@Cmdr:
Frank:
No, I think you underestimate just how strongly Russia can defend itself. There is just no realistic manner in which Germany can get Moscow before Japan is neutralized and America has started landing in Arkhangelsk.
Russia does not need a buff at all, unless you do so in a manner I mentioned above by removing Naval units and replacing them with ground units located east of Moscow.
Germany Units
43 Infantry Starts with 35 Infantry +8 G1 when Germany takes Finland and Bulgaria.
8 Artillery
8 Tanks
4 Mechanized Infantry
11 Planes
Total 74 and lots of attack power.
Russian Units
27 Infantry, not counting the units located by Japan because they are too far away to effect the Eastern front for the first six turns. They usually end up fighting Japan one way or the other in most games I play.
3 Artillery
2 Mechanized Infantry
2 Tanks
3 Planes
Total 37 and almost no attack power.
By utilizing its starting 2 to 1 unit advantage Germany is very capable or tearing up Russia if the German player decides on operation Barbarossa after France and the US does not pose a threat to Germany. Not to mention Alpha +2 also upgraded the Factory in Germany to a major making it easier to build mass amounts of units to send in Operation Barbarossa.
The Germans will lose a few units smashing France and build the Baltic Fleet G1 but then on G2 they are free to spend about 70 points on the Eastern Front because US is going mostly Japan first. They will always be able to produce more units to attack Russia than Russia can to defend because unless the US attacks Europe there is no reason for the German economy to not be much larger than the Russian one.
With the Baltic fleet built and the starting units in Finland and Norway for Germany it will take a sizable force for the Russians to take Norway. If they do this they are now even more outnumbered by the Germans and that means Germany will eat more of the Russian economy and capture key points such as Stalingrad, Leningrad, and the Ukraine Minor. Also the Baltic Fleet and the Air Force will then just take Norway right back from Russia insuring Germany keeps it’s five point bonus.
Russia will also never see their five point bonus if the German player keeps a sub in Sea Zone 125.
If the Allies decide to send the US to the Pacific first and stay there until Japan is neutralized they will pay a heavy price in Europe. Moscow may still be technically alive when the US player makes it out of the Pacific (Though I am not convinced Japan can’t keep them there quite a long time if the US player wants to stay until Japan is neutralized) but Moscow will be on it’s deathbed.
This does not even touch on the growth of Italy, lockdown of Cairo, and anything it sends towards Russia.
The Allies may be able to neutralize Japan first as a viable strategy but there are great costs in doing so even if they are successful in the Pacific. If they are not careful they risk losing 8 victory cities on the European side of the board.