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I'm playing my third PBEM game as the Allies with a friend after losing the first two. In this game it looks like Leningrad is going to fall (game time is 1st 2 weeks of September 42) and he is threatening Moscow. I think I might be able to hold Stalingrad. I'm going to try it one more time with the Allies using the naval mod.

In all three games I built fortifications in front of Leningrad and Moscow first and then Stalingrad. I think one of my mistakes is that I built another HQ to replace the one that is always lost in Bialystok in the initial German attack.

For all three games my friend used the All France strategy and waited until the turn after March 3 to take Algiers so the Yugoslavia DE would not fire. His airpower is overwhelming and in this game has taken both Gibraltar and Malta. They gain so much experience pounding the French in Africa they seem to be invincible and of course in this game you can eliminate ground units with airpower alone. It is kind of a catch 22 because if you couldn't do that you would never be able to take Gibraltar or Malta.

What I am going to do next game is not even bother to defend France and transport as many French units as I can to Africa, attack the Italians and see if I can take Tripoli and Benghazi. This will force the Afrika Korps to appear in Trieste. Unless I'm playing this game all wrong the All France option should be looked at by the developers.

For the Russians, I won't build an HQ but will instead research mobility as soon as I can. I always research infantry warfare first to get the Russian infantry up to level 1. The mobility will help the Russian units to retreat because it looks to me the only viable strategy is to fall back so they can retain as many units as possible.

I also find it odd that there has been no snow in the area around Stalingrad. The 6th Army in Stalingrad were surrounded in November 42 by a Russian winter offensive.

I would be curious to hear what kind of strategy that veteran players of this game employ to counter the All France strategy and their strategy in Russia. Thanks.

Maybe the next game you should do an AAR with screenshots. There are too many moving parts to answer in a short description.

If your opponent captured Algiers after March 3, when did he attack SU?

What was the SU mobilization at the end of '40?

IMO early SU mobility research is a poor idea. The top priority for SU research is Ind Prod (always 2 chits). Think about infantry warfare (& weapons) early. The SU needs at least 6 HQ's (2 from Siberian) by mid '42.

If you send all your French troops to Egypt France will fall fast and if your opponent doesn't do all of France you will lose 80% of the French troops. If France falls to early Sealion/Egypt/Barbarossa are much easier.

I've already answered the all of France question.

He attacked Russia in May 41. What surprises me is that he has advanced so far without the use of airpower. They have been in the Med blasting Gibraltar and Malta to zero.

My first research expenditure for the Russians has always been infantry warfare. It is September 42 and Russian infantry are at level 2.

My thinking about France is that he doesn't want it to fall quickly because then the DE for Yugoslavia fires. In addition his German and Italian air units gain valuable experience attacking the French in Africa when he doesn't declare Vichy. As mentioned he doesn't take Algiers until after the March 3 1941 turn. He also never invades Greece.

How important do you think spying and intelligence is?

Do you think the Brits should spend on anti air research early?

S&I is essential for GB & US useless for SU. Always have a chit on S&I until either GB or US makes it (or making it)to lv 3.

here are my initial researches in order

SU research - Sell anti tank - Ind Prod (2), Inf wpns, AA, another Ind Prod, another AA then Inf warfare, Then start buying corps & garrisons.

GB - AA (first 2 chits), Fighter, tac bomber, AS.

US - Ind Prod (2), S&I, then the left column.

IMO your thinking on France is flawed. If France falls in March/April your in trouble.

I'm taking the gamble that he will not declare Vichy because he has already won two games by going All France.

Just to clarify what you do with the Russians. Is it sell AT and Industrial Production? Don't the garrisons get eliminated very quickly even with infantry weapons and warfare? Russian armies are relatively cheap. In your earlier reply you mentioned 6 HQs but I don't see any Russian HQ builds.

For GB are you saying anti air and then another investment after it reaches level 1? I haven't upgraded tactical bombers because I figure that at that point of the war the Brits should be focusing on defensive upgrades.

One thing you haven't mentioned is diplomacy which is important if he uses All France because there is a good possibility that if you don't spend on diplomacy both Spain and Yugo will join the Axis. This happened in the first two games.

Thank you for your comments.

No only sell SU anti tank the rest are buys in that order. First research chit is on Ind Prod so u have 2 chits

GB first two chits (turns) on AA, then u have lv 2 by the Fall of France (Vichy)

GB get three Tacs (w/vichy) need to upgrade them for Defense, buy tac research

If he's going all of France it helps the Allies diplomatically. You get the three French diplo chits until they fall. It negates the diplo advantage the Axis has from the FOF (vichy) until SU (US for Spain) enters

Are you upgrading your HQ's (GB & SU)?

Yes I have been upgrading my HQs. We are going to be playing two games simultaneously, our current one and a new one where I am the Allies again. I'm a glutton for punishment. One thing I forgot to mention is that I always build an AA unit to garrison Gibraltar. It will be interesting to see how it holds up at level 2 AA to the Axis air onslaught.

Block the gateway to the Mediterranean so he cant bring in German subs. Operate the fighter from France to Algiers, make sure they are both attached . Transport one of the French HQs (now 10 str) and a couple Armies to Algiers. Have GB buy a Maritime Bomber (or 2) early send them to Algiers. Send the GB Strategic Bomber and reduce the supply of any city he captures. Send a couple GB CV's to Med and wipe out the Italian Navy.

When he goes all of France you get a 1* 10str Army & HQ in Algiers. Immediately put the Army in Algiers and upgrade to 11 str. Put another Army in the city to the east.

Put a GB Corp in Casablanca so when Algiers falls you still access to the port. Then he has to waste time taking out the Corp. Its a long ways to Casablanca.

