• A quick question, is it true that it’s possible for Japan’s navy to get from Hawaii to the tip of South America in 1 turn (J2)? I’m assuming you could do that from New Zealand as well? Does anyone know the official rule? Perhaps it’s a trick of the eye but I’d always assumed you coudn’t go through those island boxes. Has anyone ever seen this used effectively in a game? Thanks in advance.


  • From Hawaii, no. From New Zealand, yes.

    Check out http://www.axisandallies.net/public/faqs/geography.html for all your edge-of-the-world answers.


  • I think what you are refering to is a risky but sometimes very effective opening move by Japan. The most typical move is to send two loaded transports and the carrier to the POL sea zone on Japan 1. From there they threaten Western US, Panama, Australia, and New Zealand. Then on Japan 2 you can elect to move to the SCO sea zone, where you threaten Panama, Brazil, and South Africa.

    This can really slow down the early US game, but at the cost of a slightly slower push on the mainland vs. Russia.


  • Hmmmm…, good idea Ansbach. I never tried this move before (and probably neither do the people I play against), so I’ll give it a little test drive. :wink:


  • It’s been around a while. Don Rae has it as the Advanced Axis Ploy on his website. - Xi

    “A specter is haunting Europe—the specter of communism.”

    • Karl Marx, German political theorist, social philosopher,
      and Friedrich Engels, German political theorist, social philosopher.
      In Karl Marx: Selected Works, vol. 1 (1942).
      The Communist Manifesto (1848). Opening sentence.

  • “A specter is haunting Europe—the specter of communism.”

    The specter is now haunting the entire world.


  • Turn 2 drop in Chile, great move. Throws a US player who hasn’t seen it before into a panic.


  • I tried it before and it works fine, though I rather take Panama and go through there. It gives the Americans a real hoot and forces them to build up as they see the Imperial Japanese fleet on their horizon. Good times. 8)


  • I find that Panama is pretty easy to take back. Its only 2 spaces from West Us. However, taking Chile forces them to put troops into Brazil. This buys Germany more time in Africa. Because now Japan can take those troops out of Chile and put them in South Africa.


  • Well I don’t really care about holding Panama, I just want to hold it long enough to use its canal. By US2, I would expect forces to try and retake it, but what I do gain is a short +1 IPC bonus and diverting US forces from where they’re needed most - Europe or Africa. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone.


  • @TG:

    Well I don’t really care about holding Panama, I just want to hold it long enough to use its canal. By US2, I would expect forces to try and retake it, but what I do gain is a short +1 IPC bonus and diverting US forces from where they’re needed most - Europe or Africa. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone.

    so in our game with your sister,
    would you have advocated Japan going for Panama rather than Mexico?


  • If you wanted to send a relief force there (to Afirca and Brazil), fine. However since you didn’t take out the Pacific fleet at WUSA, the US naval presence was greatly beefed up.


  • Well TG, remember theres a US battleship and Transport still alive after Pearl Harbor.


  • Yeah, that’s what I said. However, what I rather have done first was destroy that fleet instead of letting them get away to the Atlantic. As you can see TM was able to capitalize on that factor and take WE luckily.


  • Wouldn’t you think it would panic the US more to threaten Brazil and set up an IC in South Africa?


  • @Yanny:

    Wouldn’t you think it would panic the US more to threaten Brazil and set up an IC in South Africa?

    i was looking to panic the US a little.
    Also i was not sure what to do at that point - i seriously considered taking out TM’s merchandise, however that depended on other factors at the time.
    ah well, thanks for the critique.


  • Good exploration of the options.

    T_6,
    I like your scare tactic and will try it the next time
    I play Japan(and later a few more times to get an
    average on military and wmotional response. :evil: )

    “Put simply, conservatives highlight the government’s role in
    promoting individual virtue but downplay the government’s responsi-
    bility to create a society in which virtue can flourish. Liberals are
    wary of regulating personal behavior, but would give government a
    powerful say over the shape of social and economic life. In essence,
    liberals and conservatives disagree over what are the most important
    sins. For conservatives, the sins that matter are personal irrespon-
    sibility, the flight from family life, sexual permissiveness, the
    failure of individuals to work hard. For liberals, the gravest sins
    are intolerance, a lack of generosity toward the needy,
    narrow-mindedness toward social and racial minorities.”

    • E.J. Dionne, Jr., journalist. The War Against Public Life:
      Why Americans Hate Politics, ch. 12, Simon & Schuster (1991).
      –---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Those EVIL conservatives. - Xi

  • @Yanny:

    Wouldn’t you think it would panic the US more to threaten Brazil and set up an IC in South Africa?

    I definitely agree, and what’s so great about the move is that 95% of the time the US is totally out of position to help with Brazil after US1, so they have to backtrack to defend or counter, then you just pop over to South Africa. You make the US defend Western US and Panama on US1, then defend Brazil on US2 - that’s the last thing the US wanted to be doing on their first two turns! Then on J3 you move completely out of their theatre of operations and are over securing Africa for the Axis!

    If you ignore the overall strategy and just analyze this tactic on it’s own, it is awesome - a virtual no-lose tactic for Japan that gives the US all kinds of problems early. The problems with this tactic are the negative consequences that manifest in the overall strategy later in the game, and those problems tend to outweigh the early benefit you get from this Japan opening. Nothing beats an immediate concentration of Japanese infantry rushing towards Moscow.

    But it’s excellent to use for a quick Axis win against a poor Allied opponent.


  • Not only that, but it gives Germany 2-3 more turns to secure Africa, AND it puts Japaneese troops in Africa by turn 4.

    However, at least with my buys, I am in position turn 2 to cover such attack (building 3 transports 4 infantry in EUS) However, I lose two turns by defending Brazil, since my transports are ultimately destined for Finland.


  • T_6,
    I like your scare tactic and will try it the next time

    Just remember, that US Pacific Fleet must be destroyed at all cost!

    But it’s excellent to use for a quick Axis win against a poor Allied opponent.

    That’s exactly what a good Allied player would do - ignore you and continue pounding on Germany. Game over by T6.

    Nothing beats an immediate concentration of Japanese infantry rushing towards Moscow.

    Exactly. That 1-2 transport(s) out in nowhere will significantly slow you down in your drive against Russia - the main concern.

    IC in South Africa

    IC’s in SA are a bad idea.

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