A historically-based strategy guide for the Axis

This is my take on developing a winning strategy for Strategic Command WWII: World at War based on the historical factors that influenced the war aims of the major powers. I had some fun developing it, I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.

Introduction

World War II was a war for resources.

The aggressive and expansionist actions taken by the Axis powers were carried out with the intent of securing resources to feed and defend their nations.
Food was critical. Japan needed to import nearly half of the food the nation required to feed itself. For Germany the blockades of WWI and the post-WWI famines forced the realization that it could not produce enough food domestically to feed its own people if other major foreign powers chose to starve them out or if disruptions caused food shortages.
Second only to food was the need for oil. Japan imported its vital food supply with a large fleet of cargo ships. Ships require oil, and the navy that protects that shipping needs even more oil. Japan relied nearly completely on American oil to feed its economy. Germany was rich in coal but lacked oil reserves, and the future of industry and technology was in oil. To remain a world power both economically and militarily, and to maintain German independence and standards of living, massive shipments of oil had to be imported.
The largest producers of food in Europe and Asia at the time were Soviet Ukraine and China, respectively. Manchuria alone produced nearly 30% of Japan’s food supply. The major world oil reserves were located in the US, the East Indies, the Middle East, Venezuela, and the Soviet Caucasus, though there were minor reserves in Romania which also factored in. In the years between WWI and WWII, Germany and Japan were forced to import much of their food and almost all of their oil from nations that were aligned closely to Britain and the US, and along shipping routes that would be vulnerable to blockade in a time of war.
The reality that the supply of resources needed to feed and run Germany and Japan was controlled by nations they distrusted was a source of constant tension and anxiety. It was the main factor in the crafting of Axis national political and military strategies. Resource security was a primary war aim.

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In Strategic Command: World at War, all national objectives are condensed into two concepts: MPPs and national morale.

National morale is little more than a barometer that tells you how well the war is going and can be disregarded as a war aim. If you are successful, morale is good. If you’re not, it’s not.

MPP’s, on the other hand, are the absolute critical factor when creating your strategy for SC. Your game will live and die on your ability to gain and protect MPPs. These MPPs represent industrial output and are concentrated in cities, ports, factories, and oil fields on the map.

This guide will develop a strategy centered around the idea that conquering MPPs, and specifically the high value resource-based MPPs, is the primary war aim and see if we can achieve victory where the historical Axis powers were defeated.

I. German Strategy

In this analysis, the development of a German strategy must revolve around invading and conquering the USSR. The golden fields of the East European Plains and the oil-rich Caucasus must be yours, if your people are ever going to have the lebensraum they need!

Germany will fight the war on three fronts: the Russian Front, the Battle of the Atlantic, and the North African Campaign.

I. The Atlantic and North Africa

The Battle of the Atlantic and the North African Campaign must by necessity play a minor role.
In WWII, the Kriegsmarine endeavored to keep sea-lanes open and harass UK supply routes. As in WWI, the Royal Navy mostly prevented that. In our game, the enormous amount of resources (MPPs) that Germany would need to invest to force a successful naval outcome would hamstring the necessary invasion of the USSR, for far less benefit.
Likewise the North African campaign was launched in WWII to control the Suez Canal (shipping resources through the Mediterranean) and to threaten British-controlled oil reserves in the Middle East. In our game, control of the Med is a minor factor, and control of oil reserves can be decided in other ways.
These campaigns are not the main concern and winning or losing them will not be decisive. However, neglecting them will provide the Allies with an opportunity for a seaborne invasion much earlier than is convenient. Invest your resources accordingly.

II. Barbarossa

Very simply, a victorious German strategy will be the one that pushes the Soviets across the European plains of the USSR and drives to the Urals.
First, Poland, France, and the Balkans must be quickly subdued. Then the invasion forces must prepare at the eastern border. Launching the offensive before the USSR is 100% mobilized is very beneficial, but not absolutely necessary. All efforts of Germany from the first turn onwards should be focused on the ultimate destruction of the Soviet Union. War should be declared at the first opportune time, June 1941 at the very latest.

