Ralph Boerke's Tribute to Axis & Allies
Maxims VII through XI deal with Tactics
Maxim VII - Land Forces
Maxim VIII - Air and Land
Maxim IX- Sea
Maxim X - Air and Sea
Maxim XI - Amphibious Assaults
Maxims XII through XVI deal with Nation/Allies
Specific Tactics
Maxim XII - The USSR
Maxim XIII - Germany
Maxim XIV - The UK
Maxim XV - Japan
Maxim XVI - The USA
Maxim XVII - The Axis
Maxim XVIII - The Allies
The
Arts of War A collection of 'Arts' by Artists
- Sun Tzu, Napoleon, Von Clausewitz, Ceasar, Alexander,....
Strategy[Top]
Strategy is the overall direction that all of the attacks go and the goals of those attacks. Strategy is not saying "I will defeat the enemy." It is saying "I will defeat the enemy by following a method that has these merits and these possibilities."
Maxim I Primary Strategy [Top]
Answer these questions: Which enemy is your greatest foe? Which enemy should be attacked and defeated first?
Stick with this strategy. The greatest mistake a player can make is to shift his attacks to another front when continued application of force on the weaker enemy is required to finish him off. Remember once an Axis force is out the other Axis force will be hardpressed to rescue him. With the elimination of an Allied capitol the Axis will be in a position to coalesce their frontiers and build new forces to achieve final victory.
Switching Strategies. This is allowed but do so only after careful consideration of the history of the game up to the point of changing the strategy. Again ask the above questions and also: Will changing my strategic goals at this point ensure victory?
Secondary Strategies. The decision to attack one enemy does not limit the battles or conquests to just that goal. Feints, false attacks, surprise movements are totally valid with the method of choosing a primary strategy. The secondary strategy may provide opportunites for strategic or financial gain.
Each of the powers has a few Strategies which it can follow. The USSR must decide if it wants to defend more vigorously in the east or the west. Germany must decide if it wants to annex Africa before or after dealing with the USSR. The UK must decide how long it wants to wait before assaulting Germany, if it should support Africa or build a Factory in Asia or Africa or Australia. Japan must decide if it wants to gain the seas before it advances to Asia or to Africa or to America. The USA must decide if it will concentrate on Germany or Japan and if it will support Africa and how much it will support its allies, by air units or by land units.
If Germany decides to attack Africa before the USSR it should plan to control the Mediterranean and buy appropriately. It must also hold off the USSR in the east and UK and USA involvement in Scandinavia or Western Europe or their support of Africa. The German player can not disperse his Italian Battleship and Transport and leave any new naval units unprotected. After landing new forces in Libya and taking Egypt and other African territories he can not concentrate solely on the USSR (Karelia, Caucasus), or the UK (Atlantic Fleet) and forget his African holdings or neglect his fleet. Doing so will undermine his gains and unless his switch in strategy is calculated he may lose Africa without gaining the USSR.
A secondary strategy might be to take Brazil with the Mediterranean fleet thus preventing an avenue for Allied relief attacks on Africa. Another secondary strategy would be to harass the USSR in eastern Europe. And occasionally picking off any Allied vessels with airpower.
Many times have I been overzealous in my application of strategy and overlooked an opportunity to use a weapon/unit in a better manner or even to walk into an empty territory. Move from West to East and revue each territory or sea zone that you or your allies own and each unit on those territories. This way you will not overlook a unit that you wanted to move (such as a Transport in the south Indian Ocean). This should be performed once a turn and applied to both Combat Movement and Non-Combat Movement. By revueing you ally's units you also apply Maxim IV.
Keep a pad of paper and a pen at hand when the enemy is doing his turn to not forget a good idea.
Many times have I started out on a secondary strategy and forgot to advance the units needed in this endeavour. I like to take Brazil through the backdoor. This involves using a Japanese Transport to invade New Zealand and then traverse through the Chile Sea Zone and drop 2 Infantry into Chile-Argentina (3 IPC cost) and thus walk into Brazil. I have watched my Transport sit in New Zealand unmoved for a turn, a few times in one game, while the USA player starts his move.
