General strategy question

Thanks again for the input.

We ended up getting through 5 rounds, the game is still set up. We are hoping for a Saturday/Sunday finale…

As for what I did, I opted the can-opener route with Italy and purchased mech and tanks for the first 3 rounds. Had to switch to Infantry for rounds 4/5 as the US hasn’t hit land yet but have 12 TT’s and planes and bombers ready to hit anywhere now that Germany’s last DD blocker has been wiped out. Italy did well opening for Germany and I am at the gates of Moscow ready to go for it on G6 although I am not 100% it can be taken thanks to a UK stack of fighters. If I don’t attempt it Russia is gonna get 12 more Inf, 2 AAA from the Soviet Far East plus 3 more UK fighters. And, as I said, the US is going to hit hard.

guess its a good point then, if DoW changes nothing about Mongolia then do it!

SZ 6 is a terrible spot for the Japanese navy if you’re being focused by the WAllies (it’s fine if you’re left relatively alone and are threatening Hawaii for victory). The DEIs are worth 20 to Japan, Japan+Korea money being convoyed is only 11. The Philippines are the best spot to station the IJN after conquering the DEIs. Add an airbase to FIC and you’re basically unapproachable. Not only does it extend that air’s reach, it also provides a scramble to protect newly built transports/destroyers to reclaim DEIs from the WAllies/reinforce IJN

The US is going to need a massive fleet to be able to survive in SZ 6/Carolines SZ or use several destroyers as blockers. Every plane you have in FIC w/ an airbase can hit SZ 6, same with the whole fleet at Philippines if it’s not blocked. Carolines SZ isn’t much safer because if you still control one of the islands in the adjacent sea zones (not uncommon as they are valueless, defended, and no facilities), you can “double up” your aircraft carrier capacity when attacking it: Planes on the carriers at Philippines attack the sea zone planning to land on said island and planes from FIC can attack the sea zone planning to land on the carriers. If they do block you with destroyers, then you can kill those with subs and/or planes and take the favorable casualty ratio. Since the US needs a heavily defensive fleet to be able to withstand your counterattack, your fleet at the Philippines is likely unattackable by the US fleet, putting planes on the island for scramble if need be.

If Russia stacks Bury Rd1, just don’t do a J1 DoW. Crush the Russian stack J1 instead, advance on China and set up a moderately successful J3 DoW (not gonna be ideal because of the Russian diversion. But hey, you get Russian money as a trade-off). Be content that Germany can get a comfortable take of Moscow without worrying about balancing haste and profitability.
If Russia pulls back for one round and then re-advances to Bury Rd2, this is probably the toughest Japan will have it. Very unlikely that they will take the Pacific victory (unless the US ignores them), but Germany will still get the easy take on Moscow and should be able to turn that into a Europe victory.

House rule:  Submarines fire at 2 on defense if there is no enemy destroyer present…?

@goalievogel:

Can planes scramble on Japan against lets say… American subs as long as they have subs or destroyers themselves?

I believe that per the wording of the rules, aircraft can scramble in response to ANY combat move that ends in the adjacent seazone.  So they can scramble against subs.  But they cannot hit them.  So there’s no reason to scramble.

Also, if japan has subs, they wouldn’t help Japanese aircraft hit american subs.  Only a friendly (in this example a Japanese, German, or Italian) destroyer would allow the defending scrambled planes hit attacking subs (as friendly destroyers assist in combat - this is obviously not the case on attack).

Welcome, dachi!

@dachi:

Can Soviet invade Finland on their first turn, without Germany declaring war to Soviet first?

No.  USSR may not move into territories outside its own on the Europe map until it is at war with Germany and/or Italy.  Also, it may not move into territories outside its own on the Pacific map until it is at war with Japan.

@dachi:

Regarding flights/landings, are islands still part of the sea zone? Meaning, does it take an aircraft 1 turn to enter the seaszone surrounding the island, or does it get that “for free”?

Islands are separate spaces from the sea zones that they’re in.  It takes a movement point to enter or leave an island.

You need a poll to vote guys, cmon get it together.

Each unit may be paired with only one other unit in the same turn phase, but it may be paired with a different unit in another turn phase.  In Miker49’s example, the tank may be paired with the mechanized infantry in the Combat Move phase, then be paired with the tactical bomber in the Conduct Combat phase.  In Jeffdestroyer’s example, the tank may be paired with the mechanized infantry in the Combat Move phase, then be paired with either the mechanized infantry or tactical bomber in the Conduct Combat phase, but not both.  See the Combined Arms sidebar on page 16 of the Rulebook.