The three-axis offensive strategy of the historical Barbarossa campaign is suitable for the early months of the war. One axis must push through the Baltic states towards Leningrad. A second axis must push across Belarus north of Pripyat, through Minsk and Smolensk, and towards Moscow. The third axis must drive across Ukraine taking the MPP-rich factories and supply centers along the way towards Stalingrad. This is the historical plan, but we must make some alterations if we want to win our war.

Form up the army groups as you see fit. In 1941 and earlier, German units are superior to Soviet units and this advantage is an enormous benefit for the Germans. However, the panzer units are the real offensive power. Place them wherever you want to blow a hole in the Soviet lines. Exploit holes with infantry. Tactical and medium bomber units are best suited for attacking fortified positions and cities. Place them where you can easily soften up enemy defenses before launching attacks into the cities and supply centers. Your infantry is good for attacking in 1941, but by winter ’41 you will mostly use them to hold ground.

For the northern and central offensives (Army Group North and Center), our objectives are not to capture Leningrad or Moscow. That seems wrong, but it’s part of the plan. Instead, the intent is to push the Soviet forces across the Baltic States and Belarus all the way off the plains regions in the direction of those cities. Once the Soviets are hemmed up in their fortresses at Leningrad and Moscow with a defensive line strung along the forests and swamps in between, the German player does not stand to benefit from pushing much further. Capturing these well-defended and difficult to reach cities right now will be time-consuming and costly. True, winning them will strike a blow to Soviet morale, but it will not make them capitulate. Further, the costs will not be worth the MPP reward. The important thing is to threaten the major NM Objective cities - to pin Soviet forces in place while we operate freely elsewhere.

***Tip: try to keep at least one HQ unit in a city behind your frontlines to keep your offensives in supply. One example would be to keep an HQ unit in Tallinn or Pskov to supply Army Group North, while the combat units form a line 1-3 hexes to the front, perhaps to the north and south of Lake Peipus or in a line in the swamps to the east. The vast distances in Russia sometimes require “daisy chains” of HQ units to maintain good supply. It is not possible to overstate the importance of good supply on offensives.***

III. The Southern Gambit and Fall Blau

The hopes of the German people rest upon the southern axis of attack!
Once your north and center forces are in a position where advancing has become difficult (probably around Lake Peipus in the north and a few hexes short of Moscow in the center) move your heavy-hitting offensive units (panzers and bombers) to the southern axis, leaving infantry to hold the line.
The objective of the southern offensive is to push across Ukraine to the Don. Sevastapol will need to be taken, and there will likely be difficult fighting around Rostov. Once Sevastapol and Rostov fall, the second part of the plan begins.

German strategy at this point will closely follow the historical Fall Blau campaign of summer 1942.
East of Rostov, split the southern army group for a drive in two directions simultaneously. One force, the main strike force (historical Army Group A), will sweep into the Caucasus to conquer Maikop and the oil fields there. The second force (historical Army Group B) will proceed towards Stalingrad to protect the northern flank of our Caucasus attack and to prevent Soviet reinforcements from reaching the Caucasus. In this phase, the conquest of Stalingrad is less important than severing the rail lines south and keeping Soviet reinforcements from interfering with Group A. The Caucasus is the real prize. Stalingrad will fall if the Caucasus is taken. Once the conquest of the oil fields is complete, Army Group A can rejoin the main offensive.

*** Tip: once the German player has claimed the northern face of the Caucasus Mountains, if possible a small force should be sent over the mountains into Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and even Persia. It is a good idea to send the weaker forces of the minor Axis allies on this expedition along with an HQ and a panzer and/or bomber unit to provide attack strength. The goal of this expedition is to capture and/or threaten the immense oil reserves of the Middle East and starve Britain of her much-needed MPPs. Britain will begin transferring units from the North African force to stop this incursion, which will help with that campaign. ***

IV. Conclusion
If the German player has accomplished this objective prior to a major Allied landing in Europe, the war in the USSR is nearly a foregone conclusion. Stalingrad will fall, and the German offensive must then pivot the offensive north-northeast across the Volga and push for the Urals. The now MPP-starved Soviet defenses around Leningrad and Moscow will become brittle as the German blitzkrieg forces them to defend their industrial base to the east.
If Allies land an invasion force after this date, Germany will need to transfer a large part of its forces to contain it but will likely now have the MPP strength to handle the threat while keeping enough pressure on the USSR to finish them off.

