Waring in Africa - Ethiopia: Lessons & Perspectives (SP)
Posted: Mar 04 2007
Below are some player perspectives on playing Ethiopia, drawing on mostly current SP play (and some prior playing the same country). I'll begin with initial forces and industrial abilities that are most critical, then transition to the actual fighting as the war effort begins.
WHY Ethiopia? First, it is one of the most challenging in Africa, other than Niger, because of its poverty level, sheer size and lack of resources. It is not a country for beginners (or those without alot of patience to get waring!). [For beginners, I recommend something like Guatemala or Honduras, which has both resources, but are small countries to manage
and no big competitors to worry about attacking you first!]
But first, the initial set-up.
ETHIOPIA is provided with the following in initial set-up:
Treasury: 425 million; Debt: 3.21 billion (BN); GDP: 700; Tech Level: 80; Domestic Opinion: 23%; Military Opinion: 50%.
What is most important? Treasury....unquestionably. You won't be able to keep it at this level and satisfy both Social Growth investment and Domestic Opinion demands. Don't try to.....let Domestic Opinion fall....use the LOCK function to local in 18 BN or so Social investment - then, build it up slowly as you can. In 2-years, hope to be at 23-25 BN (which is far below recommended, but unlikely you can afford industrial and military improvements if you are significantly higher, as Social will be consuming as much as 85-88% of your budget).
Military Forces: 39 Active battalions (Bn.), incl 15 Garrison Bn's.
Others: APC: 3 BTR-60; Recon: 3 BRDM-1; Tank: 2 T-62; 7 T-55 + 4 Reserve T-55; Arty: 2 M-46 130-mm; 2 BM-21 122-mm MRL; 4 ZU-23-2 AAA bn's.
Air Force: 0.5 Mig-29 Fulcrum (1/2 sdn; 9 airc); 1 Mig-23 Flogger; 2 Mig-21 Fishbed (27 airc) fighters; 1 C-130 (12) transport; 1 Mi-35 Hind attack helicopter.
Navy: 4 Patrol GABG-5 (generic patrol craft design); 1 Patrol Craft; 1 P-205U (OSA-1) missile patrol craft (PTG).
Mil Facilities: 1 Airstrip; 1 Sea Pier; 1 Military Outpost (Addis Ababa - old spelling). Military Outpost can built ground units; Airstrip and Sea Pier cannot build equipment without upgrading.
Equipment Build Options: (all army): Garrisons; Light Infantry; BMP-1; YW-531 Type 63, WZ-501 Type 86; BRDM-1 recon; tanks: Chinese Type 69, Type 59 and Russian T-62 medium + Chinese C-62 light (really recon type); BRDM-2 Anti-Tank (AT); Arty: M-46 (130-mm), D-30 (122-mm),
155-mm Towed (generic), M56 105-mm Pack howitzer; AAA: ZSU-57-2 tracked; Transport: Supply Truck.
INDUSTRIAL: one Timber, 1 Agriculture, 1 Consumer Goods, 1 Industrial Goods (8%) + 1 Military Goods (also low %) facilities. Research Fac: none.
RESOURCES: NO Coal, Petroleum, Ores. (Yuk!)
--------------------
SET PRIORITIES.
First, set your 1st year priorities. EXPORT (or trade with World Market) is a MUST for a low, impoverished country like Ethiopia.
Therefore, use existing monies to:
Civilian: build 1 Agric & 1 Timber Mil facility.
Military: build Military Outpost at Bahir Dar (NW Ethiopia on Sudan invasion route); then, begin new Airstrip at either Asmera or Bahir Dar.
Follow this with another Military Outpost on the road leading north out of Kenya....Kenya's invasion route to your capitol.
Research: I chose the Mi-2 Hoplite light helicopter. Reason: has both transport and attack (AT) options in its capability. It will take along time to build - almost 3-years likely - which is just about as long as it will take you to expand the Airstrip aty Adis Abeba (new sp.) to a Airfield category able to build aircraft, BUT you won't be given any aircraft designs to build at the beginning(!)