There are many times that a Bomber has sat there without moving when it could have hit an enemy IC.
There were many times I have seen a lone UK infantry in Algeria not walk into Libya; there were no Axis forces there but not seeing an enemy there did not alert him to the opportunity and other battles were in the forefront of the UK player's mind.
It is easy to say you know what the enemy is up to. You see him building fleets and forces and know that he will continue to funnel men into a beachhead. Such as the UK fortification of Karelia. You then see a small US Transport fleet assemble and suspect they will land in Scandinavia or Karelia as well. You overlook the actual plan of attacking Western Europe and instead of moving an extra 2 Infantry to Eastern Europe you should have moved them to Western Europe and thus save your 6 IPC territory.
Allied Alliance. The USA can attack Japan while the UK and USSR attack Germany. However this splitting of forces should not be written in stone as this situation allows for Japan to grow quickly and harass the USSR rear. Similary the USSR can not ignore one Axis and devote all of its attention on the other as it does fight a two front war. The UK is geographically restricted to fighting Germany unless it builds a factory in India or Australia or even Africa. Unless a concerted effort is followed and adhered to the Allies will not finish off an Axis power.
Observe your ally's units (Maxim II) during your turn to develop a combined strategy. Quite often the combined 'one two punch' of Germany and Japan against the USSR will ensure the capture of the Russia territory. Similarly the double attack of the UK and the USA on a German territory allows for the capture and fortfication of a strategic point, such as, Western Europe.
Germany can advance on the Eastern Front to take both Karelia and the Caucasus. If the USSR is not hampered in its rear it will still have the wealth to purchase 6 or more Infantry each turn and build its defense. The UK can also hamper the Germans by attacking Karelia and weakening the German forces there. If the Japanese were assembled in NovoSibirsk with a strong contingent of Infantry and Armour then the USSR will be doomed by the initial German assault which will soften up the defenders and then the final Japanese blow against any remaining Armour and Fighters.
Controlling the seas does not finance its control, it only allows free movement across an ocean. If you lose territory while gaining the oceans you will control no wealth.
Wealth is the key to victory as you can purchase more new units with which you advance your strategy.
I have seen many games where the USA has built a large attack fleet in the Pacific and eventually won a victory over the Japanese fleet, this buildup and battle usually took at least four turns and sometimes never even happened. During this time the Japanese have taken most of Asia including Soviet Asia. Only when the fleets clashed and the US emerged victorious with a few Capitol ships (i.e. a Battleship or Carrier or both) was it able to purchase new Transports and begin delivering men from Alaska to Soviet Far East, but again this supply line took a few more turns.
From an economic viewpoint this strategy cost the US more than it did Japan. Japan started out with an extra Battleship and the US needed to purchase another Carrier to even the fleet strengths. The US had to invest in attack ships (Subs) while Japan could buy Transports which also ferried Infantry from the Japanese IC to the mainland. Japan could maintain an effective defensive force by purchasing three ships to every four the US did. The US did not make any IPC gains until it won its fleet battle and began to land men in Asia and only then could it gain any territory (other than perhaps some small islands). The only effects on Japan were the IPCs spent on naval instead of land or air forces.
If the Japan player played effectively he could have quickly captured all of Asia and with this money been on an even level with the US and even outbought it in Naval capacity on the occasional turn. Also the large fleet battle is the most unpredictable and the most costly and sometimes a smaller force can defeat the larger especially if the Subs all miss!
Sometimes you must lose a greater amount of IPCs in units during a battle to remove an enemy's tactical advantage. This does gain IPCs in the long run.
Sometimes a hit and run attack will remove more IPCs worth of enemy units than your losses without gaining any territory or even strategic position. This can also enable you to save a unit which is separated from the main concentrations.
The USSR in entrenched in Karelia with 2 Fighters, 2 Armour and 12 Infantry. Germany has 10 Infantry in East Europe and 4 Infantry in the Ukraine. Germany also has 8 Armour within range of Karleia.
