Agressive and pretty unorthodox R1 Strategy: Saving Egypt.

I think the strategy is there and works well i win more than i loose against good axis players.  Wondering if maybe we could setup a team to test and get the timings down.  Figure out how many fighters Russia needs to survive Japanese and German non stop Blitz on Russia.  Also how many bombers are optimal to avoid purchasing too many.  I am not sure if you can have too many bombers they have dual roles to industrial bomb and to support attacking\landing infantry in Western Europe.  Figure out what turn USA needs to quit buying bombers and switch to Naval.

You do get diced once in a while, but it is not necessarily game over G1 if sz2 or Égypt fails.

Germany can really be a tough nut to crack, and even if the German players dream of Africa and Moscow takes a serious blow on G1, he can really dig in and make it very difficult for the allies to get a foot in in Europe.

A chunk of armor in E. Europe, stacks of inf in western and Germany and an airforce threatening to take a shot at that essential transfer fleet can take a long time to crack.

When I feel I am behind, I often take more risks than usual - going for that 50% UK Navy battle, or making risky strafing attacks on an exposed USSR stack.

You can also try to advance faster with Japan - maybe try to take India J1 or by doing the risky pacific double move hitting both sz52 and the US battleship+transporter at the western us shore on J1.

@Hobbes:

If I’m assuming it correctly, the point is that if the fleet is trapped then there’s no need to destroy it since Allied control of Suez implies Allied control of Africa and zero possibility of German landings.
However the best use of the Med fleet, imho, is to help contesting Ukraine and Caucasus, so it doesn’t really matter if Africa is blocked to German landings - plus the Allies will also have to keep sending units through Africa (waste of units), otherwise the Germans will eventually start contesting it again.

Yes.  But also I (examined paw carefully) because often the Suez does NOT close with a German Med fleet - or at least, it closes after Germany’s already thoroughly milked the hell out of the Mediterranean fleet.

German Med Carrier Strategy (Bunnies’ abbreviated version)

First off, if you even try this, Germany has retarded progress in Europe.  Buying early navy means less early infantry and tanks.  A Mediterranean carrier has zero effect on UK’s progression in northern Europe.  If anything, UK’s progression is only even easier.  It’s my opinion that the absolute best thing that can happen to the Axis is the Allies trying to sink the Axis Med fleet.  It’s like when your four year old cousin starts to try to beat you up with a foam noodle.  It just ain’t happening, and meanwhile you’re taking all his candy.

When you build a Med carrier, you don’t f*ing just throw one down and say “look at me, i’m a master of med carriers!” (which is what some players I’ve seen do.)  You look for favorable conditions first.  Ideally Germany can claim Karelia without Russia being able to pose a real strafe (i.e. attack then retreat).  This gives the Germans position to grab Archangel and maintain Norway income on G2, plus restricts Russia’s income so it has less to press Germany with.  Ideally Russia doesn’t have a whole god-awful chunk of units ready to move into Ukraine either, because counterplay there can more than compensate Russia for the loss of Karelia.

If the Allies pre-emptively set up to screw with a Med carrier buy, you just do something else.  Russia sent all its Caucasus and Kazakh units to Persia on R1?  Fine, don’t buy a Med carrier, just punch Russia in the nuts with tanks.

Even given favorable conditions for a Med carrier, it isn’t enough to just buy the thing.  You have to follow through with Germany and Japan, or it just becomes an expensive disaster for Germany.

So you’re looking at one of two situations, either Germany hit Anglo-Egypt or it didn’t, which really changes the game up, but we will ignore that for now and pretend UK doesn’t whack either Japan’s East Indies fleet or an isolated German battleship at Anglo-Egypt.  So you’re looking at a G2 in which Germany is really grabbing the hell out of the Suez, which allows a J2 move of battleship/carrier into the Mediterranean.  There’s a few counterplays by the Allies, but the Japs have their own book of counter-counters, which includes Jap fighters, which really basically says “f. u. counterplay”.  Anyways, the Axis almost certainly control the Suez long enough that the Axis can reinforce the German fleet with Japs if they so choose.  After that happens, the Allies have a hell of a time trying to beat down that Mediterranean fleet.

Early, the Germans must push into southern Africa, with multiple tanks backed with the German bomber (probably starts with G2 inf/tank drop to Anglo-Egypt).  UK loses income fast, and Germany gains it fast.

If Germany has dominated Africa and there’s no Allied reinforcements en route to Africa, then I’d say sure head to Ukr/Cauc with the German Med fleet.  But with a small to moderate number of US units dropped in, I would drop to Trans-Jordan and/or Anglo-Egypt instead.

Suppose US drops from East Canada to Algeria with a transport.  Every turn, US can move the transport back and forth; every turn a transport load gets unloaded to Algeria.  But from there, US can only proceed to Libya then Anglo-Egypt.  It is very easy to predict and counter the US line of advance, and anywhere along the line, Germany can cut the US reinforcement line with its transports and air, plus any units already in Africa.

The alternative is for US to drop to southwest Africa, but that takes a transport out of action for two turns (one turn there, one turn back).  Only on the NEXT turn can it pick up and drop to Africa again.  Which is really very impractical if the Allies can at all avoid it.

Normally, US can race through Africa, but steady two transports worth of Axis reinforcement into Africa REALLY screws the normal progression.  Suddenly, US has to go much slower, or it gets completely wiped out at almost no cost to Germany.  Imagine like this - Germany has 2 tanks and 2 infantry on Anglo-Egypt.  It moves one tank to French West Africa, one to Italian East Africa via Belgian Congo, and the infantry to Italian East Africa.  Then Germany drops four ground to Trans-Jordan.  Whatever comes to Anglo-Egypt on the Allies turn can be hit by eight Germans on the ground plus German air.  That’s quite nasty.  Even after the Germans lose casualties, there will probably still be enough German survivors to deter a sizable Allied attack on Anglo-Egypt.

