Italy in the Modern Variant
Introduction
Welcome to the sixth article in my continuing series about the Modern variant. In the first article you got an introduction to the modern variant, as well as info on how to get started playing it. In the other four articles I discussed the opening strategies for Britain, Egypt, France and Germany. Yes, that means we are half way through the series!
This time we are looking at an old empire builder, and what many consider the most powerful power in the Modern variant, Italy. With a central position and yet no natural enemies, Italy has access to the many neutral supply centers of the Balkans and central Europe, as well as those in North Africa. This means that Italy is not the weakling that it is in the standard variant but a power that has good growth potential in the opening, midgame and endgame.
First things first though. Since last issue, the Modern Variant Home Page has seen the light of day on the web. It includes such things as the Modern Hall of Fame with player and power rankings and results of all finished modern games. Ten of the top 10 players of 1996 are also facing each other off in modhof96, the 1996 Modern Hall of Fame Game. It started in early January on USEF, so check it out!
The Modern variant has also gone off judge and into a zine for the first time! The email zine, That's Armageddon (ArmagedDip@aol.com) has just processed the first phase of the Modern game, Asterix le Gaulois. Richard Goranson, who runs that zine, also plans on running a Modern game in his postal zine, Forlorn Hope. [That's Armageddon has temporarily suspended publication. -Ed.]
In keeping with tradition, here's the take on modern games finished since the last article. First, Eric Person won a quite amazing solo-victory as Poland in Spartiku, a NoNMR game with Gray, Partial and Fake press. His win in 2004 was the fastest solo-victory in Modern - only 10 years. If you consider that Poland is a 3-center power and that Eric averaged a gain of 3 centers per year, it is truly incredible! Next, James Gemmill, Chris Fridrich and Chet Melted shared the honors in Izmir (partial press, NoNMR) as Egypt, Italy and Spain - their game-long 3-way alliance easily swept the board.
In the second 4-way draw in Modern, Marc Friedman, Gordon Aickin, Alexander K. Woo and Ross Robin split the victory in Lyon (no press, NoNMR) as Britain, Poland, Spain and Turkey. In a strange coincidence, Poland, Spain and Turkey were also among the powers in the only other 4-way draw in Modern. Finally, in the last game to finish in 1996, yours truly managed to wrack his first Modern HOF points. It was a 3-way draw as a 5-center Iberian France in Dickens (no press, NoNMR) caught between a huge Germany played by Dave Kleiman and an equally huge Egypt played by Rick Desper. This was also the first time Germany scored points in a Modern game, and only the second time for France (but the first in a NoNMR game).
For more about player and power rankings, as well as the Modern
Hall of Fame Challenge, see the Modern
Hall of Fame.
"Marks out of 10 for potential (no-press)
Italy - 10
Britain - 9
Egypt - 8
Germany - 3
France - 2"
- Toby Tyrrell
List of Openings for Italy
What follows is a list of the different openings used for Italy
in the Modern games that have been played until now, as well as
a few more that may be of interest. As I am the GM of many Modern
games, and an observer in many more, I asked players for their
opinions on strategies for the various powers in the Modern variant,
but also to propose some openings and to suggest a name for them
- the winning name and the name of the person suggesting appear
along with every opening.
BTW, I am still looking for comments about strategy and opening
names for the remaining countries (everything except Britain,
Egypt, France, Germany and Italy), so feel free to send your thoughts
and suggestions to vim2@rocketmail.com.
The next article will be on Poland, so I am especially interested in
your thoughts on it.
Before listing the various openings, here is a summary table of
the openings, giving the expected relationships with neighbouring
powers, as well as whether the opening is intended to secure Austria
and/or convoy an army to Africa. The openings are then listed
alphabetically.
| Opening | Convoy to Africa? | Take Austria? | Egypt | France | Germany | Spain | Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adagio Overture | Yes | Yes | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| All You Can Eat | No | Maybe | Pro | Anti | Pro | Neutral | Neutral |
| Balkan Bulldozer | No | Yes | Pro | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Anti |
| Balkan Powerhouse | No | Yes | Pro | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Deutsch | No | Maybe | Neutral | Anti | Pro | Neutral | Neutral |
| Dolce Vita | No | No | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Double Deutsch | No | No (Yes if Anti-German) | Neutral | Anti (Fall can be Pro) | Pro (Fall can be Anti) | Neutral | Neutral |
| Frog Legs | No | Yes | Pro | Anti | Neutral | Pro | Pro |
| Italian Spread | Yes | No | Neutral | Anti | Neutral | Pro | Neutral |
| Libyan Offensive | Yes | Yes | Anti | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Pro |
| Lingua Franca | No | Maybe | Neutral | Pro | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Maltese Cross | No | Maybe | Neutral | Pro | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Misic Attack | Yes | Yes | Anti | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Pro |
| Northern League | No | No | Neutral | Pro | Pro | Neutral | Neutral |
| Octopus | No | Yes | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| Tuscan Alliance | No | Yes | Pro | Anti | Pro | Neutral | Pro |
| Vienna Gambit | No | No | Neutral | Neutral | Pro | Neutral | Neutral |
Here then is an alphabetical list of the various openings:
Italy: Army Rome HOLD.
