Invasion of Poland and France (and general axis warplan)

[klschult]

Yes, against the AI. If you can take Britain out early enough, then you can usually get Spain and Turkey before the Russians and Americans come in. I did it in my last game, taking France in May 40 and Britain in July.

Turkey joined in November 40, after two points, constantly renewed, since around February. Most of that, like 60 pts, came from SeaLine, American Armor, and taking Egypt.

Spain joined in February 41. Max Diplomatic investment from around February40 and then the Italians when they came in.

Of course, if you're not playing the AI, taking Britain is a bit difficult.

But, if Britain moves its capitol to Ottawa, then it will be a lot more difficult. Although with Spain you can put a unit in Algeria (or is it Tunis) and pay the 800 MPP.

[klschult]

Tech or Diplo - difficult question.

I only play solitaire, and I do both. So, against an opponent, I don't know.

London:

If you take Edinburgh and Manchester, the AI will move many units from around London north. Then you have 3 Medium, 3 Tactical, 2 Airborne, and as many short range Amphip as you can find beaches and hexes next to London. Usually 1, sometimes 3. Use the Medium to take out the entrenchments. On the second turn, with the trenches gone and the defender low morale, you can take it on the second or third turn.

btw: I thought the move of capitol if one was available was automatic, but UK surrendered in my latest game with Edinburgh, Manchester and London taken and around 11 units left in the UK. (Went back to the save and it didn't surrender on the second go.)

[EvanJones]

What level of difficulty are you using? I have a different method of chipping away at the Brits, but with max difficulty I am too chicken to take on the RN in strength until later in the game.

[klschult]

Use Long Rang Amphip for Edinburgh and Manchester (Use the Slovakian unit.)
Then just the air and airborne to take London.
Then you don't have to worry about the British Navy, or only if its sitting next to the Edinburgh or Manchester landing beaches.

But, if you want to kill the Br Navy. And you're playing the AI.

• Start early.
  Bring the Sub and Cruiser home.
  Lure the DDs down by dangling a Sub then pouncing with CC and CAs.
  Then lure the BB from London with a DD one hex N of Cuxhaven. Then two or three subs in a row north of that to kill it.
  Then lure the CV down by a DD 3 hexes N of Cuxhaven, surrounded by subs. Keep a fighter nearby. If you can kill the Air on the defensive phase, then the subs can mostly kill the CV. Otherwise you'll need the CCs.
  Bring the Italian BBs through past Gibraltar. Kill anything west of the channel. (But don't sail them into the channel.)
  When you load up the Amphips, the BR Navy will come down to the channel and you can use the fleet and Air to kill them.
  Its expensive but, you can totally destroy the BR Atlantic fleet.
  The combined Italian, German fleet can take out the AI played US Fleet.

[EvanJones]

"Interested in a naval strategy (not for Sealion, but a full Barbarossa) that will nonetheless chip away at British morale, preserve your force AND screen against invasion?"

Against the AI.

Start early.
1. Expose the subs so the DDs come down near Kiel, then kill them with your surface fleet and return to port.
2. Expose a DD right at the entrance to Kiel. This brings out the BB in London. Kill it with subs.
3. Try to bring the Carrier south so you can kill it too.
4. If you kill all, or most of the DDs, send the subs north.

To kill the rest of the BR fleet.
1. Put the entire AF on the channel.
2. Kill the BR air.
3. Bring all the subs near the channel.
4. Bring the Italian BBs through Gibraltar.
5. Put one (two?) units into amphip mode.
6. This will bring the entire BR Atlantic fleet down to the channel.
7. Use the air on the fleet.
8. Then the subs on BB.
9. Finish them off with the rest of the fleet.

Killing all those expensive units will do a number on BR morale.

I have a different approach. I cruise all three cruisers and both subs astride the convoy lines SW of Britain. (I leave the DDs behind, they go in the Baltic.) They run down the Bri. Emp.-UK route, then cut up with the big ships to raid, then move in and blockade/bombard Halifax down to zero, then do the Sydney mines as you escape to the west of Labrador on your way to Greenland. The subs can play, a bit, but you want all ships/subs in one pack operating from Greenland. Then head south to Santa Cruz. The AI will assault with only two or three ships at a time. So you hit them and run back to whichever base. Rinse and repeat. But keep them all together, don't go convoy hunting; stick to just one convoy route. On expert level, the odds are stacked against you, so you need to be able ideally to throw in everything you have into an encounter if you want to sink anything -- which you will. You can rack up the destroyer/light cruiser kills enough to seriously affect UK morale. This group will form the initial core of the fleet that will defend Spain and Portugal from invasion.

[klschult]

Somewhat similar approach except you're raiding the convoy routes and I'm sticking close to home to rebuild my ships to 10. (And kill UK Carriers so they don't attack my transports.) You wait for the UK to attack piecemeal, and you kill, not damage, anything that comes out to challenge you.

[EvanJones]

That was my initial worry, but eight is enough until Spain comes in, at which point you can easily build up to ten.

You have to get lucky to pick off the Courageous, though. So I just scoot (so as not to get plastered). You don't want to lose any ships at this point. The carriers will be confronted a good time later. The strategic objective under my plan is to

1.) Badly damage the UK economy and sink their smaller ships, raid and confront them until Greenland has second thoughts.
2.) Move South and operate in one big group out of Santa Cruz, both raiding and sinking escorts.
3.) Screen from Northern Spain to south of Gibraltar (taken when the US enters) with subs at supply 10 with a corps of heavies set to respond anywhere along that line. Add Italian ships after Gibraltar falls, but I usually wait until they are somewhat upgraded. Defend against invasion!
4.) When you have bashed in Russia (taken the 3 cities necessary), you can start bringing your air to the west and by the time you are confronting the British and US head-on, you will likely have at least some air cover as well as being fully upgraded.

I don't build the German CV, but the Italian one is quite useful for its CAP. By the time you get it you should be able to afford the upgrades.

[klschult]

My plan: (I don't play on hardest AI, its not as much fun.)

1. Invest 2 amphip points on turn 1. (Reduce research on a couple of things like Antitank.)
2. Race the armor across south of Paris to take Bordeaux.
3. Take France out in April if possible.
4. Land a German and Slovakian unit in Manchester and Edinburgh.
5. Mass all the air, including Italian, and airborne to take London.
6. Do it fast enough and you have about a 60% chance of UK surrender* (100 - 3% per Br unit in UK hexes)

I was told that moving the capitol to Toronto is automatic, but I've seen the UK surrender so I don't think so. (Usually I just turn the move off as its lots more fun to play the Germans if the UK is out of the game and the US is sitting there watching - but I don't play for historical accuracy.)

Turning Russia off and amphip landing to take out the US is a lot of fun too - but not all that historic.