Key decisions to make on the first turn
Germany:
Poland in one or two?
There are many ways to take Warsaw, and there are ups and downs to taking it on the first turn, which means Poland is very likely to surrender (though it's not guaranteed) that same turn. The ups include taking less damage to your units, freeing them up to move to France or get upgraded faster, and you can use the MPP from plunder to jumpstart your attack on France or to invest in the long-term by teching up. The downsides are the reverse of that, but the biggest drawback is that the USSR does not lose 5% mobilization as penalty for invading Poland. This might seem small, but with the right amount of luck and choices, can severely impact how ready Russia is for war in 1941.
When and how to attack France? (Includes long term considerations about keeping USSR/US mobilization low)
There are also many ways to attack France. Do you breach the Maginot, especially if your opponent leaves a gap in it or neglects to respect entrenchment? Or do you invade any or all of the Lowland countries? This second choice immediately brings your Grand Strategy into focus. Do you want to Blitz, take as much land, plunder and strategic positions as fast as possible, with th result that the US and USSR are alarmed and increase mobilization? Do you want to take a slower, more methodical approach and avoid as much mobilization on US and USSR as possible? Your idea for the end game should be coherent, and thus it should inform the choices you make on the very first turn.
3rd paratroopers or not?
Most pop-up decisions you can make in WaW are very black or white. They are either good or bad, and you should always make the same choice. Whether or not you send the paratroopers to Breslau on turn one is not such a decision. It's perhaps a detail, but it can add a nice threat to your arsenal later in the war by being able to recruit one extra paratrooper (You say no to the decision, and then make another paratrooper before the end of your December turn). Saying yes can also be helpful, you get an extra 50 mpp, and you can immediately use the unit to threaten France behind their lines.
To dive or not to dive?
Technically, this choice does not have to be made on the first turn, but it's generally a good idea to do it anyway. The question is, are you going to invest in your navy, and more specifically your submarines, during the game? Are you going to fight an active and aggressive campaign in the Atlantic? If the answer is no, then you should probably sell your submarine tech and use the MPPs to do something better. Another thing to consider is the research cap of Germany, which is relatively low at 2k. Researching submarine weapons without committing to them fully means that you are not using that part of your cap to research something that actually fits your strategy.
Italy
Tech path and priority
Italy does not have many decisions to make in the early game. They are a junior partner, they're poor, and you can't do everything you might want. Scarcity forces decision making. Will Italy focus on land, air or sea? They can generally only do 1 or 1.5 of these. If you focus on infantry, you should sell your air techs, and vice versa. Focusing on naval tech is an option, but it's risky and not very common.
East Africa or not?
The first pop-up decision for Italy is also important. If you are not fully committing to an East-African campaign (this means you will also send the HQ there later, and possibly escape an army or corps on the first turn to bolster the forces there) then you should probably send the corps to Naples.
Maritime bomber or not?
Italy does not have a lot of MPPs to spend, but on the first turn, if you sell your techs, they can research a tech worth 175 MPP as well as build a maritime bomber. The idea is that this bomber will help protect the area around Sicily, and it will help to take Malta by scaring away counter attacks. Since it takes long to build, you should probably make this decision on turn one. Technically it's not really a choice, you should simply always build it.
Japan
Where and how to attack China?
Japan also does not have many grand strategy decisions to make on the first turn. Their decisions are mainly tactical. The question is, where and how do you apply pressure to China? Most people go through the South (Changsha), but I have seen very successful campaigns dismantle the Center (Chengchow & Ichang) and less commonly, the North (Paotow). Where your focus lies will determine where to send some of the early reinforcements Japan has in transport or on the islands and in Manchukao.
Take a step back or not?
Although I'm not a big fan of it, one of the fastest ways for Japan to lose in China is to get surprised by the so-called Chad China offensive, which is an aggressive push, sometimes everywhere but definitely always in the North, with the intent to do as much damage to Japan and hopefully also cut the railway connection between Korea and the mainland China, which will reduce Japanese supply and therefore, morale. The best way to avoid this, is simply to take a step back to protect that railway line between Peking and Suchow. However, this approach also means that China will not lose as much mpp in the first few turns, and they can use this to tech up or to be obnoxiously lucky with diplomacy (looking at you D.).
