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So it cost me 50MPP (or rather was a 50MPP boon to the Axis) and, of course, moves Spain another hit closer (not sure how much until I take my turn)... unless the Axis plan is to pay the 800 after cleaning up
North Africa.

I was afraid the Italian navy would block the ports while they put a unit on an Amphib. That, while maybe not a game ender in and of itself, would still have been huge given the ease and early fall. The UK has enough issues in Egypt without additional supply restrictions. As for Monty... sheesh where am I going to get 500MPPs to buy him, plus additional to transport him?

The Norway thing was a both a tactical and pride mistake. You could've done it with an HQ (or long ranged aircraft upgrades, perhaps). You'll get them on your side eventually, either by convoy provocation or an outright Allied DOW. Which means if/when I go for them I have to garrison against partisans instead of you and if you want to guard the ports it will be a bit of a logistic headache.

I will comment more on Iraq later, it was a failure of mine not to have a 2nd unit ready to board a transport from Egypt. Nor to use the free unit to clean up a few extra production hexes since it was going to be a bit longer before the extra unit got there.

Allied turn: January 20, 1941

A german sub was found camping on the western approaches to Gibraltar. It is engaged by numerous units, most importantly
a DD and 2 CVs and still manages to survive at 4 STR. Worse even after 2 dives amongst the attacks it is still in position that the transport carrying an army must
overrun it (using naval cruise) to get to the rock. Fortunately it only does 1 damage to the army.

There is another DD vs. Sub skirmish in the Atlantic between Canada and Iceland.

A second UK corps arrives next to Bagdhad (no I did not send a GAR). The Iraqi GAR is at level 5 entrenchment and has been upgraded with lvl 1 infantry equipment.
(Germany is now at level 2 btw).

Bulgaria joins the Axis.

Spain is at 65% now.

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Is there any way to improve the port/supply level of remote places like Gibraltar or Malta? Or are units there forever stuck with a
max reinforcement level 8? Similarly are naval units at level 5 ports automatically stuck at max reinforcement level of 8?

Stuck with reinforcing at 8 unless you send them home for a refit.

Feb 10, 1941

A pic because it's been a while...



I was looking bad in the land unit count so I decided to reorganise the wehrmacht as an all garrison army. (or did I?)

Highlight of the turn is the destruction of the corp in Algier but didn't have the action point to take it yet.

UK Garrison spotted in Casablanca. My bombers will have to go pay a little visit soon...

Allied Turn: March 3, 1940

Sweden starts eating from the candied house in the woods (+11% diplo hit towards Axis)
The Algerian Corp in Algiers is hit by 5? (honestly I lost count) Axis bombers and is finally destroyed by Paratroopers.
The Algerian air wing manages to intercept a couple of the raids and is significantly weakened in the air battles.
The government declares the city to be Open to prevent further civilian casualties.

An experienced German sub on the Canada->UK convoy line near Greenland is found and attacked by 3 destroyers and only
takes minor (1 str) damage from all the engagements (1 dive, 1 hit, 1 complete whiff). They do manage to free up precious
MPPs to the UK, while the other lines are still shut down.

UK TAC bombers, and 2 Corps attack the Iraqi GAR and do nothing but moderately weaken the entrenchment.

The UK finances a pro-Allied coup in Yugo. The troops are paralyzed by bad weather and apparently not allowed to
reinforce or upgrade. (I also thought there was supposed to be an pro-Allied shift to Greece, didn't see it... maybe on my
next turn?)

Churchill is talked out of seizing the Irish port at Limerick. Someone from the House of Lords is overheard by a reporter jokingly
saying, "We didn't want anything from that dirty town anyway."

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Thought about moving the Algerian FTRs into the capital momentarily to slow down the Axis or their bomber's redeployment.
Decided against it, as it probably wouldn't take more than a single hit bomber hit before the paratroopers would finish them off and
figured I wouldn't give out free experience.

Not sure what the best way of dealing with subs is. I tried finding and then jumping with every DD in range. Only did 1 damage.
Maybe just move next to them to keep them from hitting the lines and don't worry about how much damage I do. Hell the stupid things
haven't even been upgraded.

Gee I hope I get lucky with Iraqi situation. It's annoying. Wishing I had Medium Bombers to deal with it.

March 23, 1941

Algeria falls, Yugo hold despite losing capital, brave iraqi garrison continues to offensively takes pot shot at besieging corps

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

As for Monty... sheesh where am I going to get 500MPPs to buy him, plus additional to transport him?