*** Tip: Once the German player has the Caucasus and Stalingrad in hand, the large scale offensives are over. Begin moving forces to Western Europe to face the inevitable invasion. Keep holding forces (infantry) on the line and make pointed thrusts with panzers and air towards one objective at a time. If the invasion comes before Stalingrad is captured, transfer a part of your forces (20-30%) to contain it, but keep the offensive power to take Stalingrad! ***

Example 1a: "Daisy Chain" Supply

Here the Germans have advanced past Konotop and have an HQ in support, but have outrun good supply. Even with the HQ the supply is too low to be effective.

Example 1b: "Daisy Chain" Supply

The Germans move an HQ into Kiev which increases the supply to Konotop, allowing the HQ there to drastically increase supply to frontline troops making them more combat effective and increasing the reinforce/upgrade options available.

Example 2: Army Group North, 1941-42

The German advance can end near Lake Peipus in 1941/42. An HQ unit in Tallinn for supply and 2-3 units north of the lake to defend it is sufficient to occupy many Soviet units.
Taking Pskov is a good idea but not necessary. Place an HQ and 2-3 more units south of the lake to hold this area and the Soviet army will be forced to invest many of its resources to defend Leningrad.

Example 3: Army Group Center, 1941-42

This is a good place to stop the Moscow offensive in 1941-42.
Hold the Polotsk-Vitebsk-Smolensk line with weaker infantry units.
Advance HQs to Smolensk and Bryansk for supply and spearhead your offensives along the roads leading to Moscow with plenty of armor and air support.
Taking Moscow is difficult and should be secondary to taking Stalingrad, if a decision needs to be made about allocating resources.

Example 4: Army Group South and Fall Blau

Expect difficult resistance around Rostov. In this example Rostov was taken in January 1942, the turn before the Soviet winter hit. An advance through Crimea has crushed Sevastopol and made advances through Maikop to Grozny, but is low on supply.
Once reinforcements arrive, the 1942 offensives will focus on taking Grozny with Axis minor and Italian units supported with armor and Luftwaffe units. Simultaneously, the northern units will push to Stalingrad, which will be well defended and put up a major fight.
Once Grozny falls, the Axis minor and Italian forces will move to Baku and into the Caucasus to take the oilfields and threaten Persia. The German units will move on Stalingrad and Astrakhan from the south.
If the Axis player can take the Caucasus, there will be a ~250 MPP shift from the Soviet player to the Axis player!
The Caucasus region of Russia has nearly the same MPP value as France! The 4 oilfields there are worth 120 MPP by themselves.

II. Japanese Strategy

For Japan, the resource needs of the empire will be filled by the conquest of China and the rich oil fields of the Dutch East Indies! We must acquire and protect these areas at all cost.

Put simply, the Japanese will need to crush China and conquer the Dutch East Indies, then defend these areas for as long as possible. This is a tall order for Japan, as it was historically, since Japan doesn’t have the industrial power (MPP generation) of Germany. The joy of Japanese strategy is that there are many options and different strategies and tactics that can be effective. The pain of Japanese strategy is that in the end, Japan is fighting a far stronger enemy.

I. China, 1939

In 1939 Japan is only at war in China, though very soon Japan will be engaged in several theaters of war. Unlike Germany, it is not possible to focus nearly all of our efforts in one area after mid-1940, and this is made more difficult since Japan’s economy is fairly strained even with the one.
Japan must move quickly. Starting in 1939, focus everything on the land war in China. There are a variety of fine approaches to attacking China early, but one good strategy is to focus production on attack aircraft and garrison troops. Send the garrison troops to Manchuria, exchange them with the infantry units in the cities, and use those infantry units as the core of your offensive army. The attack aircraft (medium and tactical bombers) will provide the power for your offensive since Japan lacks panzers.
The most attractive axes for an offensive are in the north, pushing along the road west of Peking, or in the south, focusing on the cities of Changsha and Nanning and moving west. Both offensives will be slogs. Japan’s infantry is superior at this point of the war and by teaming up multiple air and land units on a single Chinese unit, incremental steady gains will be made. During this stage, attack all along the front lines in China. This generates a war of attrition in which the objective is to destroy Chinese units rather than gain ground. Create angles where 3 units can attack 1 and try to destroy 1-2 units per turn. Use aircraft carrier support when possible. China will not be defeated within a year, but the goal is to weaken her and establish conditions for later success.
By mid-1940, Japan’s industrial production will need to begin shifting towards preparing for the amphibious invasions and the War in the Pacific. China’s bountiful resources will not be enough to satisfy Imperial Japan.
Most MPPs should now be spent on new units and R&D, but the offensive in China must continue. Cease attacking up and down the line and focus only on the axis of attack from the year before. There simply aren’t enough MPPs to attack everywhere and also prepare for the upcoming battles. Defend cities and the north-south coastal railroad. Select your targets and objectives wisely. The gains in China will be small but important.

*** Tip: Many of the ground forces Japan will use for the amphibious attacks will be provided. Check the production calendar. However, the responsibility for loading the units on amphibs and transports fall to the player. It can be expensive. Plan and execute wisely.
The provided naval forces alone are not sufficient. Additional naval units will need to be purchased. ***

II. The War in the Pacific Begins

Just like in WWII, Japan’s best hope is to attack in as many places as can be defeated quickly, and all at once. Japan must incorporate the oilfields of the East Indies into the Co-Prosperity Sphere!
Once troops are in the amphibs, stage them off the coast near their objectives (but out of LOS) to allow them to strike immediately once war is declared. The best turn for attack is the turn when your forces are ready, but the most opportune time will be immediately after the oil embargo is issued, when the US joins the war (if early), or the December 1941 turn.
There are many possible variations when developing a strategy for Japan’s Pacific war but they all lead to the same conclusion: the oil (MPPs) in the Dutch East Indies (DEI) is crucial to your success, the inner convoy routes through the South China Sea must be defended, and the US Navy is coming.
Important to note while developing your strategy, it is possible to conquer several nations without a fight. Borneo, Sarawak, Timor, New Guinea, and the Solomons will all surrender once you move a ground unit into their capital. Hong Kong puts up light resistance but is worth the fight. Malaya (Singapore) and the DEI have several units for defense.
Further consideration must be given to the Philippines, Indochina, Thailand, and Burma.
Attacking the Philippines and Indochina immediately must be considered. The Philippines have a large American presence and will require overwhelming force to defeat quickly. It cannot be allowed to remain in US hands since it threatens the convoy routes to Japan, so attack now or attack later, but it must be captured. Indochina sometimes allies with Japan automatically, but if it doesn’t an amphib attack on Hanoi or a land attack from Nanning are possible. Indochina isn’t wealthy but it provides ports and airbases to protect convoys.
Thailand and Burma may be attacked immediately or later. Thailand is easily defeated with sufficient force, and their supply routes will be necessary to invade Burma. Burma is tempting but can be easily defended by Indian troops unless you have an HQ and air and naval units in support. Burma and Thailand are crucial to the looming conflict with India.
Whatever choices Japan makes, the Dutch East Indies will be the focus. Japan needs the MPPs. Borneo, Sarawak, Hong Kong, and Malaya are also valuable. All of these straddle the critical convoy routes as well. Protect them at all costs.

*** Tip: Speed and efficiency is key. Having one huge offensive naval strike force to provide overwhelming air and sea power with which you can quickly overwhelm opponents may be better than forming smaller, less powerful carrier task groups that can provide support in more places but may lack the punch for a quick, decisive battle.
Remember that the attack on Pearl Harbor is optional! Depending on your strategy, an amphib assault on Hawaii or destroying the US BB fleet may be important, but the ships you use in the attack could be better used somewhere else.***

Japanese Strategy, cont'd

III. War with India

By summer 1942, the Japanese invasions in the Pacific should be completed and the focus should now turn to concluding the war in China and preparing for the approaching war with India, the ANZAC forces, and the US.
The offensive push in China has hopefully progressed. At this point, some airpower will need to be split off to Southeast Asia to fight Allied forces there, but the Chinese front is still the more important. Offensives in China are very linear due to the geography. Harness your offensive capabilities and capture a city. Move forward HQ units for supply. Push to the next city. Rinse, repeat.
At some point the Communists will join the war with a few strong units but they won’t be decisive. If Japan is successful (especially if Nanning and Wanting are captured) eventually enough MPPs will be lost by China that their defensive lines become brittle. The hope is that China’s strength will become depleted to the point that Japan can continue offensive operations using only a handful of units. The unnecessary units can be used wherever else they are needed. Keep an eye on the partisans. The ultimate offensive to force China’s surrender is a slog even after the outcome is certain.

