Slitherine

I wonder, is playing sitkrieg a viable strategy in 2.1? It seems that invading Belgium/Holand in the second turn is much more efficient

I think the quick invasion strategy is very weather-dependent. Good fall weather and it is a winner. Foul weather and the Axis gets stuck, taking more casualties, as you haven't had a chance to bring your reinforcements on-board, especially the extra fighters and tac you need to keep losses down.

Sitzkreig is still the most common strategy, I think, and therefore very viable. The Axis will likely suffer the fewest losses with this strategy, which saves manpower at the expense of the extra PPs from conquering France early.

But I think versions of the blitz are becoming more common as well. It is good that a variety of strategies are possible, each with different pros and cons.

joerock22 wrote:Sitzkreig is still the most common strategy, I think, and therefore very viable. The Axis will likely suffer the fewest losses with this strategy, which saves manpower at the expense of the extra PPs from conquering France early.

But I think versions of the blitz are becoming more common as well. It is good that a variety of strategies are possible, each with different pros and cons.

Blitz is becoming a good choice especially when you face a Allies Dyle plan !

Morris wrote:

joerock22 wrote:Sitzkreig is still the most common strategy, I think, and therefore very viable. The Axis will likely suffer the fewest losses with this strategy, which saves manpower at the expense of the extra PPs from conquering France early.

But I think versions of the blitz are becoming more common as well. It is good that a variety of strategies are possible, each with different pros and cons.

Blitz is becoming a good choice especially when you face a Allies Dyle plan !

Yeah, in my current game as the Axis my opponent Avoran did a Dyle. I waited anyway till good weather in the spring of 1940 to attack Holland and move into Belgium. Paris didn't fall till October! I should have moved more aggressively, snow and mud be damned.

Since I am a LONG way from being a good player, that October date says something.

What is the best defense against an early blitz? Do you commit a strong BEF to stop the germans hoping for bad weather? In a MP game I am playing my opponent did an early (2n turn) blitz and I didn't commit the BEF, he had some turns of good weather and destroyed the French with easy, taking Paris by January. I think should I commited the BEF it would have been equally destroyed. My point is, with favourable weather Germans seem unstoppable no matter what you do, am I right?

Aryaman wrote:What is the best defense against an early blitz? Do you commit a strong BEF to stop the germans hoping for bad weather? In a MP game I am playing my opponent did an early (2n turn) blitz and I didn't commit the BEF, he had some turns of good weather and destroyed the French with easy, taking Paris by January. I think should I commited the BEF it would have been equally destroyed. My point is, with favourable weather Germans seem unstoppable no matter what you do, am I right?

I had only 1 fair weather turn after September so it was below expectations. Yes you should have committed BEF but this has to be done with caution not to loose it prematurely.

How long can you stop the Germans commiting the BEF? if it is not beyond March it is not worth, since in any case you can't launch Sealion before that.

Aryaman wrote:What is the best defense against an early blitz? Do you commit a strong BEF to stop the germans hoping for bad weather? In a MP game I am playing my opponent did an early (2n turn) blitz and I didn't commit the BEF, he had some turns of good weather and destroyed the French with easy, taking Paris by January. I think should I commited the BEF it would have been equally destroyed. My point is, with favourable weather Germans seem unstoppable no matter what you do, am I right?

you can hold until Mar 1940 even if no BEF's help . But If the weather is the best for Axis ( 5 fair turn in 1939) , nothing to stop Axis but mistake by himself !

Morris wrote:

Aryaman wrote:What is the best defense against an early blitz? Do you commit a strong BEF to stop the germans hoping for bad weather? In a MP game I am playing my opponent did an early (2n turn) blitz and I didn't commit the BEF, he had some turns of good weather and destroyed the French with easy, taking Paris by January. I think should I commited the BEF it would have been equally destroyed. My point is, with favourable weather Germans seem unstoppable no matter what you do, am I right?

you can hold until Mar 1940 even if no BEF's help . But If the weather is the best for Axis ( 5 fair turn in 1939) , nothing to stop Axis but mistake by himself !

I never had 5 fair turns in 1939 The best I had was with you when I had 2 fair turns in October. By 'no BEF' you mean no UK units in France at all or passive BEF taking care of part of the front. The second I consider proper BEF commitment in case of 1939 France Blitz.

Joe & Max had this luck in the AAR with me ! But according to the rule , it seems less than 5% possibility .

Regarding to the BEF , yes just passive & few .

Morris wrote:But according to the rule , it seems less than 5% possibility .

14%

Kragdob wrote:

Morris wrote:But according to the rule , it seems less than 5% possibility .

14%

so you should own the luck every 7 pbems ? hehehe

Loosing france early is not a game decider...so it is not necessary to commit the BEF in france.

Crazygunner1 wrote:Loosing france early is not a game decider...so it is not necessary to commit the BEF in france.

unless you could last the France campaign until late autumn

Crazygunner1 wrote:Loosing france early is not a game decider...so it is not necessary to commit the BEF in france.

I think that an early fall of France gives the Axis many options. Late fall of France, on the other hand, can greatly harm the Axis greatly.

Blitz usually means earlier fall of France at a higher cost. It is up to you to decide what is better, but I'm more and more convinced that time is the Axis' most critical resource in 1939-1941.

In some cases massive BEF commitment + sietzkrieg can lead to very late fall of France and axis casualties will not be anything like low (fighting from april to september is costly). Its something, what probably deserves fixing, because fall of France in september october pretty much IS game desider.
If axis still want to launch 1941 barbarossa, they have no time for anything else and still it will be weak. All at cost of few (less then 10) expendable british units and some british labs. So massive BEF commitment indeed ruins axis game. Crippled UK for crippled Germany is not fair trade.

Plaid wrote:In some cases massive BEF commitment + sietzkrieg can lead to very late fall of France and axis casualties will not be anything like low (fighting from april to september is costly). Its something, what probably deserves fixing, because fall of France in september october pretty much IS game desider.
If axis still want to launch 1941 barbarossa, they have no time for anything else and still it will be weak. All at cost of few (less then 10) expendable british units and some british labs. So massive BEF commitment indeed ruins axis game. Crippled UK for crippled Germany is not fair trade.

you are quite right sir !