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Starting this thread to see what people's overall opinion is regarding an allied invasion of Norway before the German DE event.

Myself I think it is far too easy for the Allies to invade and conquer Norway before the event, the cost of amphibious landings in use with allied naval ships (CV's), is very little in comparison to the wider effect of the early game. There is quite a large switch to MMP's which the Germans need in preparation for Russia (towns/mine and convoy to Germany).

Could be wrong but its around 58MPP + 28MPP from the convoy per turn

Also there seems to be very little in what the axis can do to prevent it without taking huge losses.

Can't stop the allies invading but should there be tougher diplomatic consequences than there already is?
More garrisons in the country/possibly even a Corps in Oslo, and should they start with full hit points and/or level 1 infantry weapons?

Think it is fine the way it is. It keeps open the possibility of an alt-history option for the Allied player (which are mostly far less than what is available to the Axis player) and it will also come at a cost somewhere else. As a player, I've counter-invaded Norway to stop Axis expansion but never first as I prefer to stop the Axis in France if at all possible (which it is, Viva la France!) due to the fact that if you delay the Axis in France then everything else falls off the rail for them.

Cheers

A garrison strength 1/5 in oslo is rather pitiful though (CV destroys it in the 1st turn).
All it costs is 1 corps from france and uk to land and then just march up towards oslo and it’s conquered. With both navy’s and the CV the axis can’t do anything.

The US takes a diplomatic hit but surely the other scandinavia countries would have something to say it?

Also IRL look how woefully shocking the combined allies we’re when they actually tried to help norway when the axis did invade.

It’s a good option for the allies to have if they choose to invade and makes a change to the normal game play, just maybe tweaking it slightly with the trade off.

Allied aggression in Norway
mobilization2.txt
Sweden > Axis 20-35%
Finland > Axis 20-40%
Naval patrols on Norway convoy > Axis 1-4% each turn
mobilization1.txt
USA > Axis 5-10%
Switzerland > Axis 10-15%

So messing with Norway is not entirely without cost.

The Finland one in particular might be worth trying to diplomatically pull in before Barb, unless all the Axis chits are already committed.

I'd be tempted to sway Sweden, especially if it gains nearer to 35%, those extra naval units are not insignificant and its army is decent too.

True, and I would pull it in after Finland.

By getting Finland, you can (all before Barb):
1) Repair and upgrade their damaged units.
2) Move the HQ to where it will be useful.
3) Move a few German units there to take Leningrad from the north, and be able to apply immediate pressure on Murmansk.

Additionally having Finland, Sweden and Leningrad gives primary supply in Scandinavia. This means a lot of extra income plus operational movement there. The Allied position in the Oslo-Trondheim area should be impossible to hold then.

A clever player once pulled a diplo 1-2 switch on me after I'd invaded Norway. He initially diplo'd Sweden until I invested chits there. Then he switched focus to Spain before I properly noticed, and got Spain to enter.

Sweden entering would not have been great news, but even with its decent army and HQ, it has a sucky supply situation if it tries to enter Norway overland without German support. While Spain entering is a catastrophe for the Allies.