Mexico/Panama Layout Hurts Axis

[BoilerUp]

A long time ago, if I remember correctly, Axis and Allies only had an East and West U.S.  Mexico bordered both territories and then Panama bordered the south border of Mexico.  The U.S. mainland was not directly connected to Panama.  Therefore, U.S. forces had to first go through Mexico to get to Panama.

In AA 1942 (I don’t know about other games) the U.S. is split into three sections:  West U.S., Central U.S., and East U.S.  Mexico borders the West U.S and Panama borders Central U.S.

I’m not sure why they created it this way.  I think that if they wanted to give Japan a chance to get a toe-hold in the Western Hemisphere they would not have had Panama connect to the U.S.  Only Mexico should border both the West U.S. and Central U.S.  Thus when Japan takes Panama, the East U.S. could not tank blitz it, but only the West U.S.  This could buy time for Japan to move its Navy across Oceans.

Has anyone ever tried to make a serious run at the U.S. with Japan?  If so, how did you do it?

[Funcioneta]

That’s called “Polar Express”. It happens when USA tries ignore Japan, then Japan exploits this weak point in the allied system and launchs a massive, sustained assault on mainland America. You need being quick with Japan and also have plenty of trannies, but the idea is holding Alaska or at least trading it (better trade WCan than Ala). This means that USA will have to stop any bad ideas they could have against Germany and fight against Japan anyway but in a worst spot for USA (America instead the natural theater: the Pacific Ocean). You need some ICs at Asia as well to fight for more income!

You need to be quick with Japan and have a good timing with the chain of trannies. In Revised it worked like a charm because Perry Channel was unfrozen and you could attack Wcan directly from Japan (ouch!). In AA50 the channel is frozen for some odd reason but anyway Japan has so monster income that they can afford buy the additional trannies needed (Manchuria IC can aid). I didn’t tried it in AA42 yet (only 1 game played yet) and probably is more difficult because the channel is again frozen  :-P and CUSA is not limiting with WCan  :|. Anyway Germany starts with a far superior position due new trannie and sub rules, so you don’t need as much speed as in other versions. I suggest you shift to AA50 or Revised, both are better than AA42

The best counters against Polar Express are fight for the Pacific (that works like a charm) or making a very agressive USSR

And I agree with you, we need more territories in mainland America

[Hamachi]

Have a lot of transports that seems to be transporting units to the mainland near russia, but keep putting them back to east of japan. suddenly u move the transport to alaska ( the north western american area is alaska right? ). i dont have the map right now but i think that should be possible. that way u might be able to move on to the rest of north america, maybe with a IC on alaska… this wont achieve u a victory but if u have a strategy that needs USA to stay away from europe, this will definetly do the trick… Again, i dont have the map but i think this should be possible :) and if japan is able to take USA he would need such a massive income, that the game would already have been won before he attacks usa…

[SilverAngelSurfer]

The entire basis of the changes to North America in 1942 is to “fix” the ease of conquering North America in previous versions, which in terms of historical accuracy should be nearly impossible for Japan to do.  The above suggestions are the best way to go for Japan in the current game, however.

[Funcioneta]

@SilverAngelSurfer:

The entire basis of the changes to North America in 1942 is to “fix” the ease of conquering North America in previous versions, which in terms of historical accuracy should be nearly impossible for Japan to do

Yep, I think that was they were trying with that change. There were much more needed things to change however for historicy sake, like non-agression pact USSR-Japan or some tipe of rule that gives Japan a victory if they conquer India, Australia, China and Hawaii

For a gameplay point of view I think it was a bad move because weakened an effective counter (Polar Express) to max boreness of Axis and Allies: the KGF fanmania  :|

[BoilerUp]

I see that the U.S. does not even have to worry about the Pacific and can focus totally on Germany.  This makes Germany fight against three powers and Japan fighting against the U.K. and Russia, with neither of them dedicating new IPCs towards Japan.  If there is a chance for Japan to invade America, then the U.S. would have to spend more IPCs in the Pacific.

I know that historically Japan never had the chance to attack the U.S. mainland, but I think that is because of some decisive naval losses (Solomon Islands, Midway) and strategy that did not involve the U.S. (going for Australia, not finishing up Pearl Harbor).  If Japan really wanted to attack the U.S. mainland in late 1941 or early 1942, they probably could have done so.  It may have meant that they couldn’t attack other British and U.S. territories (South East Asia, Philipines), but it would have meant they could have landed in for sure Hawaii and maybe California.

Is there a way in AA 1942 for Japan to go all out U.S. invasion early in the game and not get slaughtered?  Or is the only method that is sound for Japan to invade Asia?

[Funcioneta]

I think that there is a psicological issue in all this KGF fanmania: many will do KGF until end of times, no matter how bad idea or how boring can be, because they stick to old ways of Classic. The best way to stop KGF fanmania is making a japanese invasion of America as easy that is a total no brainer and means a quick defeat for USA (and even then I have my doubts, probably many will still do KGF). That ice cap is a bad idea, speciallly without splitting North America in more territories

In the new AAG40 I predict that we’ll suffer this ignore Japan syndrome again, even if it’s going to be a really bad move doing the KGF

[SilverAngelSurfer]

@Yoper:

@SilverAngelSurfer:

The entire basis of the changes to North America in 1942 is to “fix” the ease of conquering North America in previous versions, which in terms of historical accuracy should be nearly impossible for Japan to do.  The above suggestions are the best way to go for Japan in the current game, however.

Yes, the ice pack was placed to stop the Japanese from dropping right into Western Canada.

The way to change the action in the game is to make it more important to go to other places on the map to win.  I use a different victory system than the OOB VCs in my tournament to try to get more action in the Pacific.  It simulates the great importance of many of the territories in the Pacific.

Well, the other change would be moving Central US to the Atlantic side of the map instead of having it on the Pacific side, which means that Japan can only threaten 2 territories from WCa, rather than 3 like in Revised (WUS, CUS, ECa, and 4 with Mexico if they can blitz through CUS), and consequently the US only has to defend 2: WUS and ECa and perhaps CUS if Japan is allowed to blitz through ECa.

But if the US does the ignore Japan strat and pulls the battleship/transport out and starts moving all units east, Japan can invade Alaska J3 after building transports and probably an IC in Asia just to hold there, and should be able to hold Alaska so they can build another IC in Alaska.  So long as you keep pumping enough stuff in there, the US has to build land forces rather than naval forces to defend.

[Funcioneta]

@SilverAngelSurfer:

Well, the other change would be moving Central US to the Atlantic side of the map instead of having it on the Pacific side, which means that Japan can only threaten 2 territories from WCa, rather than 4 like in Revised (WUS, CUS, ECa, and Mexico if they can blitz through CUS), and consequently the US only has to defend 2: WUS and ECa.

Yep, that was a horrible idea as well. Revised way was better

[Dylan the Canadian]

@SilverAngelSurfer:

The entire basis of the changes to North America in 1942 is to “fix” the ease of conquering North America in previous versions, which in terms of historical accuracy should be nearly impossible for Japan to do.  The above suggestions are the best way to go for Japan in the current game, however.

Fuck that. Japan should break out of the Soviet Union into Alaska and base them self there fight with might for West Canada then take West US