I was wondering if we are limited to only the number of ICs that the game came with or if they just decided not to include extra ones. The reason I ask is that I remember reading somewhere a strategy that involved using up all of the ICs before Japan or US could place any. It doesn’t sound fair but I thought I’d ask.

@Zhukov44:

@Veqryn:

Buy 60% tanks, 35% infantry, and 5% artillery, and head your a** to moscow,

Better…at first buy 90% inf, 5% art, maybe 1 plane and 1 tank per turn.  When you are ready, switch to half tanks/half inf.  Eventually, you may want all or mostly tanks, or all or mostly planes, as the situation requires.  When you are ready, a good inf/tank ratio should be somewhere between 3:1 to 2:1.

Axis should go after Africa (as well as Aussie/NZ/Mad) but the main goal is always Moscow.  Getting the colonies increases Axis income and decreases British income, and is a big part of winning the game.  Tank dash to Moscow is not the only way to win and can be countered–the less dicey way for the Axis to win is by building a bigger economy.

The problem with heavy tank buys early in the game for Germany is that they run out of inf as they get closer to Moscow allowing the Russians to counter with huge inf stacks and destroying your expensive tank divisions for relatively little which lessens your IPC advantage. this can cost Germany the war, at the very least a two turn setback. I have found that this doesn’t become evident until rd 2 or 3, but buy then it is too late. Its any easy mistake that many axis players make, if your lucky Russia makes this mistake first.

Just right because they force navies to bulk up on protection and it makes the game more dynamic. Bombers being cheaper allows for flexibility when playing Germany to have them attack arriving convoys or support a counter attack on the Russia front. Before they were just too expensive to be used very much. It certainly makes the game more fun.

I like the IC on the mainland, specifically French IndoChina, with India there worth 3 IPC’s it is hard to pass up. As far as attacking AUS and NewZ, I think it would work if you find yourself with extra transports and a cruiser you can use. However it should be a secondary attack depending what is going on the rest of the map. In the current game I am playing, the allies are focused on the atlantic fleets and UK built a IC in India which is drawing all of the UK resources to protect. Since we(the Axis) built an IC in French IndoChina, we are focusing on taking over India which should just about seal the Allies death warrant.

@Veqryn:

if the allies are good, you will not take africa

BUT you need to try to take africa because it will force the allies to spend 2 or 3 ipcs for each single 1 ipc you send to africa.  its a very cost effective campaign and distracts them badly from europe.  if you don’t go after africa, they can go straight to europe, meaning you will see a lot more pressure much more early, however if you go for africa and they don’t go after you there, you will eventually be making 7-11 more ipcs a turn and will win definitely, and if you do go after africa and they come after you, you and screw with them for a good 3 turns, costing them tons of money of soon to be out of place allied troops before losing africa

Well said, against mediocre and novice allies this strategy is perfect. Stealing 7-11 IPCs per turn from the UK is as good as sinking 14-22 IPCs of there navy, plus you can use the money elsewhere like against Russia.

Might I suggest the bomber sub combo for killing the UK fleet and or US invasion fleet?  The bombers coupled with fighters and subs for fodder is devastating to a fleet made of capital ships. I honestly don’t think you need to worry about the fleets at first. Securing africa poses more of a problem to the allies. It forces the allies to respond sooner than later and keeps them out of europe for a couple of turns. I have had success with a IC in Egypt in the second round but I am not sure it was due to the IC or the opposing players lack of counter moves. I think one  transport with a cruiser is a better buy. If you can link the new cruiser and transport with the original med battleship and transport you then can shuck to Egypt and have the option for amphibious assault on Caucus with two free attacks when the time is right. The advantage of the cruiser/transport buy is that you get a start on a German navy and it makes you money buy helping you take Africa.  I think the key to beating the Allies is to counter them asymmetrically early in the game. Unless the allied player(s) are really good, you should be able to lead them around and destroy there fragmented fronts.

I.C. in Western Europe imo.  :-D

Is that a serious suggestion?