Turn 3 Sealion with Turn 3 Calcutta crunch. Thoughts?


  • I’m a big believer on playing the Player not the game.

    For that matter the people I play with are extremely seasoned and love a challenge and I’m that guy who dose this.

    After all being said I’m curious about everyone’s opinion on this strat I understand the fear of Russia growing but with smart and calculated play from the Germans and the Italians it works out fine.

    I don’t buy a carrier round 1 I tend to either do that round 3 “if need be” or not at all depending on where and what the Americans do and send there bomber

    Italians pretty much do everything in there power to help the Germans with some ground game and can opening

    And the japs do what they do best … With it’s massive air power and fleet go anywhere and do anything in the first 3 rounds

    So I was thinking of a shock and awe campaign by completely taken out England from the game and putting incredible stress on the Americans

    It’s just an idea I’m toying around I know it’s been done before but again … Each opponent is different and the more options I give him the more he tends to crack and make mistakes under pressure

    Thoughts … Ideas… Tips… Let me know


  • G3 Sealion + J1DOW is stressful on US no doubt.  Japan can also setup for India crush J3 if they can hold a spot to land all their planes.  If so, J2 buy AB + NB in FIC/Kwangsi.


  • Japan  turn 1 you’d buy 3 transports turn 2 is when Japan goes to war and places it’s navel-yard and Airfield in Kwangsi  and the navel-yard on that small island ( can’t remember the name right now at work ) … Turn 2 declares war clears all the blocker ships it can combines as much of its fleet and sets it self up to take Calcuta with 6 transports and it’s massive air force and anything else I can get in.

  • '15

    It’s an interesting idea and I’ve played against it.

    I’d say have the UK turtle, even forgoing a hardcore Taranto if need be, and go all out in the Pacific with the US.  My thinking: UK going 100% defense will use up so many German resources that, even if they take London (which is likely) a good Russia player will immediately be making 50+ and marching on Germany.

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    I’ve seen something like this happen, however, everything was done turn 4.


  • In my opinion, both G3 London and J3 Calcutta are opportunities to be taken, not strategies to pursue. Keep your options open, but if the Allies are determined to prevent one or both (or make prohibitively expensive, which is the same thing), they can.


  • Wholeheartedly agree with the consensus here.

    With the Uk completely gone, USA must destroy the kriegsmarine US3 and after that the game looks as as follows:

    • Japan versus the USA + ANZAC + China + Siberians (no need for them to retreat to Moscow during SL) -> loosing proposition for Japan.

    • Germany (after taking heavy losses) + Italy versus Russia -> loosing proposition for Germany. Maybe stalemate, which is also bad because once Japan is done, the USA joins the fight.

    No need to liberate London. In fact, if the USA does do that, Hawaii will most likely also fall into Japanese hands (too much spending in Europe from the USA). That’s a tip for Japan right there ;-).
    Calculate what the USA is spending in Europe and if there’s >120IPCs from the USA spent there (so not counting units that were already there during setup), Japan can swing east and J9 grab Hawaii as well. The chance of that is very good if the USA wants to liberate London. Buying enough to sink the Kriegsmarine (if protected)/have a decent escort, costs the USA >110IPCs already…

    So if you want to ‘play the player’ and you know your USA opponent will (most likely) try to liberate London, go for it and have fun winning in the Pacific  :-D. Just don’t overdo it in Europe by trying to protect your kriegsmarine at all costs. This just invites Russia into Berlin (too much fleet spending from Germany). Or, if done carefully enough, it causes the USA to spend even more in Europe, further ensuring a Japanese victory in the Pacific  :evil:.

    Be wary of the USA player though, who is able to spend/send TUV worth hundreds of IPCs to London (liberating it), then swings back all the units into the Pacific to arrive at Hawaii US7…
    So, ‘know thy enemy’ looks very important to me if you want to do this.


  • I’ve done this strategy before, took London and Calcutta turn 3, and what ItIsILeClerc said is exactly what happened. Germany got into a stalemate with Russia, and Japan got slowly overwhelmed by the USA.


  • It would all depend on what the bid was and how much stuff uk can get on london. If germany only wins the battle with 10 units left then the allies probably win, but if germany comes out of the battle with all his tanks and 10 planes (two lost to aa fire) then the allies are in trouble. People often underestimate italy in these scenarios. Have italy take all the territories back that russia takes and germany will eventually be a monster and steam roll russia. Without the troops


  • From my experience, if the allies destroy the kriegsmarine it doesn’t really matter with how much land troops Germany wins. For Russia, since they’re stuck in London anyway.
    For Liberating London it matters, ofc, but as said, it’s both optional and dangerous for the allies to do that (the 6VC win of Japan).

    In the worst case scenario, Germany looses >2 air during Sea Lion and (figuratively speaking) every plane lost is an additional millstone around Germany’s neck for the turns to come.

    In the best case scenario (<= 2 lost air in London), Germany can indeed push the Russians back with Italy’s help. IIRC, this stops as soon as the axis’ supplylines have become longer and that of the Russians shorter (i.e. closer to Moscow). Approximately, Leningrad and all areas along its longitude seems to be the furthest the axis can get in Russia. That’s why people call it a stalemate, I guess (at least why I do).


