Ok so like most have been struggling to compete using Allies but I think I may have cracked it. I had played 3 games as Allies against an inexperienced player, however I would help coach strategies in order to make a game of it. I just could never land US or UK troops before Moscow fell. The Japs were unstoppable. In one game he came up with Operation Sea Lion by himself, getting me by surprise (as not used to not being able to put unlimited troops in capital cities) and if it matters is an accomplished Poker player so does have the necessary intellect skills to compete.
Now down 3-0 and willing to prove a point how difficult it is to play allies vs the linear approach of being Axis (he has started to rib me how great a player he is),he plays allies and I crush him. I then gave him 14 IPCs to play Allies. Again he had no idea how to think ahead and the transition from playing Axis well (you can not really play Axis badly) to the coordinated approach to playing Allies completely failed him. I crushed him just playing Axis in a standard push forward way. However he did take the sub in india and destroyed the fleet in sz37 and we also inadvertently discovered the aussie transporter could legally move 3 spaces back to india if he chose to withdraw the amph assault. He chose to carry on, destroyed the ��� fleet but was disappointed when I told him he now had to land the aussies in to E.India and they were beaten back on the beaches. He didn’t bring the transport from India. I took note.
This is now my strategy for playing Allies with 14 IPCs. Please pick holes in it.
With 14 IPCs UK buys two artillery with one going in to Egypt and the other to India. The idea here is that in Egypt after R1 with the Persian Soldier I will have a 2artillery/2 inf combination. I think Egypt is too strong for Germany to take now in the 1st turn. Intention is to fly Russian fighter there too.
The remaining 6 IPCs is spent on a sub in India…with the idea on using it to destroy ��� fleet in SZ37
Russian R1.
Purchase 6 men and one tank (just to keep attacking options open)
After some consideration the odds are just not favourable to strafe Ukraine. It is tempting to take out the German fleet in SZ5 with the two fighters but Russia needs those fighters for defence later on and can not afford to lose. I also weigh up taking Baltic states but then there would be no defence in Karelia to protect the returning Fighter. My main strategy is to hold the line and create a dead zone in WR.
I elect to send everything minus one fighter to West Russia. Once taken I can then counterattack any movement in to Karelia or Caucasus. My goal is to hold the line and prevent Caucasus being taken. Once G can start pumping out inf there instead of walking from Berlin Russia falls sooner. If he takes Karelia I am ok with him holding it, better that than Caucasus.
The spare fighter flies to Egypt and is now impregnable (as the extra UK artillery is there now too).
R1 G - Germany makes predictable moves does what it does but the strategy for Russia stays the same throughout. Hold the line until the US and UK arrive.
R1 UK Purchase 3 subs for India. Apart from the ��� fleet in SZ37 there is no ��� fleet (and more importantly no destroyer) within two spaces. This will allow me in round two to hit any fleet in range with 3@2 that will no doubt delay Japs advance. If UK is to buy subs it has to be now as future rounds they will be within 2 spaces of destroyers and airforce - and subs don like defending as soon as they are produced!) When I do attack and if destroyers are removed we will have surprise attacks enabled. The japs will take a long time to recover (that is the idea!)
R1 Combat movement. With the Australian fleet in SZ39 and SZ35 we hit 37. UK has an extra sub (From the 14IPC bid). We also use the fighter from Egypt. We also declare an amphibious assault (two transporters, 3 Inf, 1art to take E.India). This is when we use the extra artillery bought as part of the 14 extra IPCs. Depending on how the battle goes in round one we can either withdraw everything to India (Aus transport makes a legal 3-space move) or we do an amphib assault w 3 inf and 1 art against 2 inf. I am thinking I will not proceed and if the ��� fleet still lives on first round of combat will withdraw back to india and take E.Indies on subsequent Turn when the ��� fighters leave (as ��� aircraft carrier will be dead)
If things go badly we now have just placed 3 subs in to sz35 and can submerge if Japs counterattack or use as fodder as the two fighters on the Aircraft carrier defend. If things go well we now have 3-5 subs to harangue the remaining ��� fleet.
So in case you have missed it UK has saved 13 IPCs and next time has an income of 44 IPCs (maybe more if E.Indies falls)
Japan goes - but strategy for UK remains unchanged - delay Japan for as long as possible.
US buys 4 fighters. In their non-combat phase move all current fighters that can, fly to Eastern Canada.
US and UK during their combat phases eliminate German subs. Not a concern if other surface ships are alive as you will see.
Assuming the German subs are gone, come the UK turn UK buys 3 aircraft carriers. Since G has now had their turn on the US turn US land 6 fighters on the 3 uk Aircraft carriers. If german subs are a threat then buy 1-2 destroyers and then the planes can defend against he subs.
So here we go … at the end of the 2nd turn there is an impregnable Navy fleet of 6 rolls @ 4, 3@2. Subsequent turns US and UK can now safely begin the transport purchase with the intention on turn 4 UK are landing troops anywhere they wish to. Not to mention the US fleet is on its way over too.
Some holes here are that I haven’t produced any land units in India for 2 turns but am hoping that the UK subs will do their job. It is a trade off on buying 1 fighter, art and inf in India (and still intending on doing the 3 aircraft carrier purchase) but I figure that the 3 subs will do just as good a job at holding the japs back if not longer as we can eliminate the bombardment threat and Japs need a fleet to advance fast.
US does standard move of bringing everything over from Pac to Atlantic. if the fleet in SZ11 � goes down first round then so be it.
Things may need to be adjusted depending on dice rolls and Germany and ��� strategies but this the general idea. UK hold back Japs and from turn 4 UK and US are offloading troops every turn in to Europe. At some point when the US fleet has arrived the 6 fighters can be sent to Russia to defend the motherland.
This could also be done with a 6 IPC bid with the sub in India. But I am so sick of losing (we both are…he wants to see an Allied strategy that works too), I need to be sure and have taken the 14. Allies needs to win before trying 6 IPC approach.
Anything over 14 IPCs is too much now in the Allies favour.
Thoughts?