An all out attack on Karelia will result in 6 hits for the USSR and 8 hits for Germany on the first round. Leaving 4 Infantry, 2 Armour, and 2 Fighters defending and 8 Infantry and 8 Armour attacking.
A second round would result in 3.3 hits for the USSR and 5.7 hits for Germany. Leaving 2 Armour and 2 Fighters for the USSR and 5 Infantry and 8 Armour for Germany. Germany should win with most or all of its Armour. However the Armour will be unprotected against any enemy attack.
If Germany would have attacked without the 4 Ukrain Infantry and retreated after the first round it would have inflicted similar damage and even losing 6 Infantry to the enemy's 8 Infantry is a 6 IPC advantage. Retreating to East Europe allows Germany to reinforce its now concentrated Armour with fresh Infantry and Fighters for defense.
Another example I like to use is to save my Norwegian units. By attacking with Eastern Europe the Norwegian units can all retreat to Eastern Europe after the first round. The tally sheet of losses might mean that Germany lost economically in the battle (loses 4 Infantry to the USSR's 3) but it gained possession of its Armour unit whihc can be used in later attacks.
Maxims VII through XI deal with Tactics[Top]
Tactics are the way units are used and positioned in relation to attack and defense of strategic positions.
Maxim VII - Tactics on Land [Top]
When attacking protect your Armour from being captured or lost. Armour is the modern cavalry and gives mobility on the battlefield. Use Infantry as fodder when attacking.
Do not pursue an attack when the odds or outcome will lose a tactical advantage in Armour.
Try to have one Infantry for each Armour when attacking an enemy of equal strength. The smallest example is the German-UK fight for Egypt. One Amour and one Infantry on each side. This battle is equal. When the numbers of units increase, the initial losses for the attacker are in Infantry thus increasing the ratio of higher hitting Armour for subsequent rounds.
Try to have two Infantry for each Armour when you outnumber the enemy. If the enemy does inflict heavy damage it will be taken by the Infantry. But with enough Infantry left over the Armour will be protected when it goes on the defensive for the future counter attacks.
Fighters are the best defense when they are accompanied by masses of Infantry. The defensive power of a Fighter is best applied when the battles take many rounds allowing for the Fighters to roll many times.
The hit and run attacks of Armour massed with Infantry only work if the enemy has Infantry and Armour defending with only a few Fighters. Landing a few more Fighters will increase the losses for the attacker to a greater number than the defender suffers.
When attacking an enemy fleet do not bring loaded Transports into the battle, empty Transports are used as fodder. Retreating is not an option unless you can retreat into a supporting force of naval units as the defender will get the next attack.
When defending in a fleet engagement decide upon the start of the battle whether you will win the battle or not based on odds. If the odds are against you decide whether you should retreat your submarines in order to finish off the enemy's victorious fleet combined with any airforces you have.
The US fleet moves to Wake Island with 6 Subs, 4 Transports (Infantry land on Wake), 1 Battleship, 2 Carriers, and 4 Fighters. Japan has 4 Subs, 4 Transports, 2 Battleships, 1 Carrier, 2 Fighters, and three Fighters and 1 Bomber on Japan.
Japan decides to attack as it has an advantage in airpower. On the first round Japan should get 6 hits (1 a Sub hit) and the USA should get 6.3 hits. In this case neither force should withdraw its subs.
If however Japan did not attack and the US did. On the first round the US should get 5 hits (2 from Subs) and Japan should get 4.7 hits. In this case Japan could withdraw its 4 Subs to say the Philippines Sea Zone. The subsequent rounds have the US winning the battle with 2 Subs, a Battleship, 2 Carriers and 4 Fighters. Japan can then attack it on the next turn with 4 Subs, 3 Fighters and 1 Bomber.
