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paulhager -> Pre-patch tactic to deal with Spain (1/5/2007 6:57:20 PM)
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As others have discussed, under the current patch, Spain always joins the Axis, which has the effect of severly compromising the WA's ability to conduct operations in the Med.
Given the above, in a game against the AI (normal, FOW, all advance supply rules), I decided to attack Spain. This involved taking out Portugal with the UK on the F39 turn, and using the UK + France to take out Spain on the W40 turn. France is always going to fall on the Sp40 turn no matter what so weakening the defenses had no effect. Moreover, there is no way for the Germans to effectively exploit into Spain on the Sp40 turn.
What I expected to happen was that the German AI would repair the rail in WFrance, pour in reinforcements and take Spain in the S40 turn - there's clearly no way the UK can hold it. I figured I'd be no worse off and, without those additional Spanish forces plus the light fleet, actually considerably better off.
Surprisingly, the German AI gave me a turn's grace so I bombed WFrance rail and began to slowly reinforce and repair the Spanish infrastructure. And the AI left me alone! Clearly the AI is scripted to prepare for the attack on the Soviets, and will attack in the Med if it can, but it the possibility of attacking an Allied Spain is something it doesn't consider. This is pretty strange behavior because I'm pretty sure that in a previous game I did the equivalent of the Normandy Invasion into Spain sometime in '43 and the AI counterattacked rather smartly.
The end result of the Game was that the AI never molested my growing Spanish bridgehead and attacked the Soviets on schedule. I was able to put so much pressure on the German position in France that the AI made only minimal progress against the Soviets. Eventually, I was able to attack out of Spain and take both WFrance and SFrance. The me and the Soviet AI, Germany capitulated in F43!
This suggests that before the new patch is released, some attention should be given to this tactic by the WA player. I'd prefer to see the AI react agressively rather than prevent the French from attacking.
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