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ORIGINAL: brian brian

I always set up the Japanese MAR like that, to walk in to Korea. Good practice for them, I guess. They end up counting as garrison in Korea, and are spotted in a port on 2 sea zones, with a lot of strategic flexibility going forward.

When setting up the Italian naval assets in a way to minimize risk from an Allied Taranto-Pearl Harbor type Port Strike attack, it is best to maximize the ship AA factors stacked with the TRS but also minimize the target profile - i.e., do not stack the Convoy Points with the TRS. Design the stack based on the rows and columns of the Naval Combat chart. So I stack all the best AA factors with the TRS and decide between adding 5 SCS to their port, or 9, but no more, to keep from moving too high up on the results table. Best is in the 1/3 games where the AA Gun is drawn for Italy, though it is also very very useful around Tobruk/Bardia.

And make sure the CPs have some AA factors with them, too. The TRS are _the_ most important counters Italy has until 1942 - but the Convoy Points are very high on that list too. They are slow to replace when you suddenly need them.

A pity the Frogman rule is not ready for prime time yet. Then you won't often see Royal Navy Fleet Carriers start out in Gibraltar. Or, if you do, then you know the Allies seek to DOW Italy on Turn 1. All moot here though.

Brian, thanks for the feedback. The impact of the ship profile didn't even occur to me during setup. It the future, it will!

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Actions. Germany - land, Italy - combine, Japan - land.

Poland (1/5). Setup.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Poland (2/5). Ground Strikes x 3.

I was extremely happy with Germany's surprise ground strikes.

[ax] 1. Lodz. 1 LND (5 factors). D10 (rolls) = 2, 5, 2, 2. Both Polish infantry armies flipped.

[ax] 2. Warsaw. 1 F/B (3 factors), 1 LND (5 factors). D10(F/B) = 3, 9, 6, 3, 7, 5. Infantry army and division flipped. D10(LND) = 4, 3. HQ-I flipped.

[ax] 3. Pol cavalry (woods, 52,44). Arty div(3/2 = 2 factors) & LND (3/2 = 2 factors). D10(Arty div)=6, 9. Missed. D10(LND)=1, 8. Got 'em (i.e., flipped).

Naval Overrun.

[ax] German engineering division overruns Danzig. CP (D10)=4, destroyed. CA (D10)=9, escapes to Plymouth.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Poland (3/5). Land Combat 1 & 2 of 3.

[ax] 3 German land combat. Pozan, cavalry corps (woods) & Warsaw.

[ax] 1. Poznan. +20.667 Assault. Fractional=364, yes. 2D10=9, result=20+1+9=30.

[ax] 2. POL cavalry. +21 Blitz (Germany's choice). 2 armor corps + mot div attacking from the southeast achieve a breakthrough, overrun and destroy the Polish land air unit.

[ax] Breakthrough against by these three units against the cavalry in the woods possible because railway movement bonus reduces cost to enter this hex along a rail line by 1.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Poland (4/5). Land Combat 3 of 3.

[ax] 3. Warsaw. +19 Assault. No factional. 2D10=4. Result=19+4=23. A big PHEW with this one. That was close.

[ax] 2 units destroyed, 1 shattered. Will assume you wish to shatter Rydz HQ-I.

[al] Good assumption.

[ax] Turns out it didn't matter since there was no valid retreat path. Polish HQ-I also destroyed.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Poland (5/5).

Reserves.

[ax] Germany will call out here reserves (when CW & France DOW her). (1) MIL's each go in their respective cities, (2) 8-6 mech & 8-4 mot to Cologne, (3) 6-3 inf to Saarbrucken, (4) 5-1 gar to Stuttgart, (5) 4-1 gar to Karlsruhe, (6) 9-4 inf to Aachen and (7) 5-4 inf Bremen.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Italy. West Med.

Italy puts their 1st division in the 4-box of the West Med, in position to invade and automatically capture Malta if the allies fail to move a land unit there next impulse.

I chose to move the 1st division into the West Med instead of the Italian Coast in the hopes that my opponent might believe the Italians are focusing on French North Africa or Metropolitan France instead of Malta.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Japan. Korea.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Japan. Manchuria.

Terauchi railed from Manchuria to Northern China.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Japan. Chengchow. Land Combat.

(ax) JPN LC. Chengchow. +19. I'll assume assault since blitz would give Japan an automatic victory. No fractional. 2D10=4, result=23. Phew ... that was close.

(ax) US entry action. Chengchow. D10=5, no chit.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Japan. Northern China.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Japan. Central China.

[ax] US Entry action. Japan occupies Changsha. D10=9, no chit.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #1. Japan. Southern China.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Allied #2.

[al] USE for CW/Fr DoW on Germany is 7, 1 marker removed.