Axis Openings to Grand Strategy Guide
Axis Openings to Grand Strategy Guide
Last edited by Umeu on Mon Aug 25, 2025 7:42 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Axis Openings to Grand Strategy Guide
Key decisions to make in 1939
Germany
If 3rd paratroopers were not taken, to build a maritime bomber or not?
If you decided to say yes to sending the paratroopers to Breslau, you should have some MPP you can spend on units in November or December, unless you're taking heavy damage in France. If you want to fight for control of the MedSea, then you should get this maritime bomber active ASAP. Otherwise, you can choose to do it later.
Tech path and priority
Land, Air, Sea? Germany kinda has to do it all, but they generally can only commit to 2 out of 3, at least if they don't want to neglect their economic techs (S&I, logistics, production, industrial). Generally, people ignore naval techs with Germany, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is the correct choice. What if Germany's best chance is to wrest the waves away from Britannia? Anyway, the choice is yours and must be made.
To early Manstein or not?
In November, the turn after I invaded/captured Belgium, I like to upgrade one of my HQs (Bock or Kuchler) to Manstein, who will then take command of the tanks, key bombers/fighters and armies to spearhead the attack into France. Manstein's higher command rating means that sometimes you can get 1 extra point on your predictions, or might lose less units in battles. It's a pretty hefty investment early on, but I think he repays himself within a couple of turns by speeding up the fall of France as well as by reducing the losses you take in combat. However, if you can't afford him, then it's not the end of the world.
Italy
Where and how to defend North Africa?
Italy has to decide first whether they want to defend Africa at all. There are some people that like to evacuate their units all together, abandoning the continent. I have considered it many times, but it just feels wrong to leave the soft underbelly of the Axis vulnerable without even a single shot fired. And then there's the option to take the Suez and middle east, reversing the threat, and advancing on the soft underbelly of the USSR.
So, I always choose to stay and fight for the shores of Tripoli. The question is, where? Tobruk is the obvious answer, or even to make attack the best defense and advance on El-Alamein. But I prefer to fall back to El-Agheila instead. There is a tricky marsh hex there that has derailed one of my Axis blitzes through north-Africa. And I now have a soft spot for tihs place. It's a much tougher nut to crack than Tobruk, though you need to bring an airforce to protect against the Royal Navy, which is a tricky thing to do, and it can backfire badly.
Japan
Tech path and priority
Land, Air or Sea? Japan can do all three, but that is because they don't do any of them fully, and besides logistics, they generally don't need economic techs. Fighters, Long Range, Infantry Weapons, C&C, amphibious warfare, AA, they are mandatory. Still, there are some choices to make here, such as, which techs do you double chit? Do you research mobility early on, to get free upgrades on your special forces that spawn in 1941? Do you go for heavy bombers or ground attack weapons? Or is it artillery? Or even armored warfare for that mechanized unit? Or will you try to sneak some very advanced submarines in there?
Germany
If 3rd paratroopers were not taken, to build a maritime bomber or not?
If you decided to say yes to sending the paratroopers to Breslau, you should have some MPP you can spend on units in November or December, unless you're taking heavy damage in France. If you want to fight for control of the MedSea, then you should get this maritime bomber active ASAP. Otherwise, you can choose to do it later.
Tech path and priority
Land, Air, Sea? Germany kinda has to do it all, but they generally can only commit to 2 out of 3, at least if they don't want to neglect their economic techs (S&I, logistics, production, industrial). Generally, people ignore naval techs with Germany, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is the correct choice. What if Germany's best chance is to wrest the waves away from Britannia? Anyway, the choice is yours and must be made.
To early Manstein or not?
In November, the turn after I invaded/captured Belgium, I like to upgrade one of my HQs (Bock or Kuchler) to Manstein, who will then take command of the tanks, key bombers/fighters and armies to spearhead the attack into France. Manstein's higher command rating means that sometimes you can get 1 extra point on your predictions, or might lose less units in battles. It's a pretty hefty investment early on, but I think he repays himself within a couple of turns by speeding up the fall of France as well as by reducing the losses you take in combat. However, if you can't afford him, then it's not the end of the world.
Italy
Where and how to defend North Africa?
Italy has to decide first whether they want to defend Africa at all. There are some people that like to evacuate their units all together, abandoning the continent. I have considered it many times, but it just feels wrong to leave the soft underbelly of the Axis vulnerable without even a single shot fired. And then there's the option to take the Suez and middle east, reversing the threat, and advancing on the soft underbelly of the USSR.
