• @innocentbystander:

    @TheWell-KnownSoldier:

    Well first off there is no airbase on Malta.  :-)

    Thanks.  I noticed the base and thought it was for air.  Ooops.

    Malta doesn’t have an air base either…just an AAA.

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    I always buy 6 infantry and a fighter for London UK1, then I hit Taranto and worry about Sealion when it comes.


  • I know a common alternative to Taranto is to defend sz 92 instead of Malta. The safe buy for England would be 1 AB and the rest inf. The AB would go in Gibraltar and the inf in London.  The idea is that you kill the Italian transport off of Malta with planes and then park all of your navy that can reach in sz 92 along with three fighters in Gib.  This will give you enough defense to keep the Italians from being able to destroy your ships alone as well as all but eliminate any threat of sea lion.

    There are a couple of things that you need to consider in doing this though.  One is that any German planes in Western Germany can hit sz 92 if the Italians take Morroco or Algeria.  The axis could also strafe you with Italy and then finish you off with the German air.  Also if Germany bought any trans on T1 and placed them in sz 112 right off of W. Germany you need to watch out for an amphibious assault from the Germans on T2 since you most likely wont have much for land units in Gib.  This can be prevented with a easily with a blocker.

    I personally always do Taranto but I also usually wont play any sort of serious opponent with out at least a bid of 9-12 towards the allies.  This will give me better odds for both Tobruk and Taranto.


  • csaw,

    How are your English fleet in the Med supposed to reach SZ92 in turn 1 when there are Italian blockers in SZ 96?

    The way I see it you’re giving the Italians a shot at you navy with everything they’ve got including 3 planes + they can even get 4 ground troops into the Middle East.

    Am I missing something? :?


  • @Munck:

    csaw,

    How are your English fleet in the Med supposed to reach SZ92 in turn 1 when there are Italian blockers in SZ 96?

    The way I see it you’re giving the Italians a shot at you navy with everything they’ve got including 3 planes + they can even get 4 ground troops into the Middle East.

    Am I missing something? :?

    You can kill the blockers in combat and move the fleet in noncombat.


  • @calvinhobbesliker:

    @Munck:

    csaw,

    How are your English fleet in the Med supposed to reach SZ92 in turn 1 when there are Italian blockers in SZ 96?

    The way I see it you’re giving the Italians a shot at you navy with everything they’ve got including 3 planes + they can even get 4 ground troops into the Middle East.

    Am I missing something? :?

    You can kill the blockers in combat and move the fleet in noncombat.

    And italy has to choose one of these three options

    1. Try to go all out on UK fleet and try to sink them?

    • less NO options and French Fleet still intact.
      2. Kill French fleet only and putting own fleet in danger?
    • less NO option. UK fleet still intact.
      3. Going for egypt.
      -NO option. Own fleet in danger

    The worst case scenario for UK is here that it will loose its fleet, but italys navy will be gone too. Destroyed by RAF.
    Itlay will start with lesser NO and slim chance to get the upper hand by navy in the Meds.

    It sounds more reasonable for UK player to play it like that but the downside to it is that it will be still a gamble for Egypt.
    If axis manage to get a hold of it, uk will be to weak to get it back.

    This is not a fact but my experience with this strategy.


  • @calvinhobbesliker:

    You can kill the blockers in combat and move the fleet in noncombat.

    Thanks for clarifying. I haven’t thought about that.


  • I am only 3 games of A&A Global 1940 “old.”  That is a terribly small sample size but in those three games (no bids) I have seen Allies 2, Axis 1.  In the two games I have seen the Allies win, BOTH GAMES they defended Malta.  In the one game I have seen the Axis win (and they won it in a rout) UK went for Taranto.  Again, small sample size, 3 games old.

    In the Taranto raid, The UK won (barely), sunk the BB and shot down 3 fighters (1 German) that were never replaced by Italy.  They survived with 1 AC and 1 fighter on it, lost the strat bomber.  Italians ignored the carrier on their turn, went after Alexandria (got it), sunk the French fleet with bomber and sub (lost sub), took Southern France, sunk the UK cruiser (sent from 91) in Malta with their own cruiser and destroyer (lost dd), and reinforced Tobruk with two more land units.  Then they placed another transport in 95 and an inf in Rome.  Collected money.  Ger-2, they mopped up the UK carrier, landed 3 fighters in Rome for scramble (and never even bothered to try Sea lion) and started cranking infs and artillery for Russia invasion.  By Italy-2, they had complete control of the Med and were getting bonuses.  By Italy 4 they had Egypt.  Axis went on to win.

    In the two Allied victories, The Italians sent EVERYTHING they had at the malta fleet of UK Carrier, 2 fighters, 2 cruisers 1 dd, and 1 transport.

    First game, they retreated after one round losing ONLY 2 empty Italian transports and the sub, but destroyed the UK transport, dd, and carrier (planes landed safely in malta.)  Built transport.  France moved their two ships to 92.  UK-2, finished Italians in Libya (had total control of Africa), UK moved their two cruisers to 92, flew bother fighters and tac bomber in Malta to Gibraltar, build airbase in Gibraltar and just “sat there” for the next 2 turns.  Italy never tried to attack it (never enough ships and planes.)  Germany was never in position with the Luftwaffe to attack it until Ger-4, and by then, the US was getting ready to move to the Med.  Italy never got any objective bonuses, Egypt never fell (always had far too many pieces), and the Middle East was never threatened.  Italy finished the game with an intact BB in defeat.

