Favourite purchases in 1939

[Les the Sarge 9-1b]

Ok I have no expertise here, frankly this is me asking the pros.

Assuming you are playing your best game (and I will just have to learn what that is hehe), what and where and how much do you spend on during the key 1939 portion of the campaign game.

I am of course interested in the Axis view as well as the Allied view.

As a successful game is often decided on long range plans, I am interested in the best purchase notions.

We can assume that the Axis takes out Poland in the usual efficient manner. And probably will hit the low countries.

[santabear]

I enjoy playing Axis vs. the computer in various historical and non-historical variations.

In almost every case, the Axis does well by investing in research (industrial) as soon as possible--followed closely by jet aircraft research.

There is more than enough combat power to take Poland, France (including Vichy) and Spain (including Gibraltar). By the time you've accomplished this, there should be some return in terms of productivity and air strength.

After that, you can use your air to keep the Western Allies at bay and your ground forces in the East. I haven't found that it pays for the Germans to cross water to attack Norway or Sweden. But get some MPP for Italy, and the Italian fleet can rule the Med--in conjunction with a German/Axis minor invasion of the Balkans and Turkey, the Italians can take Suez. That kills the Brits' MPPs.

The few times I've played Allies, I've had to use most of the MPPs to hang on in France a bit; but again I invested in industrial/jet aircraft research for Britain. You've got to control the air over the English channel, and those two items seem to be crucial in that respect.