I’d probably attack Albania straight off anyway, just to prevent an immediate Italian army on my southern flank.
I’m assuming that invading Albania would automatically draw Italy into war, just like an attack on Italy proper.
I’d probably attack Albania straight off anyway, just to prevent an immediate Italian army on my southern flank.
I’m assuming that invading Albania would automatically draw Italy into war, just like an attack on Italy proper.
Romania seems to be the crux of the Eastern Front. And that’s precisely why you need to strike first to win the South.
If the Austrians attack turn 1, they can bring up reinforcements in Galicia and Serbia for turn 2, while the Russians have to react to the Austrian attack.
If the Russians occupy Romania turn 1, they can let the massive Austro-Turkic attack exhaust itself against the powerful Russian defence, and crush it with the reinforcements the next turn. Now Russia controls Romania and levels a powerful threat against a depleted Bulgaria, Serbia, and Budapest.
Victory in Romania depends entirely on who seizes the initiative. If Austria lets it slip away, the entire South-East Front will be lost.
Don’t start into Romaina too quickly, let the russians activate it.
On the other hand, work toward the south. Take out Serbia and Albania, and work toward getting to Greece and cut off that whole peninsula.
Meanwhile stack Venice. Condense your defense line in the west down to just one territory.So, in a grand sense.
- Condense down to only one territory to defend (Venice) instead of 2 (Trieste/Tyrolia) This contests an Italian territory and simplifies your western front.
- Don’t move against Russia, Build up in Galicia BIG TIME to threaten Ukraine and cutting off the route to Romania. (the Ottomans will activate Bulgaria and make Romania a bad place to be next turn)
- Pour south, Albania & Serbia, Crush them. With eyes on Greece next turn. Make the Balkans the realm of AH. The last issue is Romania. Which a joint offensive by Ottomans and Austrohungarians is your next objective
Leave Poland for Germany, and Don’t go too deep into Italy. Your goal is only to reduce your western front to one central territory at the choke point. Hold the Balkans for cash, then prod at Russia.
So
Budapest > Serbia
Trieste >Albania
Tyrolia > Venice
Bohemia >Galicia
And use the force in Vienna to reenforce the other fronts.Important to flat out TAKE Serbia and Albania if you can
I don’t want a 14 inf 5 art Russian force in Romania first turn, which is what’ll happen if you leave Romania for the Russians to activate. And I think Greece should be the Ottoman’s responsibility.
Any sensical Italian player won’t attack Tyrolia or Trieste first turn, so I think not attacking Venice is a fine play. And if the first-turn Balkan blitz succeeds, Austria-Hungary is free to turn its entire non-Italian force against the Russkies. Also, if Greece does fall to Austrians instead of Ottomans, the Austrian High Command takes a good look at the map and realizes its forces are split into three, the southernmost force is 3 turns from the closest front, and its conquests can’t be easily maintained from Vienna. Much better to let the Ottomans take Greece, since Constantinople is right on Greece’s doorstep.
I agree that Poland and northern Russia should be German responsibility, but the Balkans, at least the southernmost Balkans, should be Turkish. They’ll need the cash more than Austria-Hungary, and it’ll be easier for them to fight off any Allied landings in Greece. And Italy, Rome in particular, should be the main Austrian target. Make small, piecemeal attacks into Sevastopol and the Ukraine to draw Russian forces off the main German assault further north.
Yes, but I’m basing my thinking off the idea that with Serbia, Albania, and Romania all gone, Austria has no “third front” to draw its units off the Italian and Russian fronts. Extra Austrians in northern Italy from Round 3 onwards represents a net gain for the Central Powers.
I have come up with two useful strategies for the Austrian turn, which bear the imaginative titles of “Attack Italy” and “Don’t Attack Italy”.
