Posts made by Blitchga

@marechallannes:

@Blitchga:

As for what SZ I mean when you build out of Berlin I am talking about SZ 114. The transports can easily still get to London and are completely safe from attack until the SU enters the war which shouldn’t be happening if you decide to go after London.

We are talking about UK-strategies and possibilities to knock out german transports.

Does not matter if the transports go for Russia or UK.

But in SZ 114 the transports aren’t a danger for UK, but save from UK air strikes, that’s right.

Forget it. You are obviously not listening and so it doesn’t matter. Move on and if we ever play I will show you. I could spend time tearing apart your transport attacks or we can move on.

Look obviously this is not the post and if you don’t believe me then play me and do a non-defensive build and I will show you exactly what I mean. I have done it several times and know that it works. Stop putting it in with the “I am going to do sea lion no matter what” strategies as that is not what I said it was. I said that if UK does NOT defend itself then you can embarrass them by taking their capital.

on G1, However no one starts with NO income

I always have destroyers to regain control of the Atlantic. Germany (and even Italy can help in this) can build 2-4 subs a turn and easily wrestle the Atlantic away Britain and even delay the US if it is done right. If both Italy and Germany concentrate and some subs and strategic bombers they can virtually delay the US for turns after they enter the war. I wont go into details as I have written them down before.

As for what SZ I mean when you build out of Berlin I am talking about SZ 114. The transports can easily still get to London and are completely safe from attack until the SU enters the war which shouldn’t be happening if you decide to go after London.

@MarkVIIIMarc:

When i am Germany i expect to get pounded by the big three allies.  Now i launch all my offenses turn one and do invade Russia as soon as reasonable, hopefully G2, usually no later than G3. Russia just falls back soooo quickly.

This game has so many coastal territories for the allies to land in. Old games you cpuld build ten inf and a few fighters and hold France. Now its a counter attack game which i think helps their amphibious forces.

As Germany the trick is to expand to a viable economy then make it very costly and or slow for the allies to kill you. Japan is far away from achievable iniative stealing objectives. Just gotta wait for Japan to get India or create an imbalance someplace

I agree with the economy and that is precisely why I wait until G4 or usually G5 to attack the Soviets. Using cheap subs and men and artillery will give you the edge your looking for. Cheap units to combat the allied expensive ones. I have never seen an early attack on the Soviet Union go well as they can easily push Germany back if Germany is unprepared…

@marechallannes:

I try to get the control of North Sea/North Atlantic as soon as possible.

_(You don’t need bombers to reach less/non escorted German transport builds in SZ 113

Buy a CV in SZ 110 and send the figthers.

Sunk 3 german transports last game.)_

of course however if three transports were built off Berlin you cannot get those ones. As well if UK has put enough planes into London to be able to build two carriers and get through the German battleship and cruiser then the UK player has not been silly and I do not need to embarrass them. I am not saying this is what I do to a UK player who does not defend London but rather one who does something other than maximize defenses on UK1.

@calvinhobbesliker:

I assume you build a Tr, inf, and tank in Quebec a turn? Does this start after US enters war?

Sort of I try to get two transports going and then I simply build two infantry for the transports and a destroyer a turn (IPC permitting as the 3 units for the Unions of South Africa are more important)

I will also take the transport that is in Canada and immediately move to take Brazil on UK2. I find that two IPC and 3 infantry to be much more useful for the UK player than the US, especially since the US has to wait until war has been declared to take Brazil.

@calvinhobbesliker:

Okay then. UK builds 2 bmrs. Now your BB and CC and transports are threatened with 3 ftrs, 2 bmrs. French CC remains in Z112 as a blocker. If you build ships to defend, that’s less transports you can build. Alternatively, I can build 1 bmr, 5 inf and move the tac to UK, threatening it with 3 ftr, tac, bmr.

The fighters and tactical do not have the range to attack until the turn that the German fleet moves out to take London on G3? You also wont have a carrier to block with as the German luftwaffe and sub force would hunt or push away away any naval blocking units.

In order to be back on topic, I tend to build up cruisers and a destroyer for the Atlantic which will move to the coast of Morocco on the turn that the US is about to move their allowing the US and UK to combine fleets against the Germany and/or Italian counter attack. I then try to bring 2 land units from Canada a turn into Morocco. I will also make sure that I can place 3 land units into Union of South Africa, most often a tank, a man and an artillery. Occasionally I will also put a minor factory into Persia as well.