An example of impotence occurs when a US Fleet quickly in the game moves south and captures the Solomons. The Fleet is small with 1 Transport, 1 Sub, 1 Carrier, 2 Fighters, and 1 Battleship. It then attacks Sumatra. It now has 1 or 2 Infantry and no real place to go. Any attacks on the islands or on the mainland will deminish the land forces. The Japanese fleet is meanwhile building beside the capitol. US reinforcements and supplies must take the long way to Australia to resupply the fleet with any new land forces and the empty Transports are only good for fodder.
If you have no fleet and an enemy fleet comes near your shores you must decide if your airforces can defeat the enemy fleet and what cost this entails. An enemy naval fleet can be replaced more easily than an airfleet! Naval units cost 8 IPCs compared with Fighters which cost 12 IPCs. With 50 IPCs (two turns worth of income) a fleet with 4 Transports&Subs and 1 Carrier can be purchased while only 3 or 4 Fighters&Bombers can be purchased. Usually the land based power can not afford this investment as it would undermine his landforces on other fronts. Also the sea power can have enemy Fighters land on his Carrier thereby ensuring a win in a future air-sea battle.
If you have a fleet and airforces (land and sea based) then create an attack fleet, i.e. employing Submarines and wait for the enemy to come within reach.
Germany has a choice to attack the scattered UK Atlantic and Mediterranean fleets. Most of this attack would come from the air. By employing enough force to some selected battles elements of the UK fleet, it will be destroyed with the loss of only a few German naval units. The UK must rebuild its fleet. Germany can not really build a fleet in the Baltic as UK and USSR airpower will destroy any new units. When the new UK fleet is built only German airpower will be there to destroy it. Failing to do so will allow the movement of UK, and possibly US, land forces into the USSR via Scandinavia and Karelia and possibly the invasion of Western Europe or North Africa.
Germany can build a fleet in the Mediterranean but this is costly and does not prove a deterent to a UK fleet building program.
Japan has two Battleships at the start of the game. The Japanese coalesce its fleet in the Japan Sea Zone. Say the UK decides to move his Infantry from Western Canada to Alaska so as to support the USA's lone Infantry.
Japan now has the opportunity of destroying the defenders and even gaining a territory. By sending the 2 Battleships and 1 Transport with 1 Infantry the amphibious assault will most likely finish off the two defenders and they may both miss the landing Infantry. If 2 Infantry were landed the possible hit from a defender may be absorbed by one Infantry and the territory will stil lbe gained. However if one battleship misses the defender will outgun the landing Infantry and the enemy will gain an economic win by destroying two Infantry to the loss of only one!
Same situation but the USA player moves two more Infantry to Alaska to make it total four Infantry. Now Japan can attack with 1 Infantry two or three times and wear down the defenders. This will reduce the 4 Infantry to none with the loss of perhaps 1 or 2 attacking Infantry.
Both of these examples assume the fleet of 2 Battleships and 1 Transport are out of range of enemy air and sea forces. If they are under pressure from retaliation they must be supported by other units i.e. a Carrier, more Transports.
The following maxims are applications of the above to the individual nations.
Maxim XII - The USSR [Top]
Land: As the USSR is surrounded by the Axis it must be prepared to be defensive with limited offensives. As such it should just build Infantry at the begining and perhaps Armour later when offensives require it.
Land and Air: The USSR should not build Bombers. It can purchase a Fighter if needed but a better strategy would be to have Allied Airforces land in Russia for defense. Bombers on Russia are within range of German ICs and any mainland Japanese Factories. The USSR should have one or two Fighters to help in minor land attacks to support small scale Infantry combat and thus save Armour for larger offensives.
Sea: The USSR should not build a fleet. Its Karelia IC can build ships but the only enemy in the Atlantic is Germany which is more easily accessible by land. On the Pacific coast a new Factory is required. The costs involved prohibit this line of strategy.
Sea and Air: The USSR could land its Fighters on a UK Carrier if needed, however this should be temporary.
Land: Germany should invest in Infantry and Armour on an almost equal basis. As the distribution of forces develops on the Western (Atlantic threats) and Eastern Fronts Germany may need to purchase more Infantry to defend its perimeter.
Land and Air: Fighters are needed to defend the large buildup of forces in eastern Europe. They are also required to defend Western Europe from sea invasion.
