I haven't really figured out how to handle Italy yet, especially not when not creating the faction to go at it alone. Most threads about playing seems to recommend annexing Yugoslavia and Greece pre-War, but with the recent changes in tension cost and justification time I can't get that to work at all. In any case, that's nothing to count upon doing.
Thus, I decided to start my own thread on getting tips in how to play it.
And, please, no comments like "anything goes, AIs just bad". I struggle as is (but have Wojtek and Big Entente achievements, so I'm not bad either) Hopefully it can help others as well, while a closer understanding of nations might actually make it easier to improve the AI for them.
So, looking at Italy's starting position:
Resources: We have 100 Aluminium, 96 steel, 2 tungsten and 4 chromium in our starting territory. No oil or rubber initially, but foci give 26 oil and 8 rubber (partially from 2 synth refineries). 2 rubber, 3 aluminium and 3 tungsten are obtained from Albania and Ethiopia.
More resources, including chromium and tungsten, are available in the Balkans, but with a choice between Greece and Yugoslavia the latter favours capital ships, the former allows more artillery. France have plenty resources near the border, but only of the kind we're already rich in.
Trading priority is likely the normal one (Targets->Allies->Neutrals->Enemies) and Italy will have a hard time getting much after the war starts.
Terrain:
Italy itself, the Balkans and its French border is primarily mountains, with some coastal exceptions. Past the French Alps, there's mostly plains until the Loire makes the next barrier. East and south of Libya, we have primarily desert, while there are even more mountains (Atlas range) west of it.
Even more apparent, Italy has a very long coastline, exclusively in the Mediterranean (talking about core, not colonies) with little in the way of strategic depth between the coasts. This means great vulnerability to enemy landings, but also plenty slots for a navy of their own. The mediterranean, however, is sealed in with two chokepoints (Gibraltar and Suez) both held by Britain. Seizing both means increased security as most allied warships can't get in (or out for repairs). Obviously this security depend on also holding their ports already in the Med, too.
Airwise, France can easily reach our territory from their own bases in southern France, while Britain holds Malta and can do serious damage from there.
Diplomacy:
Germany: Primary ally and trading partner. Due to their superior industry and being faction leader, they will likely handle the heavy lifting in terms of division number and long fronts - especially towards Russia where it's hard for Italy to help much. An inferior German navy means it's up to Italy to try challenging the open seas. Their fates are intertwined, if either falls the other won't likely survive much longer - but both thriving let them boost each other.
France: Early enemy, should be taken out quickly or the axis is in trouble. A shared border both in the Alps and on Corsica/Sardinia will need to be defended. Even capitulation won't remove their territories in the southern Mediterranean.
USSR: Major threat to the Axis, but geography means that they won't be much danger to Italy herself, only feasible border is in Turkey or after naval landings in the Black Sea.
Britain: Primary threat, leader of the allies controlling both naval chokepoints and several bases dangerously close. As AI Germany can't challenge them navally, any Sealion would have to be with Italian forces. Will also make landings in an occupied France/Benelux.
Spain: Depending on civil war outcome, an axis member or neutral is useful, but an enemy can be disastrous. Helping Franco win allows a focus that may lead to the Canaries become an Italian province. It has little value for production capacity, but can be strategically important while heading for Gibraltar. Not sure whether they are more useful as a neutral or an active combatant, as the latter also means a longer coastline to hold against USA/Britain and certain danger to Mediterranean control. They can help take Gibraltar, but if they fall it's next to impossible to hold it for the Axis.
Yugoslavia: A country with a focus tree decision, befriend to bring into the Axis (historical focus means AI won't diploannex, otherwise they likely will pursue that branch) or claim which increases tension but also makes fabrication cheaper. It doesn't give a wargoal, however. I have no idea which is better, as not attacking allows an attack on Greece (or elsewhere) instead.
Albania: Annexee, they give us a handy foothold in the Balkans and some resourses but little more. The focus is useful, especially if they yield without a fight.
Please tell me if I've missed something important about some of the nations, or forgotten a country that really should be included.
Tentative observations: Mountaineers and Marines both seem well suited to Italy's terrain, while normal infantry might be less useful. Swift forces would serve to take Suez quickly, but breaking further into Africa makes less sense. The interdependence with Germany probably means that it's sound to have an elite force (presumably armored) that can deal with any landings in Axis lands, 24 tanks around 1942 sounds reasonable, to cover Germany's rear while they push into Russia alternatively help them with that by cutting off Soviet spearheads. Actual front-line guarding should be handled by other units.
On the whole, their Axis role as Germany's helper seems to imply a focus on special forces and commandos, which would then advise production and research.