As soon as I can I will build the Strategic bomber force in London to two bombers in order to keep German fighters out west to defend the factories, naval and air bases that I bomb every turn. If I can I will send my fighter escorts to force Germany to have even more fighters.

@calvinhobbesliker:

@Blitchga:

@calvinhobbesliker:

@Blitchga:

@calvinhobbesliker:

Mine is as follows(Assuming Alpha Setup):
UK1 buys 2 tanks and 2 DDs.
Attack Taranto, take Ethiopia with inf and art from India and inf from Sudan plus bombardment. Activate Persia with Z98 transport. Retreat all alex forces to Egypt and put the ANZAC inf as a blocker in Alex, especially if the Taranto transport survives. Move infs to Rhodesia and build 2 tanks SAF, 2 DD off Canada

A smart Germany and Italian player have just taken your capital. If I see the UK build anything less than 9 land units in London AND if they do not bring the carrier and destroyer north to home waters then I will respond by building enough transports on G2 with all my extra cash and laugh as London can only bolster themselves with 10 land units before I take their capital. If they block well then Italy can easily take out a destroyer, cruiser or whatever block they have surviving after G2. (Italy in our games tends to almost always build a fighter on I1)

UK buy of less than 9 land units on UK1 and a failure to bring as much available fleet to the north Atlantic is a good recipe for a German occupied London.

I am well aware of Sealion. However, if you build a carrier, I automatically build 9 ingf in London. if you do not, I will attack your BB and CC if they’re in Z112 or if they’re in Z113(which means some of my fleet has survived), I can bloack it on UK1 or 2, depending on the situation

I don’t think you understood my build as Germany. Why build a carrier it is a waist. I can simply build the transports on G2 and then attack London on G3, the carrier most people build on G1 is just a waste of funds.

Okay. Where do you build your transports? If in Z112, I sink them(even if you move the BB and CC there). If in Z113 with the BB, CC, my CC in Z112 survived and is retreated for use as a counter or left there to block

They are left in the Baltic in SZ 113. Your right you can block on G2. I have no intention of attacking on G2, I simply throw the transports in the water on G2. Then on UK2 they respond by building 10 units in London and blocking, (if any ships are left after G2, G2 is when you finish off any navy in the North Atlantic). If somehow they still have a ship to block before G3 then Italy on I2 can take it out with its 3 fighters, clearing the way to London from SZ113. It is the perfect way to keep UK honest as they will only allow it to happen to them once. It is perfect as well because UK thinks that you are going all Soviet front when you buy a major factory or all land troops on G1 and push towards the Soviet border. Then if the UK did not go hard defense in London you respond with the transports and moving your troops back to the west and taking London since the UK player can only add 10 units to London’s defenses.

@Frank:

But I have to say I like the Alpha set up much better.

It is incredible how much better it makes the game from both sides.

@calvinhobbesliker:

@Blitchga:

@calvinhobbesliker:

Mine is as follows(Assuming Alpha Setup):
UK1 buys 2 tanks and 2 DDs.
Attack Taranto, take Ethiopia with inf and art from India and inf from Sudan plus bombardment. Activate Persia with Z98 transport. Retreat all alex forces to Egypt and put the ANZAC inf as a blocker in Alex, especially if the Taranto transport survives. Move infs to Rhodesia and build 2 tanks SAF, 2 DD off Canada

A smart Germany and Italian player have just taken your capital. If I see the UK build anything less than 9 land units in London AND if they do not bring the carrier and destroyer north to home waters then I will respond by building enough transports on G2 with all my extra cash and laugh as London can only bolster themselves with 10 land units before I take their capital. If they block well then Italy can easily take out a destroyer, cruiser or whatever block they have surviving after G2. (Italy in our games tends to almost always build a fighter on I1)

UK buy of less than 9 land units on UK1 and a failure to bring as much available fleet to the north Atlantic is a good recipe for a German occupied London.

I am well aware of Sealion. However, if you build a carrier, I automatically build 9 ingf in London. if you do not, I will attack your BB and CC if they’re in Z112 or if they’re in Z113(which means some of my fleet has survived), I can bloack it on UK1 or 2, depending on the situation

I don’t think you understood my build as Germany. Why build a carrier it is a waist. I can simply build the transports on G2 and then attack London on G3, the carrier most people build on G1 is just a waste of funds.