Without building a new Research Fac., you can only choose one military design and the Mi-2 had proved useful in the past in both AT and supply missions. Not robust by any means, but best you have from optional designs offered. [Save the Mig-19 fighter design for later research.]
I did not build Ground equipment, because over the first 3-years, World Market will offer you a variety of new equipment - when offered at "0" (zero) cost, TAKE IT!. Otherwise, generally pass up on these offers, which often are made when you are OUT of monies (or depressed)....and are often at the 400 million levels that you cannot afford to buy into.
Therefore, Lowest priorities are: naval base expansion; research; and airfield expansion.
MONEY Comments. During the first 2.5-3.0 years, try to keep above the 'red line' treasury debt at all times. otherwise you will get facility and unit delays in completion.
For military forces - in the case of Ethiopia - put the older stuff into Reserve status, including all T-55s, BRDM-1, BM-21 MRL, and ZU-23-2 AA
units. Keep the T-62 and BTR-60s active, and put the two Mig-21s into reserve. Keep all else Active. This will reduce your military costs. [Bring them back into Active service only a few months before you think you will go to war or someone else had declared war on you!]
Build Garrison units only when you don't have one in each town/city. Buld DEFENSIVE type units (Anti-Tank, Arty mostly) the first 1-1.5-years,
which will insure a better position if you get attacks after the 1.5-year period (AI will sometimes attack after this period, but some wars on your continent are likely to begin about 9-months into the game....watch them and see how differing units perform against other unit types).
You can have only 7 Bn's in a Hex (35-km) zone, but built Brigades of mixed types, focused primarily as Tank, Artillery, or Infantry types - with two or three units of alternative type. Huh? This mean a Tank brigade (bde) would have 4-5 medium tanks and then add 1 Tracked Arty + 1 AT Vehicle or a Anti-Air (ZU-57-2 or ZSU-23-4 Shilka) type vehicle within the brigade of seven units. Think of this as Combined Arms within the limits of SR2010...closest thing one can do to create in a single-type unit SR2010.
Monies for the first 3-years - plus priorities - will prevent you from sending Amry or Air Force units off to Training....;
in Foreign relations, use your agriculture, timber or other products to offer Grant aid (gift's) to neighbors who are beginning to go from green color lines to yellow....then comes red (that mean's war is coming!).
In the case of Ethiopia, South Africa and one of the West African countries will likely go yellow and then red on you. Don't worry about them at this stage.....maybe some quarterly Gifts (donations) to the West African country going adverse on you... because they are NOT on YOUR BORDER and the SR2010 AI for naval management DOES NOT send their naval forces to your coast to blockade imports/exports or to bombard or seize your ports!
For Research, this is a priority that (in my view) should come only AFTER you have expanded the to Airfield or Air Base level, Naval Base level, or army base capable of at least 6 unit build at the same time. Research facilities are very expensive, and priority should be placed on getting base manufacturing capabilities and military facility expansions first....
R fac's are also very long term in their building time, as is the time to go from Naval Pier to naval base levels. Therefore, plan ahead.
This is an intro to problems of Ethiopia....but has application to other countries that tend to be impoverished. Because they lack petroleum, coal and ore resources (or maybe have just one of above), they are also less likely targets of neighbors run by the AI. But, don't get complacent after 3-years....World Market has donated or offered alot of equipment to your neighbors in the interim and caution is required, along with judicious use of donations of goods (timber, agric, commodities, etc) that can offset their tendency to go to war with you.
IF your Domestic Opinion remains below about 33-35%, you won't be able to negotiate Treaties, but don't worry about it if you are impoverished - you have other priorities for your Treasury and Social spending (that must be forces to lower levels just to keep treasury above the red).
Strategic Perspective: At the 3-year point, Ethiopia has remained - and chosen - to stay out of war. Sudan is the 400-lb guerrilla to the north - set up your defenses to deter him - and Kenya +Somalia are the weaker options to consider going after. However, Kenya Federation has no viable resources that will help you (no coal or ore for example)....so, forget it and deal with Sudan. Sudan is rich in OIL and this will translate to wealth and flexibility in the future for your economy and military.
Build first a defensive force in the first 2-2.5 years, then transition to an offensive military force, backed by good production ability at your army bases and a future ability to build aircraft and naval ships. Then, when you are ready - or the AI / Sudan takes the initiative - your are ready to fight!
