Stopping the Reich

[MattFL]

In my albeit very limited experience with this, I find the Germans to be extremely strong. So some of you Allied experts - how do you stop the Reich from riding roughshod all over the map while Stalin twiddles his thumbs?

Do you send the British to the Balkans if it's invaded early?
Do you have the British aid France?
How do you react when the Germans immediately invade Spain after the capture of Paris and send ridiculous amounts of troops to Afrika?

What are some keys to stopping (or even marginally disrupting!) an ultra aggressive German onslaught?

The British seem to be the only variable in the early game, but they're very week and very geographically dispersed. And worse, their hands are tied in that they can't send stuff to neutral countries.

[ncc1701e]

In my albeit very limited experience with this, I find the Germans to be extremely strong. So some of you Allied experts - how do you stop the Reich from riding roughshod all over the map while Stalin twiddles his thumbs?

As USSR buy Infantry Rifle Corps each turn from turn 1 to the invasion. Do this to reduce German effectiveness:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 7&t=390907

This is possible with this:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 0&t=403397

An example here:
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 0&t=402139

Do you send the British to the Balkans if it's invaded early?

NO - I prefer to protect Cairo.

Do you have the British aid France?

NO - I prefer to invest in Battle of Atlantic. I buy escorts, MMs and strategic bombers (Detection & Elec advancement)

How do you react when the Germans immediately invade Spain after the capture of Paris and send ridiculous amounts of troops to Afrika?

I protect Gibraltar by invading the Spain part in North Africa. Putting planes there to defend. And I start to attack Tobruk if there is nobody.

[stjeand]

Balkins - I welcome it when a German player attacks the Balkins early. Though that is me. I make the pay dearly with heavy losses to panzers normally. I have sent French units over to help hold the line but you have to be careful NOT to get them trapped. Sometimes I bring over a fighter or a bomber to hit the Germans. Maybe a UK unit?
Honestly I have only had this done to me once and they were held off long enough that they did not have time to mess with Greece and were worn for France which is a big bonus.
For Greece I use the UK navy to assist...have to call down some Battleships from the Atlantic. Keep your CVs out of range of their bombers though.

France - You have a few options here...
1) All in fighters. Build 2 UK fighters and hammer the German airforce with 8 inteceptors being sure to wear them down with the French first. I have decimated the Luftwaffe to under 50% strength before.
2) Built one French armor...fix the WDF UK armor and move that in..and wait around Paris. IF the German player over extends and weakens a panzer or mech to much you roll in and smash them. JUST be sure to keep the UK armor available to run.
3) Have 5 or 6 UK corps, just set to slow down German advances north of Paris.

YOU HAVE to defend France just to slow the Germans down. With no UK units France will collapse to quickly.


Spain - Well normally I will send some UK troops...if they are attacking Spain it is unlikely they will be able to attack Russia in 41. You should be able to hold France into July / August, especially if they went after Yugoslavia and Greece already.
I will bring in UK troops through Gibraltar...and fall back that way being sure to keep Africa protected.


Honestly all Germans are doing it spread out to much...which means they have less concentration in Russia and more places to defend with less units.

They can't hold everywhere...as the UK have lots of LCs ready...same for the US so you can land in unexpected places.


I have seen crazy stuff like French paratroopers landing in Germany...French amphibious invasions, if the Germans are not ready...more likely UK invasions.

But overall a German player will not do this. There is to little to gain in attacking Spain and SO many more ports to guard.

[MattFL]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. ncc1701e - i've read all of those threads, a few good nuggets...

I had actually nearly finished drafting a very long response to this with my overall German approach and some Allied thoughts, but i have a cast on my left hand and it's constantly hitting some key combination that closes the browser, so it's now in the ether.....i don't have the strength to rewrite tonight. Will revisit tomorrow....