Italy: Army Milan -> Austria.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
An untraditional opening for Italy. Italy holds in Rome, from
where it can either defend Milan if things go badly in the north,
or be convoyed to Tunisia in the fall. This opening gives away
the chance of getting four neutral SCs in 1995 for the possible
strategical advantage of getting an army to North Africa. The
Adagio Overture will most likely be viewed neutrally by all neighbouring
powers.
All You Can Eat (Chris Fridrich)
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan SUPPORT German Army Munich -> Switzerland.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Adriatic Sea. (Adriatic Variant).
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia. (Croatia Variant).
By helping Germany into Switzerland right off the bat, Italy is
clearly taking sides and hoping that Germany attack France, yet
is not giving up his claims on Austria. In the south, Italy avoids
annoying Egypt by moving to the Maltese Sea, a small gesture that
can go a long way. Italy will presumably be active in the western
theatre, and thus would like Egypt and Turkey to keep each other
busy. This opening has been somewhat successful, the Adriatic
Variant giving Italy a share of a 3-way draw.
"Nap-tys leads to the capture of Tunisia and promotes friendship
with Egypt by not threatening Libya (nap-mal). Ven-adr leads to
the capture of Serbia. Rom-ven leads to the capture of Croatia
or to support Milan should France and/or Germany appear hostile.
Personally, I like the idea of supporting Germany into Switzerland
in the Spring in exchange for Austria in the Fall in an anti-France
campaign. This becomes even more feasible if Italy has formed
an alliance with Spain which obviously encourages a feeding frenzy
on French holdings. Obviously, mil-aus or mil-swi in the fall
is preferable but this army may be needed to hold or offer support
to France or Germany." - Chris Fridrich
Balkan Bulldozer (Pitt Crandlemire)
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan -> Austria.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Ionian Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
Italy goes all out to take as many Balkan centers as possible
in 1995. The Ionian Sea fleet can perhaps bounce Turkey in Greece,
and take it if very lucky or diplomatically skilled. Croatia and
Serbia are obvious targets. Perhaps Austria will move on to Hungary
in the fall?
Balkan Powerhouse (Toby Tyrrell)
Army Rome -> Venice.
Army Milan -> Austria.
Fleet Naples -> Tyrrhenian Sea.
Fleet Venice -> Adriatic Sea. (Adriatic Variant)
Fleet Venice -> Croatia. (Croatian Variant)
Like the Balkan Bulldozer, it positions Italy for a strong push
into the Balkans while Egypt is hopefully fighting Turkey, not
committing Italy to a war with Turkey.
To date, the Balkan Powerhouse, Adriatic Variant, has been the
most successful opening for Italy, producing its only solo-win.
"Signals possible willingness to forego Serbia due to possibilty
of southern aggression using Adriatic-Ionian in the fall. Slightly
pro-Ukraine, fairly anti-Turkey. Signals strong pro-Egypt position"
- Pitt Crandlemire
"If Germany bounces in Austria in the spring then the presence
of an extra army in Venice will probably persuade them to try
elsewhere in the fall. Venice is then free to go for Croatia.
If Austria succeeds in the spring then it can be pushed even further
forwards in the fall into Hungary, giving a very strong presence
in the Balkans by the end of 1901. The fleet in the Adriatic can
also try for Serbia in the Fall. This has the best chance of working
if Ukraine goes for Rumania and Bulgaria in 1901. The fleet originally
in Naples has to go for the Tyrrhenian Sea and then for the uncontested
centre in Tunisia (author's note: Tunisia is not uncontested as
Spain can reach it in 1995).
In the game Seville at least this worked out fine. At the end
of 1901, I had taken Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Tunisia for
4 builds. Austria was empty and easy to take next year with the
two armies being built in Milan and Venice. France and Germany
were fighting each other and I had two fleet builds with which
to keep Egypt at bay and to support attacks into Monaco/ Marseilles."