    Second game the Italians stayed and wiped out Malta fleet entirely, Italy left with just 1 cruiser and 1 damaged BB in 96.  Two fighters and bomb flew back to Rome.  France moved ships to 91. UK-2, Strat bomber and Tac Bomber in Malta sacrificed themselves to finish the limp Italian fleet (all UK and Italian ships and UK planes destroyed in med), captured Libya (had total control of Africa) but on Italy-2 they started getting bonuses of no allied ships in Med.  Big whoop?  That was the majority of their income, It was Italy 3 before they even tried for Syria.  Game was over on US-5.

    I think I need to play more.  So far all I’ve seen is even if UK wins Taranto, they still lose the war.


  • @innocentbystander:

    In the two Allied victories, The Italians sent EVERYTHING they had at the malta fleet of UK Carrier, 2 fighters, 2 cruisers 1 dd, and 1 transport.

    First game, they retreated after one round losing ONLY 2 empty Italian transports and the sub, but destroyed the UK transport, dd, and carrier (planes landed safely in malta.)  Built transport.  France moved their two ships to 92.  UK-2, finished Italians in Libya (had total control of Africa), UK moved their two cruisers to 92, flew bother fighters and tac bomber in Malta to Gibraltar, build airbase in Gibraltar and just “sat there” for the next 2 turns.  Italy never tried to attack it (never enough ships and planes.)  Germany was never in position with the Luftwaffe to attack it until Ger-4, and by then, the US was getting ready to move to the Med.  Italy never got any objective bonuses, Egypt never fell (always had far too many pieces), and the Middle East was never threatened.  Italy finished the game with an intact BB in defeat.

    Transports cannot be taken as battle casualties before other units, filled or empty.  They are the last casualty selection of battle.  It seems, based on your sample size, that defend is a workable strategy.  The only difference is the Taranto raid sort of forces Germany to send air turn 2.  All of this helps side track Germany a bit which is a good thing for the allies.


  • @drummerinheat:

    @innocentbystander:

    In the two Allied victories, The Italians sent EVERYTHING they had at the malta fleet of UK Carrier, 2 fighters, 2 cruisers 1 dd, and 1 transport.Â

    First game, they retreated after one round losing ONLY 2 empty Italian transports and the sub, but destroyed the UK transport, dd, and carrier (planes landed safely in malta.)  Built transport.  France moved their two ships to 92.  UK-2, finished Italians in Libya (had total control of Africa), UK moved their two cruisers to 92, flew bother fighters and tac bomber in Malta to Gibraltar, build airbase in Gibraltar and just “sat there” for the next 2 turns.  Italy never tried to attack it (never enough ships and planes.)  Germany was never in position with the Luftwaffe to attack it until Ger-4, and by then, the US was getting ready to move to the Med.  Italy never got any objective bonuses, Egypt never fell (always had far too many pieces), and the Middle East was never threatened.  Italy finished the game with an intact BB in defeat.

    Transports cannot be taken as battle casualties before other units, filled or empty.  They are the last casualty selection of battle.  It seems, based on your sample size, that defend is a workable strategy.  The only difference is the Taranto raid sort of forces Germany to send air turn 2.  All of this helps side track Germany a bit which is a good thing for the allies.

    Boy do we not know the rules then.  Are there any other “casualty selections” that are forced in A&A Global that are outside our control?

  • '17 '16 '15

    planes can’t be hit by subs, but I’m sure you already knew that :)

    It’s hard to win with the allies


  • @barney:

    planes can’t be hit by subs, but I’m sure you already knew that :)

    It’s hard to win with the allies

    but can subs still be hit by planes?

  • '17 '16 '15

    if a destroyer is attacking also

  • '21 '20 '18 '17

    One thing worth mentioning here is that Africa is essentially a trap for the Axis.   Whether the Italian fleet survives or not, it is very hard to make much of an income difference or gain any NOs before America enters the war and takes it back, or without compromising some other more critical front. Â

    Italy only risks 2 IPCs by losing Africa.   In our Game 92 on Saturday, I had the entire Italian navy survive because my opponent did exactly what you suggested, and attacked Tobruk rather than Taranto.   The counter is quite favorable to the Italians, to send in their entire fleet on the attack and clear the med for your NO.   Even with the gigantic navy, I was still boxed in as I couldn’t control either Gibraltar or Egypt in the long term though I took both of them once.   Â

    Buying more ships is a trap, and you can’t really hold Gibraltar.   I spent all my $$ on strategic bombers and mechs to help Germany on the eastern front and using Italy to protect the Atlantic Wall or help leapfrog Germany in the East is stronger than trying to take the Maghreb or the Levant.  If you keep any transports, the most effective thing to do with those is threaten/cover/block/rush out of Gibraltar but its going to be hard…

    One of my buddies said that far from wanting to reinforce the Italian stack on Tobruk, he wanted to evacuate it from Africa.  Its ineffective and trapped on a good day and easy to annihilate on a bad one.

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