It Takes A Village to Raze a Village

[Epekepe]

Italy spent 100 MPPs for A/T Weapons research.

This will help only anti-tank units, so I think it's pretty useless, at least for Italy.
Most players reclaim some of the researches at the beginning, typically as Germany many will undo rockets (you will get half of the MPP:s back when reclaiming).

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Epekepe

Italy spent 100 MPPs for A/T Weapons research.

This will help only anti-tank units, so I think it's pretty useless, at least for Italy.
Most players reclaim some of the researches at the beginning, typically as Germany many will undo rockets (you will get half of the MPP:s back when reclaiming).

Thanks. I'm new and definitely confused. Won't Italy eventually have to face British and American armor? Wouldn't research into A/T help?

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. Start of Turn. Messages.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. Start of Turn. The Western Front (Northern Sector).

1. Prinz Eugen CA arrives and is deployed adjacent to Stettin.
2. German Pz division at the tip of the spear(head) got hammered. I was afraid during the replay I might see the corps destroyed. The corps, which is now down to division strength, will be pull off the front lines and reinforcements (next turn).
3. Looks like the British BEF has committed fully to the defense of France.
4. I will concentrated on destroying the Polish corps SW of Brussels and adjacent French engineering unit.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. The Western Front (Northern Sector).

1. In addition to the Polish infantry and French engineering corps initially targeted, the Wehrmacht also managed to destroy the French garrison NW of the Polish corps (destroyed).
2. Germany also reinforced Luftwaffe fighters III (SW Frankfurt) for 52 MPPs and upgraded 4th inf army (Colonge) for 75 MPPs and XII inf corps (The Hague) for 68 MPPs.
3. I know I'm behind the historical timeline wrt/Fall of France. I'm not sure how far behind I am wrt/typical games?
4. For Germany, I'm concentrated on knocking France out but I do realize I need to start thinking about the East and also the Balkans.
5. For the East, I do know I need at least two more units within 6-hexes of Warsaw by the start of 1941.

[amandkm]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

ORIGINAL: Epekepe

Italy spent 100 MPPs for A/T Weapons research.

This will help only anti-tank units, so I think it's pretty useless, at least for Italy.
Most players reclaim some of the researches at the beginning, typically as Germany many will undo rockets (you will get half of the MPP:s back when reclaiming).

Thanks. I'm new and definitely confused. Won't Italy eventually have to face British and American armor? Wouldn't research into A/T help?

It would help, but not enough. Italian Morale is very brittle, and you want to do two things in general with them.

Keep them in the war as long as possible

and

Tie down as many allied forces as possible for as long as possible.

Best ways to do this is to pick one target, and build your forces in size and strength, as well as equipping them as well as you can, but don't disperse them.

To advance even one level in antitank will take on the order of 9 months to a year. That's almost 1/3 their entire life in the war. It also does not include the time it would take to build any Antitank units once your research is done.

Then, once researched and built, they are in the homeland. Getting units across the Med can be very tricky by 1942.

Personally, I'd say you are better with Infantry weapons, then Infantry doctrine, then more weapons.

If somehow you have more MPP after those, put them into units, or if you feel bold, into Command and Control.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. Start of Turn. The Western Front (Southern Sector).

1. Italian 6th garrison (new unit) deployed to Genoa.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. The Western Front (Southern Sector).

1. Italy continues their march north and also managed to knock a couple of steps off of the corps defending Lyons.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. Start of Turn. Libya/Egypt.

1. Looks like the allies have shut down their convoy route through the Med. Is this an allied player decision or something the game does automatically when Italy enters the war?
2. The RN also managed to knock 2 more steps off of one of the Italian subs.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. Libya/Egypt.

1. Transported the 11th garrison from Italy to Tobruk which frees up another corps for Italy to move into Egypt.
2. Without air power I'm afraid Italy has run up against a brick wall at El Alemi.
3. Italy will definitely keep probing and maneuvering to see what they can accomplish or break loose.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. East Africa.

1. Missed getting Dijbouti by 1-step! Maybe next turn.
2. Heavily damaged Adm Graf Spee finally makes a safe harbor in Mogadishu.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. Decision Event. Human Torpedo.

1. The small chance of success decided this one for me. No.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. Battle of the Atlantic.

1. In addition U-35 & U-37, U-30 remains in Kiel. Unfortunately, didn't save any MPPs for reinforcement. Need to make a note to make sure I give priority to getting U-30 back to full strength next turn.

Euro-Axis Builds.
1. German builds two garrisons (13th & 15th).
2. Italy builds 7th garrison.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. Start of Turn. Northern China Sector.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. Northern China Sector.

1. A couple of attritional attacks near Chengchow take 2 steps off a Chinese army for the cost of 2 steps lost.
2. The Japanese army directly south of the attacking corps was reinforcement to full strength.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. Start of Turn. Southern & Central China Sectors.

1. Rain hits in the south pretty much shutting down combat operations there.
2. CORRECTION: Last turn I stated that the Japanese were able to reduce the corps defending Changsha down to 4-steps. That corps was actually in the hex directly south of Changsha and not in Changsha itself.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. Southern & Central China Sectors.

1. Japan manages to destroy the Chinese corps directly south of Changsha.
2. Heavy artillery unit was transported from Japan to Foochow.
3. Where possible in the south, Japanese units push forward into vacated hexes.
4. As much as possible, Japanese air units were rebased out of the rain in the south and into the fine weather in the center.
5. The KB and her escorts/screens return to port.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. Japanese Decision Event/Builds.

Decision Event: Indochina Expedition Army. Yes.

Builds.
1. 24th Naval Flotilla Maritime bombers.
2. Nanjing garrison.

[rkr1958]

Turn 25. Axis. August 2, 1940. End of Turn. MPPs.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: amandkm

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

ORIGINAL: Epekepe

Italy spent 100 MPPs for A/T Weapons research.

This will help only anti-tank units, so I think it's pretty useless, at least for Italy.
Most players reclaim some of the researches at the beginning, typically as Germany many will undo rockets (you will get half of the MPP:s back when reclaiming).

Thanks. I'm new and definitely confused. Won't Italy eventually have to face British and American armor? Wouldn't research into A/T help?

It would help, but not enough. Italian Morale is very brittle, and you want to do two things in general with them.

Keep them in the war as long as possible

and

Tie down as many allied forces as possible for as long as possible.

Best ways to do this is to pick one target, and build your forces in size and strength, as well as equipping them as well as you can, but don't disperse them.

To advance even one level in antitank will take on the order of 9 months to a year. That's almost 1/3 their entire life in the war. It also does not include the time it would take to build any Antitank units once your research is done.

Then, once researched and built, they are in the homeland. Getting units across the Med can be very tricky by 1942.

Personally, I'd say you are better with Infantry weapons, then Infantry doctrine, then more weapons.

If somehow you have more MPP after those, put them into units, or if you feel bold, into Command and Control.

Thanks. So, in your opinion, it would be best to sell the A/T research chit back and use those MPPs for more units?