Hello, I play pacific 1940 a lot. I have also played global a few times. Pacific 1940 second edition is a great game but I can almost easily win every time if I’m Japan and I attack on the third turn. A new rule was passed around late 2014 to allow the USA to receive a 30 IPC bonus if Japan attacks or declares war on them before turn 4. This seems to balance the game a little but I can still always win with Japan. The strategy for Japan is pretty much the same. Take the money islands, build a minor in French Indo China and Kwangtung and knock out China and India. Post in the Philippines with your huge navy and three fighters that can scramble and those six deadly kamikizes. Let Anzac and USA come to you so you can use the fighters to defend at 4 when the big navy battle happens. Eventually you will be making more than the allies with the money islands NO and the India NO. You should be around the 70-75 mark. Then when the time is right strike at Sydney or Hawaii and hold it and you should win as it will be six victory cities. For the allies, man this can be tuff lol. You better hope Japan attacks you on turn 1 or turn 4 because turn 2 and especially 3 it’s going to be difficult.
1: China: buy men and hit and run and fall back to the north west of China. You will be lucky if the Burma road is open more than two turns. Pull back and make Japan come to you.
2: UK: pull everyone back to India and just buy men!!! Try to bring your navy down to Australia and unite them with Anzac and hopefully later USA. If it looks like India is going to fall then pull your airforce out and send them to Australia to hopefully land on a Anzac or American carrier. If Japan hasn’t declared war early then take as many islands in the south as possible .
3: Anzac: small ships and transports are good. if it looks like Japan is going to invade then pull your forces to south Australia because from there you can hit any territory. Use your small ships to convoy raid or unite with the main USA fleet. Queensland is a great staging area for the allied navy early in the game. Also since there’s a airbase there fighters don’t hurt also since they can scramble.
4:USA: the big boy lol. The problem is when USA is neutral she only makes a freaking 17 ipcs a turn. While Japan is around the 40 mark and Japan has soooooooo many aircraft at its disposal. USA I say aircraft carrier early then mainly subs, destroyers, and a transport every turn with land units. A few rounds into the game get a navy base on the Johnson islands and start combining your fleet with the Anzac fleet and hopefully a small UK fleet. try to take the money islands by sacrificing transports because Japan will have a bigger navy early in the game. When the time is right move to Dutch New Guinea with your fleet and prepare for the big battle. Sometimes it’s better if Japan attacks you and sometimes it’s better if you attsck them. Hopefully you will have a lot of subs at your disposal. If you win the navy battle then Japan is pretty much toast even if they have India and China. Good luck and let me know how the war goes lol. I am playing anniversary edition on Saturday 😜
Blocking strategy when not at war
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Hi all,
(Sorry if this has been answered somewhere else, but I didn’t find it.)
I read in various messages that players could block the advance of an enemy navy. For instance:
“The US can move blockers to sea zones 8 and 9, keeping Japan from taking Western Canada before turn 3.”
“I would probably try to use ANZAC to block Hawaii.”
“UK will have to decide between guarding Canada or covering London. It would be extremely difficult for the US & UK to have blockers out to prevent every approach to Canada.”
I understand this can be done when powers are at war against each other. But how is blocking possible when they’re not, as the rule states “A power’s ships do not block naval movements of other powers with which it is not at war, nor are they blocked by them. They can occupy the same sea zone”?
Thanks,
MB
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Hi Meta Baston, you are right in saying countries not at war or Neutral(US) can share a SZ.
The Allies sometimes do it in anticipation of a Japanese DOW.
War must be declared at the beginning of the Combat Round, so Allied ships could Block a J2 or 3 attack.
They are simply moves to intimidate or frustrate the Japanese player.
Hope that helps. -
Hi!
Yes, I see. But I understand this strategy has its limits. For example, a Japan player could move an invasion fleet in SZ45 or 46 and hit Northern territory or Queensland on turn 3, even if there is an ally fleet in one of the zone. I’m not sure this would be a winning strategy but still, one can’t really “block” a fleet when not at war. (I thought I was missing something in the rules. I don’t. Good! :-) )
Cheers,
MB
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@Meta:
Hi!
Yes, I see. But I understand this strategy has its limits. For example, a Japan player could move an invasion fleet in SZ45 or 46 and hit Northern territory or Queensland on turn 3, even if there is an ally fleet in one of the zone. I’m not sure this would be a winning strategy but still, one can’t really “block” a fleet when not at war. (I thought I was missing something in the rules. I don’t. Good! :-) )
Cheers,
MB
Moves like you describe could encourage the Allies to make an unprovoked attack on Japan, since otherwise they have no way to block Japan’s movements as you said. In fact the only way to block an opening Japanese attack on India is a UK1 DoW, since otherwise Japan will just be sitting in the SZ next to Calcutta J2 no matter how the Allies positioned their fleet.
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Hi,
Yes, I see how uDOW gives UK and Anzac some mean to avoid being in a difficult situation too early in the game!
MB