Noob tips?

[Kevinorf]

I've owned SC WiE for some time and decided to give it a go. Looks like a great game! I've played a lot of Panzer Corps and Order of Battle (and many others).

Axis 1939 play through looks like the natural place to start.

Just looking for some general tips to get started. I remember starting a save a while back and conquering Poland and France was pretty straightforward.

In my current save I just conquered Poland and am moving my units west for invasion of Lowlands and France.

- What do I do with the German navy? I know I don't want to use my capital ships against the British navy. What do I do with them? Where do I send the Uboats? West of the UK to attack shipping in the Atlantic? Do I place them on the shipping lanes?
- What do I spend MPP at this point? I've been reinforcing units and some operation movement (slowly moving most units over). Researching Infantry Weapons, Advanced Tanks, Logistics, Production, and Industrial (along with whatever the defaults were).
- Should I be putting units into production too? Which ones? Should I upgrade units too (all have been reinforced)?
- When should I invade France. May?

Thanks!

[Ktonos]

Game is so good, that you can use a bazillion of different strategies, but despite diverting from the historical course it still gives you this feeling you relive the war. So regarding the Kriegsmarine there are several things to do with it. Most players keep it as a threat as long as they can. If they don't fight it means they are alive and if they are alive they can always fight. Some send it to escort subs so to surprise destroyer packs that come hunting uboats. Others realise that the Kriegsmarine is the only expendable thing Germany has and gamble an early confrontation with the Royal Navy/

Regarding the rest

-Place the uboats on the blue shipping lanes. Either on or by the sides, as long as they are in raiding mode they will deliver hits to UK income. Keep note that mobility is of importance, as every turn the opponent gets notifications on where the hits where last turn. So u need to move them around
-You probably need to buy 2-3 units before France, so if you want them in time u must buy them as soon as Poland falls. Maybe 1 tank, 1 mech, 1 para and the Naval bomber. The rest should go to reinforcements and tech. To the list you posted I would put production secondary and add ground attack weapons and advanced fighters. Also, remember to refund the rockets tech you already have.
-Most beginners invade on historical date (May) or later. Optimal is to invade as soon as your troops are set up in positions and there is good weather (usually April or March)

[Kevinorf]

Cool. Thanks! It's April and I'm in position so I'll give it a go.

Couple of dumb questions:
- Do you mean red (not blue) shipping lanes? And how do you set Uboats to "raid" mode? There is a hunt and a silent mode. I click "hunt" and it doesn't allow me to select that...

[The Land]

ORIGINAL: Kevinorf

Cool. Thanks! It's April and I'm in position so I'll give it a go.

Couple of dumb questions:
- Do you mean red (not blue) shipping lanes? And how do you set Uboats to "raid" mode? There is a hunt and a silent mode. I click "hunt" and it doesn't allow me to select that...

Yes, red is enemy convoys that are your targets.

Submarines start in "Hunt" mode so it will already be selected. They can be switched to "silent" manually - worthwhile if you expect to encounter an enemy fleet, though silent is significantly slower. They will also auto-switch to silent if they dive in response to an attack.

Generally tech is a good thing to buy and you sound like you're in roughly the right place with it. More tanks, mechanised and air is a good idea before France, but it's hard to go too far wrong with build decisions against the AI. (Once you have played through a few times and have got the hang of operational-level combat, the AI stops being a challenge...)

[Kevinorf]

Well France took a little more work as they moved their capital instead of folding when Paris fell.

Moving everything except a few corps and an army to the east. Upgrading everything.

I opted for AfriKorps. How much should I bolster this force and what should I do with them?

Also, I can't remember. Is there a Yugoslovian decision?

[ArmouredLion]

This is my noob tip from a long time noob... though I have been rippening recently a bit: I play ATG and TOAW... and that experience sort of screwed me up in this game early. They are designed in the western concept of 'complextiy through complextiy'. This game is so much more eastern in concept where the complexity is in the 'simplictiy'. What I'm saying is sooooo much is going on although it looks so simple or straight forward. The apparent creeks are actually deep rivers. It's a lot like Origami where a 'thousand' precise folds make a simple looking figure. Beyond that learn the scripts as this is a strategic game... dummy me spent ssooo long thinking tactically 1st with my strategic understanding as a cat off. If I only had read the manual I could have spared myself near 2 dozen butt whoopings and at least made the games competitive. AS Ktonos said, there are vast amounts of strategic options, and from them flows the tactical. The hard part of this game is experience teaches the most and the boards and manual set the foundation and tinker. If you play chess it's alot like that. Ktonos just took Poland in 2 turns on me... that was a 1st... that's an expert who's had his axe sharpened on many battlefields. Play MP if you can, after a few goes against the AI... they are more fun and will teach you more...

