I’ve always felt that Persia is one of the key territories in the game. At a worth of a measly 1 IPC, why would that be?
Because it is a keystone territory: it allows access to 4 important theaters of the game. Those theaters (obviously) being Europe, Russia, SE Asia, and Africa. It’s particulary important for the Axis to capture as it allows for one of the easiest meeting points between German and Japanese forces (next to the Suez).
Discussion?
There’s other fairly overlooked territories that I like to exploit/covet, but would love to hear yours.
Generally, when I play the Axis, Japan takes Persia as part of a SEA push. That is the last point of westward expanse before I shift north to use those forces to support the assaults on Russia that are coming from Novo and/or Evenk.
However, if Germany has been hard pressed, I have been known to race on into Syria and then Egypt and on into Africa, gaining IPC’s to bash Russia.
Sure, the Russian’s counter and take it back after I leave, but each Russia force I can lure out of Russia on such a task is one less I have to kill, and one less that can counter-attack me.
Yes it is important.
And if it were worth more the Allies would never lose, ever.
UK could buy an IC and imagine UK placing 2-3 units there a turn.
Infact, I believe in first edition rules there was no cap on new IC prodution and this was a common strat. UK would just buy and IC and it would be game over.
The old saying has (almost) always held true:
when the axis meet in persia,
they won’t lose their inertia
Infact, I believe in first edition rules there was no cap on new IC prodution and this was a common strat. UK would just buy and IC and it would be game over.
Yep. I played against an opponent MANY years ago (1988) who built a “Persian Tank Factory” every time he played the Allies. UK simply dropped a factory in Persia, and started building unlimitted tanks heading against the German eastern front. It was a 1-2 punch that Germany could not counter. Same player also built a US factory in Sinkiang to build US tanks to kick Japan off the continent.
Putting “unlimitted” IC’s where land forces from US and UK can confront the Axis simply skews the game so far out of whack as to be unplayable by the Axis. Japan can build a “Manchurian Tank Factory” with unlimitted production to go after Russia, but with the US having a third more IPC’s, Japan always lost that head-to-head between Sinkiang/Manchuria. And Germany building an IC in Africa was also pointless with the UK forces streaming into Africa from Persia.
Only saving grace for the axis was a quick strike and win in Karelia, and an unlimitted build of INF to support your attack on Russia. Of course, a Russian invasion/seizure of Eastern slowed this down by a move, allowing the Persian and Sinkiang factories to come online before Germany could take Russia. So the game always came down to that first battle: If Russia failed to take Eastern on round 1 (not common), then the allies lost; if Russia won in Eastern, the allies won.
@cystic:
The old saying has (almost) always held true:
when the axis meet in persia,
they won’t lose their inertia
YEAH!
It’s always great when my German Afrikorps troops meet up with my Japanese mainland Asia ground forces in Persia. I just imagine a great photo op of Japanese and German troops shaking hands out in the middle of some desert. Shortly after that, Russia is usually taken and it’s Axis victory!
Sometimes as Germany I’ll take it as I am retreating from the Allies in Africa. If I am pressing against Russia hard I prefer to conserve my forces for the drive on Russia rather than lose them in a futile attempt to hold Africa. At the very least I can force Russia to defend Cauc. which diverts troops out of Karelia or Moscow.
Doesn’t mean I’m winning the game however :-(
