I beat expert as axis (AAR)

[DPenny911]

I just beat expert as Axis after many, many tries. I would say I put around 100 hours into it- I love this game because I can listen to audiobooks and podcasts while I play so it wasn’t pure wasted time but WHOOO.

It was punishingly, almost boringly hard. It turns out that, as far as I can tell, theres one and only one strategy that works, and it plays off of heavily exploiting the capable but limited script based AI in this game.

I should qualify my achevement slightly. I save scummed on one turn where I needed to capture a port at full supply to make an invasion work. It was early in the game so my philosophy was it was either that or “game scum” and replay the first few months over and over again until I got what I needed. I also played with fog of war disabled (this helps in one key place and also helps overall by nullifying the AI’s spotting advantage and making naval warfare even more lopsided.). Also, I only won normal victory where allies offer to surrender via an event. (Edit: I ended up continuing to a decisive victory, read post below.) This was in 1945 so I’m quite confident I could have continued to a decisive victory if the game wasn’t getting boring at that point. Besides that everything was straightforward- AI had all of its scripted free units, +2 experience, spotting and the largest bonus to income possible. But there is definitely room for someone to claim a “hardcore/ironman” win on expert.

In terms of other options, I left the default soft build limits disabled. I don't consider this a crutch because it is the default option. With the AI getting a huge income boost, its useful to limit how many units they are allowed to build. America had an almost full roster by the end of the game and 8000 MPs were stacked up that America couldn't spend on anything. By contrast, I would only wanted to have exceeded the axis build limit by a tank and two bombers at most.

I tried a variation of the strategy that works earlier and it failed spectacularly so I tried other things. As far as I can tell, you simply can’t win on expert by going hard on Russia early, invading America or focusing on Africa (all strategies that actually work better than the one I used on lower difficulties.)

The basic elements of my strategy were twofold- one, do sea lion and conquer Great Britain. Two, invade the Panama Canal as Japan and bring the Japanese navy into the Atlantic to stop the Americans from retaking Britain. The first strategy was spectacularly effective- the AI just doesn’t know what to do once you conquer England. America will send feeble convoys of unescorted transports a couple of times and then just give up. I was able to win in spite of not timing things right to make the UK surrender by capturing Dublin and its capitals in sequence- the UK fought on to the end as a zombie (though I had it at 15% NM when I left my game)

The second prong was, oddly, a total disaster. The Americans just have way too many units and too much power and the Japanese navy could not do a lot of damage in the Atlantic. Furthermore, my hard focus on that operation caused China to overwhelm me and the allies to shut down the East Indies. When the game ended Japan was a shadow only able to fend off naval invasions of its home island with the super carrier fleet I brought back from America. I had never experimented with letting china go in any game before- don’t do it.

Phase one was the early game. On my first turn I put two points into amphibious warfare for Germany. I conquered Poland and France but left the Netherlands alone. I chose not to split Poland with Russia because invading Britain aggravates them anyways. While attacking France I focused on destroying British units.

During the invasion, having fog of war off really helped because I could see which ports the British weren’t defending. I used save scumming (for my only time in this run) to make sure I captured a port with 5 supply intact so I could immediately land transports. Using an HQ, tanks, special forces and paratroopers I was able to turn back the British army. I left London alone until the US enters because taking London will accelerate US entry. I also never invaded Norway, reasoning that The British navy wouldn’t be a problem. One key trick to invading Britain I learned on lower difficulty games is to establish a second front. In this game, I landed a couple of units in the north. While they never broke out, the AI dramatically overreacted to the second invasion and shifted critical units north to respond, allowing the southern breakthrough to push on. I have found the same principle works with Russia, where pushing the Leningrad or Turkish line will cause the computer to over respond and pull critical units away from Stalingrad.

Russia quickly declared war and the eastern front was, to say the least, anemic for Germany. I struggled on the defensive and the Russians actually took ground in Poland until I could bring my tanks and airforce back from England. In spite of leaving china alone, I still had Japan take Vladivostok, push to irkusk, and land marines in the Persian gulf. The push towards Irkusk causes the Russians to overreact by sending high value units to fight the Japanese instead of the germans. The other two ports must be taken or jammed to prevent American income. The result was that Russia had no income coming in from outside. (As a side note I think America can send income directly to Russia after Britain falls, but the ai just didn't for some reason in my game. I would have been able to sink most of it with my healthy German navy)


Africa was fairly low drama. I decided to put up a strong Italian push there without using any German units. First I defended with the entire Italian army and also sent a corps to Ethiopia before Italy entered the war. Holding off on London caused Britain to lose all of its convoy income, so until I took London (and Britain moved to Australia), Britain had a year of very low income turns, which allowed the Italians to push in Africa and slowly roll towards Cairo.

