What to do after Successful Sea Lion?


  • Well I just converted my first Sea Lion. In my group Sea Lion hasn’t been attempted in so long that the UK player just didnt take it into consideration and I made him pay by taking London on G3. The UK player even got good dice on some sea battles early that took out some planes.

    Now I’m looking for a direction to go in. The USA is 3 turns from doing anything in the pacific. Russia has 2 huge forces, one in Baltic states and one in Ukraine. I plan on stacking London the next few turns with over 20 infantry. I was then thinking of building a IC in Yugoslavia to clear out the med for Italy and take mid-east money, along with out-flanking the Russians. Any ideas on what to do?

  • TripleA

    Depends.

    How many transports carriers and fighters in the atlantic?

    How many other hard naval units?

    Kicking Russia out of Europe is your priority. How you deal with the Americans depends on their naval comp. You could buy 3 infantry for london every turn and hold london for awhile. You could pack everything up and ship it toward Russia. If USA liberates UK you can take it back if you keep up naval buys.

  • Customizer

    Yeah, your first priority is Russia.
    You mentioned two big Russian stacks in Baltic States and Ukraine. How good are your defenses along the Eastern Front? You will need to start building a lot of land forces, first to push the Russians back to their own territory, then to advance into Russian territory. You don’t want to let them hold any German territories for too long, because thanks to the Soviet NO, they could make a lot of money, which means more Russian units, which means harder time for Germany to take and keep Russian territory.
    As for the Med, with the UK now out of the game, Italy should be able to handle what UK forces are left on their own. It may take them a little while, depending on how much the UK put down there, but there will be no more new units unless they ship some over from India. In that case, it will leave India weaker for Japan to take.
    I definitely agree with buying 3 infantry per turn on Great Britain. You don’t want to make it easy for USA to come along and liberate it. Also, while you are flush with cash from taking London, replace some of your Luftwaffe losses. You may not be able to aford to later on.
    What is the USA doing? If they go heavy after Japan, then that leaves you free to deal with Russia and Italy to eventually rule the Med. If USA is committing a large force to come after you or try and liberate England, the good news is they should be weaker in the Pacific which leaves Japan free to grow.
    I have seen games with a successful Sealion still end up in Allied victory, but unless Japan plays really badly, you should be looking at an Axis win. Good luck.


  • Right now the only navy I have is the 9 transports, a cruiser and destroyer. Doesn’t hurt me that much because America bought heavy Pacific and only has one cruiser and a couple transports in the Atlantic right now. I’m anticipating them going heavy Atlantic the next few turns. I didnt buy a carrier G1 and instead bought all land units which leads me to how I stack against Russia. Right now if the Russians decide to move their army from the Baltic states to Poland, I have enough in Berlin with the Luftwaffe to destroy that army and I kind of lured them into doing that by evacuating Poland for the time being. My problem with Russia is there Southern force which I am severely outnumbered. Which is why I’m considering a factory in Yugoslavia so I can start pumping forces into the Mid East and land units in Southern Europe.

    As for defending London, right now I got 3 tanks in there. I have 3 guys 3 art in west Germany I’m gonna transport up to London along with buying 3 inf and I should have a pretty big force up there for the US to try to take.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    There is NO point in stacking london. In fact you are better off letting the U.S. capture it… then england earns it’s money, then you REcapture for even more money!! LOL.

    I would get your tanks out of london.  maybe build 3 inf a turn there if you want them to have to fight for it.

    ALSO if you haven’t captured gibraltar. Strategically BOMB it.  that really screws with the americans, as they can’t repair the naval base on british property.

    Russia is the #1 priority, hands down.  You have to deal with them.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    Egypt should be your target with Italy, then Middle-east/SAF.

    an Italian bomber is also a good investment, because if the Ruskie’s aren’t careful, you can pop a hole in their defences with italy, and break german units through (if it makes sense to) before the red turn.

    Use your fleet to hammer Leningrad for your NO.  And get the damn russians off german property AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.


  • I love that idea about bombing Gibraltar so the US can’t use it.

    Right now my land forces are good in the north, with the Luftwaffe Germany should be able to drive Russia out and with the transports should be able to get to Novogrod. Germany is already pinching the Soviets up there with 9 infantry coming from Finland.

    The Southern Soviet army is what I’m worried about. They outnumber southern German forces pretty good right now. That’s why i am considering a IC this turn while I got the big boost in money from the UK. Also with the plan of Italy to go all out for Egypt Germany won’t get much support from them either

    I’m going to stack London with Infantry. The US is going to go all out for London, so if Germany stacks it with cheap infantry then the US will have to spend a a good amount to take it. But when Italy takes Egypt and starts taking all of the UK’s territories I may pull out of the infantry are needed in the Soviet fight.


  • um, don’t you win the game with 8 VCs?

    Berlin
    Paris
    Rome
    Warsaw
    London
    Leningrad
    Cairo
    Stalingrad or Moscow

    Go for broke against Cairo and taking two of the Russian cities- he can’t defend all of them, even with his large southern army.