You don't buy a new HQ for Monty you replace Gort with him. Only costs about 100 MPPS I think. Actually I think Gort was a much better general than his 4 rating. It was not his fault that the French Plan (which he was ordered to follow) was a disaster. He actually did good job in the retreat and keeping his command together. He did not panic like several other generals did. But of course someone had to take the fall for the bad showing in France and it was him.

How?

there's a sack option in the menu if you right click a HQ

Allied Turn: April ?, 1941 *first week of April

Upgraded German subs have now been discovered.
Damn sub did 6 damage to a DD in one hit? *How's this fair, I couldn't ever do more than 2 when at the same tech level
Worse as the DD tried to run home it ran into another sub (off the convoy lines) and was sunk.
Revenge attacks brought the sub down to 3 str.
New tactics (though I have no idea what), and tech are needed.

In Egypt a bombing run on the Italian HQ is intercepted by German fighters. Commonwealth Plane losses are higher than expected
and while a hit was scored on the HQ, damage level is unknown.

The overriding Bad luck continues in Iraq as well. The GAR continues to withstand pressure to surrender and attacks only
accomplish nothing but to hurt my corps and slightly weaken the entrenchment. The GAR is now down to a 3 STR (from his own
offensive attacks), should be interesting to see if he continues (one of the corps is now down to 5 STR, as I also
continue to take extra losses and not do one back) or pauses for reinforcements.

The economic loss is crippling
Unable to guard the lines, the USA is keeping her MPPs for herself.

USA occupies Greenland.


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Thanks for Stack/replace heads up.
Now I have to decide if I want to send the other HQ in England to Egypt or not as well.
For the Record, Gort is in the UK and it is O'Conner in Egypt.

Farewell sweet greenland, your assistance was essential in sinking a many ships...

Yugo falls. Italy assume control of the administration of the territory to compensate the transfer of Tunisia and Algeria-Morroco to the German sphere of influence. Greece gets its panties in a bunch assuming they are next in Mussolini hit list and sign a defensive pact with the UK...

Lots of traffic in the Atlantic as subs and destroyers keep bumping into one another.

UK Recon treacherously sally forth from Siwa Oasis to hit the Italian HQ in the rear (I assume) but stumble upon Italian medium bombers. Reinforcements quickly bring down the intruder in low supply.

Allied Turn: April 26, 1941

The Commonwealth still can't catch a break.

Iraq continues to fight and attacks on Bagdad continue to lack any results.
The Indian Corps pulls back to Najaf to either reinforce or reequip.

A sub is intercepted near Brest by a Heavy Cruiser, no shots were fired but the weather prevents air attacks on the sub.

Near Greenland, a sub with 1 exp pip, lvl 1 and STR 6 in engaged by two STR 8 destroyers and all that happens is one DD
is reduced to STR 7. Oh and end of turn rough seas knock that DD down to a 6.

The only victory was in Ethiopia [8|]

Spain is now at 75% I got no indication why they pop upped another 10%, I can only assume the Axis are getting
very favorable diplo rolls.


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The early trigger of the Iraq coup has most likely doomed Egypt. The INF corps sent there don't have lvl 1 INF weapons (due to how early it triggered), and 1 was sent late.
The TAC bomber sent to help isn't getting rid of any Entrenchment and not scoring any damage.
The loss of MPPs has been horrific and stalled necessary research (still waiting on lvl 2 INF weapons).
Even if the Engineers had survived they probably wouldn't have gotten there in time to construct enough forts. They should've been sent right away perhaps instead of fortifying
around London and Manchester.

I'm still not clear on the best way to fight the subs. Running the lines works ok early but not when they are out tech and experienced. I can't even
get them with DD packs just going after one at a time.

Wasn't aware that Germany was using Greenland for supply and presumably upgrades and/or reinforcement. Not sure how to deal with that in future games.
Perhaps send a UK GAR on an Amphib?

May 7th, 1941

Bombardment of the Casablanca garrison starts but so far no hits.

Rommel makes his move and nearly collapses the UK lines in the opening engagement. Recon occupies a hole in the line while another UK corp survives at 1. Carrier air force takes heavy damage trying to protect the infantry from bomber attack.

Iraqi rejoices! Could the long awaited relief be imminent?



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-You need tech 2 in ground attack to get de-entranchment from your tac bombers.
-You can't kill my sub yet but attacking them forces me to cut my raiding short. Each attack reduces my supplies (as is raiding) and you don't want to be stuck anywhere in low supplies.
-Can't amphib garrison

Allied Turn: May 18, 1941

Commonwealth troops pull back to the final choke point in front of El Alamein.

British Destroyers find an out of supply sub near Greenland and bring it down to 3 STR.
Of course earlier another sub hit a Destroyer for 6 damage and took 2 (or 3 itself).

