Sealion Comeback

Only on triplea have I had the pleasure of successfully pulling off Sea Lion. I’d love to do it on a table top game. The most recent time I had I think 8 tanks standing. No loss of aircraft as hits (2 fighters due to an AAA gun hit). I left the tanks there to really make it costly for the US to liberate London. My team won the game…London didn’t get liberated until like round 11. It was a very long game.

I prefer Barbarossa, but if the UK hands London a silver platter because it got too aggressive…then it needs to get punished. I don’t care what anyone says, no allies player like the advantage of London being knocked out for several turns. I’m not going to G2 purchase of a Sea Lion if several factors occur of course. But if Sea Lion is done right, the US has to respond and Japan has the chance to rage. Also, if Germany DOWs at the right moment, Russia can be pushed away from E. Poland (which I think is the critical position to keep Russia from getting to). They will come back, but then Germany might have the chance to get in position to start pushing Russia back from the border territories. Scandinavia might fall for a time being. Private Panic mentions losing a battle with favorable odds. That’s not going to occur on a regular basis.

If the UK gets really aggressive in it’s spending in the middle east UK1 and Sea Lion doesn’t occur, then in those situations I have a very difficult time overcoming a substantially large stack of UK fighters.

6 inf 1 fighter is more common, as has been said elsewhere. It’s still strong enough on its own, and the fighter is far more flexible, especially UK 3+.

I only see/do 9 inf buys when Germany buys transports (plural) on G1, or if you’re super paranoid and Germany saves 30 G1.

The key map is number 4 where you see the German tanks make it back to Germany/Norway. Taking the transports out with planes to prevent this is the obvious solution but it may be more difficult if Italy has a navy. If you lose Gib on round 1 and Italy has a navy then you may not be able to defend seazone 102. Remember if the carriers take hits the planes sink. If USA Builds bombers instead then you make sure they cant land by taking Eire and consolidate the navy with the German navy.

There is obviously mistakes by both sides in this game but I’m just using it as an example. The best way to defeat Sealion is to avoid it all together by defending London and Gib on round 1.

Russia would have to put a lot in India to be able to hold it, or are you saying that the allies could hold Yunnan with Russian support?

@Gamerman01:

What about airbase on Normandy/Holland

Not sure about it but I’m saying that I think that spending enough for protection of the Kriegsmarine (in general) may just be inviting Russia deeper into the Fatherland, regardless of the interesting differences between defending with an additional 2AB or 2CV or even going 1 of each?

@Whitshadw:
All strategy for both sides is indeed largely hypothetical, since a large part of the game (for both sides) is more dynamic than a fixed strategy can cover for: action and reaction dominate the field! That is so educational about the forums: strategies being discussed assume a certain action already. Discussing the (possible) reactions to the assumed actions is what makes it so interesting.

Having said that, Axis are largely the side that plays a certain action. The allies then need to come with a proper reaction. And even that is a lot harder than it looks.

FAQ (Bottom of page 2, top of 3) is pretty clear on this http://www.wizards.com/AvalonHill/rules/AAEurope1940_2ndEdition_FAQ.pdf

With the new alpha 3.9 its not as viable a strategy to assault london on G3 (this was the point of alpha 3.9)

My guess is sealion on G4 or no sealion at all

If you dont do sealion you still need to wipe out UKs fleet (in atlantic) by end of G2 and have subs in convoy zones to maximize IPC loss for UK.

Honestly if UK goes for a (atlantic) fleet build early then he is leaving London open to sealion on G3 or G4

@Alsch91:

Normally I think UK could take back both Shan State and Yunnan on UK 3 before pulling back to Calcutta.
Thus your planes have no landing spot.

Might be costly, but also might be worth it for the reasons you suggested.