- Toby Tyrrell
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan SUPPORT German Army Munich -> Switzerland.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Maltese Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Adriatic Sea.
Like All You Can Eat, invites Germany to attack France, where
Italy can hopefully get piece of the pie. However, Italy moves
the the Maltese Sea, keeping Egypt on his toes. If Egypt moved
all-out against Turkey and did not move to take Libya, Italy can
claim Libya in 1995 and keep Tunisia for 1996, getting an added
bonus.
"Ensures France doesn't get Switzerland" - Pitt Crandlemire
Italy: Army Rome, No Order Processed.
Italy: Army Milan, No Order Processed.
Italy: Fleet Naples, No Order Processed.
Italy: Fleet Venice, No Order Processed.
La Dolce Vita is an Italian way of life combining relaxation,
enjoyment and patience. Italy is not in danger, life is good,
why hurry?
Another name for this opening is Partitocrazia, a testament to
the effectiveness, or lack of it, of Italy's Party Democracy or
Bureaucracy, which has seen more than 1 government a year since
World War II.
Double Deutsch (Pitt Crandlemire)
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan -> Switzerland.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Maltese Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Adriatic Sea.
Similar to the Deutsch opening, but this time Italy gets Switzerland
or tries to keep France out of it. This seldom used opening offers
many interesting possibilities for Italy in the fall of 1995,
including attacks on Germany in Munich, or an attempt to capture
both Switzerland and Austria. Trying for both Switzerland and
Austria may however prompt the formation of a Franco-German alliance,
which is anathema to Italy.
This opening was used only once and the result was a 4-way draw
for Italy.
"Is done presumably with support from Munich. It ensures
that France doesn't get Switzerland but has the added advantage
of putting Italy in a position to stab Germany in Fall 1995 by
Swi S Als-Mun or Als S Swi-Mun (if France moved Lyo-Als in the
spring)." - Pitt Crandlemire
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan -> Piedmont.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
An early move against France in Monaco and Marseilles rather than
in Switzerland. Depending on German moves, this could cause considerable
damage to France, but if France makes it to Switzerland, Milan
will be in danger. This might also indicate an alliance with Spain,
as a combined supported attack on Marseilles could be made.
"Assumes a friendly Germany poised to ally against France,
yet ensures Italy gets a 3rd build via Venice-Austria in the fall."
- Pitt Crandlemire
Italian Spread (Michael Gates)
Italy: Army Rome HOLD.
Italy: Army Milan -> Piedmont.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
Like the Frog Legs opening, this is possibly Pro-Spain and anti-France
as Italy could take Marseilles with Spain in the First year. However
Italy gives up all chance of taking Austria in the first year.
Rome can defend Milan if needed or be convoyed to Africa.
"Establish a quick and strong foothold in Africa. Have good
relations with Turkey (seems very natural) and offer to split
the Balkans and Egypt with him. Piedmont borders 4 supply centers,
so it gives lots of options in the fall. Another reason for leaving
the North unguarded is that the northern neighbors have lots of
other neighbors to worry about and cannot commit to an all out
assault on Italy." - Michael Gates
Italy: Army Rome -> Naples.
Italy: Army Milan -> Austria.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Maltese Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Adriatic Sea.
Similar to the Misic Attack, this opening aims to convoy to Tunisia
in the fall of 1995 and take Libya from Egypt in the spring of
1996. The fleet move to the Adriatic indicates that Italy may
pass up taking Croatia or Serbia in 1995 and move on south to
the Ionian for better positioning against Egypt. Croatia, and
possibly Serbia should be taken in 1995. This is probably the
most anti-Egyptian opening Italy can make.
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan SUPPORT French Army Lyon -> Switzerland.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Adriatic Sea.
This opening indicates a clear Franco-Italian alliance. Italy
certainly expects French help into Austria in the fall, and might
be able to move Venice to Croatia while taking Serbia from the
Adriatic. The fleet in the Tyrrhenian will probably go to Tunisia,
but could move quickly against Spain instead to help France down
there.
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan SUPPORT French Army Lyon -> Switzerland.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Maltese Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
Like the Lingua Franca, this opening indicates an alliance with
France. Italy, however, will definitely not send the Naples fleet
west to Spain, at least not in 1995, and is set to take Libya
if Egypt does not move for it. The of the other fleet to Croatia
can indicate that Italy is not sure about Austria and Serbia.
