British Build Strategies?

[Aztecace]

What are your building strategies with the British. With their small imcome it seems that any mistake in production could be trouble.

So what do you build and when as the Brits?

[Kuniworth]

Jets and long range is vital. However dont invest to much too early as the catch up effect will make Germany too strong.

But with d-day you gotta have long-range advantage and good jet-levels to gain a foothold in France.

[Curry]

I agree with Kuni, with the same thought. Dont invest too early and get into a tech race with Germany. I like Jets and long range and then to buy another carrier. With four carriers and if you get some jets and long range with some experience they can be very very powerful.

[Terif]

When using a standard strategy:

Long term Kuni and Curry are right, England needs to stay competitive in jets and long range with Germany. As long as Germany is more advanced in these fields it will be difficult and dangerous for England to attack and they have no choice than to attack Germany sooner or later and at that point it is good to have catched up in jets/LR or even be ahead.

(Germany in contrary can also move its air to the east and can choose against who they want to fight in the air, so tech is not really important for them. In fact, normally jets + LR are only vital for England cause they have no alternative than to reach air superiority over France sooner or later. For every other nation it is not decissive if they are behind in tech)

In general :

UK and USA should share the work and not research the same things as the other one (no need to research things twice, except if they have to break enemy air superiority, then it can be useful for USA to also research and buy jets):

- usually England concentrates on air superiority (jets, LR) + eventually naval superiority (GLR, sonar). Never research anti-tank, it only makes its raiders/defenders more expensive and England has no real advantage from it. At the time of invasion its nice to have 5 AFs + HQ.

- USA provides the necessary ground forces (Armies, corps, HQs) and researches mainly Anti-tank

BTW: it is not possible to win a war only with air, except the enemy thinks it too and makes the same mistake - then chances are even again . Air has to support the ground units, finish off damaged units and to clear a beachhead during invasions - but to kill units only with air is very cost ineffective.

Here´s a copy of a part of my strategy thread and the "early war shopping list" for Allies:

It all depends on your strategy and where you see the opportunities and threats (highly dependant on your opponent).

Allies can choose between dozens (or hundreds, depends on the definition ) of strategies and you need different forces/units for each of them. Therefore this is a very complex topic.

But for the "early war" there are some guidelines. First for France:

- make sure you can defend/ delay the conquest of France. Never retreat your forces to Paris (except you open a hex to set a trap, kill an enemy unit and close the gap...) or France will fall much too early without losses for Germany.

- There are two main defence strategies for France:

1st: corps defence = France buys corps for every hex between LC and Paris. Then Germany usually needs until June/July 1940 until Paris falls (1-2 corps killed/turn). Low casualties for both sides, some armies will become free french, sometimes even a Hq. UK can save mpps and invest in all the nice things it needs later in the war, but Germany will also be strong. At the start they only need to send 2-3 corps to prevent early breakthroughs of Germany in France. The rest of the corps will be french ones.

2nd: fighting with a french Hq. There UK has to buy a lot of corps to build the first defence line. The french mpps will be used to reinforce/replace the 5 french armies that will kill any enemy unit that breaks through the british corps (no mpps left for french corps ). If possible UK should buy Montgomery to support the airfleets.

BTW: to buy the french Hq: you can disband the AF + 2 battleships to build it in turn 1 (or wait until turn 2 + AF). Never leave your Med positions or even disband Med corps(=italian readiness increases). Then Italy will only join when Germany reaches the outskirts of Paris.

Guidelines in general:

- when airfleets have to fight, they need support by a Hq. Without a Hq it is very expensive and the enemy doesnt loose much. So buy Montgomery before you send your airfleets in a battle (if you dont fight with your air, Monti can wait ).

- make sure you can defend England against an early Sealion (e.g. placing your fleet near the homeland, buying some corps/holding mpps back in cash...).

- buy some chits in Jets and LR to stay competitive with german air, but dont neglect your Island defence. If the enemy is more advanced, then move your air out of interception range until your tech catches up.

- everything else ("shopping list") totally depends on your strategy: 2nd Hq for Egypt, armies/tanks/corps for Egypt or Spain or Skandinavia or Africa... airfleets + tech... Gun laying radar + anti-sub...carriers...corps for raids at Brest, Brussel, Denmark, Med...and so on...

[ July 24, 2004, 05:33 AM: Message edited by: Terif ]

[Edwin P.]

Many thanks for the summary, it is most useful.

[SeaMonkey]

I won't refute anything "The Master" has said but will add that as UK if you can get an early Jet tech level(one chit investment)before France attack you can intercept Luftwaffe without Monty. Monty=470 MPPs.. Jet tech=250 MPPs.. As I've said before, this lucky advance makes the Germans either invest in Jets early or pay MPPs through intercepts delaying the surrender of France. Now think what you as UK can use the extra MPPs for, and later(catch up doesn't always kick in right away)you(UK) will have 3AFs and 3 carriers for raiding (buy one more AF).