Game Summary # 2 - (23 June, 2011)

TURN 2

GERMANY

Germany ended the first turn with the entire Luftwaffe stationed at the airbase in West Germany. This put them in range of making an air-raid on London.

Situational Awareness: Airbases - Airbases increase the movement of all planes by 1. Fighters/tactical-bombers can move 5, and strategic-bombers can move 7. This airbase in Western Germany allows the Luftwaffe to threaten London, the Northern Mediterranean, and the Russian border at the same time.

The UK left London relatively undefended, instead bulking up its navy. Having underestimated the potential Operation Sea Lion, London was vulnerable. The Germans made a surprise attack across the channel and take London to the dismay of the commonwealth. The British home-army is decimated at the cost of half the Luftwaffe in a dramatic single roll. Because they captured the main British capitol, the Germans raid London's IPC's.

Situational Awareness: Operation Sea Lion - The likelihood of Sea Lion taking place in the first 3 turns is fairly high. A clever German player can disguise the attack by using airbases/seaports. If seaports are present, German transports can land troops in London that are stationed as far back as Poland. If airbases are present, fighters/tactical-bombers can attack London from Western Europe or Norway. For the UK player, it is always better to overestimate the potential of Operation Sea Lion, rather than underestimate it. You could lose your capital if you do.

At the end of their second turn, the Germans take the UK at the cost of half the Luftwaffe. But the additional IPC's from raiding the capitol brings Germany 99 IPC's on turn 3, more than enough to make up for the planes lost (5 tactical-bombers were lost at 55 IPC's)

Situational Awareness: Operation Sea Lion - The US made a blunder and left their unloaded transports off the eastern seaboard. While neutral, the US players should always keep loaded transports (carriers and cruisers help too) off the coast of Greenland so they can immediately attack Scotland in case Operation Sea Lion is successful (if the Germans take London, the US is automatically allowed to declare war, so being in Greenland is absolutely necessary).

GAME 2 CONCLUSIONS

At the end of Germany's turn, the Allies conceded. The Germans would have been able to reinforce London before the Americans could even arrive, so the chance of a successful counter-attack was low. After playing this game, we realized that the UK needs to build infantry in London in case Sea Lion occurs, and the US needs to keep a naval-group (including loaded transports/carriers) off Greenland during neutrality. If the Allies perform these two actions in the European theater, then they can immediately occupy Scotland in the same turn. Germany's extra IPC's from raiding London don't mean they've automatically won the game. But if the US cannot counter-attack in the same turn, then the Axis can capture Russia's Victory-Cities without worrying about maintaining an expensive western front.