Croatia can move to Serbia even if Italy is not sure of getting
it, keeping everyone out of it and being sure of taking an SC
with the fleet, whether it is Croatia or Serbia. Meanwhile, the
Roman army, now in Venice, might also support the move to Austria
without giving up a shot at Croatia. Remember that if Germany
is in Austria, he can retreat to Croatia, so it is perhaps wise
to even arrange a bounce in Serbia with Turkey or Ukraine.
Italy: Army Rome -> Naples.
Italy: Army Milan -> Austria.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Maltese Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
Like the Libyan Offensive, this indicates that Italy is going
all out for North Africa. The Naples army will be convoyed to
Tunisia, and Libya can usually be taken from Egypt in the spring
of 1996. The move of the Venice fleet to Croatia is the best way
of ensuring that Serbia and Croatia are Italian by the end of
1996 without sending an army that way in 1995.
"Named after a Serbian Duke (or Vojvoda) who fought the Germans
in WWII, and whose tactics are studied at West Point." -
Milos Rancic
"You will probably get 2 or 3 builds. Build 2 armies up north
and if possible the 3rd build would be a Fleet in Naples. Strengthen
your northern border and in the south take Libya in the Spring."
- Stephen Breininger
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan HOLD.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
A seldom used opening. Italy moves her armies to her northern
border, but not beyond, ready to move on Austria, Switzerland
or into the Balkans.
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan -> Austria.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Maltese Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Adriatic Sea. (Adriatic Variant)
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia. (Croatian Variant)
The Octopus has been until now the most popular opening for Italy
in Modern, with the Croatian Variant being used 2/3 of the time
and giving one 3-way draw.
"Gives a good shot at 4 builds as well as protection against
quick attack. Venice - Adriatic Sea is better than Venice - Croatia
because, if bounced out of Serbia, an army in Croatia is more
useful than a fleet. Given Milan - Austria, only Poland can block
you out of Croatia in 1995, and that's not particularly likely."
- Alexander K. Woo
"You will probably get 3 builds (from Austria, Tunisia and
Serbia), giving you 2 armies up north and 1 fleet in Naples. Next
year focus on getting Croatia and maybe Hungary. Or maybe moving
an army into Serbia so that your fleet can head south. You might
be able to sneak into Libya." - Stephen Breininger
"This requires an agreement with Germany for AUS. The other
key move is to MAL, which is your most important sea space for
protection from the Turks/Egyptians." - James Gemmill
"In the fall, Croatia goes to Serbia, Austria supports France
or Germany into or to hold in Switzerland or moves to Czech Republic
if Poland is asleep at the switch or moves to Hungary if Ukraine
is exposed. Venice goes to Croatia or to Milan if France entered
Piedmont, and Naples takes Tunisia if pro-Egypt or Libya if neutral
or anti-Egypt." - Pitt Crandlemire
"Milan - Austria seems obvious. Milan - Switzerland will
likely fail. Milan - Piedmont is just silly.
Venice - Croatia is good. Venice - Adriatic is very interesting.
Either way, the fleet should probably head for Serbia in the fall,
if only to bounce the Turks. The advantage of Ven - Adr is that
the army in Rome can move through Venice to Croatia. An army in
Croatia is much more useful than a fleet.
Rome - Venice is obligatory. Nothing else really makes sense.
Is suppose you could convoy to Africa, but I consider it much
more important to get two armies into the Balkans in the first
year.
Naples - Maltese Sea is better than Naples - Tyrrhenian Sea.
Either variant can take 4 neutrals in the first year. While this
may at first seem hoggish, Italy really needs all of these builds."
- Rick Desper
Italy: Army Rome -> Tuscany.
Italy: Army Milan SUPPORT German Army Munich -> Switzerland.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
Another rarely used opening. The Tuscan alliance aims to get Germany
and France fighting by helping Germany into Switzerland - which
might result in a bounce. Meanwhile, it is the understanding that
Italy will get Austria. The move to Tuscany allows Italy to move
to Piedmont in the fall and put more pressure on France.
Italy: Army Rome -> Venice.
Italy: Army Milan SUPPORT German Army Munich -> Austria.
Italy: Fleet Naples -> Maltese Sea.
Italy: Fleet Venice -> Croatia.
Italy sacrifices Austria by giving it to Germany, hopefully for the promise of an alliance. The rest of Italy's moves indicate a move eastwards, so this will usually be an alliance where Germany attacks France alone, only getting help from the army in Milan, which must stay there to block a retreat of the French Swiss army, though Italy might conceivably be supported into Switzerland. The Gambit can backfire, with Germany supporting France in Switzerland into Milan in the fall, but it could also give Germany the necessary leverage to attack France successfully.