So, I always choose to stay and fight for the shores of Tripoli. The question is, where? Tobruk is the obvious answer, or even to make attack the best defense and advance on El-Alamein. But I prefer to fall back to El-Agheila instead. There is a tricky marsh hex there that has derailed one of my Axis blitzes through north-Africa. And I now have a soft spot for tihs place. It's a much tougher nut to crack than Tobruk, though you need to bring an airforce to protect against the Royal Navy, which is a tricky thing to do, and it can backfire badly.
Japan
Tech path and priority
Land, Air or Sea? Japan can do all three, but that is because they don't do any of them fully, and besides logistics, they generally don't need economic techs. Fighters, Long Range, Infantry Weapons, C&C, amphibious warfare, AA, they are mandatory. Still, there are some choices to make here, such as, which techs do you double chit? Do you research mobility early on, to get free upgrades on your special forces that spawn in 1941? Do you go for heavy bombers or ground attack weapons? Or is it artillery? Or even armored warfare for that mechanized unit? Or will you try to sneak some very advanced submarines in there?
Last edited by Umeu on Mon Aug 25, 2025 4:34 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Axis Openings to Grand Strategy Guide
The Devil in the Details
My take on Germany's Optimal Opening (GOO)
Forget about T1 or T2 Poland. The real question is whether you can 1 tank or no tank Poland, whether you must use 3 bombers or can get away with using less. The idea is to move as many heavy-hitting units to France on the first turn, to jump-start the most aggressive attack Germany can get away with, and which the narrow path through Belgium can support. Because there is a bottleneck, and this means that you don't need all your units in Belgium and France before winter. It's much better to have a few, fully upgraded and rested, while the rest makes it way there later throughout the muddy and snowy turns, when there's not much fighting to be done.
Here's a video: They key steps are to position assault forces on t1, to attack Luxembourg and upgrade your assault force on t2 (see set up in the picture below. For Luxembourg, declare war, then move the corps near Frankfurt into Lux. It should take 4 movement points but you can still do 1 more action. Swap it out with the army right behind it, then repair the army for the attack on Belgium next turn) and to invade Belgium and possibly France (depending on how the opponent defends) on t3. This attack currently almost always surprises opponents that are not aware of it, and it overwhelms any forward defensive line. It's normal to capture force France's surrender in April, though with some bad luck it can be in May, though I have done it as early as February.
I operate the southern tank to the border of Belgium (below Cologne), and force march the northern tank to Frankfurt (if you can't clear the army there somehow, then you might need to operate it). The corps near Berlin is also forced marched, to defend the Saar mine. The corps in Cologne moves 2 hexes south to swap with the army. The fighter is moved one hex north-west into the Rhine hex, so it can be swapped out with the tank in Cologne on turn 2 before upgrading the tank and fighter both. However, if the tank was operated rather than forced marched, then you can just upgrade the fighter on turn 1.
If Poland surrenders in t1, choose to decline the paratroopers, you should have enough money to fuel your opening turns, and having that extra paratrooper unit gives a lot of the added flexibility and threat later in the game. If Poland does not surrender, and your strategy does not explictily require 3 paratroopers, choose to recruit the paratroopers immediately so you can spend the 50 mpp the next turn. You'll need it.
My take on Germany's Optimal Opening (GOO)
Forget about T1 or T2 Poland. The real question is whether you can 1 tank or no tank Poland, whether you must use 3 bombers or can get away with using less. The idea is to move as many heavy-hitting units to France on the first turn, to jump-start the most aggressive attack Germany can get away with, and which the narrow path through Belgium can support. Because there is a bottleneck, and this means that you don't need all your units in Belgium and France before winter. It's much better to have a few, fully upgraded and rested, while the rest makes it way there later throughout the muddy and snowy turns, when there's not much fighting to be done.
Here's a video: They key steps are to position assault forces on t1, to attack Luxembourg and upgrade your assault force on t2 (see set up in the picture below. For Luxembourg, declare war, then move the corps near Frankfurt into Lux. It should take 4 movement points but you can still do 1 more action. Swap it out with the army right behind it, then repair the army for the attack on Belgium next turn) and to invade Belgium and possibly France (depending on how the opponent defends) on t3. This attack currently almost always surprises opponents that are not aware of it, and it overwhelms any forward defensive line. It's normal to capture force France's surrender in April, though with some bad luck it can be in May, though I have done it as early as February.
