Executing an amphibious assault in SWiE is one of the more challenging aspects of the game. The step-by-step mechanics of executing an amphibious assault are not well explained in the game manual. Additionally, numerous discussions and Q&A sessions on Steam and other internet sites confirm that there is demand for more information about this topic. A player's chance of winning the game will be significantly reduced in several of the scenarios if the knowledge and ability to execute an amphibious assault is missing. Just as in real life, amphibious assaults are an important tool in the conduct of armed conflict on a grand scale, SWiE is no different.

This guide is comprised of four articles. The first article is this introduction. It provides the basic principles needed to formulate successful strategies for conducting amphibious assaults. A framework of high level considerations is provided to assist with planning, executing and sustaining an amphibious assault.

The second article will be based on the operational mechanics of embarking a land unit onto an amphibious landing ship, transporting and disembarking the unit onto foreign soil. This is akin to a user's guide or a set of point and click instructions.

The third article will be focused on the tactical considerations needed to execute a sustainable amphibious assault. Sustainability is an important concept as troops landed on a beach will provide no benefit to your command unless those troops become useful participants in future engagements. It serves no purpose to land troops only to have them trapped and withered by counter attacks or altogether eliminated in the landing zone. Sustainability in this context means that landed troops must be reinforced and supplied after the initial landing. Otherwise, they will attrite in enemy controlled territory until they cease to exist.

The fourth article will be focused on strategic considerations. This is the most intellectually rewarding aspect of the amphibious assault process. However, to obtain a full appreciation of the benefits afforded by the success of an amphibious assault, one must first master the operations and tactics that lead up to the strategies.

Playing as either the Axis or the Allies in the 1939 scenario amphibious assaults must be executed in order to defeat the opposing side. It is that simple.

For the Axis, surrender of Great Britain, Canada, and the United States is required to achieve complete and total victory over the Allies. Due to geography, this can only be achieved through sea borne invasion.

For the Allies, there is no alternative to win the war other than defeating the Axis Armies and occupying Berlin; that being with or without the assistance of the Soviet Comintern. Chances are that Allied combat forces will be driven out of continental Europe by the end of 1941. Consequentially, the Allies will need to re-establish a base of operation on the continent in order to drive the Axis back into Europe's interior and to achieve that goal, amphibious assaults must occur.

For the Comintern, amphibious assaults are not necessary to defeat the Axis but well executed amphibious assaults can be useful for the purpose of creating combat, supply and logistical threats deep inside Axis held territory. Comintern amphibious assaults can also be used to feign attacks or place units in positions to out flank enemy lines. Both of these strategies will force the Axis to siphon off units committed to the front line in order to address the immediate threat created by a successful landing. Additionally, for the truly diabolical Comintern despot, no greater satisfaction exists than to raise the Hammer and Sickle over Washington DC.

Regardless of motives and reasons these are the three basic principles for conducting an amphibious assault in SWiE.

Planning considerations should include:

a) Resource Costs and Opportunity Costs. Amphibious Invasion Points (AIP) are very expensive. Additionally, if you click in and out of the AIP purchase screen during the same turn, the incremental cost of the next round of AIPs become more expensive. AIPs also become incrementally more expensive in subsequent turns. If possible, purchase all of the needed AIPs in one session, in one turn. Due to the expense involved in committing to an amphibious assault and spending the requisite AIPs, other strategic objectives will become less obtainable. For example, rapid expansion of the air force will not be possible during the time in which an amphibious assault force is being provisioned.

b) Season and Climate. Due to its effect on combat and capabilities, weather is critical to success. The time of the year becomes important in deciding an appropriate invasion date. Snow and to a lesser extent rain can stifle an attack in terms of both combat multipliers and a unit's available Actions Points (AP). Territories in the northern regions of the map such as Great Britain, Scandinavia and Russia have a seasonal window of opportunity that generally ranges from July to December. Southern regions such as North Africa and the Middle East are less constrained by the weather.

c) Timing and Movement. It takes a minimum of two turns to conduct an amphibious assault. The first turn requires that the unit be boarded onto an amphibious assault vessel. Boarding the amphibious landing ships takes a full turn and the unit will remain in the port of departure until the following turn. In the next turn the unit may move into a sea zone and disembark at the desired location provided the disembark algorithm is passed [refer to end note 1]. This is an extremely important computer controlled test and is one of the least understood aspects of the game.