[al] Impulses: USA & USSR combined; Ch land; CW combined; Fr naval

[al] CW lnd3 port attacks Kiel: surprise roll Ge 8 (CW doesn't roll because surprise impulse); CW has 11 surprise pts, spending 8 to boost damage and 3 to pick a target; results are X, D, 2A; CW picks X on Graf Spee, roll of 6 sinks her; CW uses surprise pts to pick D on Deustchland, roll of 3 damages her; CW picks A on Schlesien, roll of 6 aborts her; Ge picks A on convoy pt.

[al] Naval moves:
- US sends two TRS with HQ Nimitz and assorted artillery to Hawaiian Is;
- CW sails RN fleet from Plymouth to North Sea & embarks BEF;
- CW sails Queens from Liverpool with MOT embarked to Red Sea;
- French cruiser Lamont-Picquette sails from Madagascar to Arabian Sea;
- French cruisers in Syria sail to E Med (4 box);
- French sub in Marseilles sails to It Coast (2 box).

[al] Strat bombing: Fr bombers in Strasbourg bomb Cologne: roll of 1 means no effect, even with the die roll bonus for being unopposed.

[al] Ground strikes: CW atr3 in London bombs German divisions along Danish frontier; rolls are 4,3,10,7 for no effect.

[al] Rails: US rails inf division from Washington to San Diego; USSR rails GARR from Minsk to Odessa.

[al] During land movement, USSR occupies East Poland; USE roll of 2 means 1 marker removed.

[al] Land moves & debarks:
- Red Army sends 2 units into E Poland, shuffles others around along Polish/Rumanian frontiers;
- CW debarks MOT into Suez;
- US debarks HQ & art gun into Honolulu, at gun into Midway;
- China not much, just two MIL armies move a bit forward near the south coast.

[al] Rebases:
- CW lnd2 in Harwich flies to London, Polish ftr2 flies into internment in Hungary;
- Ch ftr2 rebases to Ichang (near primary Japanese build-up in centre of country);
- USSR aircraft rebase from Polish to Rumanian frontier.

Axis AAR comments.

1. Allied ground strike fails to flip either of the two German divisions on the German/Danish border. So if the weather in the north temperate is fine (60%) or snow (0%) then Germany will invade Denmark and gain control of all Danish hexes bordering the North Sea.

2. The allies didn't garrison Malta. Regardless of weather (80% fine/20% rain for Med), Italy will be able to invade and capture Malta during their surprise impulse against the CW. Also, Italy will have a shot at either capturing or destroying the two CW subs based there.

I think that your opponent has made a mistake by putting the Chinese oil resource in Chengtu. I would suggest to strat bomb it every turn. There comes a time that your die roll is high enough, to destroy the oil depot, thus ending the possibility for China to reorganise their HQ's until war starts (of course, Japan closes the Birma road if the US chooses that option).

The Soviet setup is very nice indeed. If they claim Barbarossa, they hope that you go to war with Rumania. During the surprise impulse they send in all bombers to try to destroy the oil fields, thus giving Germany a lot of things to think about. On the other side of things: an attack on Odessa and destruction of the factory there might mean a sweet revenge. And of course, there's always the possibility that your opponent doesn't want to claim Bessarabia at all...

ORIGINAL: Centuur

I think that your opponent has made a mistake by putting the Chinese oil resource in Chengtu. I would suggest to strat bomb it every turn. There comes a time that your die roll is high enough, to destroy the oil depot, thus ending the possibility for China to reorganise their HQ's until war starts (of course, Japan closes the Birma road if the US chooses that option).

I noticed that too. I'll need to get a strat bomber in range, and once I do, I'll start pounding the Chinese oil.

ORIGINAL: Centuur

I think that your opponent has made a mistake by putting the Chinese oil resource in Chengtu. I would suggest to strat bomb it every turn. There comes a time that your die roll is high enough, to destroy the oil depot, thus ending the possibility for China to reorganise their HQ's until war starts (of course, Japan closes the Birma road if the US chooses that option).

There is no doubt at all that the oil in Chengtu is a mistake. I have seen the oil lost when it is in Chungking. I have thought about putting the oil in the Chinese city far to the west, where the Japanese have to advance a fair ways into China before it is in range, but have never actually tried it.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #3. In-Game Communication Logs.

Note {...} are my post log AAR comments, which were not in the communications exchange.

[ax] Italy will declare war on Great Britain but not France.

[al] Well, then, Il Duce is getting feisty.

[ax] Il Duce has visions of global domination.

[ax] Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #3. Weather. D10=4. Fine everywhere.

{Fine in north temperate means Germany is able to invade Denmark in such a way that locks out the CW (from landing ground troops there)}

[ax] Italy declares war on the Commonwealth. US Entry Action. D10=6, 1 US Entry chit added. Dice Roll for range 0 to 3017 = int(0.BRWG x 3018) = int(.0698 x 3018) = 210.

{Note. 0.BRWG means that I roll a blue, red, white and then green D10 to give me a decimal number between 0.0000 and 0.9999. int(x) rounds x down to the nearest integer. For example, int(.0698 x 3018) = int(210.6564) = 210.}

[ax] By the way, I'm doing my best not to focus on the chit values. The only thing I really look out is the number of chits in each pool.

[ax] Italy calls out her reserves.

[ax] Also, Germany DOW's Denmark. US Entry Action. D10=8. No US entry chit added.

[ax] I aligned Denmark to the CW.

[ax] Where to setup?

{6 Danish CP's and 2 CA's}

[ax] Also, as applicable, where do you wish to move any surviving overrun naval units.

[al] 5 Danish cps in the Faeroes islands port (Torhavn or something like that), 1 cp and cruisers in Frederikshavn.

[al] Rebase overrun CW ships if any to Gibraltar, and rebase overrun Danes to Belfast.

[ax] Yes, Torshavn. I'm very impressed. I had to look at the map to get that name.

[ax] Surprise Port Attack. Germany He 115C Nav (2 a2s) vs Frederishaven. Non-phasing D10=2. Germany gets 5 SP's. There's no anti-air possible.

[ax] 5 SP's increase risk. 2A to 2D, 1A. 1st D on CA Niels Juel. D10=4, damaged.

[ax] Where do you place the second D (risk)?

[al] The damaged cruiser.

[ax] D10=6, failed damage check. Niels Juel sunk.

[ax] Last A put on CP, which automatically flips it.

[ax] Italians use their one naval and one air move to put the following to the 3-box of the Italian Coast. 3 CA's, TRS+Mot & NAV2.

[ax] No strategic bombing.

[ax] No ground strikes.

[ax] Rail move. Japan. 4-4 mar SNFL. Pusan Korea to Changsha China.

[ax] German A/T div overruns CP and CA at Frederikshaven. CP(D10)=2, destroyed. CA Peder Skram(D10)=1, captured by the Germans.

[ax] Italy debarks 5-4 mot to Cagliari, Sardinia.

[ax] Italy uses their 2nd, and last, land move of the combine for the 1st inf div to invade Malta. The invasion during this surprise impulse is automatic. The only thing in doubt is the future of the two RN sub groups based there.

[ax] Germany, Land Combat x 1. 22.333 Assault (automatic) vs Lodz. Two (more) Polish infantry armies destroyed.

[ax] Valetta, Malta. Disposition of 2 RN sub groups. Sub 4732(D10)=8, escapes. Sub 4731(D10)=8, also escapes (to Gibraltar).

[al] Huzzah!

[ax] Germany. Air Reorg. ATR reorgs 105 mm atry div.

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #3. Germany. Total Conquest of Denmark.

Fine weather (in the north temperate) and the fact that the CW ground strike last impulse on the 2 divisions (German A/T & Mot) sitting on the Danish border missed both meant that the "safe" invasion and conquest of Denmark was possible. By "safe" I mean that the control of ALL Danish hexes adjacent to the North Sea was flipped from CW to German. Any such hex not flipped would have allowed Gort's HQ-I followed by the CW mot corps and A/T div to disembark is such hex. Then follow that will an air unit or two to turn the headache into a migraine. Whether or not my opponent would have done this (i.e., exploited this) I do not know and I certainly didn't want to find out.

The conquest, which isn't official until the conquest phase at the end of turn, was effectively accomplished by the German occupation of the Danish capital (Copenhagen).

Turn 1. Sep/Oct 1939. Axis #3. Germany. Poland.

Germany's conquest of Poland was effectively accomplished this impulse with the capture of Lodz, which gives Germany controlled of all factory hexes in Poland (including Warsaw). While the lone Polish controlled city of Krakow and the infantry army holding said city is an eyesore, it's really nothing more than that. The only (minor) exceptions are: (1) the German corps projecting zoc locks (on the Polish army) don't count for the garrison ratio against partisans and (2) the Polish army could attempt a (very) low odds counterattack hoping to inflict a loss on Germany.

I intend to maintain combat discipline, maintain zoc locks and not attack the Polish army. While I could get +21 odds in my next impulse, which would automatically eliminate the Polish army, this would serve no real purpose other than delaying the transfer of German units from Poland to the West.

I feel I have a unique opportunity to get the bulk of the Germany army out of Poland and to the Western borders (i.e., Holland, Belgium and France) by the end of the turn. Unless the weather turns awful and the turn is short, I intend to accomplish this through land versus rail moves.

Who knows, maybe I can get an impulse or two of fine/snow weather next turn and start my push into the low countries.