I operate the southern tank to the border of Belgium (below Cologne), and force march the northern tank to Frankfurt (if you can't clear the army there somehow, then you might need to operate it). The corps near Berlin is also forced marched, to defend the Saar mine. The corps in Cologne moves 2 hexes south to swap with the army. The fighter is moved one hex north-west into the Rhine hex, so it can be swapped out with the tank in Cologne on turn 2 before upgrading the tank and fighter both. However, if the tank was operated rather than forced marched, then you can just upgrade the fighter on turn 1.
- Screenshot 2025-08-25 120407.png (457.01 KiB) Viewed 649 times
If Poland surrenders in t1, choose to decline the paratroopers, you should have enough money to fuel your opening turns, and having that extra paratrooper unit gives a lot of the added flexibility and threat later in the game. If Poland does not surrender, and your strategy does not explictily require 3 paratroopers, choose to recruit the paratroopers immediately so you can spend the 50 mpp the next turn. You'll need it.
Last edited by Umeu on Thu Sep 04, 2025 12:00 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Axis Openings to Grand Strategy Guide
The Devil in the Details
My take on Japan's Optimal Opening (JOO)
Reorganize the North & Manchukao
I always send the HQ and the army in Hsinking to the Wuhan area. I upgrade the remaining two armies in Manchukao. The corps get sent to the Beijing area, though this takes several turns, as you need to replace them with garrisons in order to not make Stalin greedy for war.
The Assault
On Chengdow
1. The carrier in Port Arthur engages the Chinese fighter.
2. The Japanese fighter (must go first) & tactical bomber attack the Chinese army in the marshes below Chengdow.
3. The army near Suchow attacks as well.
4. The army out of Wuhan attacks the Chinese army in the marshes. Sometimes these attacks are enough to shatter the army and kill it.
5. If not, you need to bring the corps near Wuhan into the marshes to deliver the finishing blow (hopefully).
6. If still not destroyed, you might have to swap the army in front of Suchow with its neighbor, or you can use the garrison (risky).
On Changsha
7. The elite armies near Nanchang should be enough to dispose of the exposed corps, but you might need to bring the army up from Hangchow to deliver the final blow.
8. Unless the medium bomber was required to deliver the final blow instead (there's a very minor chance if your luck is bad enough), you should use it to soften up the fortification north of Changsha. This should speed up the fall of these fortifications and the entire south of China by at least one or two turns. (Thanks for the tip, Taifun!)
9. If you did not need to use the corps between Wuhan and Chengdow to kill the army, then you can also bring it to Changsha, to take off one more entrenchment of the northern fortification.
The Step Back
Ideally, you don't use the army in front of Tsinan to attack, and instead you pull it back to guard the railway. You can either transport a corps into Tsinan by rail or by sea.
Refuel Fleet
I send all my ships to the 12 provision ports to get some extra bonus morale. If you're not upgrading your elite carriers in the first 2 turns, you should send those as well.
Take the South
I generally continue the attack south, to sever China from the sea by taking Nanning. Interestingly enough, the key to Nanning is in Changsha, and spefically the railroad that runs through it. You can cut the railroad before you can take Changsah usually, and you should always do it ASAP, as it cuts Nanning off from high supply, making it easier to capture. Using bombers, and when in range, carriers, to soften or eliminate targets in the south, is key to making a swift advance. And keep your elite armies reinforced. To support this push, I usually land the army in transport off Taipei in the Foochow port and advance it towards Changsha after upgrading it. The SF in Osaka go to Nanning, the corps as well if I haven't sent it to guard Tsinan.
I generally pull back from Chengdow after killing the army in the swamp, but I've also seen players shift their upgraded carriers and bombers to Chengdow to quickly dispose of it. However, this will slow down your progress in the South. It's a choice to make.
My take on Japan's Optimal Opening (JOO)
Reorganize the North & Manchukao
I always send the HQ and the army in Hsinking to the Wuhan area. I upgrade the remaining two armies in Manchukao. The corps get sent to the Beijing area, though this takes several turns, as you need to replace them with garrisons in order to not make Stalin greedy for war.
- Screenshot 2025-08-25 104650.png (1.13 MiB) Viewed 662 times
On Chengdow
1. The carrier in Port Arthur engages the Chinese fighter.
2. The Japanese fighter (must go first) & tactical bomber attack the Chinese army in the marshes below Chengdow.
3. The army near Suchow attacks as well.
4. The army out of Wuhan attacks the Chinese army in the marshes. Sometimes these attacks are enough to shatter the army and kill it.
