• My gaming group has only recently gotten a hold of global 1940, a friend of mine and I are almost always Axis and after a few games under our belts with Alpha +2, we both seem to disagree as to what to do with Japan. My take on it is that the Japanese should spend the first 3 turns pumping as many ground units into China as possible so that when the U.S. finally attacks, the Japanese can focus all resources on naval builds without having to worry about the condition of their ground troops on the mainland.

    My friend, on the other hand, is convinced on attacking the Allies early - and by early I mean 1st turn - to grab the money islands and bring the hurt before the Allies can do much. In all games we’ve played so far, Japan’s been marginalized after a few turns as it simply can’t deal with UK, ANZAC, China, and the USA all at once.

    What do players regularly do as Japan? I’m sure there’s something we’re not considering.


  • With Japan, you need to rush in Asia and build up your IPCS quick. Start, by attacking Eastern Russia and get a good push on China. Prepare to make armies for Asia and prepare to hit Philippines, some Dutch islands, Hong Kong, and French Indo China next turn. Also some places in Russia and China.

    Now about the US:

    They could either
    A) Ignore you and send a huge force against Germany.
    B) Ignore Germany and go for you.
    C) Split their forces fairly evenly.

    If they send a huge force towards Germany try to win the battles in Asia and the Pacific (easy with little or now US support.) Then start building up a huge navy and some transports and guys to load them. Try to send an assault to wipe out Australia. Since Germany will probably be weak on the Eastern Front, try to sustain the Russians, but don’t do anything stupid.

    Then start doing random attacks in Alaska, BC, and places in Mexico. Then go south and try to race to the Atlantic. Tell Germany to just hold off the allies until you can get a good fleet in their. Also land in Brazil build a minor IC (3 ships per turn.)

    If they go for you prepare for war! Try to look for vulnerable places in British and Chinese defenses. Still push on the Russians, then prepare your navy. Try to rush on Australia, to get some money to fund your ship construction. Also build planes too. Try to attack their forces quickly since you start out with bigger naval and air units then the Americans, but they will always have more money, so they’ll catch up really quickly.

    If they play fair and split just try to focus at first on taking out Asia and Australia, while just holding the US off till you can strike, but if battles in Asia are taking to long to win, just fight the US.

    The US is your only real enemy.

    ANZAC is pretty much the US’ bitch.
    UK and China just want to get you off Asia.
    Russia will run away with their 18 infantry off to China, while you steal some of their money.


  • @Dylan:

    Then start doing random attacks in Alaska, BC, and places in Mexico. Then go south and try to race to the Atlantic. Tell Germany to just hold off the allies until you can get a good fleet in their. Also land in Brazil build a minor IC (3 ships per turn.)

    You realize building in USA’s backyard this is plain suicide, right? (not to say impossible to reach)


  • @special:

    @Dylan:

    Then start doing random attacks in Alaska, BC, and places in Mexico. Then go south and try to race to the Atlantic. Tell Germany to just hold off the allies until you can get a good fleet in their. Also land in Brazil build a minor IC (3 ships per turn.)

    You realize building in USA’s backyard this is plain suicide, right? (not to say impossible to reach)

    Eh, most of my friends suck, so I guess that doesn’t usually work. Oh well.

  • Sponsor

    A good Japan strategy should always include taking the Philippines J3, and all the Dutch islands eventually. Also Malaya is a must if the goal is to achieve the victory condition in the Pacific. If the goal is to get the victory condition in Europe, than it is up to Japan to take out Calcutta and head straight for Stalingrad, through China. Italy should take Cairo, and help take Stalingard from the middle east.


  • Is it really good idea to attack Russia with Japan in alpha 2 my friend once tried it and it didnt go pretty well

  • Sponsor

    @valtteri771:

    Is it really good idea to attack Russia with Japan in alpha 2 my friend once tried it and it didnt go pretty well

    Not as much of a risk in +2, as +3…… But it still needs to be done right and with good timing, if your heading in that direction, why not just go through northern China?


  • Count one for your friend.

    With a good old J3/J4 India Crush, you accomplish the following:

    -you keep American attention away from Gibraltar, which is allied tactic #1 for screwing Italy. 2-3 Italian NO’s depend upon controlling the med; now you’ve got a chance

    -you keep Calcutta from seizing the Middle East in UK1 and UK2, allied tactic #2 for screwing Italy. 6 IPCs in NO’s, the Cauc. bonus, and a Southern front against Russia; Italy can have all these things if Calcutta isn’t given any room to breath

    -for Japan, a J1 attack brings you from 2 to 4 VC’s with a 5th (Calcutta) on the way. If ANZAC isn’t careful, a properly designed J1 can lead to the invasion of Sydney J3 (and basically end the game, IMO)

    -the money islands are ripe for the picking, especially if you go the extra mile and sink the Malayan BB with your strat. bombers and the Formosa fighter. Japan is hurting for land units on the mainland, and it makes a big difference if you can seize those islands with, say, a few transports zipping single guys around, rather than having to mount actual invasions


    Of course, the question is, how to deal with the United States?