Eventually, though, if the Allies are determined to drop loads and loads into Africa, they do push the Germans out.  But then, the Germans just march into Persia where they meet up with Japanese reinforcements.  Then the fat stack of Allies in Africa is cut off from the Russians, on the wrong side of a combined German-Japanese force.  Further, the Ger/Japan combined force at Persia allows Germany to set up for a serious threat to Caucasus.  If Germany pushes to Ukraine, Russia can strafe, but a combined Ger/Jap ground force at Persia lets Jap take all the cheap casualties - or Germany, whichever is worse for Russia.

So in this setup, if the Allies insist on dropping to Africa, it’s not easy for them.  But then again, NOT dropping to Africa is still not easy.

–

I’m not saying “med carierz ownz j00”; there’s plenty of Allied counterplay.  But I would say attempting to kill the Med fleet with air should not work until it’s far too late.

Luftwaffe, games are played on this site.  There is a facility here to use a forum posting to roll dice.  There is a map utility called Battlemap that allows you to post maps to show your builds and the results of moves and combat.  This map file is then uploaded for your opponent to download and do their move.  It’s a great way to see how others play the game.  You find games here:

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?board=40.0

@Herr:

@jiman79:

Well basically a UK bomber can hit its target in 1 round a US bomber is active one round later. Whereas US navy at least can do something usefull on their first round (unload in Africa). So I am not sure I follow your long range vs short range perspective for the air units.

You’re right about that, but I don’t think that buying bombers for the explicit purpose of doing strategic bombing raids is a good plan at all. It’s just that if I would do that, I’d do it with the US rather than with the UK. And I’d do the sneaky thing by building them in the Western US (from where they can still land in Britain) to make Japan feel uneasy - at the very least they need to be careful if they plan to unload troops in Buryatia.

As for the UK naval strategy, I generally agree that it’s a better choice than bombers, but I don’t see a specific reason to wait for the US navy to arrive first. The UK can afford to build, say, an aircraft carrier and a destroyer, and put a few planes on the carrier - or land US planes on it. Put it all in SZ2 and it’s basically out of reach for Germany. Or put it in SZ8 and add the US cruiser to it.

I totally agree in all you said.
The standard opening for UK is to buy AC+2dstr and place them in a safe position according to the G air and navy positioning. Retake Egypt and kill the baltic dstr+trnsp.
Besides fom this I think the best location for an allied bomber (UK or US) is in caucasus.

Just played some 3 rounds against a player who did that.
Germany went very weak with a regular R1, ukraine won for soviets (1 tank remaining) And a very risky but succesful sz5 (baltic) attack.

This made uk take norway r1, and build in counter 3 destroyers+1 transport
R2 was allied mass in sz 12 (gibraltar). Germany never dared to attack.

Guess what? Bombing costed me around 10 IPCs total, but no bomber was lost on any raids.

This and many other experiences make me think that bombing is weak.  You risk 12, for 0 if you get hit; 0 for 3.5 if you don’t.
Not to mention that optional rule of escorts… which we don’t use anymore.

Yes, one per land unit.

@Patton5:

Other problems… against a canny opponent the UK cannot build a factory in India.  Japan has a huge fleet and troops right next door and so this old time tactic is useless.  I’m struggling to find any effective strategy for the UK in this new version of the game.

Very true. The only way that the UK can put an IC in India against a Japanese player that doesn’t want him to have one there, is if Germany doesn’t take Egypt on G1 for whatever reason.

However, if by some miracle Germany doesn’t attack Egypt on G1, an IC for India is an outstanding buy IMO. Sacrifice the Cruiser in your Pacific fleet to take out the Japanese transport in SZ59. Then on your non-combat move, move your infantry from Persia into India, take your transport and pick up the tank from Egypt and the infantry from Trans-Jordon, and drop them off in India as well. Lastly, take the fighter off of your Carrier and the fighter from Egypt, and land those in India as well.

Then retreat your carrier to whatever SZ you deem safe for future use. You can even move it through the Suez in an attempt to link it up with your Atlantic fleet if the Med is clear of German ships.

This gives you a total of 5 infantry, 1 tank, 2 fighters, and an AA gun to defend your India IC which you’ll place at the end of your turn. The maximum the Japanese will be able to attack India with on J1 is 2 infantry, 4 fighters, and 1 bomber. The chances of a Jap victory are almost non-existent (around a 10% likelihood I believe), and even if they do, you will have completely decimated their entire air force.

Combine the well-defended India IC with an American IC in Sinkiang which is supported by a garrison of 4 Russian troops, and you have a good starting point to your JTDTM defense.

I’ve yet to have a Japanese player even attempt an attack on India on their first turn when I use this strategy. Yes, you’ll be sacrificing a cruiser and a transport….But you’re eliminating a Japanese transport, and establishing a firm grasp in Asia with an IC in India and a large force to defend it.

Now obviously you leave Africa open for an attack which the Germans will no doubt take advantage of on their second turn, but I usually remedy this by purchasing a South Africa IC a turn or two later. Pump out a few tanks in Africa in addition to the three you’re putting in India each turn, and you’re golden.

If anyone ever wants to play a game of AA42, hit me up. I’d love to play via TripleA, or just play by forum (which I’ve never done, but I’m sure I could learn quickly).