  • TripleA

    moo moo

    do not buy the IC. You will feel sad about getting one. you could just buy units in advance and move it there. or get mech.

  • '17 '16 '15

    yes buy now

    save later:)


  • Bomb Gib is a smart move.

    I’d most likely build a stack of 7 Inf and 3 Art in Berlin with the remaining IPC going towards Armor and Mech in WGr.

    Assuming the Russians hit Poland, you have a very potent counter attack.

    I’d consider taking everything off of London and move your TT into position to threaten Russia’s northern port so that if they advance to Poland you can always ship your units behind their lines and remove their forward factory that reinforces their advance.  You can always pick up units from Finland to fill those TT to help in that effort.

    1. Bomb Gibraltar
    2. 7 Inf, 3 Art in Berlin
    3. Remaining IPC towards Armor/Mech in WGr (maybe a DD in the mix to help defending the TT if Russia attacks or scrambles an amphib)
    4. Move all units + TT inside the straights of Denmark
    5. Land Aircraft in WGr
    6. Reinforce Poland with whatever you can - Russia’s going to be overextended and you need her to lose Inf getting into Poland so your counter attack from Berlin and WGr cleans out the immediate threat.
    7. Consider trying to take Russia’s Northern Port with units remaining from Sea Lion, Reinforced with units from Finland and cut off Russia’s Northern Advance.
    8.  You can deal with Russia’s Southern Army as they have to decide between advancing or addressing the threat now posed in the North.

    Note:  With Italy I’d seriously consider getting as many Mech as possible towards the front to reinforce any German advances, or at least slow a blitzing Russia down until a German stack arrives.  It may not be the best investment for Italy in the short term, but its going to be better for Germany if she can rely on 3-4 Mech / round reinforcing any losses Germany sustains slowing up the Reds.

    I think the key is going to be the same thing Russia does to most German advances:  Trading out your Inf close to factories for her Inf far from factories is a winning battle for you.  Sooner or later she will expose her Armor and Art and you can remove the threat.

  • Customizer

    I tend to agree with Cow. The IC may not be the best investment. Unless you want to also project a German presence in the Med, then Yugoslavia would be a good place for a Minor IC, unless Germany took Southern France in which case you already have an IC to put subs or transports & men into the Med. Some people like to put a transport in the Med for Germany for when Italy takes Egypt. Then they can get a couple of land units in Egypt for that German NO.
    As for the Russians, it sounds like that large Southern Army is going to give you a few headaches. I assume it is directly threatening Romania? A Major IC in Romania is a good way to support a German drive into the Southern parts of Russia, but you don’t want to turn around and give that to the Russians. Yeah, captured Majors get downgraded to Minors, but you still don’t want the Russians controlling even a Minor IC so close to Berlin. Plus, that’s a terrible waste of your money.
    It sounds like you are going really good up north. I would say once you have takend Novgorod and erradicated that big Northern Russian army, turn the bulk of your forces south along with a steady flow of troops and tanks coming from Berlin and W Germany to deal with that large Southern Russian army. You will destroy it and Russia will not be able to replace it. Meanwhile, what forces that are left in Novgorod can start branching out into further Russian territories, especially Archangel to take away Russia’s NO.
    Agree with Gargantua, you need your tanks out of London. They are doing you no good there. However, keep adding 3 infantry every turn. By the time USA gets there, you will have a good stack and USA will really have to fight to liberate it.
    Another good idea by Gargantua: Let London get liberated, collect money, then re-take it. If you can keep enough troops/art/tanks in reserve, keep your transports safe and keep dealing with the Russians, then that is a good way to get extra cash. Keeping the pressure on Russia is most important. If you have to leave yourself too weak on the Eastern Front to try and recapture London, the Russians could make you pay for that.

  • '17 '16 '15 '14 '12

    Bombing Gibraltar is a great idea for I2, just before sealion so the American can’t land interceptor fighters on it (assuming no unprovoked declaration of war by Japan yet).  That’s more important than trying to bomb the London airbase IMHO.  More importantly, don’t let Italy take Morocco or Algeria because those can become sites for American bases.


  • To the answer above we play a total VC count as a house rule of 15. When we played just one side of the board VC the axis seemingly won 80% of the time. With this it’s been pretty split.

    The thought behind the Yugoslavia IC is to get some ships in the Med to get guys in Egypt for the NO And to get units in the Mid East collecting those NO. Right now with my 7 inf in Finland and units in Berlin Germany should have enough to take out the northern Russian forces, I am thinking they may retreat back to Novogrod and try to hold that. I also see where just buying a ton of land units instead and just driving them back will work. We are starting back up on Russia’s turn and if he moves his whole force into Poland that is probably what I’ll do. But if the Russians move back and regroup then I may go with the IC to try collecting those extra NO dollars.

    A major in Romania is really not feasible as Germany won’t be able to get enough pieces there to stop the large Russian army from taking it. The #1 objective Germany has right now is taking Novogrod. And in 2 turns they should have it then can go from there to take the southern army out and push for Moscow.

  • Customizer

    Well, it sounds to me like you have a pretty good plan worked out. The Russians are doomed. Long Live GERMANY!

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