Mountaineers: A 7mount/2art with art support requires lots of tungsten - which is in a severe early shortage as this setup requires roughly equal factories in artillery and infantry. 8 tungsten from Greece isn't a bad trade though - in particular if we're conquering them anyway. That would allow up to 10 factories of both early on which isn't bad.
Marines: Same as above, meaning those 10 lines would need to be split between these types - unless another composition is more useful for the specialists.
Tanks: No idea on how to design this, but with the relatively late need for them, holding out on production until Medium tanks comes around seems logical. The initial light tanks could either be included in this force, tasked to do other tasks or simply have their template upgraded to these. SP-Art cost a lot of tungsten, but maybe the need to make line artillery have decreased at this point once a decent number (60ish?) infantry is up and running.
Airforce and Navy: Also critical, but I'm completely out of my depth concerning navies and my airforce have largely been fighters+CAS with primary land powers, here carrier-based planes and naval bombers seems highly useful, while Gibraltar's forts could do with some strategic bombing if Spain stays out of the war. Rubber and oil will become a shortage, but synth plants might be the answer to this problem. Chromium is only needed for the biggest ships, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem even if Yugoslavia is passed up for Greece.
This is more or less what I've managed to gleam from the start, but building it into a strategy is something else entirely.
My gut feeling tells me to fabricate on Greece and befriending Yugoslavia, building mainly mountaineers early on to push from Albania while marines land in the Peloponnese to march towards the local port and then push towards Athens or launch again for Crete.
Once WW2 breaks out, a push from Sardinia to Corsica (marines?) and pre-planned attacks against Malta and either Gibraltar or Cyprus could be vital, the former if it's poorly defended and Mallorca is Italian. Rapid push along the desert coast for Suez by light tanks, the Atlas could then be taken either with mountaineers from Libya or marines selectively targeting ports.
The Savoy border is probably best to just passively defend at first, only pushing if German efforts needs that France redeploys her armies against Italy. Such an attack could be done after the other goals are closer to be attained. All of the expansion plans at once might be overly optimistic, French North Africa is then the lowest priority. Holding on to Libya is important for the oil.
The tank force might well be used in an invasion of England, once marines have secured a bridgehold, so that they can push the British further back. This attack could maybe happen in '43-'44, depending on how the war goes at large and if Jet fighters are needed to truly beat the RAF in their homeland. The achievement against USA (bomb Los Angeles) seems tough as any landing in northeastern USA leads to their capitulation long before California is in range, and there's a very long detour to hit them through the Pacific instead...
Thus, I decided to start my own thread on getting tips in how to play it.
And, please, no comments like "anything goes, AIs just bad". I struggle as is (but have Wojtek and Big Entente achievements, so I'm not bad either) Hopefully it can help others as well, while a closer understanding of nations might actually make it easier to improve the AI for them.
So, looking at Italy's starting position:
Resources: We have 100 Aluminium, 96 steel, 2 tungsten and 4 chromium in our starting territory. No oil or rubber initially, but foci give 26 oil and 8 rubber (partially from 2 synth refineries). 2 rubber, 3 aluminium and 3 tungsten are obtained from Albania and Ethiopia.
More resources, including chromium and tungsten, are available in the Balkans, but with a choice between Greece and Yugoslavia the latter favours capital ships, the former allows more artillery. France have plenty resources near the border, but only of the kind we're already rich in.
Trading priority is likely the normal one (Targets->Allies->Neutrals->Enemies) and Italy will have a hard time getting much after the war starts.
Terrain:
Italy itself, the Balkans and its French border is primarily mountains, with some coastal exceptions. Past the French Alps, there's mostly plains until the Loire makes the next barrier. East and south of Libya, we have primarily desert, while there are even more mountains (Atlas range) west of it.
Even more apparent, Italy has a very long coastline, exclusively in the Mediterranean (talking about core, not colonies) with little in the way of strategic depth between the coasts. This means great vulnerability to enemy landings, but also plenty slots for a navy of their own. The mediterranean, however, is sealed in with two chokepoints (Gibraltar and Suez) both held by Britain. Seizing both means increased security as most allied warships can't get in (or out for repairs). Obviously this security depend on also holding their ports already in the Med, too.
Airwise, France can easily reach our territory from their own bases in southern France, while Britain holds Malta and can do serious damage from there.
Diplomacy:
Germany: Primary ally and trading partner. Due to their superior industry and being faction leader, they will likely handle the heavy lifting in terms of division number and long fronts - especially towards Russia where it's hard for Italy to help much. An inferior German navy means it's up to Italy to try challenging the open seas. Their fates are intertwined, if either falls the other won't likely survive much longer - but both thriving let them boost each other.