Statistics on the Use of Openings for Italy
Modern Games in Progress
| Game | Opening Used | Year | # SCs | Placement |
| Katras | Balkan Powerhouse (Adriatic V) | 2011 | 20 | 1st |
| Euro96 | Octopus (Adriatic V) | 1999 | 14 | 1st |
| Rostov | Octopus (Croatian V) | 2012 | 18 | 1st tied |
| Modern | Frog Legs | 1997 | 9 | 1st tied |
| Hamburg | Adagio Overture | 1996 | 7 | 1st tied |
| Odessa | Octopus (Adriatic V) | 2011 | 14 | 2nd |
| Thisthat | Tuscan Alliance | 2000 | 13 | 2nd |
| Gdansk | Frog Legs | 2003 | 12 | 2nd |
| Gun1994 | Maltese Cross | 2000 | 11 | 2nd |
| Perot | Octopus (Croatian V) | 1999 | 9 | 2nd tied |
| Izmir2 | All You Can Eat (Croatian V) | 1996 | 6 | 2nd tied |
| Asterix Le Gaulois | Octopus (Croatian V) | 1995 | 4 | 2nd tied |
| Hryvna | Northern League | 1995 | 4 | 2nd tied |
| Norm7 | Balkan Powerhouse (Croatian V) | 1995 | 4 | 2nd tied |
| Milan | Octopus (Croatian V) | 2006 | 10 | 3rd tied |
| Nato | All You Can Eat (Croatian V) | 2002 | 10 | 4th |
| Oo | Lingua Franca | 1997 | 6 | 4th tied |
| Academy4 | Balkan Powerhouse (Adriatic V) | 2000 | 7 | 5th |
| Frontlin | Balkan Powerhouse (Croatian V) | 1996 | 6 | 5th tied |
| Aurora | Maltese Cross | 1997 | 6 | 6th tied |
| Spades | Octopus (Croatian V) | 1997 | 6 | 6th tied |
| Sard | Octopus (Adriatic V) | 2001 | 5 | 8th |
| Buchanan | Balkan Powerhouse (Adriatic V) | 2020 | - | elim. |
| Desire | Octopus (Croatian V) | 2008 | - | elim. |
| Details | Misic Attack | 2001 | - | elim. |
| Minsk | Vienna Gambit | 2005 | - | elim. |
| Modsquad | Balkan Powerhouse (Croatian V) | 2004 | - | elim. |
Finished Games (some have links to game summaries, or game summaries and EOG reports)
| Game | Opening Used | Result | Year | # SCs | Placement |
| Seville | Balkan Powerhouse (Adriatic V) | I | 2014 | 33 | 1st |
| Izmir | All You Can Eat (Adriatic V) | EIS | 2005 | 22 | 1st tied |
| Despair | Octopus (Croatian V) | FIR | 2012 | 21 | 2nd |
| Cairo | Double Deutsch | SPIT | 2010 | 12 | 3rd |
| Delerium | Maltese Cross | E | 2008 | 23 | 2nd |
| Day2day | Octopus (Croatian V) | R | 2007 | 7 | 3rd |
| Blitzz | Octopus (Croatian V) | BEP | 2017 | - | elim. |
| Dickens | Libyan Offensive | EFG | 2015 | - | elim. |
| Euro95 | Dolce Vita | ERT | 2023 | - | elim. |
| Liarliar | All You Can Eat (Croatian V) | T | 2007 | - | elim. |
| Lie2me | Deutsch | T | 2007 | - | elim. |
| Lyon | Octopus (Croatian V) | BPST | 2011 | - | elim. |
| Spartiku | Italian Spread | P | 2004 | - | elim. |
Strategy for Italy in Modern Games
Italy is considered by many to be the strongest power in the Modern
variant, and indeed, Italy has many advantages. Italy's initial
position is quite secure, and she has access to many neutral supply
centers, mostly in the Balkans, but also in North Africa and Central
Europe. Instead of being a hindrance, Italy's central position
is even a plus, because it means that Italy is not limited to
growing in one direction. Indeed, Italy can win both by going
west, east or both.
Even if Italy looks strong at first glance, is it really invicible?
Italy has been eliminated in more than half of all 15 finished
Modern games, and only won one of them, so it certainly is not...
At the time I am writing this, it stands only 4th out of 10 Modern
powers, behind Turkey, Egypt and Poland...
