Yugo/Greece Oil

[BattlevonWar]

In the manual I had read that you get a boost as Axis due to an invasion of Yugo/Greece? Still hold true in 3.0GS?

[Peter Stauffenberg]

The boost comes from activation of Hungary and Romania. Both countries have oil resources.

If you don't attack Yugoslavia you get the oil resources anyway, but later.

[OxfordGuy3]

It's more than just getting the Romania/Hungary oil early, if the Axis take Yugoslavia:

"Hungary and Romania will use the German war effort instead of the local war effort if Belgrade is Axis controlled. See the expanded notes in the next section." (see manual page 168)

"6.5.2 Taking Yugoslavia
If you take Yugoslavia as the Axis you improve the German war effort for Hungarian and Romanian
production, i. e. slightly more oil each turn. If you take Greece you get German war effort for Bulgarian
production.
Longer term a player will benefit having increased production from Nagykanitsa and Ploesti because
they use the German war effort instead of the minor power war effort. For example, German war effort
will be 2 tech levels above the local war effort so it can add up to about 20% extra war effort.
Let's say Germany has industry tech 2 and thus 120% war effort. The Romania and Hungary can max
have 100% war effort (tech 0 in industry).
Romanian oil per turn without Yugoslavia Axis: 4 * 4 * 100% = 16.0
Hungarian oil per turn without Yugoslavia Axis: 1 * 4 * 100% = 4.0
Total: 20.0
Romanian oil per turn with Yugoslavia Axis: 4 * 4 * 120% = 19.2
Hungarian oil per turn with Yugoslavia Axis: 1 * 4 * 120% = 4.8
Total: 24.0
So Germany gets 4 oil extra per turn. That is a quite significant reward for making an invasion of the
Balkans, despite having to deal with a lot of partisans."

[BattlevonWar]

Thanks Stauffenberg and OxfordGuy, I ran a hotseat and came up with what Oxford did in his equation roughly but that equation is quite perfect. I see that it's more than likely a win situation if the Axis have great weather and or the time to perform both a perfect Balkan Invasion without skimping on Barbarossa preparation. I have noticed a lot of players just skip it Yugo/Greece altogether despite the %5 morale boost you get with Greece. Despite the impact on oil. If you count the PP losses and garrisons, from immediate losses vs long term losses...I can see why it would get skipped, sometimes

[OxfordGuy3]

Thanks Stauffenberg and OxfordGuy, I ran a hotseat and came up with what Oxford did in his equation roughly but that equation is quite perfect. I see that it's more than likely a win situation if the Axis have great weather and or the time to perform both a perfect Balkan Invasion without skimping on Barbarossa preparation. I have noticed a lot of players just skip it Yugo/Greece altogether despite the %5 morale boost you get with Greece. Despite the impact on oil. If you count the PP losses and garrisons, from immediate losses vs long term losses...I can see why it would get skipped, sometimes

I think Yugoslavia is almost a no-brainer, if you can knock them out quickly, but I'm not so sure Greece is worth it, not so many PP or oil benefits for Axis minors (and about the same PPs from occupying the country), there's partisans (in difficult terrain) and the allies can easily hold onto Crete or make it expensive for the axis to capture. Also if Greece is Axis occupied, then it's easier for the allies to strategically bomb the Romanian oilfields, as Greece is no longer a no-fly zone. There's more of a risk of allied intervention, at least naval anyway, depending on how you attack Greece.

On the upside, the +5 to Italian effectiveness is nice, and holding Greece makes it much easier to switch air between North Africa and Russia, as well as Crete (if you can get it) potentially being a good base for defensive air over Libya and the Egypt border areas (no use beyond that, until you get better range). The PPs are always a help, of course, though partisan activity and risk of invasion means keeping units down there that are not in Russia. The extra 2 Bulgarian INF corps you'll get in May 1942 anyway.

[BattlevonWar]

Oxford_Guy, very informative piece. I always looked at Greece that way but not Yugoslavia, so long as weather permits. I have found 3 out of my last 4 games mud set in Yugoslavia and has cost both me and my opponent invading it a good 10-15 steps which I find so utterly essential if you're aiming at a hardcore '41 smash and bash on Barbarossa. Plus you need those units in place for April/May '41 and they need to be in just the right place or you may not kill say 2 or 3 essential Russian Units!

Either way, if I can take it early, with France falling around June as it should I am never going to pass it up. Though if it takes longer, I am noticing with my new oil conservation practices I don't really need the extra oil. Hmmm... I never knew you could not fly over Neutral. That's something totally new to me. I remember getting the extra Bulgarians, not precisely when. Thanks for sharing. I am going to rack your brain

[OxfordGuy3]

BattlevonWar - No worries, though I'm no expert player! Just know this from reading the rules and playing some games. I'm currently getting thrashed by RichardsD in my first GS 3.0 game (had only played GS 1.0 before, and quite a while ago...).

[richardsd]

no - you are just in a poor position