[Updates will follow in time....as developments warrant.]
WHY Ethiopia? First, it is one of the most challenging in Africa, other than Niger, because of its poverty level, sheer size and lack of resources. It is not a country for beginners (or those without alot of patience to get waring!). [For beginners, I recommend something like Guatemala or Honduras, which has both resources, but are small countries to manage
and no big competitors to worry about attacking you first!]
But first, the initial set-up.
ETHIOPIA is provided with the following in initial set-up:
Treasury: 425 million; Debt: 3.21 billion (BN); GDP: 700; Tech Level: 80; Domestic Opinion: 23%; Military Opinion: 50%.
What is most important? Treasury....unquestionably. You won't be able to keep it at this level and satisfy both Social Growth investment and Domestic Opinion demands. Don't try to.....let Domestic Opinion fall....use the LOCK function to local in 18 BN or so Social investment - then, build it up slowly as you can. In 2-years, hope to be at 23-25 BN (which is far below recommended, but unlikely you can afford industrial and military improvements if you are significantly higher, as Social will be consuming as much as 85-88% of your budget).
Military Forces: 39 Active battalions (Bn.), incl 15 Garrison Bn's.
Others: APC: 3 BTR-60; Recon: 3 BRDM-1; Tank: 2 T-62; 7 T-55 + 4 Reserve T-55; Arty: 2 M-46 130-mm; 2 BM-21 122-mm MRL; 4 ZU-23-2 AAA bn's.
Air Force: 0.5 Mig-29 Fulcrum (1/2 sdn; 9 airc); 1 Mig-23 Flogger; 2 Mig-21 Fishbed (27 airc) fighters; 1 C-130 (12) transport; 1 Mi-35 Hind attack helicopter.
Navy: 4 Patrol GABG-5 (generic patrol craft design); 1 Patrol Craft; 1 P-205U (OSA-1) missile patrol craft (PTG).
Mil Facilities: 1 Airstrip; 1 Sea Pier; 1 Military Outpost (Addis Ababa - old spelling). Military Outpost can built ground units; Airstrip and Sea Pier cannot build equipment without upgrading.
Equipment Build Options: (all army): Garrisons; Light Infantry; BMP-1; YW-531 Type 63, WZ-501 Type 86; BRDM-1 recon; tanks: Chinese Type 69, Type 59 and Russian T-62 medium + Chinese C-62 light (really recon type); BRDM-2 Anti-Tank (AT); Arty: M-46 (130-mm), D-30 (122-mm),
155-mm Towed (generic), M56 105-mm Pack howitzer; AAA: ZSU-57-2 tracked; Transport: Supply Truck.
INDUSTRIAL: one Timber, 1 Agriculture, 1 Consumer Goods, 1 Industrial Goods (8%) + 1 Military Goods (also low %) facilities. Research Fac: none.
RESOURCES: NO Coal, Petroleum, Ores. (Yuk!)
--------------------
SET PRIORITIES.
First, set your 1st year priorities. EXPORT (or trade with World Market) is a MUST for a low, impoverished country like Ethiopia.
Therefore, use existing monies to:
Civilian: build 1 Agric & 1 Timber Mil facility.
Military: build Military Outpost at Bahir Dar (NW Ethiopia on Sudan invasion route); then, begin new Airstrip at either Asmera or Bahir Dar.
Follow this with another Military Outpost on the road leading north out of Kenya....Kenya's invasion route to your capitol.
Research: I chose the Mi-2 Hoplite light helicopter. Reason: has both transport and attack (AT) options in its capability. It will take along time to build - almost 3-years likely - which is just about as long as it will take you to expand the Airstrip aty Adis Abeba (new sp.) to a Airfield category able to build aircraft, BUT you won't be given any aircraft designs to build at the beginning(!)
Without building a new Research Fac., you can only choose one military design and the Mi-2 had proved useful in the past in both AT and supply missions. Not robust by any means, but best you have from optional designs offered. [Save the Mig-19 fighter design for later research.]