So why does Italy not live up to its billing? Two of the main
reasons can be seen from the HoF ranking: Turkey and Egypt. Italy
is not a corner power, and can be extremely vulnerable to a two
or three front war. This usually happens around the midgame, so
Italy must prepare its defenses before this happens, and occupy
the necessary sea spaces to defend itself, or even better, to
launch a successfull offensive.
Italy's main threat usually comes from the east. This can be an
early Turko-Egyptian alliance, which can easily spell doom, or
a rapidly expanding Turkey or Egypt which has recently taken the
other out. Whatever the case, it seems obvious that a major goal
of Italy is to keep Turkey and Egypt fighting each other, and
to have this war go on as long as possible. As long as this happens,
Italy can nibble away at these two powers in North Africa and
the Balkans, or growing in the west, against France or Spain.
Italy should only let one of these powers win if Italy is prepared
to help in the attack and share in the spoils, usually following
through with an attack on her former ally. Only in rare cases
should Italy maintain the alliance with Turkey or Egypt moving
north into the Ukraine and Russia. This is usually most easily
done with Turkey, which has Black Sea ports, but Egypt can move
north through the Caucasus and Kazakhstan...
For more thoughts on Italy and the Eastern Med, click
here.
The second area of importance for Italy is the Western Med area,
which includes Switzerland and by extension Austria, because this
is where Italy will first interact with France and Germany. An
early threat to Italy from this area can come from an aggressive
France, with a neutral or - worse - allied Germany. France is
usually more worried about Spain than Italy, but it is hard for
France and Spain to fight in the first few years, and France may
decide to gain a few units from Italy. Germany doesn't usually
gain much from an attack on Italy either, except for control of
Austria and a friendly France. Still, Austria can be tempting
for Germany, as it is important for German defense or for an attack
on Poland, and it is her door to the Balkans.
Italy must therefore also strive to have Germany and France fight
each other or at least be busy with Britain and Spain, respectively.
Italy can join one of them against the other, or against Poland
or Spain, but the important thing here, as with Egypt and Turkey,
is to keep the balance between them while Italy is the one that
grows.
Of lesser importance to Italy is the battle between Britain and
Spain. If Italy can keep this war waging for a long time, so much
the better. This area is less crucial though because a secondary
conflict can keep Spain or Britain in check should they win. Spain
can usually be maneuvered to attack France after Britain is gone
from the area, and perhaps even move north against Britain after
this. Old wounds can easily be reopened, so make sure that the
early British-Spanish conflict is as acrimonious as possible.
The matter is even simpler if Britain is the one that wins. Three
of Britain's four home centers are in the north, just a short
convoy away from the Lowlands and Scandinavia. Any of Germany,
Poland or Russia can pose a serious threat to the British Isles,
so Britain will seldom come after Italy. If she does, Spain is
usually more assailable on British rule than Spanish rule, because
the Iberian peninsula must be defended with armies to be held
from a strong Italy, and Britain will usually have fewer armies.
For more thoughts about Italy and the Western Med in Modern, click
here.
To sum up Italy's main diplomatic strategy must be one of balance.
She must keep the balance between Turkey and Egypt, France and
Germany, and Spain and Britain. If she manages all three, she
will be able to join these fights at a time of her choosing, and
on the side of her choosing. Italy can win by taking over two
of these regions, or by taking one of them over and keeping on
going to an area further away from home, such as the Ukraine and
Poland, or Britain.
On the other hand, if Italy only manages to keep the peace in
two of the areas, she can still come out ahead of she involves
herself on the winning side, but things will be more difficult.
Should a victor emerge in two or three of these conflicts early
in the game, Italy will have a very hard time proceeding.
For more thoughts on winning with Italy in Modern click
here.
Initial Tactics for Italy in Modern Games
While the winning strategy for Italy is reasonably clear, it is
still another matter to carry it out successfully. What is nice
about Italy is that even if things go bad in one area, she can
build up a good defense and expand in other directions. If this
happens too early though, Italy wont be able to grow at all, and
must essentially wait until some other power comes to change the
balance, at which point it is usually too late to strive for more
than a three-way draw in the game.
So what is the best way to open for Italy to open and to gain
tactical superiority? Italy is lucky because it can open in a
neutral way and still end up with 3 or 4 centers. Italy should
only overtly support or attack another power in its opening if
it is necessary to get one of Italy's pairs of neighbours fighting.
Otherwise, Italy should just open neutrally and wait until the
end of the first year to see if her intervention is needed anywhere.