He won't try it again.

Actually I had already did most of what you suggested such as flying the French airforce to Africa and HQ. One thing I didn't do was base a maritime bomber in Algiers. However for it to survive I think I would have to also send some Brit fighters. Sane situation with the strat bomber, it would have to get through his fighters. His attack usually consists of about 4 tactical bombers with fighter cover. I'm not at my desktop but the city closest to Sicily is I believe Tunis. I heavily defended that entire area including a 10 factor French army in Tunis. He bombs the land units to eliminate a hex or two for amphibious landings while landing paratroopers.
I think what it comes down to is that all the Allies can do is slow down the Axis taking Algiers and Casablanca. Once they fall so will Gibraltar and Malta.

The Italian navy is no push over and his tactical bombers can also take out Brit CVs. We are going to try out Naval Mod 3.3

I picked up War Plan a couple of weeks ago and Vichy France is an automatic. No All France there.

Yeah eventually they will.

Honestly I never cared for the importance of Algiers. It has been improved with modifications to DE603, but the importance (Spain & Gibraltar) is way to high.

I bought War Plan haven't really gotten into it much yet. You like it?

Way too early for me to judge War Plan. It certainly is different. There is some stacking, one ground, air, and naval in a hex which I like. It has more of a boardgame feel because unlike the SC series, units don't attack individually. Oil is a resource and when armor and air units move they burn oil. I noticed that you can't destroy ground units with air alone which I think is more realistic. Playing around with it to learn the mechanics before diving in to PBEM. I know he is working on the Pacific theater. I never bought SC WAW because I don't like the change in scale in Europe and I find pretty well everything to do with navies in the SC series too abstracted.

ORIGINAL: PvtBenjamin

S&I is essential for GB & US useless for SU. Always have a chit on S&I until either GB or US makes it (or making it)to lv 3.

here are my initial researches in order

SU research - Sell anti tank - Ind Prod (2), Inf wpns, AA, another Ind Prod, another AA then Inf warfare, Then start buying corps & garrisons.

GB - AA (first 2 chits), Fighter, tac bomber, AS.

US - Ind Prod (2), S&I, then the left column.

IMO your thinking on France is flawed. If France falls in March/April your in trouble.

If you are buying garrisons and corps you must be using them as cannon fodder to slow the Germans down. When Barbarossa begins in the summer of 41 I assume that Russian infantry are at level 1 for both of the infantry techs. At those levels can the Russian garrisons and corps even slow the German advance? I assume you place them in cities and terrain such as forests and behind rivers with the garrisons more forward.
With this strategy, how close to Leningrad and Moscow do the Germans usually get? It is my experience that it is more difficult to slow the Germans down in the south because there isn't as much terrain and snow sometimes doesn't even occur there. Didn't the Soviet offensive in November 42 occur in winter weather with the 6th Army being cut off in winter conditions until they surrendered in February?

The Corps are in cities the garrisons mostly along Finnish borders except to fill cities within paratrooper range. If the Corp or Army are reduced retreat them. Try to keep supply up so you can buy them back on the cheap. The idea is to try to make it to winter. Against a skilled Axis attack you will lose Leningrad & Moscow. On another note I found it very interesting that Sugar didn't take any of the three against Fafnir. Keeping Stalingrad and Caucasus key. Vologda - Murmansk rail line also key.

An entrenched corp with lv 1 inf wpns & warfare and AA will slow the Axis more than you think. The battle begins for the SU mid '42, important to just not loose 2 much ground beforehand.

As someone said if the game follows history exactly the Allies win.

The problem with retreating is two fold. First the Germans move faster and secondly, when a unit retreats it can't be built be back up that turn. I'm thinking I might try to force march some so they can hopefully gain some time to be reinforced. Surprised that the Russians can come back after losing Leningrad and Moscow. In my games around Leningrad I've built fortifications facing the Finns and the Germans. Also forts in front of Moscow and Stalingrad. Even with all the fort lines, tough to hold back the Germans. The game system favours the attacker because there is no stacking and a single unit can be attacked by multiple units. In addition air power can easily reduce a defender for ground units to finish off. To me, no stacking is the biggest flaw in this game design and it's too bad the game system hasn't changed since the days when there were tiles instead of hexes.

You can retreat by operating the units away. Yes it costs MPP, but it is cheaper than rebuilding units that will be run down if they try and retreat by foot.

Just put them far enough away so that they won't be on the front lines again for 3 turn is possible. 1 turn to repair and the others will build their morale back up.

Operational movement can get pretty expensive and I already use it to move units to sections of the front that need it. Sounds like I better research logistics before the Germans invade.

Operating a 3-4 Corps/Armies is not all that expensive.
Logistics research is important, but not pre-Barbarossa important. It's mostly important so that (if you survive) it allows you to expand and build more HQs.

I prefer: Infantry Weapons, Industry, AA, Tanks, C&C, Inf Warfare, and Tank Warfare (some x2) all before Logistics.

Agreed operating SU corps is 6 pts and armies 13 with no logistics I think.

The most important facet of logistics is extra HQ's.

You can sometimes max out HQ's before the Siberian troops arrive (2 HQs).

ORIGINAL: canuckgamer

To me, no stacking is the biggest flaw in this game design and it's too bad the game system hasn't changed since the days when there were tiles instead of hexes.

Stacking smacking. After the fall of Leningrad & Moscow the map gets much much tougher for the Axis. The objective of the game against a skilled player is to plan for how to use this to your advantage as your troop strength and research catch up.

You should also be buying an engineer soon after the Axis attacks.