ATTACK ITALY
All Trieste to Albania
1/2 Budapest to Serbia, 1/2 Budapest to Romania
1/2 Galicia to Romania, 1/2 Galicia hold
All Tyrolia hold
1/2 Vienna to Galicia, 1/2 Vienna to Trieste
1/2 Bohemia to Tyrolia, 1/2 Bohemia to Galicia
DON’T ATTACK ITALY
All Trieste to Serbia
All Budapest to Romania
All Galicia hold
All Tyrolia hold
1/2 Vienna to Trieste, 1/2 Vienna to Galicia
1/2 Bohemia to Tyrolia, 1/2 Bohemia to Galicia
So? What do you think? Worthwhile, or should they be scrapped?
I’ll get this version, but I don’t care if a second one has gas and cavalry, costs $35 and comes with a free copy of The First World War(something the designers of this game probably should’ve read, incidentally). I won’t buy it.
Instead of attacking ships, why not let the planes provide air supremacy like in land battles?
…Were Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde types of WWI mines?
What with all the infantry seemingly being similar-looking men leveling bayonets, there isn’t much distinction between the different infantry sculpts either. You can tell that this game wasn’t attended to with particular love and care. I’m afraid WotC just rushed it out in an attempt to cash in on the 100-year anniversary, that they don’t actually care about accuracy and playability so much as a profit. Sad, because in several respects the Great War is even more interesting than its successor and this game could’ve spawned a whole new generation of WWI historians.
For a moment I though Vienna bordered Poland, tell me it isn’t so.
Me too. But there is the thin line of Galicia between them
Oh… whew. I thought Vienna was bordering on Poland too, thanks for pointing that out.
The main complaints I’ve heard have been about Prussia and Finland, but I’m upset that they took away Bulgaria’s Aegean coastline. It would’ve added a whole new dimension to the Balkans, being able to land units directly into Bulgaria without having to take Constantinople first.
Ask me, according to this map I´m living in Austria :lol:
Okay, I’ll ask: Where do you live on this map?
The main complaints I’ve heard have been about Prussia and Finland, but I’m upset that they took away Bulgaria’s Aegean coastline. It would’ve added a whole new dimension to the Balkans, being able to land units directly into Bulgaria without having to take Constantinople first.
Ooh, Flash… I see what you did with that minefield off Britain’s east coast… :-o :-D
Game would’ve been so much better with just Europe and North Africa, no United States, and about 8-13 territories for each power. Africa is mainly just a waste of space.
With Finland having the Arctic coastline, I can’t see Germany invading Sweden or Norway as they can’t quickly strike at Karelia. Each Central Power has only one neutral they should try to conquer.
Germany: Switzerland. That army in Bavaria, or whatever the hell it’s called, can’t reach the Western front without rails anyway, so why not open an extra front against both the French and Italians?
Austria-Hungary: Greece. The Allies are eventually going to land in Greece anyway, so the Austrians may as well try to forestall these landings once they and the Ottomans have won in the Balkans.
Ottoman Turkey: Persia. If both the British and Russians haven’t yet invaded and Turkey has sufficient force to strike eastwards and cover Mesopotamia, then a Turkish assault on Persia will level a threat against both Eastern Russia and India and force the Allies to divert troops to defend against it.
@Imperious:
Let’s see…
Preorder for what $60 or just pay MRP of $100…
Decisions…Decisions…
Yep it’s clear…I will pay $100…
excellent.
Eh. I can probably get it for free if I work on manipulating my family enough, since my birthday is March 15th and all.
1941 was basically “Axis & Allies for Beginners” and 1914 will be rather more complicated, plus the new direction it’s taking. The map is apparently pretty big(thanks to Africa) and the previews so far seem to imply that this game will involve a lot of strategic challenge. I do think $100 is rather overpriced, $75 probably would’ve been better, but overall the game seems pretty good and I suppose I can afford the price. Plus I only have Guadalcanal and 1941 and need an actual large-theatre game that isn’t something incredibly simplified.
Constantinople is worth 6, Ankara and Mesopotamia are each worth 3.