There are a number of neutral openings, including the two most
popular, the Octopus and the Balkan
Bulldozer. A lot of openings
are only mildly for another power though, and it might be wise
to consider these, as it is always to have an ally, even if one
has no enemies.
Three or four neutral supply centers are usually considered Italian
and will not be contested by other powers. Thus, Italy can easily
grow to double her size by taking these centers, though some negotiation
may be required. The first of these centers is Croatia. Italy
must decide whether to take it with a fleet or an army. A fleet
poses less threat to neighbours, but severely limits Italy's expansion
capabilities into the Balkans, and even makes it impossible to
support Austria. It should only be taken by a fleet if an army
cannot, and it should be replaced at the first opportunity.
The second natural Italian neutral, only seldom contested by Spain,
is Tunisia. If moving against Egypt or Spain in North Africa,
Italy should consider convoying an army there in 1995 to get a
jump on them. Otherwise, taking it with the fleet in Naples should
be sufficient, as this lets the Roman army move north to defend
Milan and Venice, and possibly take a fourth center as well.
For more thoughts about North Africa and Italy in Modern, click here.
The other two most natural Italian neutrals, Austria and Serbia,
might require a bit of negotiation. Austria is a vital center
for Italy, as it borders two Italian home centers. Italy may face
opposition from Germany for this center, but should be able to
convince him to leave it alone. Perhaps it will be necessary to
offer Germany of France help into Switzerland, but that will likely
get France and Germany fighting, which is a good thing. If the
support is not necessary, then so much the better, as Italy gets
to remain neutral while France and Germany fight.
For more thoughts about Austria and Switzerland and Italy in Modern, click here.
Serbia is a more difficult center to bargain for, as both Ukraine
and Turkey can reach it in the first year. There are six centers
in the Balkans though, and it seems reasonable to divide them
with two goign to each power. If that argument is accepted, Italy
will get Serbia without any problem. If not, then Serbia will
probably have to wait until the second year. In this case, it
is usually better to have opened to the Adriatic Sea from Venice
and to have moved an army to Croatia, which is an option for many
openings. Serbia will then be a sure thing in the spring of 1996
unless Turkey and Ukraine cooperate.
Where should Italy expand after the first year? And what balance
of armies and fleets is necessary? If there are no fires to put
out, then Italy really has the choice to go east, west, south
or even north. An enduring principle of Diplomacy applies here:
you can sometimes be forgiven for taking a neutral SC from a power,
but seldom for taking a home SC.
Italy can put this principle into practice in several ways. One
choice is to go for the Balkans, where most of these neutrals
lie. The Balkans are a good choice because they allow Italy to
build up a power base from which to work. If Italy is going for
the Balkans, she will need 2 or 3 fleets and a large number of
armies. The fleets are there to insure naval defense and to give
a bit of support from the Adriatic and Ionian. Armies are necessary
and will be the striking force though, as half the Balkan centers,
Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria, do not border the Mediterranean.
For more thoughts about the Balkans and Italy in Modern, click here.
Another choice for Italy is North Africa. Italy can limit herself
to Libya, or go on west to take Morocco as well. Capturing Libya
is good tactically, because it gives Italy a side of the board
to work from. Morocco expands on this by giving Italy a corner
and perhaps even access to the Atlantic. It will almost definitely
bring Italy into conflict with Spain though, so care must be taken.
Either way, a larger number of fleets will be needed to keep Spain
and/or Egypt at bay in the Mediterranean.
Italy can also try expanding into central Europe - Switzerland,
Monaco and the Czech Republic. This is usually best done after
taking control of the Balkans or the western Med, but it is possible
for Italy to expand in this direction first, if she has decided
to take out France or Germany first with help form the other.
In either case, Italy should concentrate on armies, keeping only
enough fleets to deter Egypt, Turkey and Spain from attacking
by sea.
For more thoughts on the Land Power/Naval Power Question, click here. For more thoughts on General Strategy for Italy in Modern, click here.
Whichever way Italy goes, if she manages to gain enough neutral
SCs, she will soon have enough SCs to easily join ongoing conflicts
on her periphery and emerge the victor. The only thing remaining
to do is to keep a Europe-wide anti-Italian alliance from forming
and Italy will be well on her way to victory!
Allies for Italy in Modern
Italy is lucky in that she has no natural enemies and can realistically
ally with all her neighbours and even every power on the boards.
Let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of allying
with different powers.