[Kevinorf]

ORIGINAL: ArmouredLion

This is my noob tip from a long time noob... though I have been rippening recently a bit: I play ATG and TOAW... and that experience sort of screwed me up in this game early. They are designed in the western concept of 'complextiy through complextiy'. This game is so much more eastern in concept where the complexity is in the 'simplictiy'. What I'm saying is sooooo much is going on although it looks so simple or straight forward. The apparent creeks are actually deep rivers. It's a lot like Origami where a 'thousand' precise folds make a simple looking figure. Beyond that learn the scripts as this is a strategic game... dummy me spent ssooo long thinking tactically 1st with my strategic understanding as a cat off. If I only had read the manual I could have spared myself near 2 dozen butt whoopings and at least made the games competitive. AS Ktonos said, there are vast amounts of strategic options, and from them flows the tactical. The hard part of this game is experience teaches the most and the boards and manual set the foundation and tinker. If you play chess it's alot like that. Ktonos just took Poland in 2 turns on me... that was a 1st... that's an expert who's had his axe sharpened on many battlefields. Play MP if you can, after a few goes against the AI... they are more fun and will teach you more...

What TOAW scenarios do you like? Starting to play that a bit too...

[ArmouredLion]

I'm wrapped up in a 600 Turn (or so) 1200 unit (or so) Barbarossa campaign on MP (can't remember the exact name, but can check if you want) for the last year! Played some others for a few turns, but this one scenario is so big that it has consumed my TOAW time since I bought the game. Uber fun game that offers so much tactically... but if your busy like me (and a bit old) it can wear on the noodle. I'm only in October 41 after near a year as it's 3 days a turn. Fun though. This is one reason why I like SC so much. I can dream, plan, and scheme as deeply, but I don't need to move soooo many 'pieces'. Same with ATG with the World Dom mod. All three are the peak (in my opinion) of their respective corners of wargaming. SC is the best if very busy, but you still want the mental exercise and not the physical exercise of all the clicking.

Damn, sometimes I wished I were young again with these types of games on my fun menu...

[PvtBenjamin]

Mobilization is one of the most important aspects to understand


sPz put together a list

here is the US

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4410258

SU is in here somewhere

[ArmouredLion]

Hey, it was Directive 21 1941-45... very fun, but intense. I half regret and half love my game... I need to double up my caffeine when I do my turn. If you have the juice and time, it will be a unique undertaking, brother.

[The Land]

ORIGINAL: Kevinorf

Well France took a little more work as they moved their capital instead of folding when Paris fell.

Moving everything except a few corps and an army to the east. Upgrading everything.

I opted for AfriKorps. How much should I bolster this force and what should I do with them?

Also, I can't remember. Is there a Yugoslovian decision?

You might want to move some Italian units from other parts of North Africa and/or continental Italy into the Libyan theatre, and possibly extra German air (particularly fighters). Your objective for them it the obvious one of taking Egypt and the Middle East and it's fairly easy - you need to keep an eye on your HQs and supply levels, but if you do then you can fairly easily beat up the British. Taking Malta helps but isn't vital (particularly not against the AI)....

There's no Yugoslavia decision for Germany. If you don't invade them, then in early 41 they will have a pro-Allied coup and declare war on you.

[Markiss]

It seems that they do not always declare war on you, as in my game vs Fafnir they never did, and are still neutral in mid-1942. Then again, the Afrika Corps never showed up either, and I thought it had been fixed so that that couldn't happen. It seems that he has found ways to short-circuit these events, regardless of the efforts of the game designers.

So don't count on these things happening, they do not always occur, even if they are supposed to.

[Etzel]

Just for curiosity, Markiss: in March '41 was Yugoslavia pro Axis and France did surrender?

[Fafnir]

Yes Yugoslavia was pro Axis and France surrendered. But Italy did surrender too, therefore the coup d'etat in Yugoslavia and the Afrika Corp did not happen.

[The Land]

ORIGINAL: Fafnir

Yes Yugoslavia was pro Axis and France surrendered. But Italy did surrender too, therefore the coup d'etat in Yugoslavia and the Afrika Corp did not happen.

Italy surrendered by March 41?....

How???

Who to?????

[Markiss]

Play him and find out...