Sea: Germany has a small force divided between Baltic, Atlantic and Mediterranean. The enemy forces and potential does not allow for a build up and control of the seas initially. Germany can however weaken the Allied fleets initially and build a force in the Mediterranean. The allocation of IPCs to this endeavour must be weighed against the needs of the land war. Germany has the opportunity to escape into the Indian ocean but this move removes any threat to any Allied Fleets and allows them free reign to Africa and Western Europe and even Southern Europe.
Sea and Air: To weaken the Allied fleets Germany must use its combined sea and air resources to destroy the (combined USSR-) UK fleet. Germany must pick its targets carefully to ensure that it does not waste (lose) its air power. Remaining airpower must be used to threaten and then enforce the elimiation of any new UK or USA fleets, however this is sometimes not viable as the Allied fleets are too large.
Amphibious Assaults: The Mediterranean Battleship and Transport allow for AA on the Caucasus, Ukraine, Syria, and Egypt.
Land: The UK is an island and must put its forces on the continents of Europe, Africa or Asia. The easiest way to do this is by having a fleet with many transports in the home waters and land men directly into Scandinavia, Western Europe, Algeria or Karelia. Building a Factory in India, Egypt, or South Africa allows the UK to have a direct link with Moscow and as such can support the USSR just as the USSR must support the UK's Factory.
Land and Air: The UK must develop airpower to ensure that no Baltic fleet is developed. It will use this airpower when landing forces on the continents. Fighters can be tranferred to Carriers to ensure the safety of any new fleet. Bombers should be transferred to Moscow to allow them to be used against German as well as Japanese mainland Factories.
Sea: Here the UK proves its worth to the Allies. The UK must build upon any remnants of the its fleet or build a new one. Saving IPCs from a few turns will ensure a large fleet safe from any German airpower. Once this fleet is built the USA can use it as protection for its own Transports.
Sea and Air: Generally the UK will build some airforces first and then build a new fleet. With large air forces it can support any landings and any naval encounters.
Amphibious Assaults: AA will be attempted eventually on Western, Eastern or Southern Europe. It may aslo be used to attack Germany itself!
Land: Japan must build Factories on Manchuria, Kwangtung, French Indochina-Burma and/or India. This will allow the building of Infantry and Armour. before these factories are built Japan must use Transports to supply the mainland with Infantry.
Land and Air: Japan has Fighters and Bombers and will use these for both land and sea operations. Until Armour can be built in quantity on the mainland all Infantry movements need to be supported by airpower.
Sea: Japan has a large fleet but should not use it to destroy the US fleet. By attacking Hawaii the survivors of the Japanese Fleet will be destroyed by the US fleet and US airpower. Japan needs a fleet to protect its Transports as that is the only way to ensure delivery of Infantry to the mainland. The Japanese fleet will then threaten any US fleet movements to Alaska or the Philippines/Sumatra (by way of the Solomons/Australia).
Sea and Air: By drawing the US fleet towards Japan it will come within range of Japanese airpower. The airpower will also be used to further land objectives. Japan should invest in more Fighters if it can allocate IPCs away from other pursuits.
Amphibious Assaults: The two Battleships of Japan can be used to inflict minor tactical hits against US and UK forces. A third Battleship would not be as useful as two Submarines and one Transport, the equivalent cost.
Land: The USA must use its UK ally and possibly its USSR ally to land forces in Europe safely. By using the UK fleet or combined fleet it will safeguard its forces once they land. In the Pacific it must land men on the islands or directly on the mainland. Once there these forces must be reinforced by new landings or combing with allied forces.
Land and Air: Airpower will be based on Carriers or on allied territory.
Sea: The fleet that the USA possesses is smaller than the Japanese fleet but larger than the surviving German fleet. This fleet must be built upon with Transports no matter which ocean it is active in.
Sea and Air: Fighters and Carriers are the key to going against the Japanese fleet. The US must purchase a second Carrier to counteract the effect of the two Japanese Battleships.
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