@theROCmonster:
@ItIsILeClerc:
@theROCmonster:
@ItIsILeClerc:
I think it is highly dependent on the axis plan to say what is ‘best’.
A: If Germany wants to (try to) crush Moscow no later than GE6-GE8, I consider ‘Only France’ the best option. This conserves units, as Germany cannot afford to loose more units than ‘average’.
B: But if the axis are in no hurry to capture any VCs because they are going to try to win economically by slowly building up pressure everywhere, Germany can afford to loose a few more mech and I’d go for ‘France + Southern France’. SF is crucial for German fleetbuilds to pressure the allies in the med.
Difficult to say which option is best, but since I have had no problems as the allies dealing with axis crush plans in the past, but plan B giving me a very hard time lately, I tend to go for option B (and thus, take SF along with the main prize).
Do you attack southern france with 3 mechs and the fighter in Hungary?
Yup. 100% chance to win with LL (also in France itself) and you have to be extremely unlucky to loose with Dice as well.
@ Axisman:
I think on a J1DOW the USA is too pre occupied with Japan to be able to mount a serious enough invasion force for Normandy early. They have an early ~100IPCs to spare for Europe, and since producing an adequate escort already costs at least 84IPCs… there is no such thing as an invasion force that can be produced with ~16IPCs.
On a J3/4DOW the USA can have a maximum of 13TRS with adequate escorts, so that’s ~26 land units, 4FTR (that are also escorting the fleet) and a couple of STR that can invade US5-US7, depending on the situation in the med. Together with UK units this can make up for a serious enough invasion force (40-50 invaders). Be prepared though… it may not be enough. At the expense of its progress in Russia, Germany may still completely prevent any allied landings so this does not guarantee the possibility to invade. It is however (and sadly enough), about the maximum size of invasion force the allies can muster.
Note that ‘adequate escorts’ from the USA are not enough to protect the fleet from the Luftwaffe, so the UK must supplement. For this, the ABs in Gibraltar (UK must build one) and London will provide 3 scramblers and the UK often must also build 1 or more carriers + their FTR and a minimum of 1 DD as well.
How can you have more money to spend in the Atlantic with a Japan T3 DOW? I feel like Japan has more fleet in a T3 than in a T1, so Hawaii becomes easier to take. The only thing that could make taking all 6 VC’s with Japan more difficult is that India will be a lot stronger, but if you see US spending that much in Atlantic you can afford to put another factory down, or offload more men from Japan.
Maybe you can build up a large landing force for Europe, and if nothing opens up then you move that force back to the pacific to keep Japan from getting Hawaii? It just seems really hard to get a big enough invasion force up that can defend against German air and ships, as well as have enough units to actually threaten Southern Italy or Western Germany. Landing in Normandy sounds great and all, but to keep that force alive you’d have to continually put units there, and I don’t see how you have to money to spare to be able to do that…
Why can the USA have more to spend in Europe with a T3?
I am not 100% sure why it works this way, but I have seen that it does. I’ll try to give it an explanation, but it is stil a bit of ‘guesswork’, mind you (and sorry for the deviation from the subject):
1. Japan’s economy develops slower.
2. The USA’s economy also, but a few valuable units are allowed to escape and can consolidate (FTR+warships from Phil).
3. You said it already: India becomes stronger so Japan also needs to spend more in order to at least isolate it.
4. (In combination with 3 above) the main threat to India early, is the IJN with all its transports. IJN cannot threaten both Hawaii and India at the same time with it. Therefore, a serious threat to Hawaii, sets India loose.
5. Japan also cannot take the DEI without decent protection of its transports, so taking the DEI later means Japan can turn around towards Hawaii later, which means the USA has more time to build up defenses there.
I see all JP players going for India + China first, and then turn around for the USA anyway. The only time that Ive seen it otherwise, was a mixed success. India, China and Russia got very strong indeed, almost ridding JP of Hong Kong + Shanghai. JP was barely able to hold on to those, but got Hawaii, indeed ;-). Then Japan found out the IJN was ‘stuck’ at Hawaii because leaving it would return it into American hands again. At this point, JP cannot keep HK and/or Shanghai in Asia AND hold on to Hawaii. I guess that is why most players (if not all) Always go ‘India + China first’.
About the USA not being able to have money to spare after they land in Normany; I agree, but it depends on Japan. If JP spends nothing in Asia, the USA cannot spend anything in Europe. The more JP spends in Asia, the more the USA can keep sending into Europe. Usually the UK is indeed alone again in Europe after an invasion force lands, because the USA cannot spare a single dollar for this theatre anymore. But again, that is entirely up to Japan.
I don’t like that JP in the mid to late to very late game still dictates what the allies can or cannot do in Europe, but that’s A&A. At least the USA can build up some sort of invasion threat, if only for keeping Germany from sending everything into Russia.