• I have the 2nd edition of Europe 1940 and have not yet played it. I am considering being the axis when I do play and have a general idea of what to do with Germany but no clue what to do with Italy.

    Please respond as in depth as you can from purchases, to combat moves and placements. Thanks!


  • My first turn buy for Italy is usually two infantry and one artillery.
    As far as first turn combats, there are a lot of “ifs” for Italy because you won’t know how many surface warships and transports you’ll have left after the UK’s turn.
    If I only have one transport left, I’ll load inf and art and use it to attack Greece.
    If southern France is still under French control, I’ll use ground units from Northern Italy to attack there.
    If the French fleet is still in the Med, then I’ll use the sub and some air units to eliminate those ships.

    If you go to the “play boardgames” topic on these forums and check out some of the games people are playing you can see various strategies for Italy and you’ll be able to study purchases, combat and the non combat moves.


  • My first Turn for Italy was buying some navy, and a tank
    then fight in Africa and then fight towards southern France.
    my next target was the sea(only if you feel lucky) to attack the sea and control all of the sea bourdering Italy and Africa you would get an whopping +5 points to spend.  So far i am kicking ass with Germany and Africa with my Italian fleets.


  • I’m curious how you were able to purchase some navy and a tank when Italy only starts with 10 ipcs?


  • @captain:

    I’m curious how you were able to purchase some navy and a tank when Italy only starts with 10 ipcs?

    Maybe they play the 3.th edition ?  :-D


  • Unfortunately, much of the Italian strategy is predicated on what has occurred with the UK in the Med.  They get to drive that battleground in the first round with multiple options (retreat behind the Suez, attacking your BB fleet, attack your DD off of Africa and NCM to the French fleet, land in Greece just to name a few).

    In general I do the following:

    Buy a DD, save 2 IPC
    Clean up Yugo after a German strafe for +2 IPC with an amphib with my surviving TT or two plus the units in Albania
    Take S.France with 2 Inf, 2 Art for +3 IPC.
    Take Kenya and join my units from Ethiopia and Somalia in Africa for +1 IPC.
    Take Tunisia with my units from Libya and blitz forward the Mech and Armor from Tobruk for +1 IPC.
    Lobby with the German player to allow you to take Bulgaria.

    Things I MAY do:
    Fly 2 Ftr, 1 Bomber and a SS and DD to kill the French Fleet off of S.France (if not, they get to convoy your territory at the end of your turn).  This is mostly predicated on what happened with the UK fleet - basically if they retreated, this is why I’d make this move.

    If the UK fleet exists anywhere in the Med, I send all remaining ships and my air force against it to sink it.  The single most devastating thing for Italy is to allow an Allied fleet to exist in the Med.  Reason?  Convoy.  The second you lose control of the Med, you get convoyed out of the game.  Sink as many Allied ships as possible, as they are multiple turns from getting any naval reinforcements that weren’t already on the board to start the game.

    Germany may be able to help clean up anything that remains depending if they are going for Moscow or London to start - just preserve your Bomber if things go sour as you’ll need it to SBR Gibraltar to deactivate the NB for when the US gets into the war.

    Depending on how things go, you could end turn 1 much as 23 IPC if you gained control of the Med, with 18 IPC being a more likely outcome.

    Italy 2 is even HARDER to project with so many variables, but my goal is generally to get a CV out to allow me to project force across the Med by being able to defend my Navy with 2 Ftr and a CV.  This is a best case scenario, but as early as I3 you could have a DD, CV and 2 Ftr to maintain control of the Med with no more allied warships but DD sneaking up from S.Africa.

    If things go well you MAY have an opportunity to get Gibraltar on I2.  However, I’d recommend lobbying Germany to allow you to take Bulgaria on that first round so that you can take Greece on Italy Round 2 with a combination of Inf/Armor from Yugo, 2 Ftr and a Bomber and the Inf from Bulgaria AND NOT EMPTY ROME OF A GARRISON TO DO IT.  It will set you up nicely to have a CV, DD, 2 Ftr and any remaining warships you started with to strike out for Gibraltar on Italy Round 3 to shut the Med off from any UK reinforcements (which usually means either ships or Armor are coming up from S.Africa if Germany didn’t Sea Lion).  It also opens up more options for Italy in North Africa and the Middle East because you’ll have more infantry to support your advances (think free units in Iraq)

    In summary:

    Sink the Allied fleets by either letting them attack you (better) or you attacking them (worse, but required).  Plan for losses of your ships and spend your early rounds replacing them the best you can.  Project your power while setting up free IPC via NO’s (clear med, 4 points, N.Africa - in that order). Lobby Germany to let you take Bulgaria, or at worst fly a Ftr and Tac down to S.Italy on G1 and scramble them before your own if the UK attacks.

