Rumors of War: Rome vs. Scrubjay & Grotius

[Grotius]

Rome and I are at it again, but this time we've added a third player to our mix: Scrubjay, who has the Russians. I have China and the Western Allies; Rome has Germany and Japan. Let the games begin!

Spring 1940: Rome conducted an efficient conquest of the Netherlands, Western France, Denmark, and Yugoslavia. He left Norway alone. Here's a look at the disposition of his forces in western Europe after this turn:



Meanwhile, both of us reinforced our positions in coastal China:

[Grotius]

Summer 1940: Rome swept into Spain, easily defeating the garrison there, and placing Gibraltar in grave danger. Already my Soviet ally began urging me to reinforce Gibraltar to the hilt. Note, though, that Rome also has an expeditionary force moving east in North Africa...

[dembe73]

What happened to your Med fleet?

[Grotius]

Fall 1940 through Spring 1941: I reinforced Gibraltar heavily and managed to hold it for three turns, through 1940. Eventually, however, my only option was to save Gibraltar by stripping troops from Suez. My Soviet ally urged precisely this course of action. But if I did this, I'd have lost Suez; so one or the other was bound to fall.

Ultimately I decided that losing Gibraltar, while awful, is less of a blow than losing Suez, which opens up new avenues of German conquest in the Mideast and India. Gibraltar does close the western Med, but it doesn't have any resources, and it doesn't lead to any new conquests.

Thus in Spring 1941, Gibraltar fell. Rome has 12 units in Egypt, and I have 12 at Suez. How much will he commit to taking it? I stand ready to match him punch-for-punch there.

In other news, American patrol planes spotted this carrier task force in the Central Pacific, approaching Hawaii. The Japanese Government insists this is just a "routine training exercise." Uh-huh.

[Grotius]

What happened to your Med fleet?

I forgot to mention that the Italian and Royal Navies squared off in a series of costly engagements in the western and central Med. I also lost a couple of heavy fleets bombarding Spain while attritting his forces there during the defense of Gibraltar; his artillery killed them. All in all, my defense of the western Med has been less than spectacular. My Soviet ally is unhappy!

In my defense, I did slow down Rome quite a bit. It's now his move, Summer 1941, and he's only just now started to redeploy his land units east. He's got to decide whether to push at Suez or to start Barbarossa -- or both -- and the longer he waits, the stronger my Russian ally becomes.

One other thing I should've mentioned: Rome captured Changsha for a turn, and while I pushed him back out, the damage to my factory and resource there is done. The Wallies are sending in supplies every turn via the Burma Road, but there's only so much to go around, since another big priority is research. Curiously, now that Japan is back on the coast, I seem to be back to producing something only one out of every three turns. I thought China got to produce every turn once Japan went inland, even if Japan got booted out?

Also, before I forget to say this: it's great fun playing this game with an ally. I'm sure Scrubjay (Russia) will eventually be urging me to open a second front (D-Day or Anzio), to send him supply (via Persia or Murmansk), to invade the Japanese Home Islands, etc.

[dembe73]

Thanks Grotius!

I think stalling till 1941 is not too bad if it only cost you the fleet and you still own England. Losing land troops that can be used before America enters cost you a lot more than a few silly boats imo, because it unlocks many new possibililties for the Axis.

[Grotius]

Summer 1941: Rome gobbled up Portugal today, completing his conquest of the Iberian peninsula. He also launched an air raid on my units at Suez; the result was a two-for-two exchange of damaged fighters. We'll take it. I've since reinforced my garrison at Suez. Prime Minister has drawn a line in the sand: "Here but no further."



Meanwhile, Japan has seized the entire Chinese seaboard. (My production is back down to once every three turns there, even though Rome earlier did take Changsha [and I since took it back]; is that how it's supposed to work?) And his carrier Task Force near Hawaii has been joined by a submarine. Oceanographic studies, no doubt. [8|]

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: Grotius


One other thing I should've mentioned: Rome captured Changsha for a turn, and while I pushed him back out, the damage to my factory and resource there is done. The Wallies are sending in supplies every turn via the Burma Road, but there's only so much to go around, since another big priority is research. Curiously, now that Japan is back on the coast, I seem to be back to producing something only one out of every three turns. I thought China got to produce every turn once Japan went inland, even if Japan got booted out?

Grotius, the manual says "Chinese factories only produce Factory Points every third turn until one of the non-coastal Chinese nationality areas is controlled by Japan or Germany. Once a non-coastal area is controlled by Japan or Germany, Chinese Factories operate every turn." My reading of this is that you should get production every turn once Japan takes that 1st inland province, even after you retake it. I suggest you report this on the bug Forum.

[Grotius]

Thanks, Harrybanana. That's how I read it too. I'll post about it over in the Support forum.

[Grotius]

Fall 1941 and Winter 1942: Barbarossa! Rome has taken Leningrad and has pushed all the way to the gates of Moscow. I've been sending lend-lease to my Russian ally. So far he's holding out okay; he has a big line of troops ready to stop the enemy in his tracks.

In the meantime, General Montgomery has pushed Rommel back from Suez and has marched all the way to Tripoli, destroying and damaging a large number of infantry and militia on the way. The Royal Air Force has also cleaned the continent of enemy aircraft, using airfield attacks made possible by researching fighters to Speed 2. RAF bombers have reduced the garrisons in France, the Netherlands, and Portugal to dangerous levels...

The worst news is in the Far East, where the rampaging Japanese have taken Chungking! My Soviet ally has sent me a little supply to help keep China alive, but she now seems doomed. Does this presage a Japanese move against Russia? We're not sure; Japanese carriers are also poised to strike at Pearl Harbor, and we doubt she'd undertake both operations at once.

There are interesting developments to report from Spring '42, but Rome hasn't seen the turn yet, so I'll hold my tongue for now.

Here's a look at the grim situation in China:

[Grotius]

Spring 1942: The Western Allies get invasion fever! We took both Portugal and Finland this turn. (How's that for two ahistorical amphibious assaults in one turn!) We got to Finland via the Arctic Circle; it was basically undefended, and now it looks pretty in green. We also sent more supplies to our Russian ally via the same route.

As for Portugal, the Brits have been raiding the Atlantic coast pretty much every turn, but we hadn't managed to put troops ashore to damage resources and rail. Well, this time we did! Our troops didn't stay in either Finland or Portgual; we were content to raid and leave.

Meanwhile the Russians are putting up a good fight. Rome's Germans have taken Leningrad, but they haven't gotten much further, and Scrubjay's Russkis are now getting ready to counterattack.

Bad news in Asia, though. Rome has done a good job of rolling up China, and I had only three provinces left there: all cities but Sinkiang have fallen. Will Japan move on into Russia, or will it turn against the Wallies?

Here's a look at Scandinavia and northern Russia. Units removed for reasons of national security.



And here's the Med:

[Grotius]

Fall 1942: Invasion fever spreads! This turn my WAllied forces landed in southern Italy, knocking the Italians out of the game. In the meantime, the German advance in Russia has stalled, and there are signs that the Russians are preparing for a massive counterattack.

In China, Rome is three provinces away from total conquest, but he has decided to redeploy his troops to prepare for war with the USA. So my Chinese live on -- with one city and factory to our name, in Sinkiang. I build an infantry unit there every turn now, it seems; I had several in "red" in the queue. Scrubjay has sent me a little supply from Russia to keep me alive; the WAllies have been returning the favor with lend-lease to Murmansk.

Here's a look at Europe after the fall of Italy: