Strategies: Overview

Whatever strategy you employ, there are a number of basic ideas to keep in mind at all times.

Any unit sent somewhere is a unit that is not going somewhere else.

Sending units into an area where they are just going to get clobbered may seem to be a waste of time. However, consider the scenario where Germany is being hammered from three sides, where each of the three Allies are sending their full resources into Europe. Now, Japan begins to send units into the back end of Russia. Even the slightest threat there is something that the Russians cannot ignore. Although there may be only a small threat there now, it takes quite some time for support from Moscow to reach the far eastern Soviet region. If they don't at least begin to do something now, they could be in trouble in a couple of turns. Sending even two units to help reinforce is two units that will not be helping attack Germany.

Winning a battle is not always the objective

Occasionally a number of units will be sent into a battle - not to take the territory, but to merely weaken the defences, take out a particular type of unit (eg. tanks), or even to goad the opposition into returning fire on their next turn and extending themselves before they are really ready.

Once the objective has been achieved, consider a retreat. Perhaps it's a good idea to continue, and take the territory, no matter how tenuous the hold you will have. Perhaps it's a good idea to pull out, and make the opponent reinforce, sending units in your direction instead of somewhere else. You can wait for your own reinforcements, and attack afresh on your next turn. The right decision obviously depends on the situation, my point is that sometimes a timely retreat is a more strategic option.

Beware the Dice Gods, for they are quick to anger...

Things might be going incredibly well, and then all of a sudden a poor dice roll in a battle can leave you in a precarious position. An incredibly lucky roll might see your single infantry fight off three tanks. Don't be afraid to pull out if things are going badly, or pressing on past your original objective

Ships Passing in the Night

More than once has an opponent shipped in infantry via some obscure sea route to a lightly defended territory that was thought well out of attack range, and sent in plenty of air support to take the territory reasonably cheaply. Always be aware of any sea zones adjacent to your territories, and ships in the region.

Nothing Free

A gentle retreat, giving up territory slowly and allowing your opponent to take it with small skirmishes can sometimes make it easier for you to consolidate a much larger defensive force, rather than leave a spread-out force that would be easily beaten anyway. If you are going to give up territory in this way, make sure that at the very least a single infantryman is left in the territory. It stops your opponent from moving in a single unit to claim the land with no effort - if he wants the land, he has to be serious about it. Leaving the land blank might let him take it AND attack you elsewhere, either with an armour blitzkrieg, or with one less infantry than he might otherwise attack with. Make him work for it.

Last Update: 14/8/02