Depending on the distance that the invasion fleet must sail and the logistics of moving a land unit to a suitable embarkation hex, it is possible that the end-to-end action of moving an invasion force from its current occupying hex to its invasion destination hex could take up to four turns, if not longer.

d) Terrain and Location. Certain types of terrain provide combat advantages for defending units. Coastal hexes that are mountains, forest, rough and swamp should be avoided. Landing zone hexes should be within close proximity to a supply producing city or port. Coastal hexes close to ports are preferable over coastal hexes close to cities because ports can be supplied with sea transports and convoys. Additionally, coastal cities and ports can be directly assaulted but the effects of defensive combat multipliers make this option less desirable.

e) Navigable Waterways and Destination. Certain invasion routes and destinations will be blocked if the invading player does not own the controlling hex of a strait through which the landing craft must pass (i.e. Gibraltar and Istanbul).

f) Defending Units. The type and strength of units defending targeted coastal terrain should be identified through aerial reconnaissance prior to disembarking invading land units. Isolated defending units provide less resistance to invading forces than formations of multiple units.

Execution considerations should include

a) Air Reconnaissance. Use fighter air units to perform aerial reconnaissance missions over the intended target. It is best to know the type of units that occupy the target hex. Also, enemy units in the vicinity of the target hex will counter attack if the landing unit survives the initial attack.

b) Air Interdiction. Over the course of several turns that that precede the invasion date, soften up and wear down the enemy's land and naval units by attacking them with tactical air units. Strategic Bombers may also be used but they do not inflict as much damage on surface units.

c) Sea Control. Do not allow your invasion fleet to be sunk by the enemy's navy while in route to the landing zone. Establish overwhelming naval presence in the sea zone that contains the target coastal hex. This will protect landing ships as they move through the sea zone. Having a naval presence in the sea zone will also increase the chances to successfully disembark [refer to end note 2].

Insufficient escort fleet strength will render an amphibious assault impotent and will result in the invading unit remaining hulled up in the landing craft unable to venture onto shore. This is the primary cause of failed sea borne invasions in SWiE. It is also one of the most frustrating events is to occur in the game.

d) The Doctrine of Rapid Dominance (also known as Shock and Awe). While not really applicable to grand strategic games, the concept of Shock and Awe can be pseudo replicated by employing all possible forms of attacks against the enemy's ground unit including the use of tactical air units, strategic bombers, naval bombardments [refer to end note 3] and air drops [refer to end note 4] directly on an enemy unit in the target hex. Always attack with overwhelming force. Endeavor to achieve combat odds of 6:1 or greater.

e) Force Multipliers. Utilize all available attacker multipliers including those for

1. combined arms attacks which must include armor units [refer to end note 5],
   
2. the inclusion of as many highly effective Commanders as possible [refer to end note 6],
   
3. multi-directional attacks [refer to end note 7],
   
4. terrain and weather.

Failing to make use of every possible advantage may doom an invading force to destruction on the beach. Also, the longer that an embarked land unit remains at sea the greater it's combat efficiency will be reduced. While it may be advantageous to allow an invasion force to float at sea in order to muster a larger invasion force or wait for better weather in subsequent turns, combat effectiveness of land units at sea does wane with extended at sea deployment.

Once a bridgehead has been established, it must be supplied and/or reinforced with transported units. This can be accomplished by

a) Quickly capturing a city or port that produces its own supply,

b) Supplying a captured port with convoys and sea transported combat units,

c) Using Mulberry supply units. This is an extremely expensive alternative and makes the planning considerations even more complex.

Sustaining an invasion force is the critical element for long term success of a sea borne invasion. While both of the preceding considerations, planning and execution are critical, sustenance is vital if the gains at the beachhead are to be leveraged into a successful campaign.

Amphibious assaults are as old as warfare itself. The Persians invaded Greece via amphibious assault in 492 BC. History is complete with brilliant successes such as the D-Day invasion at Normandy in 1944 AD and abysmal failures such as the Gallipoli Campaign at Anzac Cove in 1915 AD. As long as warring nations are separated by bodies of water, amphibious assaults must be boldly planned, flawlessly executed and purposefully sustained. As history has proved many times, the art of conducting an amphibious assault must be mastered in order to achieve complete and total victory. The same is true in SWiE.

1. Wastelands Interactive, Strategic War in Europe Game Manual, section 10.11 Guide for Unload Land Unit from Landing Craft, Poland, 2012, page 39.
   
2. Ibid.
   
3. Wastelands Interactive, Strategic War in Europe Game Manual, section 10.12 Shore Bombardment, Poland, 2012, page 39.
   
4. Wastelands Interactive, Strategic War in Europe Game Manual, section 8.11 Paradrop, Poland, 2012, page 27.
   
5. Wastelands Interactive, Strategic War in Europe Game Manual, section 6.5.1 Attacker Modifiers, Poland, 2012, page 20.
   
6. Wastelands Interactive, Strategic War in Europe Game Manual, section 9.4 Assign Commanders, Poland, 2012, page 29.
   
7. Wastelands Interactive, Strategic War in Europe Game Manual, section 6.5 Attacking with Land Units, Poland, 2012, page 20.