5. If not, you need to bring the corps near Wuhan into the marshes to deliver the finishing blow (hopefully).
6. If still not destroyed, you might have to swap the army in front of Suchow with its neighbor, or you can use the garrison (risky).
On Changsha
7. The elite armies near Nanchang should be enough to dispose of the exposed corps, but you might need to bring the army up from Hangchow to deliver the final blow.
8. Unless the medium bomber was required to deliver the final blow instead (there's a very minor chance if your luck is bad enough), you should use it to soften up the fortification north of Changsha. This should speed up the fall of these fortifications and the entire south of China by at least one or two turns. (Thanks for the tip, Taifun!)
9. If you did not need to use the corps between Wuhan and Chengdow to kill the army, then you can also bring it to Changsha, to take off one more entrenchment of the northern fortification.
- Screenshot 2025-08-25 112540.png (698.7 KiB) Viewed 661 times
The Step Back
Ideally, you don't use the army in front of Tsinan to attack, and instead you pull it back to guard the railway. You can either transport a corps into Tsinan by rail or by sea.
Refuel Fleet
I send all my ships to the 12 provision ports to get some extra bonus morale. If you're not upgrading your elite carriers in the first 2 turns, you should send those as well.
Take the South
I generally continue the attack south, to sever China from the sea by taking Nanning. Interestingly enough, the key to Nanning is in Changsha, and spefically the railroad that runs through it. You can cut the railroad before you can take Changsah usually, and you should always do it ASAP, as it cuts Nanning off from high supply, making it easier to capture. Using bombers, and when in range, carriers, to soften or eliminate targets in the south, is key to making a swift advance. And keep your elite armies reinforced. To support this push, I usually land the army in transport off Taipei in the Foochow port and advance it towards Changsha after upgrading it. The SF in Osaka go to Nanning, the corps as well if I haven't sent it to guard Tsinan.
I generally pull back from Chengdow after killing the army in the swamp, but I've also seen players shift their upgraded carriers and bombers to Chengdow to quickly dispose of it. However, this will slow down your progress in the South. It's a choice to make.
Re: Axis Openings to Grand Strategy Guide
nice ideas, appreciate that
Re: Axis Openings to Grand Strategy Guide
A great post Umeu - well done.
Thanks for sharing your strategies. I just wanted to add a bit of tactical advice.
My first job as Axis (and this applies equally to the Allies) is to set all HQs to 'Auto-Assist' instead of 'Auto'. There are several key units on the front line on T1 that are not attached to a HQ. And equally there are units that are attached that you don't really need to be attached.
Eg - the elite Japanese Army that starts in Nanchang is unattached on T1. As is the German 14th Army. Whereas the German garrison in Konigsberg is attached.
Attaching your best units to your best HQs throughout the game will increase your chances of success.
Thanks for sharing your strategies. I just wanted to add a bit of tactical advice.
My first job as Axis (and this applies equally to the Allies) is to set all HQs to 'Auto-Assist' instead of 'Auto'. There are several key units on the front line on T1 that are not attached to a HQ. And equally there are units that are attached that you don't really need to be attached.
Eg - the elite Japanese Army that starts in Nanchang is unattached on T1. As is the German 14th Army. Whereas the German garrison in Konigsberg is attached.
Attaching your best units to your best HQs throughout the game will increase your chances of success.
Re: Axis Openings to Grand Strategy Guide
Thanks, those are some great tips! I did not want to dive too deeply into game mechanics or tactics, but I must also admit I do not pay as much attention to the tactics as I should.petedalby wrote: Wed Aug 27, 2025 3:02 pm A great post Umeu - well done.
Thanks for sharing your strategies. I just wanted to add a bit of tactical advice.
My first job as Axis (and this applies equally to the Allies) is to set all HQs to 'Auto-Assist' instead of 'Auto'. There are several key units on the front line on T1 that are not attached to a HQ. And equally there are units that are attached that you don't really need to be attached.
Eg - the elite Japanese Army that starts in Nanchang is unattached on T1. As is the German 14th Army. Whereas the German garrison in Konigsberg is attached.
Attaching your best units to your best HQs throughout the game will increase your chances of success.
Thanks! Feel free to add any of your own
