defending italy

[geogus]

hI GUYS

Italy is my favorite country in darkest hour, probably will be at HoIIV, but there was something that always bugged me about this nation.

Italy has a dificult chalange, its starts with not so good army and air force and only decent navy, it has to build up a lot but it does not have the industrial power to do easely.

Besides Italy has the need to build special troops, like mountainers and marines, which are more expensive than the regular infantry.

However, the biggest problem IMO is the italian huge coast and of its primary targets.

A good italian player is able to conquer alone greece and Albania and go to Suez and at least hold at ethiopia.

Thats a huge coastal provinces to defend agaisnt amphibious assault.

Most of northern africa, italy itself and greece, Italy is forced to keep a lot of units stationed just in case.

Unless u go gamey, In DH the AI wasnt limited by range to launch amphibious assaults, but UK never attacked italy homeland in early years of the war evem if hadnt a single division there.

So my question is: How much of the land forces italy should keep behind to defend its homeland and greece (if conquered) while trying to advance in Europe.


If an sloopy italian player leave importants coast provinces unprotected (like the AI did with rome in WWW), will the AI sieze the oprtunity?

 

[BishopofNoobs]

I'd assume that a relatively good Italy player going with the "mare nostrum" focus tree (to be found here -> https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/italian-focus-tree.914334/ ) could establish Naval supremacy to a point where the UK would have no chance of invading the mainland as they will be pretty occupied with defending their Island from Germany as well so you could leave behind only a few garrison troops and be fine; dealing with the US should be rather late so this will be influenced by many factors and cannot be predicted so well, you will have to adapt when the time comes.

 

[EmperorBatman999]

I'm assuming it'll be similar to my HOI3 experience of building a lot of ships and factories prewar, delaying intervention, and then going in and cutting off most of the British ports in the Mediterranean to keep them from supply and repair. By 1940-41 you should have enough carriers, planes, and battleships to bruise the Royal Navy to the point where your Regia Marina can control the region. The navy will be your first defense.

So I think you're being too harsh on Italy and their military potential.