    Keep in mind: a proper J1 involves taking Manila, which limits the US boost to 70 IPCs. That’s not a lot. Japan starts with 26, gets +10/11 with FIC, Hong Kong, Manila, and Chinese territories (J1), and can realistically have Calcutta (+8), Malaya (+3), and the money isles (+20) by J4, in addition to another few Chinese tts. Give or take, that’s 70 IPCs.

    Also, consider the logistics of the US situation. They are in no position to accomplish anything US1 anyway, and by US2 the best they can have is a decent (but not superior) fleet in Hawaii. Even if you don’t bother screening them, their options are limited.

    In general, I think the best solution is to destroyer screen them until you’re done whipping mainland ass, at which point you make a few carrier buys for whatever air you have left, and begin playing the stacking game with what should still be a formidable navy.

    And keep in mind, even if things don’t go as smoothly as they could… out West you’ve got a healthy Italy and a Germany that can focus on the Eastern front.


    My 2 cents, but I can honestly say if I was playing a game of A&A to save my life, I’d definitely use a J1.

  • Sponsor

    Very interesting analysis, of course there are sever economic risks involved when attacking the Pacific allies J1, I can’t comment much on your plan because I have never experienced a J1 attack or have imagined what the states could bit with that much money, and 3 new majors. I would love to see a 3 turn blue print.


  • Well, without being too specific (obviously, certain accommodations must be made for dice luck, opponents’ tactics, etc.), I’ll give you a three turn summary of a typical J1 attack:

    J1

    -Buy 3 trans., save 5

    ATTACKS
    -take CHA with one Jehol inf.
    -take ANHWE with 1 Jehol art., and all SHA/KSI forces save for one trailing art. (which will fill a transport against PHI later on)
    -Use 2 KSI inf. and Manchuria air to take Hunan (the amount of this air can vary, depending upon what you’re dealing with against Russia)
    -Use KWA land (3 inf., 1 art.) and KSU air vs. Yunnan (if you decide to leave sz37 alone, you can augment this with your 2 Japan bombers)
    -take FIC with your Siam inf.
    -send 2 bombers and Formosa f. vs. sz37 BB (Formosa f. can land in Siam)
    -use Ok f., 2 tac. (Japan), a 1 inf., 1 tank (from Japan via trans.) vs. Hong Kong
    -send your entire navy SAVE FOR 1 dd (sz33), 2 dd’s (sz6), all planes on sz6 carriers vs. sz35
    -fill 1 transport with 1 inf., 1 art. from KSI, one with 1 art. (Manchuria), 1 inf. (Okinawa), plus sz33 planes vs. Phillipines. Be careful with what you take for hits, as it may be more advantageous to win with 1 inf., 1 art. rather than 2 art., since it’s nice to have 1 full, 1 empty transport rather than 2 with an art. each
    -IF Russia sets its stack in Bury, invade Amur with your 6 Man inf. and 4 Korean inf. Always invade Amur; if necessary, you can augment the 10 inf. with Man planes (you don’t need all four for Hunan), or anything else you can figure out

    NC
    -take 1 Jehol inf. and move it to Manchuria (as there are now 2 Mongolians on your doorstep, and you’d rather hand them Jehol than Man.)
    -land all your mainland planes in KWA plus sz37 bombers (put the sz37 fighter in Siam if you’re lucky enough to retain it)
    -put your Korean and Ok fighters in Japan (you should have three to scramble now)
    -fly all your sz6 planes (2 tac., 2 f.) to Carolines

    PLACE
    -3 trans. in sz6

    COLLECTS
    26 + 5 + 4 (China) + 2 (FIC) + 3 (HK) + 2 (PHI) = 42 IPCs


    J2 - 42 IPCs

    Obviously things get a little more nebulous now. If UK allows you to retain FIC, than 12 IPCs for a minor there. To pressure them fully, and perhaps entice them to use their remaining navy to block rather than stack, 15 IPCs to a naval base on Hainan isle.

    Ideally, you want to end up with ICs in FIC and Malaya to kill Calcutta nice and slow while your navy and transports storm ANZAC… but this strategy is designed to beat anyone, not just fools.

    Anywhoo, let’s examine our situation in the Ocean.

    We have air that can reach sz62 (off the Sydney Coast), and carriers that can catch them in sz54. If ANZAC is not extremely cautious, we can crush them good and hard:

    -If they leave a good amount of troops in Queensland, we can use those Carolines planes + Phillipines land + sb (remember, almost your entire navy is in sz35) to invade Queensland. In NC, we send 3 loaded Japanese transports to the Carolines and on J3, invade Sydney (which won’t have any land left to defend itself).

