Axis Flanks / Advice

[thedudeabidez]

One thing the AI tends to do a lot as the Allies is to attack the Axis flanks very early on in the game, which isn't smart for a number of reasons: the Allies have a numerically inferior force, they need to conserve strength until reinforcements arrive, and -- most of all -- the Germans have a very wide board edge to trace supply to and are not easily cut off. Beyond that, supply doesn't even affect the Axis until the 19th, so these flanking moves early on are practically ineffective. Even worse, the AI often makes these moves with complete disregard for its own supply lines, meaning it easy for the Axis to respond by simply cutting the Allied supply.

What's bad is the A.I. seems to be teaching the wrong lesson to newbie players who copy these "clever" aggressive Allied moves on the flanks, and usually lose an armored division or two (and the game) in the process. So my advice to newbies: read the supply rules. Read them again. You have to be able to have a clear path to a friendly board edge at the start of a turn or your units cannot move at all, and they become progressively weaker. So before launching any counter-attacks, take a moment and consider what your opponent might do in his next move. Are your lines secure? Realistically, there may be a chance or two to create some serious mischief in the Axis rear, but more likely than not you are throwing away good units which could be used better elsewhere.