* ' The Viking Hammer ' * ... (VH) - (The V-H)

or, the English-German Alliance (E/G), an anti-french gambit.


- Introduction

I was reading strategy articles and found the Sealion opening,
where France & Germany gang up quickly on England, and thought
out that the same could be easily done to France in almost as
little time at all and, best of all(also), no other powers are
really able to have anything they can say about it tacticaly.
It's a rather straight-forward attack plan to follow through,
that guarantees a fair number of builds, and a rather good
position for both players, no matter what happens...


-> The Opening Moves <- (Spring '01)

* England: (Churchill Opening)
+ Army Liverpool to yorkshire, that convoys to Belgium
+ Fleet London to North Sea, then convoys to Belgium
+ Fleet Edinburg to norwegian sea, then hits Norway.

OR England: (Standard Opening, Wales variant)
+ Army Liverpool to wales, that convoys to Belgium
+ Fleet London to English Channel, then convoys to Belgium
+ Fleet Edinburgh to Norwegian Sea, then moves to Norway.

* Germany: (Blitzkrieg, pro-english)
+ Fleet Kiel to Denmark, then Sweden
+ Army Berlin to Kiel, then Holland
+ Army Munich to Ruhr, then Ruhr(s)Yorkshire(c)Belgium!

OR Germany: (Burgundy Opening, anti-russian)
+ Fleet Kiel to Denmark, then Sweden
+ Army Berlin to Kiel, then Holland
+ Army Munich to Burgundy, then if bounced: mun-bur, else...


- The Proposal and Borders:

* Basic idea is to secure Scandanavia and conquer then France. *
* A two-against-one opening with easy long-term possibilities. *
* Committing a seven unit campaign against the French in 1902. *
* The V-H reaches up to eight Supply Centers by the Fall 1904. *

-- Land Share Line(s) --

* England-> 12 (3+9)
:< Norway, st-petersburg, moscow, belgium, >
:< Brest, Portugal, Spain, tunis, naples...>
(Often english gains Moscow, so entry into Turkey is facilitated.)

* Germany-> 12 (3+9)
:< Holland, denmark, sweden, Paris, Marseilles, >
:< warsaw, vienna, venice, tri...>
(Everything around Switzerland, effectively controling center of map.)

Note: From that, there are 10 Supply Centers left to share,
depending on people's campaigns, positions, and strategies...


- Advantages of the English-German alliance:

> It effectively blocks the French from any third build. (Max.5)
> They can easily co-exist; one has fleets, the other armies.
> Gaining control of both N-E & S-W corners, they are hard to beat.
> Both countries then march South during the mid-game.
> They can easily carve up Europe, and go for a 2-way...

> England gets quicker access into and about the mediterranean.
> England gains a foothold in the north, with a chance at StP.
> England has potentially more SC's that are easier to gain.

> Germany ensures itself some builds during the first few years.
> Germany can enjoys a 'friendly corner' on the board.
> Germany gains are stance to gain a sure foothold in the balkans.


- Drawbacks of the Viking Hammer:

< The ambitious plans of the V-H are rather in plain sight
. to all the other five players quite early on.

< England might fear an growing italy that blocks him,
. but this usually just doesn't always happen.

< Germany remains with a 'weaker back' compared to his friend,
. he has three potential enemies there! He's being courageous.


- Diplomacy and Strategy in 1901

The V-H needs some discussion with the other Powers,
it's primary target is France, and secondth is Russia.
The Viking Hammer has other four Powers to deal with,
but they are quite far! Italy, Austria, Turkey and
Russia are mostly deeply embroiled in the very
considerations and tangles of their own region.


-> Review of all opposing Great Powers <-


* FRANCE * ('Main Objective')

= England ask for a mutual non-agression agreement
in the English Channel which is often accepted.
= Germany can say anything, so that the french
do not decide to try for munich in the fall.

