Some thoughts about units and strategies – opinions most welcome!

[patrick]

First, I'm no expert, just a casual player and all I'm writing here refers to human against AI for the Axis player. If I'm wrong on certain things, please correct me. I like to learn new things strategies and I'm open for different opinions

I have played around 5 games with Axis so far. I like to share my personal opinion on units and strategy.

Most useful units:
- Tanks, tanks, tanks (best unit)
- Army (Corps for 2. line)
- HQ
- Tactical bomber
- Fighters
- Subs, subs, subs (2nd best unit if raised by research)
- Maritime bombers (to keep off the nasty invaders from landing in Normandy)
- Paratrooper
- Available ships at start (never build more)

Used very seldomly (because I ran out of above unit slots):
- Mechanized
- Medium bomber
- Special forces
- Garrison (just because it looks nice on the map)
- Ships (only the ones available at start or already in the production queue)

Never used, mostly useless:
- Reconnaissance
- Cavalry
- Rockets
- Armored train
- Rail gun
- Anti Air
- Coastal gun
- Engineers
- Artillery
- Anti Tanks
- Torpedo boat (?)
- Carriers

Strategy:
I focused on building armies and tanks, some corps if I run out of army slots (Softbuild mostly on, but also possible with switched off but you need to buy other less useful units – see below). Sometimes I buy mech units and special forces. I use the available medium bomber to bring down the entrenchment/readiness, hit them with as many tactical bombers as possible and run over them with tanks and armies. Always focus on one point/target. In most of my games that did the trick. Paratroopers to land behind Paris and first wave in UK (Sealion). After France falls, I leave some Corps/Garrisons in France to defend the Atlantic. Keep some subs in the Biscaya and take down ships with Maritime bomber and German navy should they pop up. I always do Sealion. If I don't do it, war turns against me. Main UK Island can be brought down quickly. Never attack Vichy France and you should be good in western Europe for quite some time. Divide 3 German groups. Nord (around east Prussia) leave a few corps/armies to defend. I don't attack there. South (near Krakow/Lublin) I do the same, just some defend units. Main wave goes thru Brest-Litovsk/Minsk/Smolensk/Moskow. Full power with tanks, armies and HQ and tactical bombers. Once Moscow falls, turn south towards Stalingrad. Meanwhile Rumania and Bulgaria usually join war and provide support. Never used the Italians for Barbarossa. MPP was never that much of an issue. France fills the pocket quite well. I only deployed the Africa Corps once in Africa and regretted it. Let the Italians deal with UK in Africa. I used Rommel and his men for Russia. Never used Italian fleet till mid/endgame. Just left it (upgraded) in the Adria. Focused with Italy towards Suez. They can handle it, but it goes slow. By the time UK is down it goes way quicker. Never took Malta. Takes too much time and hassle and binds my German air force I need for UK and Russia. Sometimes supply in Africa is affected, but Italy can still manage it. I "took" Norway and Danmark (event decision), but never went for Sweden, Spain, Vichy, Portugal, Greece, Yugoslavia (careful, sometimes joins Axis, sometimes Allies). Thats how I did it. I did not play with AI settings that much, except I gave the AI more income.

Now my questions:
- Why should I use artillery if I have medium bombers (which I also don't like that much, they are so weak)
- Rockets? Pure time waster in my eyes. Deselect that in the science screen at start
- Anti tanks? The AI has not that many tanks and you can easily take them down with your tanks and tactical bombers
- Engineers? Nice feature but takes too long and there is no useful return on investment. What should I build and where?
- Rail gun/Armored train? I like the idea, but again, cost/production wise it does not provide the player with a big advantage, except maybe resource bombing, but I don't do this that much. Sub-raiding is way more profitable
- Coastal guns? Did someone ever used them? I did not find out how to place them at the French Atlantic coast. They have zero movement, and you can only deploy them in “main” territory if I'm not mistaken. One should be able to deploy them in every conquered field
- Anti air? Did not really find out how that pays off. They have no range and are less useful as fighters and once UK is down, air raiding is quite seldom
- I focused on research mainly on infantry, tanks, ground attack, subs, production/industrial tech and long-range aircraft. Deselected rocket, anti-tank
- Why does Germany get so few tank units? Germany was famous for its tank-blitzkrieg action. This should be more reflected in the game
- Most cities I don't even besiege, just surround them, and wait till supply is gone
- Strategic bombing. I tried this, but it’s not worth in my eyes. If I bomb a city/mine/port for instance, it loses 2 MPP which it regains in 2 turns and run the risk of having my plane damaged. Strategic bombing should do much more damage to have an impact on the MPP loss

If someone with more experience would answer my questions, I would highly appreciate it. This is one of the best and most addictive game I have ever played. Worth every Franks I spent. I wish they would add new features to it, not only “bug solving”. My special thanks go to the devs. Good job done here.

