What do you defend with the European Axis?


  • I see 4 possible moves by the European Allies into Europe:

    1-Land anywhere adjacent to France (Normandy, southern France, Holland, Western Germany).
    2-Land in Norway.
    3- Land in Rome.
    4- Can Open into Berlin.
        This one might not be as self explicit. It basically consists in the US landing in Denmark, allowing for the UK to   send transports directly into Berlin.

    I just lost a game to 4, out of…. forgetting. However, in most games, the Axis just tend to go for Norway, as it is often the least defended, since it doesn’t have an IC.

    My question is how do you defend against all of that at once? Do you simply admit that the axis will beat you in one theatre and just build a defensive stack, whilst hoping to finish off Germany quick enough?

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    I think landing in Norway is the safe thing to do, and it’s effective for many reasons. You might want to also commit to an agressive bombing campaign (hard to drive to Moscow when your spending $15+ on repairs).


  • I never commit any air forces to Russia and invest in my air force (I prefer bombers coz of their range). I usually leave very little land units to defend the western front and when I notice the Allies are able to land within 1 turn I start building defences.

    I try to bomb the Allied sea units when they get in range. This worked a lot for me.


  • I would go for Norway, just because it is a great way to bleed the Germans of eight IPCs (I believe Norway is 3 + 5 for the NO).  Generally I don’t defend Norway as heavily (relying on a submarine picket to bleed out the English can work sometimes at stalling an invasion, but the US always shows up).
    Landing on the continent can be a nightmare as Allies, but when the time does come I ALWAYS spend the lead up turns using the US Air Force to bomb the factories in Normandy, France, and Southern France into rubble.  I then land in Normandy (nostalgia purposes) and it is best to follow up with the British player landing infantry behind you to shore up defense (I’m not sure if you’re allowed to land fighters in freshly conquered Allied territory, but I’ll leave it to the board veterans to answer that).  One time though it may be interesting to see how it works if I pull off a separate British landing in Norway or the Low Lands.
    As Germany, I generally defend the continent from invasion by having a few stacks of infantry on the coast and a sizable stack of infantry/artillery (2-1 ratio) and a handful of Panzers in France for a swift counter-attack.


  • I think you take the path or less resistance with the allies, find the weak spot. Normally the allies mount a huge naval force at Gib to force the axis to set up multiple def.

    If Italy is beaten down, and the Germans aren’t very strong protecting the under belly, then a southern route through the Med it is (Rome, S France, or Greece). Forcing the Germans to fight more then one front. Plus it would protect Africa/Mid East for the UK.

    If the German Baltic navy can’t support the defense of Norway (they haven’t added much to it), then go north. Norway can be a huge swing if Germany is unable to recapture it IMO. Germany loses the NO, the US can take it (build IC), UK can reinforce with troops/AA and RAF, and it is a great base to bomb both German majors from. Normally the Germans will build a dd off Normandy to block you from a US amphib of Norway directly from Gib (would be nice if the Russians have a sub left in the North Sea and/or built a bmr to attempt killing off the blocker). Even if they delay you in sz 110 (which they will), you can add to the allied fleet (more protection) then land in Norway the next turn. This could however give the Germans the extra time to build up defenses, or a counter attack because they now know what your options are.

    IMO Norway is more appealing then France, because if you attempt to liberate Paris you need more units and the Germans have that Major IC in W Germany to recapture it (another $ grab). You would probably need to take W Germany to reduce it to a minor, and that could be a tall order. Norway IMO allows the allies more options. It also gives you a base for the RAF to over power the German navy if it isn’t already dead. From there you can also work on the French coast line, or Denmark w/US, and a crippling blow to Berlin w/UK.


  • Well, I as Germany, I maintain a sizable navy on G1, and after a few rounds of convoy disruption, I park it in SZ 112. This negates any possibility of an early Allied landing in W. Germany, as my naval defense would be 1 battleship, 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, 1 aircraft carrier with 2 fighters, 1-3 subs, and I could scramble 3 fighters from W. Germany.

    This really only leaves Normandy, Holland, and Norway open to invasion for the allies. Norway is a lost cost for Germany, it is far too hard to defend. I leave the 3 original infantry there mainly to prevent a lone transport from snatching 8 IPCs from me. But if the allies really want Norway, they are going to get it. However, Norway does not directly threaten Berlin, so it is not of huge strategic importance. That leaves only the Western Coastal territories for the Allies to invade, and my strategy is to keep a large German and Italian guard army in France, allowing easy counterattack opportunities for the axis, and preventing the allies from using their large airforce against my troops (Run-on sentence).


  • Remember this:

    Hitler, in trying to defend everything, could defend nothing.

    I always try to be proactive in my sea and land defenses, but if you see the Allies attempting to land, pull back, build artillery and counterattack when the Allied airforces and navies can’t hit you. The exception is Germany, West Germany, Denmark. But you should defend 5 tt’s from the US (perhaps 6 depending on the Med): France, WGer, Ger, Den and Greece (and maybe N. Italy or Rome…)

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