France: Early enemy, should be taken out quickly or the axis is in trouble. A shared border both in the Alps and on Corsica/Sardinia will need to be defended. Even capitulation won't remove their territories in the southern Mediterranean.
USSR: Major threat to the Axis, but geography means that they won't be much danger to Italy herself, only feasible border is in Turkey or after naval landings in the Black Sea.
Britain: Primary threat, leader of the allies controlling both naval chokepoints and several bases dangerously close. As AI Germany can't challenge them navally, any Sealion would have to be with Italian forces. Will also make landings in an occupied France/Benelux.
Spain: Depending on civil war outcome, an axis member or neutral is useful, but an enemy can be disastrous. Helping Franco win allows a focus that may lead to the Canaries become an Italian province. It has little value for production capacity, but can be strategically important while heading for Gibraltar. Not sure whether they are more useful as a neutral or an active combatant, as the latter also means a longer coastline to hold against USA/Britain and certain danger to Mediterranean control. They can help take Gibraltar, but if they fall it's next to impossible to hold it for the Axis.
Yugoslavia: A country with a focus tree decision, befriend to bring into the Axis (historical focus means AI won't diploannex, otherwise they likely will pursue that branch) or claim which increases tension but also makes fabrication cheaper. It doesn't give a wargoal, however. I have no idea which is better, as not attacking allows an attack on Greece (or elsewhere) instead.
Albania: Annexee, they give us a handy foothold in the Balkans and some resourses but little more. The focus is useful, especially if they yield without a fight.
Please tell me if I've missed something important about some of the nations, or forgotten a country that really should be included.
Tentative observations: Mountaineers and Marines both seem well suited to Italy's terrain, while normal infantry might be less useful. Swift forces would serve to take Suez quickly, but breaking further into Africa makes less sense. The interdependence with Germany probably means that it's sound to have an elite force (presumably armored) that can deal with any landings in Axis lands, 24 tanks around 1942 sounds reasonable, to cover Germany's rear while they push into Russia alternatively help them with that by cutting off Soviet spearheads. Actual front-line guarding should be handled by other units.
On the whole, their Axis role as Germany's helper seems to imply a focus on special forces and commandos, which would then advise production and research.
Mountaineers: A 7mount/2art with art support requires lots of tungsten - which is in a severe early shortage as this setup requires roughly equal factories in artillery and infantry. 8 tungsten from Greece isn't a bad trade though - in particular if we're conquering them anyway. That would allow up to 10 factories of both early on which isn't bad.
Marines: Same as above, meaning those 10 lines would need to be split between these types - unless another composition is more useful for the specialists.
Tanks: No idea on how to design this, but with the relatively late need for them, holding out on production until Medium tanks comes around seems logical. The initial light tanks could either be included in this force, tasked to do other tasks or simply have their template upgraded to these. SP-Art cost a lot of tungsten, but maybe the need to make line artillery have decreased at this point once a decent number (60ish?) infantry is up and running.
Airforce and Navy: Also critical, but I'm completely out of my depth concerning navies and my airforce have largely been fighters+CAS with primary land powers, here carrier-based planes and naval bombers seems highly useful, while Gibraltar's forts could do with some strategic bombing if Spain stays out of the war. Rubber and oil will become a shortage, but synth plants might be the answer to this problem. Chromium is only needed for the biggest ships, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem even if Yugoslavia is passed up for Greece.
This is more or less what I've managed to gleam from the start, but building it into a strategy is something else entirely.
My gut feeling tells me to fabricate on Greece and befriending Yugoslavia, building mainly mountaineers early on to push from Albania while marines land in the Peloponnese to march towards the local port and then push towards Athens or launch again for Crete.
Once WW2 breaks out, a push from Sardinia to Corsica (marines?) and pre-planned attacks against Malta and either Gibraltar or Cyprus could be vital, the former if it's poorly defended and Mallorca is Italian. Rapid push along the desert coast for Suez by light tanks, the Atlas could then be taken either with mountaineers from Libya or marines selectively targeting ports.
The Savoy border is probably best to just passively defend at first, only pushing if German efforts needs that France redeploys her armies against Italy. Such an attack could be done after the other goals are closer to be attained. All of the expansion plans at once might be overly optimistic, French North Africa is then the lowest priority. Holding on to Libya is important for the oil.
The tank force might well be used in an invasion of England, once marines have secured a bridgehold, so that they can push the British further back. This attack could maybe happen in '43-'44, depending on how the war goes at large and if Jet fighters are needed to truly beat the RAF in their homeland. The achievement against USA (bomb Los Angeles) seems tough as any landing in northeastern USA leads to their capitulation long before California is in range, and there's a very long detour to hit them through the Pacific instead...
