Greece + Crete

[jboldt007]

Of course! Bulgaria... ! I guess the Germans have to be at war with Russia for this to happen ... and of course that Bulgaria isn’t going to align with Soviets...

[jboldt007]

Oh right sorry - DOW Hungary and Bulgaria. I always DOw Hungary as Germans but never thought to DOW Bulgaria ...

[Joseignacio]

ORIGINAL: jboldt007

Of course! Bulgaria... ! I guess the Germans have to be at war with Russia for this to happen ... and of course that Bulgaria isn’t going to align with Soviets...

Bulgaria can be aligned by GE after war with Russia if some circumstances have been met (or Aixs controlling Belgrade or at war with Greece):

And Bulgaria could be aligned to USSR (the only one in the area). If the USSR claims the Bessarabia, GE player cedes it, then Bulgaria claims South Dobrudja from Romania, and if the GE player doesn't give it, ...

In the next Axis declaration of war step, Hungary and Bulgaria make demands on Rumania for Transylvania and South Dobruja respectively. Germany, as mediator, must either allow both claims or deny both.

If Germany denies their claims:

ï Bulgaria can never align with Germany but the USSR can declare it aligned with the USSR during any later Allied declaration of war step;

[paulderynck]

Bulgaria can't align with a neutral power (so forget about USSR unless it is at war with JP), so the trick is to DoW Bulgaria the same impulse you deny them South Dubrugia. Bulgaria must align with an active power and it is an Axis DoW step, not an Allied one, so if USSR is not active, then Bulgaria must align with CW or France or it is instantly conquered.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

Bulgaria can't align with a neutral power (so forget about USSR unless it is at war with JP), so the trick is to DoW Bulgaria the same impulse you deny them South Dubrugia. Bulgaria must align with an active power and it is an Axis DoW step, not an Allied one, so if USSR is not active, then Bulgaria must align with CW or France or it is instantly conquered.

RAW:

A minor country enters the war when:
• a major power declares war on it (it joins the other side); or
• it aligns with a major power (see 9.8).
If a minor country aligns with a major power, it is controlled by that
major power.
(...)
In every other case, when one or more major powers declare war on a
minor country, choose an active major power on the other side to align
with it.

So a neutral USSR can align Bulgaria except when it gets DoW'ed on by the Axis first. Interesting. Never thought about this one to avoid the Soviets to align the Bulgarians...

[jboldt007]

That’s what I love about this game - just when you think you know what’s what....
Aligning Bulgaria for Axis or forcing an alignment with CW or France (which is brilliant) is fraught with timing issues - maybe the blunt DOW approach is the way to go if Axis really feel they need to go into Greece...

[jboldt007]

And so ... in current game actually, the request for Transylvania was denied so Germany could align Rumania as a full ally. However, Bulgaria will align with the soviets which will then protect them from a DOW by the standing neutrality pact. The axis will have to wait until the pact is broken to get into Greece that way if they also intend to align Yugoslavia... I think ....

[paulderynck]

The timing is critical - Ge must deny the claim and then DoW Bulgaria in the same impulse. Otherwise USSR will align Bulgaria (unless there are no Ge/It US entry chits).