Ottoman-Austria Crazy Mediterranean and Africa Strategy


  • So It has been stated a couple times that there arent alot of new ideas on these forums. This maybe a new one. Although the central powers lost this game I think the strategy still has merit. I was the Ottomans. My buddy Austria decided to just buy 2 BBs A1, A2, A3, and A4. He wanted to try to take naval superiority in the Mediterranean while Germany tried to solo Russia with transports in the baltic. I thought this strategy was stupid and maybe insane but ran with it. O1 I bought a plane, 2 infantry, and 1 artillery. Britain did not attack in TJ round 1 or Persia so I sent everything into Arabia that could reach and moved every unit possible into Smyrnia and Syrian Desert leaving 3 inf in Mes to prevent a Russian attack and 1 inf to activate bulgaria. I thought 6 inf and 2 art in egypt couldn’t hold out against my 6art 18 inf even with 4 inf from Ind transports. Because of the Austrian naval threat UK2 moved cruisers and BB to 17 to help Italians out. Every other allied power sent their med ships into 17 as well. Since UK couldn’t match my force once it all got to TJ turn2 he retreated from Egypt leaving tranports in the indian area with no escort! thus on t3 I took Suez and started building subs. Britain sent units to kill my ottoman subs but eventually one survived and I got it through the canal. It then hunted down the 2 UK indian tranports which UK can’t replace. The Ottomans then proceeded to take over Africa with their starting army. With air superiority none of the allied units could stop them so by turn 7 I had taken out all allied units in Africa and Ottmans were getting into the 40s IPCs territoryl Now all of this didn’t matter because the Austrian player didnt have any land units to help defend Germany and Germany couldn’t withstand the French, British, American Assault after he killed Russia. The Allies took Berlin so we called it turn 8. However it did make me think if the Austrians built just enough naval units (not 2 BBS a turn) to get the entire allied navy in 17 and the ottomans took Africa since there is 24 production in Africa (that is only one less than Russia) would that swing the advantage to the Central powers? The Ottomans could then use that production to take India and then throw everything into a navy and then try to take Rome. I know everyone would say the allies would land troops in Africa to take it back. However if the Ottomans have 6 inf and 6 ART in Africa with Air Superiority they should be able to shrugg of allied attacks in the Congo area with counterattacking and the tranports would take turns to get down to Africa with troops needed to fight the AH and GE. If you kill the indian transports the allies would have to bring in transports from other theaters. What do you think of this strategy?


  • That plan does not sound very good at all. First off Naval buy in A1 and A2 with 2 BB leaves pratically nothing for ground units. Secondly the allies does not even have to buy naval units to keep up… Allies (F and UK) can move in 3 cruisers and 1 BB in r1, making A2 attack not in your favor. Allies (F and UK) can then move in 2 BBs and another cruiser in r2, making a A3 attack even less in your favor.

    Please note that Allies havent even needed to spend a single IPC for this whereas the Austians have spent 48 IPC…

    My suggestion is say to  “thank you” if the UK makes such a bad move not to attack TJ UK1 and then go for a A4/G4 overtake of Moscow =)


  • My point is not that the specific Austrian buy was a good idea. I told him it was a hoprrible buy for the aforementioned reasons. My point is that if the Austrians can buy just enough navy to get the british fleet out of the Suez the Ottomans can get in and take out the two british tranports. I think this would work well in an CP attack france game where Britain has to spend more on helping France then building in India and attacking Ottomans. Britain would have to try to protect the Suez and support France and it might be too much for them.


  • @vonclausewitz:

    My point is not that the specific Austrian buy was a good idea. I told him it was a hoprrible buy for the aforementioned reasons. My point is that if the Austrians can buy just enough navy to get the british fleet out of the Suez the Ottomans can get in and take out the two british tranports. I think this would work well in an CP attack france game where Britain has to spend more on helping France then building in India and attacking Ottomans. Britain would have to try to protect the Suez and support France and it might be too much for them.

    Unless Germany goes almost 100% full tilt on France (everything but Silesia and Poland armies+all buys west), France is going to be able to postpone the fall of Paris for a good while. And if Austria spends all its money on ships, it can neither support the Germans in the west nor cover them in the east, and Russia will have an absolute field day.

    And Britain can take Trans-Jordan for at least one round, probably two or more, even if it doesn’t spend in India.

    Imo, Austria should only think about maybe, maybe buying a single battleship R2 if the German High Seas Fleet did incredibly well attacking the Royal Navy and most of France’s navy has to go north.


  • Imo the Austians have only one viable option for its navy and that is an A1 attack on the italien navy. The odds are not the austians favor, but if successfull together with a successfull G1 against the royal navy, the French navy has a tough choice where to go.

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