• I have tried to take S. France as Germany but I don’t feel it is worth it. It takes 1 UK bomber to kill that transport. I think it is best to leave 2 inf in Yugoslavia to be picked up by an Italian transport later.

  • Customizer

    We used to play having Germany take Normandy and France while leaving Southern France to Italy. The last couple of games though Germany took Southern France too. The last time I was playing Germany but I didn’t build any transports there. I did build a few subs to help out the Italian fleet in the Med.
    Usually I get a German land unit in Egypt one of two ways: either have an infantry hop on an Italian transport then unload next round. This is usually if Italy is doing very well in Africa and can spare room on a transport for what is basically a non-attacking unit.
    The other is usually later in the game. Germany will be fighting Russia like crazy and a small armor force, usually 2-3 tanks with maybe a couple of mechs, will make it’s way down through the Caucasus and through the Middle East into Egypt. If Italy is having a rough time of it, they may even be the ones to capture Egypt, depending on how many Brits happen to be there.

  • Sponsor

    Erelevent if Italy can’t take or hold Egypt.


  • Italy is NOT taking Egypt w/o German help.  Period.  I have played too many games where Italy struggles to even leave port and engage the British navy in the Med.  A good UK player knows how to reinforce Egypt from the south and India.


  • Two Words:

    Sealion
    India Crush


  • @manincellv:

    Italy is NOT taking Egypt w/o German help.  Period.  I have played too many games where Italy struggles to even leave port and engage the British navy in the Med.  A good UK player knows how to reinforce Egypt from the south and India.

    techroll is right

    if UK is reinforcing the med and or africa/middle east then they leave either calcutta or london (or both) vulnerable and they are tough to defend already without overdoing it in the med

    either italy takes over the med in a couple turns or UK is losing a capital in a couple turns

    il trade you all of africa and the med for one of your capitals (possibly both) any game lol


  • And honestly, if Germany is smart with the Luftwaffe/S. France IC and the UK doesn’t invest fully into the Med, the Med can become Italy’s without Sealion/India Crush.

    However, most if not all of the Italian Africa Force will have been obliterated by then.


  • Interesting stuff back then.
    How do we engage this situation today?


  • I think the best way to get rid of axis forces in Africa is still a British invasion on turn 1 from India to Ethopia. Followed by a steady reinforcement from S.Africa and an U.S. operation torch (asap).


  • The idea of this topic was on how to bring Germany into Africa and/or Egypt.
    I wanted to know how in general our gameplay of today has evolved and developed on this.


  • If the British play well and do Taranto and protect from Sealion, I think the best way for Germany to get to Egypt is via the Caucasus and the Middle East.


  • Okay,
    in this case let the Italians provide the transports. Build them into the Adria. Germany has to protect them with fighters via the S.Italian air base. Move one tank & one infantry per transport to N.Italy.


  • With the addition of house rules for additional units such as transport planes and paratroopers, this move becomes very simple.  I understand not everyone plays the game this way but aequitas et veritas asked how it has played today and there are more units being intoduced to the game through house rules.

  • 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16

    What about having Germany build a minor IC in Romania on G1 and then in Bulgaria on G2? If I’ve got the rules correctly, you can build 3 units a turn out of a minor IC whether the territory is worth big bucks or not. Bulgaria is very easy to take on G1 – you just walk right into it, and it comes with its own free defensive garrison. Like SZ 97 (Yugoslavia / Adriatic), SZ 100 (Bulgaria / Black Sea) is only two sea zones away from Egypt, so you can launch a direct attack on Cairo from transports built in Bulgaria. You can also launch a direct attack on the Caucuses via Bulgarian transports, or send mech. infantry and tanks north to support Barbarossa, or send infantry and artillery to invade Yugoslavia and Greece, both of which are immediately adjacent to Bulgaria.

    Having ICs in both Romania and Bulgaria lets you drop six units a turn into the Black Sea – for example, a transport, a carrier, two destroyers, an infantry, and an artillery. You’re very close to Russian planes, but it’s not clear that the Russians can afford to take enough losses in the air to sink that fleet.

    Bulgaria’s a weird gateway to Africa, but if you’re just looking to stick a German infantry in Cairo, it might be the best way to do that.


  • @Argothair:

    What about having Germany build a minor IC in Romania on G1 and then in Bulgaria on G2? If I’ve got the rules correctly, you can build 3 units a turn out of a minor IC whether the territory is worth big bucks or not. Bulgaria is very easy to take on G1 – you just walk right into it, and it comes with its own free defensive garrison. Like SZ 97 (Yugoslavia / Adriatic), SZ 100 (Bulgaria / Black Sea) is only two sea zones away from Egypt, so you can launch a direct attack on Cairo from transports built in Bulgaria. You can also launch a direct attack on the Caucuses via Bulgarian transports, or send mech. infantry and tanks north to support Barbarossa, or send infantry and artillery to invade Yugoslavia and Greece, both of which are immediately adjacent to Bulgaria.

    Having ICs in both Romania and Bulgaria lets you drop six units a turn into the Black Sea – for example, a transport, a carrier, two destroyers, an infantry, and an artillery. You’re very close to Russian planes, but it’s not clear that the Russians can afford to take enough losses in the air to sink that fleet.

    Bulgaria’s a weird gateway to Africa, but if you’re just looking to stick a German infantry in Cairo, it might be the best way to do that.

    I thought Bulgaria was only worth 1 IPC.


  • Also, you can’t pass through the Turkish straits unless you own Turkey.

  • 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16

    Right, Bulgaria is only worth 1 IPC, but with a minor factory there, you should still be able to build 3 units per turn there. Also, yes, this would be part of a neutral crush strategy. You have to conquer Turkey to get out of the Black Sea and into Egypt. On the bright side, this keeps Britain from attacking your fleet with boats until you’re ready for it to launch – the same Turks that keep you bottled in also keep the UK sealed out.


  • An attack on Africa and the Middle East via Turkey is maybe the easiest way to go. Turkey can’t be sunk like some transports.
    But on the other hand you have to prepare it wisely; just think of the 6 inf in Sweden you have to deal with to get you’re iron ore (5IPC’s) and the potential allied beachhead in the iberian peninsular guarded by 8 infantry. Not to mention 4 mujahedin from Afghanistan ready to protect India from Japan.


  • Personally, if Germany wants troops in Africa before the game has (most likely) already be lost or won regardless, I think taking Southern France for fleetbuilding starting on GE2 or building a fleet GE1 in the Atlantic are the best options.
    Since the axis have the initiative, Germany and Japan can (and must) closely coordinate because Germany doesn’t want the USA to interfere. For example by preventing the Kriegsmarine from passing into the med through Gibraltar.

    But whatever is decided, Germany must recognize that they should not focus too much on Africa, because Russia is the main enemy and it must be isolated at least. I think Germany can safely invest between 30 and 40IPCs in ships without loosing its ability to force Russia to retreat into Moscow. Taking Moscow early would be a bridge too far with so many ships built, but after turn 12 or so, this can still become an option again if the axis isolated Russia effectively enough (taking Russian economy down to <15IPCS/turn), without loosing the power advantage.


  • @Argothair:

    Right, Bulgaria is only worth 1 IPC, but with a minor factory there, you should still be able to build 3 units per turn there. Also, yes, this would be part of a neutral crush strategy. You have to conquer Turkey to get out of the Black Sea and into Egypt. On the bright side, this keeps Britain from attacking your fleet with boats until you’re ready for it to launch – the same Turks that keep you bottled in also keep the UK sealed out.

    You can only build a minor factory in territories worth at least 2 IPCs.

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