At some point Japan must confront India. India may send troops into China or into Thailand. Long range bombers based in northern India may attack cities in southern China. Naval forces from the Bay of Bengal may harass Japanese forces in Malaya and the DEI or interrupt convoy lanes. India is a thorn in Japan’s side and will have to be engaged.
This conflict is less straightforward than the war with China. India has good air units and naval support, the terrain and weather can make offensives nearly impossible, and the jungle shortens supply chains drastically. It helps Japan if India is engaged in the North African Campaign, since, like Japan in ‘39, their economy is fairly small as well and not suited to fighting war in two theaters.

*** Tip: One effective strategy for fighting India is to first conquer Thailand, then move an HQ unit into Bangkok. Form an offensive group of 4-5 land units along with air and naval support and, moving *as quickly as possible*, capture Rangoon. Advance the HQ, and proceed on towards India. If Japan has local naval superiority, launching some amphibious attacks into southern India can be devastating to Indian morale and will pull troops from the frontlines. ***

IV. War with the USA

The war with the US is, put mildly, hazardous for Japan. Once the economy is humming, the USA produces more than 2x as many MPPs per turn as Japan. They can purchase a new aircraft carrier every turn. The advantage Japan has is time and distance. Time, since it takes the US several months to bring a meaningful force into the war, and distance, since any units the US produces will take 1-2 turns before reaching a combat zone. This dynamic means that Japan maintains some initiative as a raiding and surprise attack force, but any major engagement with US forces is going to favor the Americans.
The goal of the naval war in the Pacific should be to delay the US and ANZAC forces from landing an invasion fleet on a major MPP-earning territory for as long as possible. Perhaps bait them into island-hopping or feint attacks on the US mainland. Make them pay for incursions into Japanese sea territories near the homeland or China.

*** Tip: Once the US brings a sizable naval force into the war, combining the major combat naval forces into a single fleet is a good idea to protect it as much as possible. Maritime bombers, destroyers, and escort carriers can protect convoy routes from Allied subs. Keep them away from big fleets. Look for opportunities to crush isolated Allied task forces. Use subs to raid Australian convoy lanes and maybe pull away some of their ships. Use land-based air forces and as many ground units as are available to protect the DEI and other crucial MPP generating zones. Japan should look for a chance to set a trap and require massive invasion forces to uproot them from crucial areas. ***

V. End goals for Japan

In the final analysis, it must be remembered that Japan is playing for time. The crucial theater is China. If China holds or even gains cities back, the war will quickly become desperate for Japan. Unfortunately, even if Japan conquers China by 1944, doing so will not provide enough of an MPP boost for a victory over the USA, meaning committing fully to victory in China isn’t a sound strategy either.
Instead, Japan must devote resources to capturing the MPP and oil-rich nations in the Pacific to fuel its war machine. DEI is the jewel, but many are valuable. Unfortunately, taking them will force Japan to defend long convoy lanes.
The fight with India should happen as near to India as possible, with an eye to invading India and eventually maybe knocking them out of the war.
The US looms large in the Japanese war strategy. There is little hope for the repeated lopsided military victories that would be necessary to eventually defeat the USA. Instead the ultimate goal for Japan should be to harass the US forces while maintaining as much of their empire as possible to drag the war on and force the US to commit ever greater resources to the war in the Pacific. This is done in the hopes that it will give time for Japan to crush China or India, and better still, that it will delay and weaken their presence in Europe.

Example 5: Holding the Line in China

'Holding the line' in China is very advisable after summer, 1940, as MPPs will need to be shifted to prepare the naval and amphibious forces for an invasion of the Pacific islands in mid to late 1941.
In this game the Japanese player has formed a line supported by HQs for supply. They aren't advancing, although limited attacks on Chinese units will need to continue for attrition purposes.
Once the southern offensive has reached Kweichow, the Chinese economy will be in trouble and the defensive line here will start to crumble.