I did not build Ground equipment, because over the first 3-years, World Market will offer you a variety of new equipment - when offered at "0" (zero) cost, TAKE IT!. Otherwise, generally pass up on these offers, which often are made when you are OUT of monies (or depressed)....and are often at the 400 million levels that you cannot afford to buy into.
Therefore, Lowest priorities are: naval base expansion; research; and airfield expansion.
MONEY Comments. During the first 2.5-3.0 years, try to keep above the 'red line' treasury debt at all times. otherwise you will get facility and unit delays in completion.
For military forces - in the case of Ethiopia - put the older stuff into Reserve status, including all T-55s, BRDM-1, BM-21 MRL, and ZU-23-2 AA
units. Keep the T-62 and BTR-60s active, and put the two Mig-21s into reserve. Keep all else Active. This will reduce your military costs. [Bring them back into Active service only a few months before you think you will go to war or someone else had declared war on you!]
Build Garrison units only when you don't have one in each town/city. Buld DEFENSIVE type units (Anti-Tank, Arty mostly) the first 1-1.5-years,
which will insure a better position if you get attacks after the 1.5-year period (AI will sometimes attack after this period, but some wars on your continent are likely to begin about 9-months into the game....watch them and see how differing units perform against other unit types).
You can have only 7 Bn's in a Hex (35-km) zone, but built Brigades of mixed types, focused primarily as Tank, Artillery, or Infantry types - with two or three units of alternative type. Huh? This mean a Tank brigade (bde) would have 4-5 medium tanks and then add 1 Tracked Arty + 1 AT Vehicle or a Anti-Air (ZU-57-2 or ZSU-23-4 Shilka) type vehicle within the brigade of seven units. Think of this as Combined Arms within the limits of SR2010...closest thing one can do to create in a single-type unit SR2010.
Monies for the first 3-years - plus priorities - will prevent you from sending Amry or Air Force units off to Training....;
in Foreign relations, use your agriculture, timber or other products to offer Grant aid (gift's) to neighbors who are beginning to go from green color lines to yellow....then comes red (that mean's war is coming!).
In the case of Ethiopia, South Africa and one of the West African countries will likely go yellow and then red on you. Don't worry about them at this stage.....maybe some quarterly Gifts (donations) to the West African country going adverse on you... because they are NOT on YOUR BORDER and the SR2010 AI for naval management DOES NOT send their naval forces to your coast to blockade imports/exports or to bombard or seize your ports!
For Research, this is a priority that (in my view) should come only AFTER you have expanded the to Airfield or Air Base level, Naval Base level, or army base capable of at least 6 unit build at the same time. Research facilities are very expensive, and priority should be placed on getting base manufacturing capabilities and military facility expansions first....
R fac's are also very long term in their building time, as is the time to go from Naval Pier to naval base levels. Therefore, plan ahead.
This is an intro to problems of Ethiopia....but has application to other countries that tend to be impoverished. Because they lack petroleum, coal and ore resources (or maybe have just one of above), they are also less likely targets of neighbors run by the AI. But, don't get complacent after 3-years....World Market has donated or offered alot of equipment to your neighbors in the interim and caution is required, along with judicious use of donations of goods (timber, agric, commodities, etc) that can offset their tendency to go to war with you.
IF your Domestic Opinion remains below about 33-35%, you won't be able to negotiate Treaties, but don't worry about it if you are impoverished - you have other priorities for your Treasury and Social spending (that must be forces to lower levels just to keep treasury above the red).
Strategic Perspective: At the 3-year point, Ethiopia has remained - and chosen - to stay out of war. Sudan is the 400-lb guerrilla to the north - set up your defenses to deter him - and Kenya +Somalia are the weaker options to consider going after. However, Kenya Federation has no viable resources that will help you (no coal or ore for example)....so, forget it and deal with Sudan. Sudan is rich in OIL and this will translate to wealth and flexibility in the future for your economy and military.
Build first a defensive force in the first 2-2.5 years, then transition to an offensive military force, backed by good production ability at your army bases and a future ability to build aircraft and naval ships. Then, when you are ready - or the AI / Sudan takes the initiative - your are ready to fight!
[Updates will follow in time....as developments warrant.]