Netherlands Set up

[keith63]

Can anyone suggest a good spot for the only NE land unit in the home country to try and slow down the german conquest?
Thanks.

[Klydon]

I saw someone else post about putting their unit in Rotterdam rather than Amsterdam. (May have been Del). This helps provide protection to Antwerp, so if the German tried to take out both the Netherlands and Belgium in one impulse, that placement will make it harder and also give the Allies in France a chance to move up behind the Dyle there.

[keith63]

Thanks for the info

[Ur_Vile_WEdge]

Putting the unit in rotterdam is a terrible idea. The Germans can run up to it, take Amsterdam by running down the north, and attack from two hexes on the surprise impulse, almost certainly smashing your lone 4 strength guy.


I would recommend, depending on how much the Germans have ready to hit the Dutch with, and how much transport and available units the British have to send, of putting the infantry either in Amsterdam, or in the hex with the resource. Either one keeps the enemy away from Rotterdam for an impulse (set up the ships you can't leave abroad there, especially the sub, he can't be portstruck in a major port), and gives you the opportunity to clinch in behind the Maas.

[paulderynck]

Hex with resource is a bad idea. Too easy to ground strike with surprise, ZOC Amsterdam, then 7 factor armor overruns the unit on the way to a walkthrough of the whole country.

[Extraneous]

Strategy Discussions ~ AI for MWIF Netherlands

[Klydon]

ORIGINAL: Ur_Vile_WEdge

Putting the unit in rotterdam is a terrible idea. The Germans can run up to it, take Amsterdam by running down the north, and attack from two hexes on the surprise impulse, almost certainly smashing your lone 4 strength guy.


I would recommend, depending on how much the Germans have ready to hit the Dutch with, and how much transport and available units the British have to send, of putting the infantry either in Amsterdam, or in the hex with the resource. Either one keeps the enemy away from Rotterdam for an impulse (set up the ships you can't leave abroad there, especially the sub, he can't be portstruck in a major port), and gives you the opportunity to clinch in behind the Maas.

The suggestion I made about Rotterdam was based on the OP's original question that I took to mean the Axis were declaring war on both the Netherlands and Belgium. The Netherlands is not going to stand no matter where you put units at against the Germans in clear weather. You also added a lot of extra conditions (CW has forces available to rush into Rotterdam, etc) that change the conditions a bit.

[brian brian]

Either the CW or the Germans might be out of position when a German DOW on the Netherlands arrives. There is only one ground unit in the country .. what could go wrong?

So if the Germans declare war in rainy weather, or without any armor/mech on the western front because it is all in Poland (or too far south in the woodsy Rhineland), placing the Dutch infantry on the resource hex can be an excellent choice, giving the CW multiple options to respond, if they have the lift capacity to do so. A division invasion of Rotterdam could end up very lonely if Germany forgot their panzers, or forgot to place a unit on the North Sea shore. Such things do happen in a game. With the panzers out of place even Fallschirmjaegers landing in Rotterdam in the spring of 1940 (read up on "deny the notional") might be very regretful...

I would never set up the Dutch SUB or TRS in the Home Country however. The CW has a lot of things to consider building early in the war, and it is hard for them to justify spending on SUBs, although they are very useful for the Allies even early in the war.

[Ur_Vile_WEdge]

Wait a second, you can do that? Groundstriking's easy, but ZoC and then move someone to overrun while he's out of supply and flipped? I thought all moves happened simultaneously, so you can't move one unit into hex 1035, have a second guy overrun him, and then a third guy move around now that there's no ZoC.


Of course, it wouldn't be the first time I've gotten a major rule wrong, but damn....

[Ur_Vile_WEdge]

ORIGINAL: Klydon


The suggestion I made about Rotterdam was based on the OP's original question that I took to mean the Axis were declaring war on both the Netherlands and Belgium. The Netherlands is not going to stand no matter where you put units at against the Germans in clear weather. You also added a lot of extra conditions (CW has forces available to rush into Rotterdam, etc) that change the conditions a bit.

Ahh, I see. I was working off of what I'm more used to seeing, a first/second turn attack on the Dutch to prepare the way for an attack on Belgium. If he's going after both at once.. I would still recommend putting the inf in Amsterdam and the Belgian cav in Liege, which leaves a ZoC coverage sufficient to keep him on his side of the Dyle. At that point, abandon the dutch and try to ship units into Antwerp. Rotterdam's going to be tough to hold at that point, if the Germans are already in hex 1034, unless you're playing with DSB I guess and can commit enough battleships to make yourself hard to approach (and have the French with enough slack to take up defending in Belgium; you probably won't have enough transport to guard both cities, and Antwerp's more important.)

ORIGINAL: brian brian
I would never set up the Dutch SUB or TRS in the Home Country however. The CW has a lot of things to consider building early in the war, and it is hard for them to justify spending on SUBs, although they are very useful for the Allies even early in the war.

Unless the Germans are really ready to do an invasion/paradrop on Rotterdam (And the invasion's tricky, since the CW is sure to have units patrolling the North Sea), why not leave the SUB in Rotterdam? He can't be port struck, and if you put a guy in Amsterdam, he can't be overrun on the surprise impulse, and if he gets overrun later, well, he just aborts somewhere safer. Besides, you have to leave half of your units in the home country, and in my opinion anyway, I'd rather have 2 extra convoy points than the submarine.


The transport, yeah, Dutch Guyana, every time. Or the NEI if you've got some more guys you need to move around there quickly, but with a 3 range, he's really more suited to Atlantic duty.

[Dabrion]

W/o intervention it is indefensible. You can hope to stall for an impulse but thats about it. Conserve naval assets put the INF in Amsterdam (obj hex, capitol, zocs path to Rotterdam if Belgium is not taken). That INF will die if GE wants it, so give it a purpose..

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Ur_Vile_WEdge

Wait a second, you can do that? Groundstriking's easy, but ZoC and then move someone to overrun while he's out of supply and flipped? I thought all moves happened simultaneously, so you can't move one unit into hex 1035, have a second guy overrun him, and then a third guy move around now that there's no ZoC.


Of course, it wouldn't be the first time I've gotten a major rule wrong, but damn....

2.4.1 "You need to check the supply status of a unit before it moves, flies, sails or reorganises units.
You also need to check the supply status of land units immediately before you resolve an overrun (both sides), during combat declaration (attacking units) and at the moment of combat (both sides)."

And 11.11.1 "You can move your land units one by one, or stack by stack, as you choose. You must finish moving the unit(s) you are moving before you can start moving another unit."

[Ur_Vile_WEdge]

Well, that's pretty clear then. One more plan for the bin. Amsterdam it is.