Last time, we reviewed some of the better moves that the German player could make in the World at War game. Now, it is the turn of the most important of the Allied players: The UK, who also controls France and the two Minor Allies of Belgium and Holland.

    It is important, if there are more than one Allied players, that the most experienced and/or strategically brilliant be the European Allied player, controlling the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Holland. From here on in, the Belgian and Dutch troops will be considered Free French, except for the limitations on the Dutch forces in Indonesia. In addition, the player of the European Allies shall from this point be called the British player, since the British Empire is the most prominent force he or she possesses.

Turn One: As with Germany, the most critical turn is Turn One. If you weather it well, you may be able to force the Axis out of Africa, crush its navy, and even threaten its grip on Europe before Turn Five. You will also be in a position to build up forces in India and Australia and tie up the Japanese on continental Asia. If you do not, you will in all likelihood be overwhelmed by the stunning blitzkrieg of the German forces, followed up by the equally crushing Japanese sneak attack.

    It is important to realize that unless the German player is truly dumb, France will be conquered on Turn One. You will make the Vichy rolls, and Britain will stand alone for the next four turns until the Germans begin their assault on Russia and the Japanese their sneak attack on America. The best you can hope for is that as many French territories with troops in them will remain Free French, particularly Indochina. If the Japanese cannot get their hands on those forces, so much the better. The territory is prime for placing cheap infantry to tie down Japan, and for a factory to rebuild the Free French fleet and attack either the German or Japanese navies.

    Even better is if you gain control of one of the French fleets, particularly the Atlantic Fleet, with its Battleship. It is the French Atlantic Fleet which will determine when the Germans attempt the invasion of Britain, and they must, if they are truly to win the game. You will suffer incredibly during the first few turns. It is critical that you reinforce Britain with about three more infantry. With the Home Defense bonus, you may be able to weather any German assault, unless they have been merciless with their bomber raids.

    If Britain falls, you have suffered a major setback, but you can still bounce back. Base the RAF out of Canada, which, safe from Axis aggression until they are ready for the US, is ideal for your new capital. In the meantime, the army should be based in Africa, with a factory in South Africa churning out tanks to counter the Axis forces there.

    Once Germany is done, you may begin your turn. If Indochina is Free French, you may consider Lend Leasing money to France to buy a factory there. Lend double the money they actually need to build the factory, for some may be lost in the transition thanks to Axis meddling. Then, remaining French and British money should go exclusively to infantry. If Indochina is not Free, the French should buy only infantry, while the British should get a factory and infantry.

    Now, if Egypt has fallen, you must spend the single IPC to try and influence Saudi Arabia to join the Allied cause. It provides an invaluable air base, safe from Axis assault if you keep Transjordan, and useful in the Far East and Mediterranean theaters and the Eastern Front, once it opens.

    Next, at all costs, try to retake Transjordan if it has fallen to the Germans. It is critical to do so, for if they keep it, they can consolidate their position in the Middle East and threaten India and the British and Dutch navies in the region. Also, invade Italian East Africa to get that extra IPC and prevent the Axis from using it. You will in all likelihood not be able to conduct any more attacks that turn, except maybe a sea/air attack against the German Navy. At that point, your African forces should be moved to better defend all remaining territories from further German attacks.

    Now, if the French bought the factory because Indochina is Free, it is there that they must place it. Also, French Infantry should be placed in either French Equatorial Africa or Belgian Congo, depending on the former's status. The British infantry should be placed in Kenya, Transjordan if the Germans did not successfully invade it, Egypt if the Germans did not successfully invade it, and Great Britain to avoid German success (if they did succeed in invading G-B, place the excess infantry in India and Australia to put the pressure on Japan early).

    If the French do not have a factory, thanks to Indochina's Vichy status, then their infantry must go on any Free French territory, including Belgian Congo, found in Africa or the Middle East. The British factory must go to South Africa, and the infantry should be placed as advised earlier. It may be noted now that until the Americans join, the British effort will be primarily in defensive gear, on a long term focus of getting the economic and military upper hand over the Axis, who are more short-term focused and must win quickly to win fully.

Turn Two: This turn will see mostly action in Africa for you to be concerned about. With luck, the Axis will only take one or two territories, not including Transjordan or Rhodesia. Poland will likely fall if it didn't in Turn One, and again, the specter of Britain's fall raises its ugly head, if it hasn't been conquered already.

    As far as purchases go, tanks, fighters and infantry are the best choices for Britain, and a factory for South Africa if it doesn't have one yet. For the French, if they have a factory in Indochina, a transport and infantry.