  • @ItIsILeClerc:

    From my experience, if the allies destroy the kriegsmarine it doesn’t really matter with how much land troops Germany wins. For Russia, since they’re stuck in London anyway.
    For Liberating London it matters, ofc, but as said, it’s both optional and dangerous for the allies to do that (the 6VC win of Japan).

    Big IF though.  American bombers should not have a place to land.  Keeping the kriegsmarine alive is a must, to move those units and trannies back into the Baltic to keep a threat on Leningrad.

    In the worst case scenario, Germany looses >2 air during Sea Lion and (figuratively speaking) every plane lost is an additional millstone around Germany’s neck for the turns to come.

    In the best case scenario (<= 2 lost air in London), Germany can indeed push the Russians back with Italy’s help. IIRC, this stops as soon as the axis’ supplylines have become longer and that of the Russians shorter (i.e. closer to Moscow). Approximately, Leningrad and all areas along its longitude seems to be the furthest the axis can get in Russia. That’s why people call it a stalemate, I guess (at least why I do).

    With London, Germany doesn’t need Moscow though.  Without UK purchasing Italy should be able to control the Med and take Cairo.


  • @IKE:

    @ItIsILeClerc:

    From my experience, if the allies destroy the kriegsmarine it doesn’t really matter with how much land troops Germany wins. For Russia, since they’re stuck in London anyway.
    For Liberating London it matters, ofc, but as said, it’s both optional and dangerous for the allies to do that (the 6VC win of Japan).

    Big IF though.  American bombers should not have a place to land.  Keeping the kriegsmarine alive is a must, to move those units and trannies back into the Baltic to keep a threat on Leningrad.

    In the worst case scenario, Germany looses >2 air during Sea Lion and (figuratively speaking) every plane lost is an additional millstone around Germany’s neck for the turns to come.

    In the best case scenario (<= 2 lost air in London), Germany can indeed push the Russians back with Italy’s help. IIRC, this stops as soon as the axis’ supplylines have become longer and that of the Russians shorter (i.e. closer to Moscow). Approximately, Leningrad and all areas along its longitude seems to be the furthest the axis can get in Russia. That’s why people call it a stalemate, I guess (at least why I do).

    With London, Germany doesn’t need Moscow though.  Without UK purchasing Italy should be able to control the Med and take Cairo.

    US bombers bought on US2 (in response to G2 tt buy) can zap 110 and land in Eire US3 if London mech takes it UK1.

    Good point about Cairo>London in a Sealion, though. The tough part really is holding Leningrad/Stalingrad against a powerful Russia.


  • @TheMethuselah:

    US bombers bought on US2 (in response to G2 tt buy) can zap 110 and land in Eire US3 if London mech takes it UK1.

    Great idea, that would be a first for me.  Ofcourse any US surviving bombers are likely killed next G turn but worth the sacrifice I’d think.


  • Painful decision, but if it looks like the USA will loose their bombers anyway the next GE-turn, might as well take bombers as losses first (USA can also attack with carrierplanes from #102).

    Furthermore, German bombers seem to be the only planes that can reach Eire the next GE-turn so it depends on how many Germany has left and how many FTR the allies can get in Eire for protection.


  • @ItIsILeClerc:

    Painful decision, but if it looks like the USA will loose their bombers anyway the next GE-turn, might as well take bombers as losses first (USA can also attack with carrierplanes from #102).

    Furthermore, German bombers seem to be the only planes that can reach Eire the next GE-turn so it depends on how many Germany has left and how many FTR the allies can get in Eire for protection.

    Interesting, another Allied trick.  Our group never stages in sz102.


  • Most dedicated sea lions build a carrier and 2 transports. They then land in Scotland Turn 2. This makes it hard for US bombers to mean much of anything. That is because Germany can always just send 1 infantry from Scotland into Eire, or he could buy enough fleet to protect himself. He’ll already have a carrier 2 fighters and a cruiser as protection. If US only has 5 bombers then all Germany would need is another carrier. True that is 16 that Germany isn’t investing into land against Russia, but those 5 US bombers aren’t going to be nearly as cost effective as 10 subs would be against Japan.


  • 5 Bombers might not be as cost-effective as 10 subs, but since the US won’t be at war, they’d only be able to place 3 units in the Pacific per turn anyway. Early bombers also generate threat on SZ6 before Japan has the ability to build naval reinforcements elsewhere. And if Germany spends extra money defending its transports, Russia will be much more successful even though Germany can move its surviving ground back. 4 inf and an art is a huge difference when holding off the Russian horde.


  • ROC, you didn’t mention a G destroyer buy.  Couldn’t UK2 just build a sub for sz109 and sz110 then scramble a plane bringing the sub up, now the G trannies can’t offload.  G3 vs G4 sealion can also make a huge difference when holding back Russia.


  • I do build a destroyer a lot with my sea lion builds, but a sub doesn’t stop sea lion. Germany just puts 3 planes in his sea sector, so even if you scramble with your 3 planes and a sub it isn’t enough vs Germany’s 3 planes, Cruiser, Carrier, and any subs that survived.


  • Good point.  I was thinking as if there wasn’t a CR & CV, then the planes couldn’t hit the UK sub and the offload couldn’t happen.

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