@calvinhobbesliker:

Mine is as follows(Assuming Alpha Setup):
UK1 buys 2 tanks and 2 DDs.
Attack Taranto, take Ethiopia with inf and art from India and inf from Sudan plus bombardment. Activate Persia with Z98 transport. Retreat all alex forces to Egypt and put the ANZAC inf as a blocker in Alex, especially if the Taranto transport survives. Move infs to Rhodesia and build 2 tanks SAF, 2 DD off Canada

A smart Germany and Italian player have just taken your capital. If I see the UK build anything less than 9 land units in London AND if they do not bring the carrier and destroyer north to home waters then I will respond by building enough transports on G2 with all my extra cash and laugh as London can only bolster themselves with 10 land units before I take their capital. If they block well then Italy can easily take out a destroyer, cruiser or whatever block they have surviving after G2. (Italy in our games tends to almost always build a fighter on I1)

UK buy of less than 9 land units on UK1 and a failure to bring as much available fleet to the north Atlantic is a good recipe for a German occupied London.

I am confused as to how this could have worked? The difference in income has to be closed if your going to win with the axis powers. How did you do that passively?

@Frank:

I printed up the Alpha set up today.  After looking at I am thinking it is much better.  This will prevent England from flying all the Pacific planes they start with in normal set up to Africa and pushing back Italy.  It should also force the US to spend some more points on Navy and Airforce.  The Austrialian fighters also can hurt the axis a lot so as Japan I will be glad to see them go.  Finally the extra inf in Manchuria should help peel some points off Russia.

I should be trying the set up today against the least experienced gamer in our group.  He will be the allies.  Later in the week I may play the best player in our group but I will have to convince him about the set up.  He thinks Japan will be hurt too much by losing seven planes.

He shouldn’t be. I was as well but after trying it I would never go back. Extra infantry divisions for a Soviet invasion, and less planes for the allies to use as well. Pure fantasticness!

@Gargantua:

Why Romania?  Why not just spend the 30 on extra ground units?  Or make up for it by buying extra armor in later rounds?

Like the concept though… the invincible army

building the forward factory does a couple of things. One it allows for Germany to build those cheap infantry and artillery combos that give maximum offense and defense. It also allows you to push into the south very easily once Leningrad has been secured. Lastly it allows for (against the less experienced British generals) a false sense of security for the British, if they go heavy in Africa or Canada and do not base their strategy on heavily defending London for the first 1-2 turns (one being the most important) then you can take London from them with ease and lose no steam against the Soviets. This however leads to a whole other strategy that I use against such an unsuspecting UK player.

@Hobbes:

I’ve looked into this strat before on the Europe forum under the USSR Invasion thread and tried it. The main difference to yours is that G bought an IC for Romania on G1 and 10 armor for it on G2, allowing to move 18 inf, 5 art and 13 armor to Belarus on G3.

One issue about your strat is that, since it is Global Russia’s income goes from 28 to 37, it may just give her enough offensive power to crush the Belarus stack on R3 if it builds 2 rounds of only artillery/tanks.

But assuming Russia was more shy on its purchases or that Italy has taken Belarus first then the optimal Russian move is to abandon Novgorod, keep 1 infantry on Smolensk/Bryansk and mass everything on Russia. That way the Italian can opener movement is prevented and I doubt that Germany will be able to move its stack to Smolensk/Bryansk on G4 if the Russians keep adding artillery. And even if it moves a G5 attack on Moscow most likely will be unachievable, even with the additional planes, since Germany hasn’t built any land units and Russia should be sitting upon a lot of infantry.

I forgot to mention that I do not invade the Soviet Union until G5 in most games and occasionally on G4. Japan is giving them enough to worry about in Global. Also I do not go for Moscow, I make priorities and stick to them. Hitler could not decide which objective was the most important, pick one and throw everything at and then move on to objective 2 but do not go for more than one at once. I hit Leningrad, allowing me to hold the north and get another bonus. From there the forces continually push in without putting themselves in danger while a new offensive is beginning in the south from my Romanian Major. Buy cheap units, Russia is buying cheap units and you are not going to counter them by spending on expensive things like tanks. I beat them by buying infantry and artillery and simply having more of them. Granted I also have a larger tank force but I add very little to it as the remaining money goes into Luftwaffe and U-boats to keep the other allies honest.

@zooooma:

Most of us are finding the Axis struggle in Global.  This means they need every plane they have and more.

I do not find the axis a struggle, lately our group has been finding the exact opposite.

@ Chompers#2 Alpha set up is so much better I would definitely give it a try.