After the British Invasion, it was a slow grind to take Russia. I focused on the south. As Italy approached Cairo, turkey entered the war (assisted by axis diplomatic efforts.) I sent additional Germans (specifically, the whole Hungarian army) through turkey and was able to take the Baku oil fields way ahead of schedule. I kept German fighters up to date because between its extra income and its free units Russia keeps up a strong airforce for most of the game on expert. All my bombers were concentrated in the south, and I never made a push on Leningrad. This was partly influenced by freak bad luck as the allies succeeded in stopping Russia from invading Finland and therefore Finland never joined the axis. In a game where I had so much freak good luck I wasn't complaining.

With no oil and no convoys, the Russians finally started to crumble. Learning from prior games, I ignored Moscow completely and sent my Stalingrad armies towards the mines in the Urals where the soviets get 70% of their income. The AI under-defended the Urals (while stacking 5-10 free script units a turn around a massive blob in Moscow). With its income down to 250 and all of its alternate capitals gone, Russia couldn’t resist a final push on Moscow. Meanwhile the Italians liberated Iraq.

When the allies offered to surrender, Germany had all of Russia (except Vladivostok, which had been retaken by the Chinese). Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, and Ethiopia were in Italian hands , and Italy had a decent monthly income. In spite of massive diplomatic investment, Spain only joined at the very end. I suspect the game scripts Spain to hate the axis unless they take northwest Africa. I went 10 turns in a row with no move despite 30% diplomatic investment. China had recaptured all its land and the allies ringed Japan with waves of ships. The Japanese navy and land bomber force was inflicting massive casualties on incoming waves of allied ships but was really starting to break down as the game wrapped up as Japan had only 150 income to replace losses.. The allies had retaken the phillipines and the East Indies.

I really hate how the game scripts free units to the allies on expert. I feel like the programers should have pushed difficulty by actually making the ai better. It was astonishing to watch up to 15 units be given to Russia for free (or almost, since I think they technically count against available income until it runs out). But anyways, I did it. It is possible. Not necessarily fun, but relaxing. I also finished the Foundation Trilogy along the way :). Still I think its remarkable, I don't think I've ever gotten this in to a game that was so addictive while being so boring, and so challenging while offering so little reward. At the end of the day, it stimulates my mind, and it takes my computer forever to process the AI turn, during which time I can get the chores done :)

[DPenny911]

I decided to continue to a decisive victory for completion sake. Was surprisingly easy because the AI's scripting just isn't set up for a German invasion of china from the west :)

Gave all of Russia to Germany because Japan was on the verge of falling. Invaded India through amphibious landings + tanks through Afghanistan. India surrendered. America finished off Japan; first time I ever saw the nuclear bomb event fire. Massive land war in Manchuria with endless hordes of Chinese, American, and leftover commonwealth units making advance impossible despite German AirPower. Saved Singapore from falling via Italian land units despite Japan's surrender. Invaded china ambpibiously using Singapore as a base, sailed maxed out German navy to china see via Suez Canal. Italians conquered South Africa and UK finally surrendered. Most UK units left but UK had moved to Australia so Australia was in axis hands after the surrender. Rushed land units there via transport and took Sydney. Hitting china via urumchi in the west very hard because scripts gave massive blob of free units to ai. Eventually took via strategic bombing supply to 0. Germans pouring into china through the Burma road- AI didn't know what to do and kept most of its units in Manchuria allowing for large German advances. China surrendered after losing all capitals. Liberated Japan while using German airforce to sink American fleet. Americans did a very bad job fighting the German navy. Massive hordes of German jet fighters rendered their carriers defenseless. At this point American moral was at 22% despite not losing any NM objectives (Japan never even took the phillipines), probably due to its massive naval losses against Japan earlier in the war (by the end America had lost 19 carriers). This is where keeping the default build units undoubtably helped: by the end America had 77k unspent MPs that it couldn't pour into units because its roster was maxed out. Taking a few NM objective islands + sinking more American ships forced American surrender, rendering Axis decisive victory on expert mode.

[Scum]

Nicely done! I've tried and failed to get this accomplishment. Not to sound like a jerk, but I think you should do it again while leaving fog of war on, otherwise it's not truly an expert victory :) Now the real test; win against a good opponent in multiplayer (hint hint).

[DPenny911]

I tried that. This is so on the outer edge of possible that I'm not sure it can be done. I'll leave that for a true pro lol

[Aetini]

In my Axis game I remember checking the U.S build queue at the end of the game and just kind of ...laughing. I had that setting for allowing purchasing over the cap unchecked and their entire build queue was just like...a couple armies, a couple armor, some planes... and row upon row of carriers and battleships and what have you lmao