    -If they are more careful, and hole up in Sydney + make land buys, we can still park a carrier or two and a dd from sz35 in sz54, and send part/all of the Carolines air to sink whatever they have in sz62 (at best, it’s 2 dd and a cruiser).

    We basically abuse ANZAC in whatever way they let us. If they use their sole 2 warships to block us in sz’s 45,34,46, we destroy them even more easily.

    You may be wondering; where is the US in all of this? Well, for US1 they are almost entirely benign, stacking up in Hawaii. On J2, no matter what, we end the turn by putting a dd ring around Hawaii (sz’s 30, 31, 25). If you are looking to poke a hole in this strategy, this is it: the US can avoid being penned in like cattle if they see it coming.

    Without a solid screen on the US, ANZAC attacks usually spell doom. Like I said, we’re not whipping newbies here; this strategy is designed to crush India while offering Japan the opportunity to crush ANZAC instead IF it presents itself.

    In the end, those loaded sz6 transports go to sz36, possibly retaking FIC if necessary. 1 full trans. from PHI goes against Malaya, and the second one grabs the PAU inf. and takes Borneo (or perhaps Celebes, with your sz35 subs being used to convoy raid Borneo). Either way, your enemy is Britain, so focus on squeezing her income. This means Malaya, Borneo, and any of the DEI they may have taken UK1.

    The big one is this; UK usually pushes a stack into Burma UK1, to help China hold Yunnan. Fine. Your PHI transports can reach Burma, along with carriers to catch aircraft and sb (make use of your sb’s!), so whip that stack. Strat. bomb Calcutta. Kill any remaining navy you can. If he’s been dicking around in Persia, there should be no screens or infantry stacks present to stop you from taking Calcutta on J3. If he’s been responsible… J4.

    Anyway, at this point I’d rather wait and consider any counterpoints some of you might make rather than spell this whole thing out. There are too many variables to give a single static recipe; I do, however, maintain that by “taking what the defense gives you,” and having the flexibility to adjust and whatnot, your J1 attack will be successful.

    Here’s the big thing: People play A&A because it approximates WW2, and they apply what they know about WW2 to the game. The US players want to storm Normandy. Axis players want to invade Moscow, and will submit Japan and Italy to achieving that end. This is all fallacy. The game is not WW2. In the game, Japan can be and, I believe, should be treated as the primary Axis actor.

    Obviously though, I wouldn’t be writing all this if I wasn’t interested in some feedback.


  • attacking early only means US is going to end up swamping you later. I don’t see a way Japan can hold on very easily with US being a Juggernaught.


  • @valtteri771:

    Is it really good idea to attack Russia with Japan in alpha 2 my friend once tried it and it didnt go pretty well

    Like everything, it’s a catch 22. In my last game, I played Japan and putting a minor Indu Complex in Manchuria worked for me, on J1 so on J2 I could start building tanks to support for the 18 infrt attack on USSR. I included all my planes in that space too from mainlad Japan.
    J1 also, I moved from main SZ around mainland Japan, all my two loaded AC to meet up with the other fleet in Carolina Islands, along with 2 loaded transporters with two infrt, tank and arti gun, J2 I placed that huge fleet around Fiji Islands ( not attacking UK Island ).

    This confused the US player as I was two steps from attacking Sydney, or Hawii. My intentions was to go with all the support of the Ja navy fleet on J3 to wrap around South America to move to help Italians in Med and on land attacks. The game unfortunatly didn’t get any further.

    I however did demolish the 18 infrt in USSR’s east coast J3.


  • What is russia just keeps retreating his 18 inf? That’s what I would do. Let Japan send all her money after russia. I will kill Japan quickly with US and then send everything with US after Germany. Russia will die more than likely, but the allies should be able to crush germany and Italy after Japan is taken out of the game.


  • I used to hit the U.S.A. early R1 but that left me to weak later R3 or R4 is the best time to hit the U.S.A. alot depend on the dice.  Look to get a min factory and a Naval base on R1 and R2
    Two of our players hit Russia on R1 hit China hard
     Look into buying Trans and Inf also on R1 & R2 then set yourself to take Islands for money, hit India hit the Phil. Ilsands  hit the Alut/Alaska and an Island that will take away any and all the N.O.'s you possibly can
    Once you make some money you can kind of keep pace with the Americans as far as a weapons build up race
     I think that if you can save a buck or three to make a better purchase on the next round then do so ( I think I’m the only one in our group that thinks like that )
    Praise the dice gods
    opps I forgot to say hit Hawaii and pay attention to the convoy damage

  • Sponsor

    Nice detail Jerc, I will need some time to read it, but I will get back to you with my 2 cents.

Suggested Topics

  • 43
  • 6
  • 5
  • 10
  • 78
  • 14
  • 17
  • 39
Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

32

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts