warspite1ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14
What happened to the Western Front? Looks like the French will be around in 1941, maybe 1942 as well. Was this an experiment?
No, no experiment.
The game was pretty much lost (though not 100% certain) when I attacked the Soviet Union with Japan. I had in my mind (from 5th Edition) that I could get Vladivostok and force a peace. Well even if my memory was correct, there is no such mechanic in MWIF.
Declaring war on the Soviet Union gave Japan nothing significant really and gave the Soviets a boost in production and allowed them to take other than Combined options (which of course stops the restriction on Chinese Communist moves).
I then compounded the error of the USSR/Japan by attacking Belgium without Holland first - and the CW were able to reinforce Belgium. Allied air power meant clearing even Belgium (let alone) France was going to be tough. I could not seem to get the initiative from memory so there was always going to be a huge shore bombardment assistance.
By this time the Soviets were committed in Persia and the Far East so I thought I would try attacking a lightly defended Russia. If I had not then by the time I had got through Belgium and France, the Soviets would have evicted the Japanese from the north completely. I hoped I might be able to make some quick wins - for example knocking the Soviets out of Murmansk as they had 3 units disorganised. But the attacks quickly bogged down - iirc the impulse after I attacked the weather turned to rain! and then remained rubbish in the Arctic so the quick win on Murmansk fell flat on its face.
Attacking with so few units obviously meant I needed the weather and the dice to be favourable - but even if that was the case, this was not a war winning strategy, just trying to prolong the game.
Take-away from the game. Never attack Japan with the Soviet Union. Only with a lightning strike in the west (enabling the Germans to launch a 1941 Barbarossa) would this be useful as the Soviets will need to put units in the East. However, the boost to Soviet production and the assistance it gives the Chinese Communists make this just too risky.