@Chompers#2:

So far it appears to me that playing against a skilled allied opponent that Germany can not beat Russia on it’s own except with insane dice luck or something.  That does not mean the game is broken it just means that against a skilled allied player that cutting into Russia will be a joint venture by both Japan and Germany.  Russia makes a lot of IPCs and Germany has to fight USA and Britan.  For Germany to get a win on its on against a Russian opponent who builds only inf and art is going to be very hard especially when the allies land in Europe.  Japan has to help Germany if the axis goal is too finish Russia off and take Moscow.  That being said I am thinking of plans for the Axis that involve not having to take Moscow to achieve victory conditions.

I have had no problem beating the Soviets alone as Germany. Major on G1 and 10 units a turn for the next 4-5 turns and then smaller buys as you have gained the advantage and need to keep that luftwaffe and sub force strong to beat off UK and US forces.

@JamesAleman:

@calvinhobbesliker:

…

Japan already has a strong navy with 2 battleships and 3 carriers. it does not need more. What it needs are more land forces, which alpha provides: it adds 6 inf to China and Korea while removing 2 inf from japan

If your land units are at a premium and you have excess air units, would it not make sense to choose air over ground as casualties in select battles?

For example [OOB Global] when hitting Yunnan [3 inf] send in air and less land to keep the land units in tact. Choose these “excess” air units as casualties. Strike concentrated Chinese and UK land units with air to clear the board. Eventually, you’ll get your ground units there and the plane level would “balance” out.

This is not what I do in games_, but it does make sense in some cases and would not require changing things. I’d say maybe two-dozen games saw me select a plane in order to capture a key land area or keep a key land unit alive.[Like when trying to capture a capital.] Many times in Pacific40 I “taught” a new player not to concentrate Chinese units next to Yunnan without the UK air force, as I often flew in 16+ air to wipe away 10 or fewer units for 3-4 planes.[Especially if it nabbed the Chinese fighter.]

I have a regular opponent who loves to throw planes at infantry, so far he has yet to come close in beating the allies._

G1 Major in Romania, G2 9-10 artillery, G3 10 artillery, G4 10 combo of men and or artillery, G5 Either another combo to push in anther direction or 10 mech to catch your advancing stack that heads for Leningrad. Russia is dreaming if they think they can match it. Also make sure that you NEVER allow them to get their 5$ bonus, it is enough to stop with a single sub.

This build has been an absolute recipe for pure Soviet crushing strategy. Maximizes your bonuses and allows for you to build up some subs as well to fend off UK and US when they start thinking about coming back to Europe. The in depth rounded strategy would take longer but that is how I steam roll through the Soviets.

I should also mention that in Alpha set up (how we always play) Japan will always take 2 territories on J1 and a total of 5 by J2 from Russia. Having all those extra men in Manchuria and Korea are just waiting to push those Soviet Far East troops back to the interior.

@calvinhobbesliker:

@Chompers#2:

I guess I was trying to think of ways to get America involved on mainland Asia but the just might not be realistic.

Well the quickest way to do that is with planes. Getting land units there means you have an unhampered naval route to China, which means you’re already winning, or you take 15 turns walking there from Africa

agreed. Your money will is better spend taking back Japanese occupied islands

@Chompers#2:

I didn’t count before posting but the main point I was thinking of is Japan seems to have bit to many planes in non alpha set up.  Not saying it makes the game unbalanced but I think it would be cooler to play a Japan with a better mixture of units.

It is much better and means that Japan actually has to build some planes if they want the same dominance of the skies.

I will always go Barbarossa when the UK player takes its position seriously and goes all defense the first two rounds of the game, otherwise take London to embarrass them and lose no money in doing so. I however, do not think that going Barbarossa early is a good idea, I have waited until G4 or more often G5 every game and I steam roll through the Soviet forces.

@Captain:

Two questions:

1.  Who thinks Japan is too strong with the 29 planes?  It seems to throw the balance off in the Pacific, and Japan could really cause problems in Europe if the planes fly to Germany. I would rather see Japan have a stronger navy with a couple more transports than have so many planes that can threaten larger areas on the map.

2.  Is ALPHA going to be official for the global game?  A lot of players on this board seem to think it helps to balance AAP40, but what about global?  Larry Harris has endorsed ALPHA, but it is still not in the official Pacific40 Erata.

I am one of the few who didn’t think Japan was to strong with 28 planes, but after playing Alpha I prefer it in AAP40 and AAG40 and as both the axis and allied powers.

Alpha is fast looking to be the new set up but takes time to put into official capacity as Calvin pointed out.