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The current easiness for total mobilization is something most future mods will surely address. "The Abyssinian Threat requires us to start strict rationing, starting today":rolleyes:

Otherwise this AAR has just got down to business, let's see how Mussolini plans to turn those few cavalry bridages into a properly motorized branch of the Italian Army.
 
The dangers of Abysinnia ...

Well, never let an opportunity be missed.
 
Lordban: It's completely alien, isn't it? :D Also, do you ever go to sleep? You're online when I go to bed, and you're online when I get up and you're six time zones ahead of me. :eek:o

Cpt Crash: Ahh...hindsight. :p

Karelian: Yeah, it is a bit silly. But useful, for Italy. And that's an idea, Mussolini'll motorized cavalry! Get them to ride on trucks until the battlefield. ;)

stnylan: Opportunities are good to get practical experience, of which Italy has little. :p

PIT_AMERO: Thanks, and welcome! :cool:
 
Also, do you ever go to sleep? You're online when I go to bed, and you're online when I get up and you're six time zones ahead of me. :eek:o

I'm on vacation, and six time zones late in terms of sleep, so we basically rise and go to sleep at the same hour :p
 
Sweeping reforms in Italy. I'm very interested to see how much you can whip the country into shape by '39. And who'd have ever thought that the apathy of the Italian bureaucracy and officer corps would actually benefit Mussolini?:rolleyes:
 
Director writes: "Sounds like you are going to forego a massive buildup in size in favor of fewer, better units. I heartily concur."

This is the traditional Italian strategy, conducted largely because of a limitation of supplies and oil. I have discovered new force levels that meet the same criteria of oil and supplies, but gives Italy much more punching power.

Italy, generally, will fight with the forces available at the begining of the conflict. If you plan on small force structure, that's what you'll have for the remainder of the game.

I recommend Italy forgo motorized and mechanized entirely and instead build five full corps consisting of a General w/1tank+8inf, a Lt.General w/3inf, and a Mj.General w/1inf. For scouting and flanking Italy also needs 8 tank divisions. This will give Italy three full corps to take Alexandria in 1941, with two corps for continency's such as tackling the Suez Canal and later defending Tunisia in 1942-43 when the American's come calling. What was that Stalin said, "Quantity has a quality of its own."

Standard infantry is not sexy, I know, but Italy is a poor country. In later years, from '42-on, Italy will need to build naval bombers and interceptors just to maintain control of the Mediterranean Sea and protect their convoys, otherwise their ambitions for Africa will fail for lack of supply and reinforcements.

Italy's navy is not limited to port for lack of ability, rather due to a lack of oil. Therefore, to defend what it has, Italy must build up it's flack power and AA forces. Italy also excells at building and upgrading interceptors because they are relatively inexpensive and cover all the important areas of the Mediterranean.

Italy's lack of talent requires it to focus its research in select areas. Forget about navy technology or building capitol ships (such as aircraft carriers), when Italy builds ships it's destroyers and submarines because they're cheap and easy to replace. When things get tough, newly built units can be staged at Cantania, and Italy can run its transports between Cantania and Benghazi at night. Be sure to use picket subs or destroyers to make sure the coast is clear beforehand. Italy may also want to build a naval base at Cantania along with flack towers to protect the navy yards.

Italy needs to go the upgrade route by steadily building up professionalism of the armed forces. If you like sexy, build some paratroopers or air cavalry, but that's about the extent of it.

Note:
1) In later years Italy needs motorized artillery to bolster their land forces against American mechanized units.
2) For costal defence use militia with fixed artillery because they are cheap, easy to build, and don't cost much in the way of supplies or oil.
3) Italy's mountain troops are ideal for spearheading invasions and in jungle warfare for the central Africa campaign (if you become that successful).
4) Also, once you break down British resistance in Somalia, South Africa will easily fall to a single Italian Corps.
 
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@Valentian: A lot of those strategies aren't really applicable here (eg., divisions are commanded by Mj. Generals, so he needs to keep around a decent-sized corps of those--together with corps commanders, army commanders, etc., he'll probably need to restrict the size of his army simply to have enough commanders to go around)
 
Valentian, this reads a lot like a strategy for HoI2. OOB suggested is incorrect, for starters, those 9 divisions have to be split into at least two corps. Defending the beaches with MIL/ART in HoI3 could both be manpower-expensive and inefficient. And MIL mean four more techs to update, a strain on Italy's limited Leadership (in comparison with other Majors), though if you use GAR you already have to research those in addition to Infantry armament techs.
 
CCA: I'm certainly going to try to be ambitious in my game. But, at the same time, realistic. ;)

Lordban: that makes sense. It was just a bit disconcerting. Like you're Sauron's unblinking eye, in these forums. :eek: ;)

AreoHotah: Welcome! That's pretty cool how I inspired you to play Italy even though I've barely started myself. The CG bug is a bit of a bastard, but the hotfix should clear it up as Lordban notes.

VILenin: I know, amazing isn't it? In his drive to fulfill his strategic vision Mussolini will take advantage of everything he can. :D

Enewald: Nope. Apparently they're all very pliant people. :D

Valentinan: Interesting strategies, though weaknesses have been pointed out by truth is life and Lordban. As for me, I won't really be following it either. My long-term policy demands a more ambitious strategy. ;)

truth is life: I do have a slight dearth of commanders...though this can be partially compensated for with promotion and demotion.

Lordban: To be fair, I do have 29 brigades of militia as it is. Given that they're just Blackshirts I don't have to care about their health terribly much. ;)
 
Great AAR so far.

To be fair, I do have 29 brigades of militia as it is. Given that they're just Blackshirts I don't have to care about their health terribly much.

Just leave them to rot... err I mean garrison ethiopia after you counquer it. Or just disband them for the manpower. You certainly don't have the leadership to research infantry AND militia techs

I dont really like that militia, cavalry and infantry techs are seperate. Its not like you have to invent a rifle 3 times if you want to equip your militia and horsemen too besides your infantry.
 
Lordban: that makes sense. It was just a bit disconcerting. Like you're Sauron's unblinking eye, in these forums. :eek: ;)

Almost sigged that one, but the honor is Baneslave's :D


To be fair, I do have 29 brigades of militia as it is. Given that they're just Blackshirts I don't have to care about their health terribly much. ;)

I like to think of MIL as manpower reserves on legs. It holds a little less true with troop rotation, especially if you keep them for many years but still, they're 58 manpower not sitting in the Manpower pool and twiddling their thumbs when you're at war.

We'll see what you make of them :)
 
Looking good, Myth. It must be odd for Mussolini to go over his own decisions and now think they are nuts. I don't know much about the mechanics of the game, but maybe that transport plane is to help ferry men quickly around the Med.

He's certainly still has his political skill - as they say these days, never waste a good crises. ;)
 
It's a good thing Mussolini isn't taking Douhet to heart. Even Italy might be able to cause some serious trouble if it decided bombing cities with poison gas was the way to go.

Looking forward to the continued reforms.