Subject: Fw: Axis and Allies (Europe) Yet another opening strategy 

Michael Sandy <mehawk@teleport.com> wrote in message 
<1eciwk4.yz2x111nnkfn3N%mehawk@teleport.com>...
As part of a continuing series, here is yet another
opening strategy for Germany to consider.

It is very difficult for Germany to attack Russia on
turn 1 without leaving a stack that Russia can either
strafe of simply take out, killing expensive tanks
and artillery.

Germany can concentrate his troops in Baltic States,
Eastern Poland or Bessarabia, but if he loses infantry
in the attack, Russia may still have a good
counterattack, especially as Germany would not have
attacked the other territories with good odds.

One solution is to give Russia _lots_ of juicy targets.
Suppose Germany ends up with:
Vyborg:  5 Inf 1 Art
Bessarabia: 1 Inf, 1 Arm
Rumania: 1 Inf  (the other 3 from the south go to
Hungary)
Baltic States: 1 Armor, 1 Art, 1 Inf
East Poland: 2 Armor, 1 Art

Russia doesn't have any targets he can strafe, and
if he does so successfully, that spares the tanks.
So Russia could attack _1_ of these territories
with air supported infantry and ignore the rest,
or attack with the intent of killing tanks, and
lose a lot of units that Russia attacks with the
following turn.

If Germany took his bonus IPCs away from the Russian
front, and the Allies responded with a heavy Russian
build, this kind of strategy is probably the best
that Germany can employ.

It goes well with a Tyrrhenian Sea Tranport, Finland
Artillery build.  This strategy allows Germany to
reinforce Scandinavia on turn 1, because none of the
frontline territories has a particular need for
extra troops.

In order to preserve concentration of power, it is
better to take a bonus transport in the Med than to
build one later _if_ you aren't going to pursue a
strategy that requires a concentration of troops
against Russia on turn 1.

If Russia got the bonus build, then Germany will need
to conduct more Attrition attacks against Russia
before moving a large stack in.  This means that
Germany will need use her airforce on the Russian
front.  So Germany should consider landing her
planes in Belgium instead of France, so that they
can be employed for ground support in East Poland
or Baltic States.

Another key to this strategy is that the German
Battleship will be employed in the Med.  Only
once the British fleet has been sunk will it be
sent back into the Atlantic.  Germany intends to
build two turns (at least) of Infantry and Artillery
for the Russian front, with the gains from the 
Middle East fueling a larger tank force by turn
3 or 4.

Michael Sandy