Example 6: Japanese Southern Offensive

Here the Japanese have opted for a southern offensive in China.
The Manchurian forces were swapped for garrison troops and shipped to the front. Air units are dedicated to the offensive. Nanning and Changsha have fallen by August of 1940 and the Japanese will now advance along two roads to Kweichow.
Should an Indochina offensive be required, an advance from Nanning is possible.

Example 7: Japanese Supply

By using 2 HQs, one in Changsha and another in Nanning or Kweilin, there is just enough supply for an offensive into Kweichow. Once Kweichow is taken, one HQ must be advanced into the city to extend the supply lines for further advances.

III. Italian Strategy

This will be brief.

While technically Italy is an independent Axis power, its economy is weak and it has weak units to start. It is perhaps best utilized as another minor ally of Germany.

Italy fights in one theater, the North African Campaign, and can send units to assist Germany fight the USSR. As said previously, North Africa needs to be a secondary focus for the Axis player, but allowing the UK and her allies to overrun it too early will result in the Allies harassing and possibly invading mainland Europe when all Axis attention needs to be in Russia. Therefore, North Africa needs to be defended and the mass of the Italian forces should be deployed there. Defend Tobruk and Benghazi, and hold Tripoli as long as possible.
The UK offensive can be intense and it will eventually overwhelm the Italian forces without German support. Deploying the Afrika Korps is generally a good idea for this reason.

If the Axis player can take the Caucasus and Stalingrad in 1942 and before Europe is invaded by the Allies, the campaign in North Africa will change. More MPPs will be available and can be devoted to offensive operations here. Further, If the Axis player invades Persia (as recommended) the UK will divert forces to Iraq to defend the crucial oilfields there.
Additionally, if Japan is invading India, the Indian forces in Africa will return home to defend it. This is one of the few times when the actions of Japan can directly impact the war for Germany and Italy.

*** Tip: If the Italian navy can defeat the British fleet in the Med, they can greatly assist the campaign in North Africa. Move them to the ports and block supply. 2 ships adjacent to a port will reduce supply by 1 per turn, causing the British air and ground units to lose effectiveness over time. The UK will attack your navy if they can, but this gambit may be enough to swing the tide of battle your way! ***

Historically Italy was not a tremendously helpful ally, however, here are some options that can give Italy a greater impact:

- The Axis player can allow Italian units to capture national capitals to boost Italian MPPs. However, it is probably wiser to allow Germany to absorb those MPPs since Germany produces higher quality units and has more advanced research earlier.

- If you want to invest in Italy, perhaps focus on improving only one element of Italian forces. For example, research nothing but ground attack aircraft and produce upgraded tactical and medium bombers to support the German offensives. This can be very effective, but will leave Italian ground units weak. (meaning extra German units in North Africa)

- The main strength of Italy is the navy. It is outclassed by the Royal Navy, so the best bet is to keep it in hiding and pounce upon isolated units and small fleets in the Med. Adding a maritime bomber is cheap and helpful. If you want the navy to help in the Atlantic, it will need significant research upgrades.

- The army can be used as a garrison force, but using expensive army and corps units may not be the best use for them. Maxing research on infantry combat and infantry weapons can make Italian infantry a solid combat force but they will always need German support to be effective in any large scale combat.

These suggestions aren't that historically accurate, but Mussolini lost and we want to win!

Conclusion

Playing as the Axis powers presents a unique challenge. All three nations have radically different strengths and weaknesses and very different goals. The only thing thing they have in common is that they must strike quickly, for the longer it takes them to capture the resources they need to win, the worse the war becomes for them.

For better or worse, it is my observation that the true goal of the Axis player is to do everything to help Germany defeat either the USSR or the UK and win the game for the Axis. Italy is hopeless. In my playthroughs, Japan has had success, but no matter the outcome in the end the Allies are always too strong.
Historically, the Axis never cooperated in their war aims of course. But as I said, they lost, and we want to win!

I hope you've enjoyed this strategy guide. I incorporated an element of history I found to be interesting and used that to devise a strategy based around the historical war aims of the Axis nations. In my playthroughs I've been successful with it more often than not. I hope it works for you as well!

