@c64:
So how about buying 1 AC and 2 Destroyers on UK1 ? You could place the AC and one DD in SZ8, which are joined by the american Cruiser on US1. The other British destroyer could be used to block the 2 subs from the Baltic Sea.
This way you sacrifice one DD but on Germany’s second turn it would come down to
1 sub, 2 ftr, 2 Bmb vs 1 AC + 2 ftr, 1 DD, 1 Cruiser
Maybe Germany might rethink attacking that fleet. ( success is about 50%)
I’ve been thinking it over and I realize that an AC and two destroyers is by far the best buy on UK1, especially if Germany has destroyed all your European navy, which a smart German player will have done. Now if the dice turned out well for Germany, they will have 2 ftrs in W.Eu., and 2 ftrs and a bomber in Norway (assuming that the bomber was used to take out the battleship in Z2 on G1, and is only eligible to land in Norway). But they will probably only have 2 subs, assuming the battleship hit on defense and took one out. If the Baltic subs moved to Z6 or Z7 (or maybe even 1 in each) they threaten all four SZs into which UK can build. Building into Z6 and Z7 are out of the question in such a situation, because you are open to an attack by 2 subs 4 ftrs 1 bomber and (if it is still alive) 1 destroyer. So Z2 and Z8 are your options; 2 ftrs can still reach you in either of these zones, but 2 is better than 4. Building into Z8 is probably the best, because the US cruiser can move to this zone before Germany gets to go again, and the Russian sub will link up on R2 assuming it submerged during the Z2 battle on G1.