British Heavy Bombers raid St. Nazaire and spot subs in the port. The level of damage to the Port and Subs is
unknown.





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Why on earth was the CV intercepting when there were perfectly good Fighters available to do so?
Thought about attacking that GE Recon unit, but the best I was going to get was 2:4 with the 7th Armor. That's just too high a price to pay

There is no way for the Destroyers to get easy experience like the Subs do for just raiding the lines.

Need to balance reinforcing Egypt and saving enough points to Evac the HQ and Operate the planes when the rope lowering the hand basket is
on it's last few threads.

I've stopped Sea Lion (unless that was never the plan)... but the cost to do so (and the compounded Egyptian defensive set up mistakes) is
turning the UK into the Allied version of Italy. Speaking of the Egyptian Defense, it appears that 2nd HQ is mandatory here. The list of
required spending for the UK feels stupendous, now even more so with the forthcoming rules making the subs even better at the start and
requiring ASW investment.

As for Iraq, I wonder if I had the 2nd corps in place before the sanctions and had them with INF Weapons 1, if it would've been enough or with 1
TAC bomber. The only other options are: 1) Send a HQ; 2) Build & Send a Mech; or 3) Build and send Medium Bombers.

Hum... it's fortunately much easier than that. Park 2 unit near the bagdhad garrison, eventually it surrenders. I thought it said so in the briefing when you get the Basra unit but maybe it only tells the Axis side this detail.

You are correct in your assessment of the HQ situation in north africa.

Intercept goes to the one with ahighest readiness, carrier are high on the list even if they are terrible at the job. Better put them on 'ground' mode or bomber mode to avoid this eventuality.

I know about the 25% chance (given that you obviously supported them). I was a) hoping to get it done quick and b) saw the bug report about it not happening over dozens of turns.

So is the UK supposed to go without a HQ in England? Those are very expensive and there is already a monstrous demand for UK MPP (made worse now with the forthcoming rule changes).

...I didn't, I just got lucky (or bug induced luck?). I think you get a message about Syria swinging toward axis when they are supported.

It took all the combined strength of the Italian and german north afrikan forces to take out one UK corp but we take solace that air engagement are getting costly for the UK and they should not be able to sustain them for much longer.



All is well on the eastern border. So peaceful and quiet. Best buddies for ever.

=======

-Yeah you can't leave england HQ less or your planes will get eaten alive. You got to make those first few months count income wise to get those big ticket items out of the way.

Allied Turn: June 9, 1941

More bad luck, or bad skill.

The out of supply sub gets away and can't be found.

Another sub west of Northern Ireland is found and engaged.
The Carrier Courageous attempts to move into position to strike and encounters another sub herself, takes 6 damage and manages to limp away.

In Egypt things are continuing to go downhill. UK troops continue to pull back.

Spain moves even closer to the Axis (now 85%) from another diplo hit and one more jump (likely once the Axis get within spitting distance of Alexandria and/or Cairo)
will push them over. The Mediterranean will become an Axis lake, it is now a matter of 'when' and no longer 'if'.

Is there a pop-up message for "Player morale suffers at inability to hurt opponent"?

June 20, 1941: Barbarossa

The games starts.

Highlights:
-Good barbarossa (air gone, important units isolated) but a bit clunky. The manual nicely states where the units will be but I manage to have one army group off center. Bunch of units will be in low supplies because I couldn't get kolumja and/or that other russian city close to it.
-Barbarossa was delayed one turn to upgrade all tanks to 3.
-Progress slow in egypt, Uk figthing a disciplined withdrawal.
-No ship is safe since the 'Terrible' was sunk. Uboats wolfpacks a destroyer.
-Casablanca holds but is getting softer...

Here's the center.



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-Spain only need to get to 90% then it increased automatically.
-USSR at 50 land units, Germany 80. Better get some killing on... (don't know if those 50 count those I just killed or the tally is updated as soon a unit dies)

If you're ok with it taxman, I'll just move my garrison out of Baghdad so you can take it. I'm worried from that other tread that there's a bug regarding the surrendering of the garrison. You have two units in the area and I haven't reinforced them so at 75% surrendering chance, the jig should be up.

ok by me. I was next to it with 2 units for 3 or 4 turns, before I backed off to reinforce/upgrade.
It won't matter too much you'll be overrunning the place eventually.

The amount of MPP I've lost from Iraq is staggering, a lot of it was my own fault for not having a 2nd unit ready to go.

I expect to take my turn later this evening.

I was too pissed off to do it earlier after my team blew a 15 point lead with 3 mins left in the game... not to mention loosing yet another important player most likely for the rest of the year.