    Good luck - Italy can get big fast, but is VERY susceptible to getting diced early.


  • really, i just waited for about two turns. i conquered France and then the sea and moved forward to Africa to gain more “money”.

  • '12

    Germany may be able to help clean up anything that remains depending if they are going for Moscow or London to start - just preserve your Bomber if things go sour as you’ll need it to SBR Gibraltar to deactivate the NB for when the US gets into the war.

    Something to keep in mind is that if the US player is at all concerned about this, then they will likely just sack Morocco so they can drop down a NB there which they control directly.  You could counter that by leaving it French, but then you forfeit an NO.


  • If UK attacked your navy in 97 (which in most cases they should), then I’d buy a figher to replace the one possibly lost due to scramble, and hit the remaining fleet in 97. If there is no fleet in 97 kill the french units there. Attack Southern France. Possibly stack in Alexandria depending on what UK did. Remember germany can and should land planes in Alexandria to support Italy. If entire 97 is untouched then I’d buy 2 inf and a mech. The mech to be used with a tank in russia to pose the threat of a can open. Honestly italy is a lot harder to play than Germany once you become an expert on this map.


  • Some good ideas for Italy, but I wonder if the Axis is better served letting Germany take southern France.  This would give the Germans a factory to build boats to dominate the Med.  Letting Italy take Bulgaria might be a decent trade-off for the Reich.  Any thoughts?


  • I agree with that and have done that in my games as axis.  I will let Germany clean up southern france T2.  I also like to give Germany Yugoslavia and Greece.  I know it is bad for Italy but lets face it ships are expensive and Germany can drop them down faster in the med then Italy.  Protect the med… stall the US, and cut off the British and you can have a shot at taking Egypt rnd 4, maybe even 3? Then I will let Italy take pro axis Iraq.


  • I’m not sure it is worth it for Germany to build up a fleet in the med though. That is money that is not going to kill Russia, and those ships can be taken out by UK with all her planes.


  • Italy needs transports to get troops and armor over to Africa quick before US starts flooding the med with ships.  how do you build and protect transports for Italy to get over to Africa after most or all her navy destroyed by UK and French ships…


  • Italy doesn’t have to get into Africa. If you can’t take Egypt without a huge expenditure by Germany in the med, than it probably isn’t worth it. That is because Italy needs as many troops in Europe as possible to stop landings. Germany needs as much of his troops going East as possible. The way you end up getting Egypt as the axis is through Germany coming from the middle east after having taken out Moscow.


  • So do you build a Germany navy early in the game to threaten sea lion to keep UK spending ipc’s on the home island rather than dumping them into Africa? I have found from my experience if Italy doesn’t battle the Brits in Africa …. There’s just too many turns UK has to be dumping tanks and troops into Africa making it really hard to take eygpt after a big Moscow battle for Germany.


  • I think you are underestimating the resources that Germany will have after taking Russia out. Not only the resources, but the position that he will be in. With Italy defending his back door, Germany can go almost 100% against UK in Egypt. You don’t need a fleet for this. Just walk your troops down through the middle east and into Cairo.


  • Here’s a move not too many people see coming.  As the axis we’re going for London, but it can be hard to do for Germany on her own. So . . . .      save Normandy for the Italians, allowing a Minor I.C. to be purchased !!! 
    This opens up a second front against London.
    Try and get your navy out of the Med and up to the English Chanel.
    Easy Blitz for a tank from your original factory to your new one eh ?,
    Maybe Germany can strike the French Med fleet ??
    Imagine Italy in control of London, all the extra cash, the prestige !!

    Cheers,
    Starlight Sniper


  • Italy taking London?! Now I’m intrigued!  That sounds crazy awesome.  Have no idea how it could work.  A risky move, no doubt. Like letting Italy clean up Paris after Germany does the dirty work.  I’m a big fan of non traditional strategies.

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