axis cooridnatedly moving against them, the only thing the Soviets should be doing is trying to defend and not worrying about being able to attack. On the contrary the Allies should be looking for ways to be as aggressive as possible against the Axis. If the axis are going all out against the Soviets then its up to the US to go all out against the Japanese and the UK(Europe and India) to go all out against the Germans and Italians.


  • @Young:

    OK… but when the smoke clears and Russia has won the battle of Moscow, wouldn’t you rather …

    When that happens, you have won the game.

    Garg is absolutely correct about infantry being superior on defense.

    I don’t really believe that Russia can afford to buy expensive planes in a consistent way.
    1 Art + 1 Arm is better than a fighter on both offense and defense.
    The only benefit a fighter/tac gives that ground forces don’t is mobility, and the ability to move back after attacking.
    Thus planes are great for trading, and a mobile threat, but not much else.
    The three that Russia starts with, I’ve found, is usually enough.
    Sometimes I could do with one more fighter, but otherwise it’s all Artillery and Armor for me.

  • Sponsor

    @Alsch91:

    @Young:

    OK… but when the smoke clears and Russia has won the battle of Moscow, wouldn’t you rather …

    When that happens, you have won the game.

    Garg is absolutely correct about infantry being superior on defense.

    I don’t really believe that Russia can afford to buy expensive planes in a consistent way.
    1 Art + 1 Arm is better than a fighter on both offense and defense.
    The only benefit a fighter/tac gives that ground forces don’t is mobility, and the ability to move back after attacking.
    Thus planes are great for trading, and a mobile threat, but not much else.
    The three that Russia starts with, I’ve found, is usually enough.
    Sometimes I could do with one more fighter, but otherwise it’s all Artillery and Armor for me.

    After this conversation, I think I have been persuaded to change my purchase habits to 9 men and a fighter for the first 4 rounds, and 9 men 1 tank and either a infantry or artillery or nothing after 9 men (depending how the drop in income goes) for the last half of the game.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    Just build what you need dog :p  You got it !


  • @Gargantua:

    3 fighters = 30 IPC’s   Total defence value  12.  Statistically 2 hits a turn,  with 3 hitpoints.

    10 Inf = 30 IPC’s  Total Defence Value = 20  Statistically 3.2 hits a turn with 10 hitpoints.

    OK boss now you got me thinking.

    If I have 120 IPCs to defend Moscow I can buy:
    12 fighters: Total defense value 48; 8 hits per turn on defense; 12 hitpoints
    20 tanks: Total defense value 60; 10 hits per turn on defense; 20 hitpoints
    30 artillery: Total defense value 60; 10 hits per turn on defense; 30 hitpoints
    30 mech: Total defense value 60; 10 hits per turn on defense; 30 hitpoints
    40 infantry: Total defense value 80; 13.3 hits per turn on defense; 40 hitpoints

    So on defense infantry wins hands down.

    But what about a counterattack?  I want to go after them after they give up and retreat.  So if I were left with 120IPCs worth of units still standing I could have:
    12 fighters: Total attack value 36; 6 hits per turn on attack; 12 hitpoints
    20 tanks: Total attack value 60; 10 hits per turn on attack; 20 hitpoints
    30 artillery: Total attack value 60; 10 hits per turn on attack; 30 hitpoints
    30 mech: Total attack value 30: 5 hits per turn on attack; 30 hitpoints
    40 infantry: Total attack value 40; 6.7 hits per turn on attack; 40 hitpoints

    So on the attack artillery is the best deal, especially if you get lucky and have some infantry left to match them up with.  Then you are really in the money because its like for every infantry you get the attack value of artillery for 25% off!

    So I want a mix of like 3/4 infantry and 1/4 artillery or so when the Germans finally get to Moscow.  They can kill off my infantry and then my artillery will kill them.


  • Ah, but you forget about a tanks advantage of mobility. Many people underestemate the ability to be able to attack so many different places with a tank. They are perfect for finding week points in your enemies defences and making them pay for these weeknesses.

  • Sponsor

    @Strikers:

    Ah, but you forget about a tanks advantage of mobility. Many people underestemate the ability to be able to attack so many different places with a tank. They are perfect for finding week points in your enemies defences and making them pay for these weeknesses.

    My enemys are very skilled and don’t offer many weaknesses to exploit.

  • TripleA

    Game is won or lost at Moscow, the rest doesn’t matter so much. Hell I might even start pulling some infs from siberia back (you get the nuetrals if japan attacks).

    The western front is relatively easy for germany to take back or reinforce… step 1 for uk would be to knock out norway/finland and get guys into russia. America can focus on italy (UK just does the initial strike on the italian fleet).  UK should begin to handle the north while you wrestle the mouth of the crocodile. USA punches the belly.

    i like to mix infantry and artillery. You don’t want to get tricked and watch germany blitz down to india… that would be super hilarious to see and be so out of position for all the powers other than russia to take back.


  • My two cents says - if Germany attacks G1, then builds armor repeatedly, they’ll see a shortage of infantry soon enough. Their entire western flank, as said by others, will be eroded quickly. Killing tanks with infantry/artillery and a couple planes will be a nice laugh.

    Don’t forget the power of the strafe to whittle down your opponent’s fodder, then fall back into reinforced positions.

    As far as infantry vs. aircraft, oh yes. Most of my early games saw me buy an aircraft for the first three rounds - I like 4 fighters/2 tacs with Russia - but I’ve abandoned that over my past 3-4 games in favor of the all meat and potatoes purchase… land units only. After all, this isn’t a trade war we’re interested in, but a game of taking and holding key positions. The days of trade wars are over, imo. They were left behind in Anniversary. Aircraft can’t take a piece of land… all it can do is kill and retreat. I now prefer to set up overlapping defensive structures with a slowly growing mobile reserve, to be able to threaten multiple places.

    Russia has to learn that they don’t have to fight for every IPC. Some are ok to let go. A trade war will result in a gradual erosion of Russian land units, and death.

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