[Edmon]

I've beaten the game on Expert just recently.

Artillery is the games best unit, by far, and building the maximum allowed and getting the upgrade for them should be your absolute highest priority. Once they start getting experience pips, they will be vicious unit removers that allow you to push forward with ease.

Then of course, the obvious units which are good: Armies and Tanks.

On Expert, I don't bother with air at all. It's expensive and just trades mpp unfavourably with the enemy. The exception is strat bombers, but you really need clear skies for them to succeed. Instead I research AA technology and deploy AA units to protect key units (like my HQ and artillery).

Rockets are good though, because the enemy can't do anything to stop them. Use them to level down the supply of stubborn cities. Or go after oil derrecks if in range, the MPP damage will be huge, with no come-back for the enemy.

Units with AA upgrades will hurt planes for more than they do to you, most of the time. If an AA gun is involved, it will be a horrible trade for them.

Just some thoughts from me :).

[BigJohn]

Honestly Patrick I'd recommend playing a PBEM (MP) game because there are multiple important concepts of the game you are missing. I'll give you a few but really don't have time to answer them all. I haven't played vs the AI since SC2 but it sounds like the AI game even at expert is to forgiving.

Artillery- units entrench 3-5 so you need more than just Medium bombers to de entrench, artillery also demoralizes your opponent. Great key units

Medium Bombers - great units - They de entrench at level 0 and have a long range, not only are they key to de entrench but invaluable at taking out your opponents fighters.

Engineers are key especially to the SU because the German Bombers are probably the strongest units in the game. When engineers build forts not only does it improve entrenchment and defense but you can add AA capability in the fort, actually reducing the German bombers to useless when you achieve level 4/5 anti air for the SU. This is absolutely key to a determined defense for the SU.

AA units are absolutely key, especially to protect HQs. See if I was still playing and we played I'd be going after your HQs with air units.

Carriers are one of if not the most important units in the game.

Strategic bombers are key to the US strategy, especially for Overlord. Strategic bombers reduce cities supply to levels below 5 so new units can't be placed or existing units operated, with low supply units around that city will also do not perform well. So if you use your strats correctly when you execute Overlord the Axis cant get close to where you are attacking and then you can get a beachhead and get port strength up to 5 so you can transport massive troops. Also if you have a German Strat for Overlord you can reduce the Allied ports below 5 so they cant transport.

Your research doesn't sound that far off but because the bombers are so strong AA is a key research even up to level 5 for the SU.

Give the MP game a try, expect to get beaten badly when you first start but I'm guessing you'll greatly improve your game and have a more challenging/enjoyable long term experience.

[Edmon]

Originally posted by BigJohn:

I haven't played vs the AI since SC2 but it sounds like the AI game even at expert is to forgiving.

Artillery- units entrench 3-5 so you need more than just Medium bombers to de entrench, artillery also demoralizes your opponent. Great key units

Medium Bombers - great units - They de entrench at level 0 and have a long range, not only are they key to de entrench but invaluable at taking out your opponents fighters.

Engineers are key especially to the SU because the German Bombers are probably the strongest units in the game. When engineers build forts not only does it improve entrenchment and defense but you can add AA capability in the fort, actually reducing the German bombers to useless when you achieve level 4/5 anti air for the SU. This is absolutely key to a determined defense for the SU.

It depends if he's playing Expert or not, because on Expert bombers and aircraft will only take damage while doing nothing in return for you. The +2 Experience bonus the A.I. gets is too strong, meaning that you'll trade fighters 5-1 (or even as badly as 6-0) by default.

Any bombing you do will result in the bomber taking many losses, even against unupgraded units and without any enemy fighters defending. If there are fighters defending, you can expect to lose almost the entire squad.

Expert mode won't forgive you using aircraft, you can't afford to take such extreme losses by default for almost nothing in return.

They may work well on normal and in multiplayer, where things are "fair" but they don't work on expert. Not even a little bit.