The Tank is Still King

I am in your same situation, getting back to the game after a while.

One thing I notice about Italy (which seems to be the country that you are having most trouble with) is that if they are not dealt with early in the game, they can be a huge help to the Axis powers.

I see a lot of discussions about doing or not doing the Taranto raid. For me it is a must. Otherwise the Italians can get a very comfortable position in the Mediterranean and be a headache for the rest of the game. It happened in the last two games I played.

Specially if the get their hands in Gibraltar and Cairo. Then they effectively block the Allies from getting in the mediterranean and get a lot of IPCs from their national objectives.

What I could not find yet was a solution if I am the Italian player and I get “tarantoed”. It basically keeps me off for the rest of the game.

@Caesar:

@KGrimB:

I know its probably not optimal, but I pretty much always build 6 inf and 1 fighter on London UK1. I always send some aircraft to the Mediterranean and with 60-70 ipcs on G2, Germany can attempt Sea Lion even if they may not have been originally considering it unless you have the defenses.

I would also agree against the factory in Egypt. It can be a little precarious early with nearby German air and I think that normally games where you have an option to build a factory in Egypt are games where the Mediterranean is already in the Allies’s favor. It doesn’t exactly create opportunities the same way a factory in Persia does. Just use transports with South Africa.

Sea Lion on G2 is foolish because ideally, Germany would need to buff its navy, build infantry, and transports so that shouldn’t be done until at least G3.

You misunderstand me. Sea Lion G3 is the most realistic because it is after you buy transports on G2, after SBR, and after T1 convoys. Germany evaluates early sea lion based on what London does turn 1.

With respect to the original question, I think a g1 Dow on Russia to bait UK into not defending for sea lion could work. However, you’re probably short 1-2 transports from strafing Yugoslavia, not hitting other parts of France, missing Russian wheat NO, and committing German aircraft to the eastern front or other riskier battles. Thus you exaggerate your existing problems because you give up all of the pros of G1 and take away units from that front just to get them stuck on an island with 1 VC instead of attacking a country with 3 VC.

It’s too much for one country. You would need to make sacrifices with Italy’s dreams in the Med. You can’t give them the help they need and they would have to spend on forces to delay Russia. They could attack London with their Bomber.

I think what would sell this plan and give Germany a better chance of baiting the UK would be a Japanese attack on Russia. If you bring America into the war you probably have no chance of winning in Europe. If you keep them out you get a better chance at London and Japan can draw some attention from Russia. Otherwise the Siberian infantry are probably garunteed arriving in Moscow and probably other Russian forces would occupy Iraq.

Mechs for mobility, they can get to the front faster, regular inf if the front is very close to the factory or if ur going hard defense

@Baron:

@JDOW:

And I admit that I am a bit disappointed that nobody either falsified my calculation/conclusion or gives me the credit that I prove AWN to be wrong about tanks :)

Being able to bring 12 additional Infantry, would have been better for odds of victory for Germany.

But I suppose you are assuming there is only M2 units types available.
I don’t have Triple A Calc, but is it possible that 3 MechInf with 4 Tanks would have been better for Germany’s success?

Main things is that skew is always better and in very specific conditions a few Tanks maybe needed.

Yep, the extra movement is of course a special value, otherwise 9 arty would be the by far most powerful addition to the army :-)

And also yes, a mixture could be the optimum.

@Tistel:

Only around 30 inf in Moscow? What are you players doing?

i’d say they’re playing, instead of stacking. good on them.

Oh heh. I just posted a new topic on Larry’s board about mech inf getting an attack boost with tanks.

it depends on the timing and which country. early in the game, as germany, i would buy 2 inf and one art. later in the game i might buy the tank, mech combo to get them to the front lines faster.

Each unit may be paired with only one other unit in the same turn phase, but it may be paired with a different unit in another turn phase.  In Miker49’s example, the tank may be paired with the mechanized infantry in the Combat Move phase, then be paired with the tactical bomber in the Conduct Combat phase.  In Jeffdestroyer’s example, the tank may be paired with the mechanized infantry in the Combat Move phase, then be paired with either the mechanized infantry or tactical bomber in the Conduct Combat phase, but not both.  See the Combined Arms sidebar on page 16 of the Rulebook.