Axis and Allies - new vs old?

[Iron_Chef]

I am going to try a very risky strategy with Japan. I am going to attack the US fleet in Hawaii and take Alaska in the same round. On the unlikely event that I can actually hold Alaska oh boy oh boy.
My friends and I have been playing together for years and have become accustom to standard opening moves, so I am goingt to shake things up a bit, I think this would freak out a new player. even though it's a risky strategy I think if I can pull it off the shock factor alone will be worth it. But it all depends on how the first round goes for Germany and if Japan can get long range aircraft (not totally needed but really helpful).

-Gil

You won't hold Alaska, LOL, though you will divert USA attention/IPCs your way. I have found a much better joint Axis strategy for "Kill America First" called "Operation: Hollywood" (by "original james" on the AH A&A board) that will give you a much stronger assault on T3, with collapse of Western USA virtually guaranteed by T4-5. However, the strategy is easily blocked if seen coming, which is why it uses feints at Russia and UK (via Sea Lion) to misdirect Allied respources/attention away from USA.

As best as I can remember it, "Hollywood" goes like this:

G1: Buy ACC, 3 Transports (place in Germany fleet). Kill UK Battleship with Mediterranean Battleship, transport, and as many fighters as you wish (land all fighters at end of turn in WE or Norway). Consolidate Afrika Korp in Libya. Take Karelia with at least 4 infantry and 4 tanks remaining after battle (unless Russian forces too strong in West Russia); transport 2 infantry from Germany to Karelia to participate in amphib assault Karelia. Keep at least 1 infantry and 1 tank in WE (with at least two fighters). Pull back tanks from eastern front to safety in Germany); create 1 infantry "dead zones" along Eastern Front (UKR, BLK, EE). Place 2 fighters on your new ACC. UK will likely overreact and spend money on homeland defense, not on Indian IC.

J1: Buy 3 transports, 1 tank (1 IPC left over). Attack China with 5 infantry and both fighters (leave 1 infantry in Manchuria and Kwangtung). Attack Pearl Harbor USA fleet (with fleet, 3 fighters (in case you suffer a casulaty, lose a fighter) and your bomber; attack any lone UK transports or sub with fighters/remaining fleet. Return fighters to Japan. Move 1 infantry to block Uk in FIC from Kwangtung. Pick up Philippines infantry with SZ 60 transport and return/unload to Japan/SZ 60.

G2: Buy infantry/artillery mix for counterattacking Russia along Eastern Front next turn. Transport 4 inf/4 tanks from Karelia to WE. Link up both fleets off WE. Use your subs and fighters/bomber to kill Uk and USA transports. Take back UKR, BLK and EE, if lost, if you can w/o spreading yourself too thin). You now look like you're going to threaten Sea Lion (invasion of London) on G3... however, you will instead attack Eastern Canada with 5 infantry/5 tanks. UK and USA will have no transports to attack Europe with. You must hold off Russia. Attack Anglo-Egypt with your Afrika Korp.

J2: Buy 2 transports, 3 tanks. If Russian troops are weak enough, amphib assault Buryiat SSR with everything you've got on Japan. Otherwise, chill in SZ 60. Hold mainland territories if possible (block UK/Russian tank blitzing). Consolidate fleet in SZ 60. If not attacking Buryiat, use 2 transports to grab infantry on Okinawa and Wake Island, then unload on Japan (SZ 60).

G3: Buy inf/art mix as on G2. Push back Russian gains along Eastern Front. Use fighters to kill enemy fleets. Attack/Amphib Eastern Canada (5 inf/5 tanks). Take as many African territories as possible (blitz) if you won last round in Anglo-Egypt.

J3: Buy infantry/tanks/art mix. Attack/Amphib Western Canada (or Alaska) with everything you've got. You will now have a possibly invincible invasion force to conquer Eastern/Western/Central USA/Mexico/Panama.

IMPORTANT! If USA buys infantry on W/E USA or uses fleets to block either Axis party from executing their portion of "Hollywood", cancel operation no later than round 2 and redeploy your forces as you deem necessary. You will still have a fighting chance and strong position.

