German Starting IPC Count Wrong

I agree the problem is a very weak middle for the Allies. Have to play with the Bosporus Strait closed. Generally I like a bid of around 12-17, although I have sometimes beat my friends at 9.

A Russian fighter for the bid helps a lot, you can attack Baltic States and West Russia, and then land them in Egypt, Transjordan (with a tank) and Evenki. You get a pretty big opening, hold the Suez canal, put yourself in position to counter Japan for a single crucial turn, and lay a trap in the Caucasus while stacking W. Russia to receive British fighters. This is nice because it lets you help the British in the beginning but you end up with a Russian fighter, which is the unit which gets the most action in any game, making or breaking a lot of trades and adding a lot of defensive power. Also if you convince Germany to buy navy round 1 then you at least spare Russia through round 5.

Once you get over 15 with the bid you can start doing stupid stuff that totally changes the game… which can be very fun.

Exactly! It was one those games where after round one that you knew you had a big uphill battle ahead of you lol.

The carrier in the med is an interesting idea as it allows Germany to hold Africa for a lot longer. I wonder if this is worth it in the long run though because the men you send to Africa aren’t threatening West Russia or Caucus… This is always the problem I’ve seen with navy buys in the med. That and the fact you have to keep 2 fighters on your carrier, which means those fighters aren’t defending mainland Europe.

I’ve given this a few runs since posting.  The baltic is a lost cause, speaking naval.  1st round German Purchased Carrier, Transport, 2 Art, 4 Inf.  (Ive also dabbled in grabbing another sub instead of the trans just to help lock down the Atlantic).  Take Gibraltar, and prep for taking Egypt round 2 (as long as The US Trans/Destroyer were taken out G1).  G2 attack egypt.  G3 Split surviving German forces between blitzing through Africa or Middle East and use your transports to take additional infantry/Art to black sea.  Add a bombardment from your battleship and your 2 planes to attacking the Caucasus.  As long as you can, use that Med Navy to take Caucasus.  Africa, will most likely be taken back, but at that point, it shouldn’t matter.  You are using your extra IPC to INF stack the Western Front/ Capital and by turn 5 - 7 (with a little pressure from Japan) Russia falls!

In regards to your planes, you still have a bomber and 3 fighters to help hold off the Atlantic with your subs.  If it’s not enough…buy 1 a turn after you take most of Africa.

The  rules for bidding  is whatever the two sides can agree upon. That said, most here would only allow one unit per territory or SZ and only where one of that nation already exists.
Of course you could have a Carrier, but it could be destroyed before you used it, of course.

And the transport never ends up on a territory.  Just in the seazone adjacent to the territory you’re dumping units into.

My main problems with the 41 pieces are the transports/allied subs. Maybe it’s just my copy, but they look sort of warped (transports) or they don’t sit evenly on a flat surface (subs).

well yea perhaps