    Like Turn One, you are mainly interested in continuing to stall the Germans in Africa and to destroy piecemeal the German Navy. Attempts to liberate Sudan or Egypt are in order, as well as maybe attacks on Vichy French territories if you have access to them. You may even consider liberating Vichy Indochina if the Japanese haven't already influenced it to join them, but do so only if there is no risk of failure, for if you do, you hand the territory to Japan.

    When the end of the turn comes, and you place your forces, you should be interested in Africa primarily, though by Turn Three, depending on the results of the Mediterranean theater and Africa, you can start concentrating your forces in the Far East. The French should reinforce all Free French African territories with infantry and place the transport in Indochina if they bought one. If the British have the factory in South Africa, then tanks should go there and infantry elsewhere in Africa. If not, a factory should be placed in South Africa and infantry as normal. The fighters should go to Great Britain to assist against a possible German assault on Turn Three.

Turn Three: This is the final turn during which the German player may safely launch an assault upon Great Britain without seriously expending his resources before the Russians enter the war. If you make it past this turn without losing Great Britain to Germany, you're in great shape. If not, then you will still be in good shape, as long as much of Africa remains under your control and you are slowly pushing the Germans back. The turn's events will unfold differently depending on what territories and naval forces you may have.

    When it comes time for your purchases, buy tanks and infantry for Africa, and now, a bomber for Britain. You should purchase infantry for the French in Africa, and if you have the factory, you should get a tank. It is getting close to the time where you should heavily reinforce Australia and India, and Indochina if it is Free.

    Now, for your attacks, if the Germans have not conquered Poland, though they should have by now, you might consider an attack on Germany from there, coupled with amphibious attacks and air strikes on the same country. If Britain has fallen, then scratch that idea. Continue the process of eliminating German forces in Africa, bit by bit. Depending on how well the German player has run his campaign, you could be left with only Egypt and Libya to take from Germany by now.

    Move up infantry from behind locations into newly liberated territories by rail, to prevent the Germans from retaking them. When placing your new units, put the tanks in Africa, and if need be, some infantry. But by now, you should begin placing forces into India, Burma, and Australia, to safeguard against the Japanese. The French should put some infantry into Indochina if it is Free French, and if it isn't then the infantry should be placed in the various Dutch East Indies territories. Some infantry forces should be placed in Africa. If Britain is still under your control, place the bomber there. If not, place it in Central Canada.

Turn Four: If Britain is yours, then your main goals are to shore up your defenses in the Far East and attempt to force the Axis out of Africa. If Britain is occupied, then add to those goals the establishment of air superiority over the Atlantic. Your purchases should reflect how far in each of those areas you have gotten. The French goals of course, are the same, except where air superiority in the Atlantic is concerned.

    Your strategic situation will vary, depending on a number of factors: The status of Great Britain, the status of Indochina, the size of the German Navy, the success, or lack of it, of the German campaign in Africa, and if the Russians and Americans have played well, the production levels of those two powers. Your main goals are to either force the Germans off of Africa and destroy the German Navy, or, if you haven't made that kind of progress, continue defending against German aggression in Africa and keep their navy out of your SZs with factories on them.

    Buy appropriately, by now you should know what you're going to need, and make sure to put lots of cheap infantry in the Far East to keep the Japanese tied down. Give them Burma and Malaysia if you must, but do not let them into India or Australia. The moves you make for the rest of the turn will be fairly crucial, as they may or may not divert the Axis powers from their main goals of Russia and the United States.

Turn Five: This is it! By the end of your turn, you will already have Russia as your ally, and by the end of the game turn, the Americans will be on your side. Of course, if the Japanese player was particularly aggressive, he may have brought them in to the war last turn.

    By now, Germany's attention will be on the Russians, so if you have Britain, now is the time to begin preparing on an assault in Europe. If not, then begin preparing to invade Britain. If you have forced Germany out of Africa by now, consider also an invasion of Europe from that area. If not, then keep fighting: the Americans will arrive soon. Buy your forces in anticipation of defending in the Far East (though a factory in India or Australia would be good) and get ready to go on the offensive in Europe and Africa.

    Buy appropriately and make all your moves carefully. Don't expose your forces to the enemy, and don't make any big moves before the Americans arrive. Unless of course, you have massive numerical superiority and can take and hold any territory in Europe. Your goal is to liberate as much of Europe as is possible without the Russians getting in (unless you are the Russian player as well).

    With the first crucial five turns behind you, you are now ready for the next stage of the war: the slow but inevitable defeat of the Axis powers.