[fveecolin]

Thanks, very helpful.

[TheBlueAdmiral]

Regarding Axis cooperation - I tried a strategy using German raiders near Madagascar to draw out the British Mediterranean fleet (Allied AI may have just been sending the fleet to support their war in East Africa, but either way they exposed a carrier, two battleships, and assorted escorts).
When the Allied ships entered the Indian Ocean, Japan declared war on UK and I struck with a waiting force of Japanese carriers and battleships, destroying the entire Allied force. It really freed up the Italian fleet to begin choking off Malta and escorting troops to Libya.
The possible downside, I did this surprise attack in late 1940 and I don't know if it will speed up US entry or make British colonies in the Pacific more difficult to capture after I get the Japanese marine units.
I'd love to hear opinions about this strategy.

[BSWEN]

Outstanding guide. Thank you for taking the time to passing on the advice.

[braedenh]

"Can we please have the one for the Allies as well?"

I've tried to do this several times without success. The Axis is interesting because Germany and Japan don't support each other, and Italy is useless without Germany protecting it. Also, there seems like only one certain path to victory and many ways to fail.
With the Allies there are so many ways to win, but the key to winning is always the same: hold on until the US can bankroll everyone and invade. Invest in USSR ground forces and make the war expensive for Germany. Invest in UK navy, beat the U-Boats, hold Egypt. Keep China alive. When the US enters the war, attack.

[braedenh]

"How can I limit the flow of resources that the UK & USA send to USSR? How much does Russia receive through Murmansk, Persia, and Vladivostok? How can I cut these off?"

Response 2/2

2 - focus on the land war. This is my choice. Park the Kriegsmarine and save them for invasion. Invest in offensive ground units.

The main thing for the Germans is to go fast. If you go far enough soon enough and take the Caucasus, the convoys won't matter.

Early on, the convoys will replace most of the MPPs the Soviets lost. Seeing their massive stacks of troops around NM Objectives can be intimidating. Keep pressing towards your objectives, try to destroy 2-3 Soviet units per turn, and keep your offensives tight and focused.
Take the oilfields and Stalingrad by mid 1943 and the Soviet economy will fall apart and won't recover.
If the Germans miss that timetable, the Soviets will likely begin to turn the tide in late 1943.

[braedenh]

"How can I limit the flow of resources that the UK & USA send to USSR? How much does Russia receive through Murmansk, Persia, and Vladivostok? How can I cut these off?"

Response 1/2

This is what makes it so challenging to play as the Axis!!!
I don't have an exact number but I believe I have seen USSR convoys amount to 300+ MPP. Whatever the number, it's a lot.

The Axis player has two ways to respond:

1 - Submarines. This is difficult and expensive. You'll need to invest in your navy and maintain a presence in the convoy lanes in the Atlantic with Allied forces in constant pursuit. It will cost a lot in repairs and upgrades. You will also need to blockade Vladivostok with two naval units of Japan, and these will suffer moderate losses at no cost to the Soviet player. I don't think it's worth it.

[Metalogic]

"National morale is little more than a barometer that tells you how well the war is going and can be disregarded as a war aim. If you are successful, morale is good. If you’re not, it’s not." - it does have some bearing, though, some countries (e.g. Italy) will surrender early at low National Morale, as it also affects actual unit morale, though I agree obtaining high National Morale is not really a major war aim.

If National Morale < 40% then Unit Morale is
multiplied by 0.85.

If National Morale < 75% then Unit Morale is
multiplied by 0.90.

If National Morale < 95% then Unit Morale is
multiplied by 0.95.

If National Morale > 110% then Unit Morale is
multiplied by 1.10

[randyjbarnette]

How can I limit the flow of resources that the UK & USA send to USSR? How much does Russia receive through Murmansk, Persia, and Vladivostok? How can I cut these off?
It is very difficult to defeat USSR with all the supplies they receive through these ports!

[ferengi]

Great read. Daisy-chaining HQs is of vital importance in this game. Press S to view current supply values and move HQ to hexes with at least 6 support so that its supply is boosted to 10. Researching logistics is immensely helpful as well, as it increases base supply values.

[Lampros]

Can we please have the one for the Allies as well?