In the east, Italy can ally with Egypt or Turkey. Getting control
of the Balkans is easier when allying with Egypt, but Egypt is
a very tough nut to crack, so Italy has to play the alliance carefully
if she has any intentions of moving further east. If Italy manages
to get Egypt to give her Libya, the alliance can work, and Egypt
can keep on moving north into Ukraine and Russia while Italy moves
west or north, but Italy should be on her guard, as Egypt might
turn west instead.
For more thoughts on Egypt and Italy in Modern, click
here.
Allying with Turkey is another good option. Italy will get less
of the Balkans, but should gain a fair share of Egypt, perhaps
all of it, in exchange for the Middle East. It is easier for Italy
to stab Turkey than Egypt, but Italy is also more vulnerable to
Turkey, because it is difficult to justify keeping many units
in Egypt if Italy is not at war with Turkey. Still, Turkey can
more easily move north against Ukraine and into Russia than Egypt
can, so even though Italy would be more vulnerable if she continues
the alliance with Turkey at this point, there is still a good
possibility that Turkey will keep its word and move north.
Another good ally for Italy is France. France is a good ally,
because she can help against both Spain and Germany, and yet always
remains vulnerable to an attack from Italy and another northern
power. When allied with France, Italy should insist that France
keep its navy out of the Med, though it may be necessary to agree
to a token presence. When taking out Spain, Italy should try to
get Gibraltar and Morocco as a minimum. This will allow her to
both block access to the Med and gain entry into the Atlantic
should she desire it.
For more thoughts on France and Italy in Modern, click
here.
Britain is a similar ally to France, but will cooperate against
Spain, France and Germany. Unfortunately, she will seldom give
up Gibraltar, and can become a naval threat in the west and take
back any gains made by Italy in Spain. Still, Italy can equally
well push Britain out of Spain - especially if Britian has no
land units in the area - so perhaps the gamble is worth it.
For more thoughts on Britain and Italy in Modern, click
here.
Germany is a popular ally for Italy, because Germany will almost
never compete for control of the seas with Italy, and yet can
cooperate both east and west with her. Also, since Germany is
also a central power like Italy, she remains vulnerable even if
she grows quite big, and Italy can often launch a successfull
surprise attack against Germany by land. Meanwhile, Italy is only
somewhat vulnerable vis-a-vis Germany, because it is hard to take
the boot by land alone. The usual target of a Italo-German alliance
is France, which can usually not resist the attack. Italy and
Germany can then follow-up by attacking Spain, to the greatest
benefit of Italy, or Poland, to the greatest benefit of Germany.
Needless to say, Spain should be the preferred target...
An alliance with Spain is another possibility, usually involving
the gain of Marseilles, Monaco, Switzerland and Lyon from France.
If the alliance is only one against Britain, Italy can only gain
by maintaining the balance of power. If Spain wins against Britain,
remember that Britain is far away and southern France and then
Italy may look more tempting then moving north. If Spain does
move north though, the alliance can be fruitful, with an eventual
joint attack against Germany once Spain deals with Britain.
For more thoughts on Spain and Italy in Modern, click
here.
The Slavic powers are quite far away, but can all help Italy in
their own way. Ukraine can counterbalance a strong Turkey, and
to a lesser extent a strong Egypt. The alliance can be instrumental
in getting control of the whole Eastern Med area. Italy should
take care that Ukraine does not have any Mediterranean ambitions,
though she can usually be blocked by holding Istanbul.
Poland can be a good ally against Germany, if Germany becomes
aggressive or if Germany has taken out France and is becoming
too strong. Poland is similar to Germany as an ally, but Italy
and Poland are less vulnerable to each other because they are
not so close geographically. Finally, Russia by dint of its position
can function either as a Ukrainian ally, or as a Polish ally,
or both. Still, as with the other two slavic allies, Russia should
probably be a secondary ally, to be used if needed to maintain
the balance of power in other areas, but to be kept in check otherwise.
For more thoughts on Ukraine and Italy in Modern, here. For more thoughts on early allies for Italy in Modern, click here. For more thoughts on stalemates and bottlenecks for Italy in Modern, click here.
To recap, Italy is dealt one of the most interesting hands in
Modern. She can play her diplomatic cards in many ways and it
how she plays these, rather than pure military might that will
determine how far she gets in the game. Winning still requires
great skill and good dose of luck as well, but unlike some other
powers, Italy can still make a few mistakes and get reasonably
far in the game. If you are playing Modern for the first time
and want to really get a feel for the variant and stick around
a while, Italy definitely ranks up there with Britain as a good
power to choose.
| Vincent Mous (vim2@rocketmail.com) |
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