G4: Buy inf/art mix. Germany does not reinforce Eastern Canada but returns to WE, then back to Germany SZ to shuck-shuck infantry to Norway/Karelia and/or attack UK fleet. Germany may attack Eastern USA to soften them up for Japanese forces (leave forces in here if UK can get a transport to take EC back this round) OR reinforce Japanese position in WC.

J4: Buy inf/tank/art mix. Attack USA!!! Return fleet to SZ 60 or attack USA fleet (if any). Taking Western USA allows you to use their IC next turn to crank out 10 infantry/round. You will be suffering terribly (no mainland countries, probably big IPC islands lost to UK), but you will help make up for that by taking Western/Central USA (16 IPCs).

G5: Buy infantry/art mix. Consolidate along your Eastern Front, begin pushing Russians back if possible.

J5: Now that your fleet is back home in SZ 60, take your inf/tank/art mix and amphib assault FIC,

G6: Buy infantry/art mix. Consolidate along your Eastern Front, begin pushing Russians back if possible.

J6: Take out UK India IC!

Note that a clever Russian player can wreak havoc on Germany and even take Berlin if you're not careful when using this strategy.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I'm surprised nobody else has posted on this strategy yet.

I tried running Hollywood. This attempt proved more of a diversion, as the UK had flown 6 fighters into USA (3 West and East) by end of turn 3. However, having pulled back early (including returning German infantry/fleet to Norway) on round 4, and pulling back Japanese fleet to attack FIC by turn 5 proved successful. I had a bgunch of transports, no ICs to worry about defending and could just "hit and run" with relative impunity. Germany's fleet (UK and USA had no Atlantic ships remaining and couldn't build more effectively, esp. UK) meant Germany started kicking Russia back. So, there is merit in a "semi-abort" move on T4... You have enough pieces in Canada to irritate USA (and keep UK fighters out of Russia/China) for about 5 rounds.

 

[KnowTheToe]

The one I've seen floating around was for the US to dump mass money into researching heavy bombers on round 1, then bombing the spit out of Germany while UK and USSR held. Plus dumping big bucks right after into researching long range aircraft so they could also attack Japan with their bombers easier. Allows Japan and Germany two rounds to build up though...

This was almost always my strategy agaist Germany. Have the US fly bombers to the UK and have the UK buy bombers and bomb the heck out of Germany. After a few turns Germany would often have no money left for developing new units. This allowed Russia to do things other than buy infantry. When new people played the game, I always volunteered to play Russia cause it was so boring. Infantry, infantry and more infantry. A yawn fest if you ask me.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Question about Hollywood...

Japan can land troops in Alaska from SZ 60 but can't reach SZ 55 to land troops in Western USA in a single move. So, if you land in Alaska (or you make the slower move towards Western USA), doesn't that mean the US has at least one or two rounds (maybe more) to mass infantry?

 

[Iron_Chef]

This was almost always my strategy agaist Germany. Have the US fly bombers to the UK and have the UK buy bombers and bomb the heck out of Germany. After a few turns Germany would often have no money left for developing new units. This allowed Russia to do things other than buy infantry. When new people played the game, I always volunteered to play Russia cause it was so boring. Infantry, infantry and more infantry. A yawn fest if you ask me.

Russia is more fun in the revised version. Buy 6 artillery turn 1, then a mix of infantry/artillery and the occasional tank. Russia mounts very effective counterattacks with the inf/art mix. The revised board adds two Russian territories (West Russia left and enter of Moscow and Buryiat SSR above Manchuria), switches the extra IC to Caucasus, and starts you out with more units, but same IPCs ($).

 

[Iron_Chef]

Japan can land troops in Alaska from SZ 60 but can't reach SZ 55 to land troops in Western USA in a single move. So, if you land in Alaska (or you make the slower move towards Western USA), doesn't that mean the US has at least one or two rounds (maybe more) to mass infantry?

If you land in Alaska, then yes. If you wait to get in position to hit Western Canada, then they only have 1 round.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I goofed up. Look at the revised map; SZ 63 allows you to attack Alaska OR Western Canada, solving the problem.