Yugoslavia

[MarkWayneClark]

Any tips on how and when to handle? I don't want to delay Barbarossa. In fact, I like to launch early if possible. But I don't want to leave a hostile Yugo in my rear.

There don't seem to be any threads devoted to this.

Thanks.

[MarkWayneClark]

Basically what I am asking is: if you play the Barbarossa campaign that comes with the game, Yugoslavia is already done. But how do you get it done in time if you are playing the 1939 scenario?

[Robert24]

[left]Hi Mark,

I think I understand.

I know others will have strategies, this is just mine.

The Allied player will have to make a decision in the “Support A Pro-Allied Coup In Yugoslavia?” (# 104) DE. So, when the Allied player makes their decision I’ll attack Yugoslavia unless the Allied player has selected NO, in that case Yugoslavia will join the Axis.

The Allied AI will always select YES to DE-104, so in this case Yugoslavia becomes Allied and I’ll attack.

To be prepared for the Allied decision I place three Axis land units of good quality and a German HQ in the Balkans just east of Belgrade. When/if I attack Yugoslavia I will have an easy time capturing the Yugoslavian capital and making them surrender.

The next turn, whether Yugoslavia joins or surrenders to the Axis, I redeploy/move the Axis forces near Belgrade into Romania for Barbarossa.

I hope this helps.

Robert
[/left]

[MarkWayneClark]

OK. What I have been doin is waiting until Greece is done and then pivoting north. I also use the Hungarians to come south from the North.

Yugo tends not to surrender when Belgrade is captured. Any way to up the likelihood of that?

[Taxman66]

Kill units, take towns/cities.

[OxfordGuy3]

In my current Axis game I attacked Yugoslavia over Autumn/Winter 1940 (after Hungary entered), didn't take that long and the Yugos don't get the HQ. I suppose it does show you hand a bit, as makes a late Sea Lion appear less likely.

[Robert24]

There are surrender checks that the AI performs based on what I believe are units still on the map and cities not captured. I do try to destroy as many units as possible and occupy as many cities as possible. The Italian and Axis minor units help with this.

I would take out Yugoslavia before Greece. Yugoslavia is easier to make surrender. I would avoid a war in Greece.

[Leadwieght]

Invading Yugo in Fall 1940 from Hungary can work; but to finish the job quickly in the one or two turns of clear weather you are likely to have, you'll probably have to spend some MPPs to Operate a German HQ (possibly) and 2-3 good German units (definitely) up to the Yugo border.

I've seen players try to attack Yugo in summer 1940, just after France has fallen. This is a mistake, IMO, as you have to launch your attack from Austria and the Trieste area, giving the Yugos time to fall back to Belgrade and hold out, and also giving the Brits time to land a few units on the Adriatic coast. In the end, the Axis player generally gets more bogged down than he would have if he's waited until Hungary had joined. I suspect that attacking Yugo in summer 1940 is a strategy that works against the AI (which is not very adventurous), but will fail against a competent human player.

Not sure attacking Greece is worth the candle; the main reasons to do it are 1. to avoid an Italian morale hit (and get a boost), 2. to get some cheapish Italian units; and 3. to preempt Greece form joining the Allies later through Allied diplo action and opening a Southern front. But the last issue can be dealt with by spending a few diplo chits and driving Greece's pro-Allied leaning down to put off or perhaps totally prevent Greece from joining the Allies. As with Yugo, if you're going to attack Greece, it's better from a grand-strategic perspective to commit enough assets to finish the job QUICKLY.

[ILCK]

Yugo never holds out once Belgrade falls for me. I send a couple of corps that are intended for Western Front duty down -- nothing i intend to use for Barbarossa , use the air units to pound the corp in the capital and then basically walk in. I had then get the air units east before Barbarossa ever starts. I usually avoid the issue of Greece as the effort isn't worth the reward.