The actual taking of France is not always easy, nor
is it really quick, but with the german forces pushing
in with three or four units, and the english with their
at least two fleets, plus an army already present on
the mainland, Paris and Brest don't stand a chance.
Then, there remains the three last iberean centers
to smoothly 'clean up'...


* Russia * ('The Corner to Get', or 'Secondth Target')

= Germany asks for a neutral zone around silesia.
= England tries to taunt russian into going for Norway.

As they bottleneck Russia on their mutual north, and
the only other possible neighbour that could have a say
somehow in what happens about France is Italy, and
usually only it's pressure upon Marseilles. Having
blocked Russia in Norway and Sweden, and that luckily
the Russian split his forces in 2, thus he'll gain
nothing from the north, which stays white as snow, and
probably only 1 unit from his south border. He can
doubtfully get two and that he could build if the unit
still in a bounced StP! Why would the english prefer
getting only on build on the first year? That is the
beauty of this tactical alliance, it can afford to
split the scandanavian north in two, leaving it
uncontested - and taken in it's due time.


* Italy * ('The Unwilling Cork')

= England talks about how he'd like to get Norway, etc...
= Germany asks for a neutral zone around tyrolia, and
ask italians to .

This southern fleet power often agrees off-handedly to simple
friendship offerings from both allies of the northenly V-H duo.
The Vikings ask the italians to move into Piemont, that's all,
just so the french are boxed in between them and Switzerland!
Or, to convince Italy that going for Austria is a good idea,
thus locking up it's units in an easterly direction. Even so,
Italy is the english players next target, and once he's popped
the balkans and turkey open up like a pried oyster.


* Austria-Hungary * ('Our Best Hope')

(Diplo:)
= England could give friendly suggestions.
= Germany basically asks for good relations.

It's in the middle of every body and is one of the
statistically weakest countries, it relies on fine
diploming to have a good game. If Austria gets the
upper hand, the italians, this shall make for
a much easier for the V-H to gain access into the
mediterranean sea.


* Turkey * ('The Ally in the Backpocket')

(Diplo:)
= England makes sure that Turkey believes that the
english weren't friendly to him.
= Germany asks for turk attack on russia, or
at least insures he gets only one build in the Fall.

Here is the *secret* weapon. One does not want him too
big and succesful since he is all the way across the
board and unreacheble until years have past... But if
turkey is prominent, he becomes the mutual enemy. So,
with the appropriate diplomacy from both V-H players
that should convince the turk to either block, weaken
or even erase Russia. The other option for the turk
is to go for after austria.


- Moves for 1902 and 1903 (The Invasion of France)

The french usually builds a fleet in Brest, bid deal!
Getting Paris quickly is the best bet, the rest
of the important provinces become peripheralized
and simpler to just pick off, one by one...

-> 1902 *Northern France Falls* <--> (Scandanavia is taken)

+ England -> Belgium to picardy, secure the english channel
& mid-atlantic ocean, making sure he never goes further...

+ Germany -> Get into burgundy supported by ruhr
The fleet in holland can go to the North Sea and offer support!
or, fleet in holland can hold, or go to kiel & then the Baltic!

-> 1903-04 *French No-More* <--> (Now maybe St-Petersburg)

+ England -> Brest is taken by now, and the Iberian peninsula
shall be soon all his. Then he moves into Western Mediterranean,
and might also push an army towards Moscow.

+ Germany -> Marseilles is taken or soon is, depending on Italy.
And he gathers his forces in balkans, russia is probably gone.


- Mid-game directions & suggestions

By now, what happened, yes in the past tense, in South, around
the Balkans determines respective lines of approach to the V-H
expansion. If they follow and support each other along their
mutual borders, and by good diplomacy, the other Great Powers
won't be able to put up fast enough any appropriate defenses,
nor reach any possible stalemate line to thwart the incoming
Viking Hammer...


- The aftermath ;-)

-> Can these two countries work well hand-in-hand for
a very long time?... Indeed they can, and even splendidly!
And, that is up to them to decide!...