Follow-up on Middle-Earth?

Since I wrote that thread I haven’t had much of an opportunity to play the Middle Earth strategy. Given that there are several nations to play, my turn to play UK only comes once in awhile, usually when I’m playing the Allies by myself. When I do play them, my opponents all know what I would like to do for a strategy and so they invariably go for a G3 Sealion. What this has done is make me more adept at playing the other nations because I always am able to take advantage of their mistake to do the G3 Sealion. When I see a G2 major transport build, I know that I’m going to win the game. Last game I played my opponents went G3 Sealion and J3 Calcutta Crush to take out the UK thinking this is the only way that I know how to play. I beat them in less than 6 turns. Russia feasted on Germany with a six tank build every turn starting on R2. US took back UK turn 4 and sunk the German navy US3. Italy fell on UK6.

I still think that Middle Earth is a good strategy because of the numerous options that it presents the UK, and as I have learned, the trap that the Axis fall into when trying to hard to prevent it instead of focusing on their goals. You don’t have to place the complex on Persia UK2. You can place it there a little later and accomplish something somewhere else like defending London. Take out as many German tanks and planes as you can and it becomes a cake-walk for the Russians. Beat the snot out of the Italians in the Med regardless of whatever else is happening in the game. There’s no need to let them become a serious player in the game, kick them in the nuts while they are still small change. Place the majority of your first couple of US builds in the Atlantic so you can take back London and sink the German navy. If they don’t go Sealion then you have the start of an invasion force and can now concentrate on the Pacific. I find that it’s much easier to capture Rome and Berlin than Tokyo.

More than anything the best strategy as the Allies is learning how to adapt and react to what the Axis is doing. There is no set Allied strategy that is going to work as well as a set German or Japanese strategy due to the opening setup so you need to take what they give you. Every game is different and scripted moves are only good if your opponent does exactly what you want them to do. Another thing that helps is learning the rules inside and out so you can use the quirks in them to exploit and surprise your opponent.

I think that the reason that players try to force Sealion is that they think that defeating the UK is the same as defeating Middle Earth. The way to defeat it is to win the game. The best way for the Axis to win it seems to me is playing your own strategy and forcing the Allies to react to it. The Axis have the advantage and initiative to begin the game and they need to strike hard and as quickly as possible without worrying where the UK builds a factory. Middle Earth gives the Allies a chance to stop the Axis from over-running Moscow and Calcutta but that’s all, only a chance. With no Sealion Middle Earth helps to even out the odds. With Sealion the Allies take the advantage. That’s what I have found so far.