When will the Soviet Union and Japan be placed in war?

@Fatespinner:

I find it quite difficult to keep China from being killed. How would you suggest doing it?

It’s pretty much impossible to keep China alive if Japan focuses on them.  It’s more about prolonging death and being annoying than not dying.

@mastermind93:

If I remember correctly, you can’t build a Major IC in a foreign territory. I do agree, though, on the importance of the Caroline Islands.

I think originally it was allowed. If not, i’ve been had ;)

@jim010:

He will lobby?  So he does not have a hand in deciding this?

From what I understand, Larry is the creative mind behind AA but it is WOTC that puts up the money and capital to print and distribute the game. He is essentially contracted by WOTC (or otherwise sells his idea) and they take it and run with it.

Obviously he has significant influence on the final product but because he doesnt own the company that’s making all the profit he doesn’t make the final call.

I’m sure if Larry had his way we would have paper money… and maybe some variation of Alpha.

There are tons of people for the J1 attack.  However we have played our last 6 games with Japan attacking on the 4th round.  Even though the UK gets extra money from the islands it doesn’t compare to the USA’s bonus money.  last 6 games Japan has taken India in round 5 every time.
  Now we have played multiple games with the J1 attack and are about 50/50 on who wins.

Since Japan has so many planes I find MI are really useful as bullet sponges. The planes provide mobile killing power, the MI mobile protection for the planes and occupation.

thanks to mirage, I couldn’t think of a nicer way to put it.

If US decides to build up in HAW seazone, your aircraft are useless for a complete round (or more). Because you can’t fight that seazone (6 spaces). As US player I would just sit tight, build up and move to Japan via a northern route. Or go to Indies via southern route (Australia). Or build up TR with loads of cargo to take out Carolines. For every fighter it costs Japan it costs an inf for US.

And I think it will be a very dull way to play, or am I mistaken?

Japan needs to do two things on their third turn if possible (assuming they didn’t fall into taking the bait), they need to take the Philippines and try and take Hawaii if possible.  This will deny the US the most income

Unless the US player is asleep at the wheel I dont see taking Pearl as a viable T3 Japanese goal. I agree that PI must fall on J3, but all the rest of Japan’s power should be pasting the Brits and Chinese. There is little the US can do that early to make any impact on Japan or her econ without risking catastrophic US casualties. Given that, Japan should spend her time and force on overwhelming overkill on the Brits and Chinese. Once they are dead, the game is effectively over unless the US is in serious positions to overturn the Japanese econ (unlikely from what I can see).

I do agree that the Brits have to do everything they can to simply stay alive and force Japan to keep her airpower focused on land. I think that is going to mean investing a in a LOT of troops and maybe AA-guns. A few more of those floating around might give the Japanese pause about throwing 4 Bettys and 4 Zekes/Vals into the fray….

If possible, I think it would be understandable to bait Japan with a DD or an unprotected bomber or something.  As long as the US loses less than 40IPCs in the bait, they are fine cause they will get a net +.

Yes and no. If you can get the Japanese to jump before they are ready then maybe, but once the Japanese kick off, the Brits are going to lose both of their bonuses (assuming they got the 4 island one) and probably half their base econ as well. That goes a long way towards eating into that +40 for the US and frankly, as Japan I’d rather the US had the money than the Brits at that point. My goal as Japan is to keep every Allied IPC OUT of Asia as I possibly can.

This will reduce the combined income of the Allies by 20 IPCs.  Japan should be able to close the Burma road and take Hong Kong too.  Now the Allies have lost 30 IPCs.  Things look very balanced at this point.

Except that Japan still has considerably more disposable combat power on the board as well as FAR FAR FAR superior interior positions and coordination. To me, that is the real killer for the Allies at this point.