Allied Opening Strategies

[Edwin P.]

Here is a list of the opening game Allied strategies that I have come across. I will update it with more detail as time permits and place a link to this thread in the FAQ thread.

Opening Game Allied AI Strategies

Strategy MED1: Control the Mediterranean

Summary: Controlling the Mediterranean gives the Allied powers several strategic options while denying the Axis access to important resources such as the Iqaqi oil fields. This is often effect by consolidating the UK and Free French Fleets in the area around Malta. In sum the Allies will often mobilize 11 Fleets to sink the 5 fleets of the Italian Navy.

Of course the Axis has the potential to decimate the Allied Navies at the cost of delaying the conquest of France by operating all available air units to Italy. (usually 4 or 5 fleets)

Futhermore, when Germany takes Paris the supporting French fleets will disappear. This reduce the strength of the allied fleet by 30%.

Strategy MED2: Defend the Eastern Mediterranean

Summary: The Allies aim to prevent an Axis conquest of Iraq with limited naval forces by withdrawing to the Eastern Mediterranean.

Varient 2.1 The UK Battleship at Gibraltar and the nearby French fleet sail east to Egypt to reinforce the British Fleet at Cairo. The UK fleets moves to the west to remain out of spotting range of any approaching Italian fleets. The UK operates its bomber to the east of Cairo to spot any enemy naval units that approach. This strategy gives the Allies a fleet of 4 to 5 ships supported by a bomber when Italy enters the war

Variant 2.2 The UK sends an extra two cruisers from the Atlantic through the strait to reinforce the UK fleet n the Eastern Mediterranean. This force of 6 naval units supported by a bomber.

Strategy MED3: Abandon the Mediterranean

Variant 3.1 The UK battle fleet in Egypt sails west to the Atlantic Ocean. After Italy enters the war the French corps at Beirut moves south to guard the Suez Canal.

Variant 3.2 As 3.1 but here the French corps in Algeria moves to Gibraltar while the UK corps in Gibraltar travels via the Cape of Good Hope to reinforce the Allied troops defending Egypt. This gives the Allies three corps for the defense of Egypt early in the game.

Variant 3.3 as 3.2 but the battleship Warspite or the carrier Ark Royal hide in the Suez Canal behind the protection of the French corps prepared to sally forth and sink any Transports that venture within range.

Strategy MED4: Sicilian Gambit (executes with Med1)

Sicilian Gambit Thread

Strategy MED5: Italian Gambit

Strategy MED6: Tobruk for the Brits

Summary: The Allies land infantry forces to the east and west of Tobruk on the same turn that Italy joins the Axis.This normally takes 4 units to prevent tobruk from being reinforced above 5 if it does not fall on the first turn.

If the Italian navy has been destoryed the Allies normally follow this with an assualt on the remaining Italian city in North Africa.

Strategy MED7: Iraq Gambit

Summary: The allies launch an early conquest of Iraq. The UK disbands its bomber to buy a HQ unit that moves to Egypt. The Canadian army and canadain corps moves to Egypt. The UK and French air units operate to Egypt. The London UK Corps moves to Egypt. The Algerian corps moves to Gibraltar and the Gibraltar corps moves to Egypt. By the time that Italy enters the war the Allies are prepared to march into Iraq and seize Bagdad with 1HQ, 4 Corps, 1 Army and 1 to 3 Air Units.

The risk is that the Axis will blockade the Mediterranean and launch a Sea Lion while the Allied troops are in the Middle East. This risk can be mitigated by using this strategy in conjunction with Strategy FRE3 - To London We Go.

If successful and the Italian navy has been decitmated the allies normally follow the conquest of Iraq with a campaign to conquer Italian Libya.

Strategy FRE1: Defense of France

Variant FRE1.1 As Per Game AI

Variant FRE1.2 Replace Armies in Maginot line with Corps units.

Variant FRE1.3 Disband French Air to purchase HQ or Armor or Army.

Strategy FRE2: Total Defense of France

Variant FRE2.1 France scuttles its Naval and Air fleets to buy a HQ and transports all available units to France for the Defense of the Republic.

Strategy FRE3: To London We Go

Allied player attempts to evacuate maximum number of French units to the UK.

Strategy FRE4: Invade Germany (executes with BAL1)

The Night Radical Defense of France Strategy

Night Radical Defense of France Strategy

Strategy FRE5: Dutch Gambit

Strategy IRE1: Conquest of Ireland

Strategy BAL1: Sink the German Navy (excludes MED1)

Baltic Gambit? Thread

Strategy BAL2: Baltic Run (excludes MED1)

The Allied player aims to destroy the German Fleet and clear a pasage for sending carriers and a few infantry units to the shores of Finland to aid the Russian defense and delay the fall of Sweden.

Strategy NOR1: Norwegian Defense

The allied player positions a corps unit or an army unit off the shores of Bergan awaiting the German attack on Norway. When Norway is attacked the allies land in Bergan.

Varian NOR1.1 - Distraction

Variant NOR1.2 - Major Invasion

Here the Allies respond by landing a HQ unit in Bergan and operating in Allied Air Units and Army units. If the army units supported by a UK HQ can entrench in the surrounding mountains the Germans may be unable to force their removal.

Strategy POL1: Polish Hide & Seek

Strategy SUB1: Find those U-Boats

Strategy WAR1: Allies DOW on Denmark and Belgium

Prior to version 1.07 the Allies would sometimes DOW on Denmark and Belgium to deny Germany access to the plunder. In 1.07 this causes US war readiness to decrease by 30% (ie -30%).

Strategy UK1: UK Defense

The UK uses its initial production capacity to produce corps and amries to defend Great Britain.

Strategy UK2: UK Long Range Air Research

The UK uses conserves its initial production capacity to finance research in Long Range Aircraft which can provide a decisive advantage in any future campaign.

Strategy UK3: Disband the Bomnber

[ May 07, 2003, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Night]

Nicely done