Challenge Conquest Overview and Recommendations (1939)

Edit: All images added in

The new challenge conquests are an easy way (for those who are in mid-to-late game) to get an easy 3k medals. However, the final objectives require you to finish in less than 25 turns (20 for three-star)!. This requires you to plan ahead and prioritize taking cities. Here I'll recommend the three easiest countries (for each star class) to do and briefly summarize their routes.

Tech needed: Medium-high single digits (I had +1 mobility on tanks and artillery, but everything else is about level 7-ish). Preferably 9 air range, but if you have PMI that’s fine as well.
Generals needed: 3-4 artillery generals (I used Govorov, Welding, Sikorski, and an EC with 3 artillery and mobility stars), 2 tank generals (Patton, Guderian), Sansonetti (occasionally used him instead of Sikorski or Guderian)

Note: I will focus only on the European theatre. The asian theatre can almost always be beaten with the same strategy: Capture Shanghai with an air general (eg. Patton), then paratroop the rest of Asia except for Shenyang (which can be saved for later), then go for Japan. Ideally you want to capture Tokyo so you can deal with Sapporo, but if not then use paratroopers from Osaka and fighters from Yokohama to finish the job. Kill Japanese navy generals so the Allied spam can do its thing. Make sure Itagaki leaves Tokyo before you attack Japan.

Ok, on with the show. Square brackets contain how many turns it took me to win. If you're approaching the turn limit, it's best to just wait until the last turn to end so you have as much resources as possible.

3 stars:
    1. Great Britain (Best positioning, slightly harder than USSR) [20]
Being the empire where the Sun never sets, you find yourself in close proximity to every great Axis power except Japan. In the east, simply destroy Thailand then continue on with the strategy above. In Europe, you also have a fairly linear path. Try to capture both Brussels and Amsterdam, and once you make your way inland split your forces into two. One small force (use Wingate) will go and capture Spain, and the rest will go for Germany, then Italy. In Africa, use your Arabian squad to capture Italian Ethiopia, and your African force to Libya, then Morocco.



    2. France (Good positioning, hardest of the three) [25]
France starts out with a much worse position in Asia, not being able to build a decent tank unit, so it would be helpful for you to capture Thailand. In Europe, kill off the German generals then make a thrust into central Germany, where you then go into Italy. Goering has a lot of health but if you've killed off most of the Germans then the Soviets will help you whittle him down. In Africa, split your forces so you can simultaneously go for Morocco, Libya, and Ethiopia.



    3. USSR (Good positioning except for Italian Ethiopia, easiest of the three) [30]
The USSR probably has the most straightforward route. Simply push into Europe, with your main force going into Southern Germany so you can reach Spain relatively easily. Leave a small reserve to deal with Finland, capture Shenyang before all your generals in Siberia die, and make sure you send a force to Ethiopia via Turkey to save time (I wasted at least 8 turns cause I forgot).



2 stars:
    1. Egypt (Great positioning, easiest as well) [25]
Starts in the thick of it, with an easy path into Italy, and an unobstructed path for you air general into Asia. Remember to send a general to Ethiopia. Not much else to say, Europe is fairly straightforward, and hope you get enough cities in Asia.



    2. Poland (Good positioning, medium difficulty) [25]
Good starting position in Europe with really bad starting troops. Prioritize building artillery for the first 2-3 turns so you can get rid of Guderian and his helpers. Remember to send an air general to Asia. Don’t worry about Finland. Go straight for Germany, again avoiding Goering until you have the firepower to deal with him. Let the Balkans fall so you can steal Romania, Yugoslavia, and Greece to launch paratroopers towards Ethiopia.



    3. India (Decent positioning, easy difficulty) [25]
You won’t be able to rely on spam to defeat Japan, but you are the spam. Send a couple of troops + your air general to kill Thailand en route to Shanghai, and then do the same thing you always do. Also send one of your artillery generals to Ethiopia. Everyone else goes to kill Turkey so you can use it as a landing spot in the Balkans, then use the same strategy that you’d use as the USSR.



1 star:
    1. Greece (Best starting position, relatively easy) [25]
You have a straight shot at Ethiopia, a decent start with Yugoslavia as a meatshield, and very easy access to Asia as well. Focus on building artilleries your first few turns, and kill Bulgaria as soon as possible so you can join forces with the USSR.



    2. Yugoslavia (Great starting position, but brutal difficulty) [25]
Spam artilleries for the first few turns and kill Bulgaria right away so you can deal with Germany. The USSR will help you deal with Romania, so parasnipe Bucharest or other cities when possible so you can expand to the north. Once Italian super tanks arrive try to lure them into the sea. Remember to send a tank to Shanghai. Let Greece fall so you can use Athens as a springboard to Ethiopia.



    3. Norway (Decent starting position, easiest difficulty) [30]
Kill Sweden so you can send Patton to China via Finland. Use Denmark as a landing spot so you can sweep southward and meet up with the Soviets. Amsterdam, Brussels, and Copenhagen will fall so steal those cities. Fairly straightforward.



Other countries I’ve done that I don’t recommend:
US [30] (bad position); Netherlands [35], Belgium [35], Denmark [35] (too easy to get boxed in); ROC [35] (bad position); All axis countries