My increase in movement alone makes it often easier to reach targets in time, although the AI on assault is also quite quick to reach and pass my positions. Planes easily reach their destination in one turn, but bombers only have 3 ammo, so can't harass and defend forever. New units, proper arty ranges (the enemy’s too of course!), etc, etc...
My current core in Battleaxe:
1x Inf (depending on hero types, I upgrade them later to something else)
2x Gren (prefer them with movement hero, but good defense is always welcomed)
2x FschJg (only dropped them into close terrain regions so far due fear of tanks)
2x GebJg
4x Pio (these switch cheaply to bridge engineers sometimes because they share the same series)
2x Krad (one has two spotting heroes, providing Sight 5! Excellent to (re-)capture all these empty towns in nowhere land, because only infantry can capture flags in my game)
2x Jg (Jäger, legged Move 4 GebJg)
1x SE Gren
1x SE Jg
6x Pz.3G
2x Pz.4F (they are still hopeless against tanks of course, but I need some cheap upgrades later)
2xPz.B1(f) (Char B1, like the Matilda excellent to endure artillery, better vs. inf than Matilda)
2xPz.Mk2(e) (Matilda II, the best anti-tank siege/defense tank so far, sucks vs. inf due lack of HE shells)
1x SE Pz.3G
1x SE Pz.4F
1x SdKfz 232
3x StuG.3B (range 2, better than StuPz.1 if assaulting fortified positions with enemy artillery. I got Ausf. D (and E but not for Africa) later with improved HT shells)
5x StuPz.1 (range 2, cheesy to play with, but aren’t available after France anymore)
1x leIG 18 (range 2, my paratrooper arty)
4x 21 cm Mrs 18 (range 4, forts and strongholds have only sight 3, so it’s easier for arty to shell)
Gerät 040 and Schwerer Gustav (range 3/8 with train mode to move, which I haven’t really used after France and Spain. I feel they are too powerful as core units)
1x 28 cm K 5 (E) (range 11 with train mode to move, I prefer this cheaper railway gun if no serious strongholds are to overcome. The range sounds silly, but forts have range 4-6 too depending on country)
2x 24 cm K3 (range 6, my invaluable siege arty with extreme range, but cost 789 with SdKfz 9. Very costly to reinforce and overstrength, so have to be used carefully in the background)
2x Flak 36 (with arty range 4, these typically protect my siege artillery and help decimating planes before my fighters engage. I try to avoid using them in AT role due fear of artillery. They have Move 0, hence easily surrender)
5x Bf 109F-1 (plenty variants to upgrade to throughout the war)
2x Ju 87B
1x Bf 110D
1x Ju-88A-4 (better SA but weaker HA compared to Stukas)
1x Bv 138C-1 (my long range recon plane with small bomb load. Very useful for scouting fortified positions, like Tobruk, with the recon move)
2x He 111H-6 (many variants throughout the war, although He 177 later is more powerful but much more expensive)
And the ships of course, where I haven’t lost a single one yet. I use them very carefully, and mainly only battleships and the submarine. My scout plane and the submarine are very useful there to scout for enemy ships. I tend to use the strategic bombers first to weaken the AI ships before I engage with my capital ships. Enemy submarines and destroyers get hammered by my tactical bombers if they don’t have any more important ground assist to do.
I’m looking forward to the naval-only scenario where losses will come for sure.
The AI will always have the disadvantage due lack of reconnaissance skill. If you pummel its recon units quickly, it will stumble like a drunk into ambushes and other plights.
Nevertheless, Nikkis AI assaults are always frightening when he sends an overwhelming force on your small defender groups. These "oh shit!" moments, when you still manage to turn the tides in your favor somehow, make the scenarios very exciting.
I'm currently at end of Battleaxe, and axed those overwhelming Tommy heads (or rather turban ones because they were mainly Indian).
Focusing on the enemy artillery is very important at beginning of defensive scenarios, otherwise your defenders wave the white flag faster than you can blink. Units in the rear to replace crippled units at the front line are also important if you can’t reinforce them due three adjacent enemy units.
Still a couple of scenarios to do until El Alamein, so I take my time... (hint: Nikki, mitigate the Allied steamroller, please!
)
You obviously heard our cries 
), if they used any at all... 
