@JamesG:
@ncscswitch:
An INF left as a blitz blocker in Karelia
I usually DON’T leave that blitz blocker. As Russia I WANT Germany to send up an exposed Tank to claim Archangel, that I can kill in R2. Germany loses a 5 IPC unit to claim a 2 IPC territory.
If you don;t use a blitz blocker, Germany gains 4 not 2 IPC with that 1 ARM, and they have a 50/50 chance of killing an INF when you counter-attack. That makes the average 5.5 IPC to 5.
But there are other reasons to use the blitz blocker besides the IPC trade…
1. Without it, Russia has to divert forces to Archangel to re-take it in R2, otherwise you are -4 IPC. Unless you move the WRS to Archangel (a bad move) you invite a counter-attack against your minimal forces in Archangel, losign those forces, and then STILL having a problem with Germany on your doorstep for R3. That even further changes the economics of the trade to favor Germany.
2. It forces you to split your forces, even if only a small number of them, in order to counter the ARM in Archangel. Those forces, if not sent to Archangel, can better be used trading Ukraine, or reinforcing the WRS
3. It lets Germany re-position for a better Southern Strike on Russia. They grab both Karelia and Archangel with the blitz, TRN from Norway to Eastern, and stage heavy in Eastern. This forces Russia to keep trading Belo (or to take it with minimal forces if they did not already), and try to protect both Karelia and Ukraine/Caucuses. And, while the WRS is a pretty powerful entity, if it get drwan into a head-to-head early on with what Germany can stage in Eastern on G1, it is toast with a large German force survivigthe battle…