The Japan Playbook

[JDOW]

@ghr2:

I guess it really depends on how strong they of an India they want to deal with and if they want to pressure russia from the east.  It also depends on the japanese buys and naval positioning for the first 2-3 rounds.

I think there is no choice in the north to always keep enough ground there that you can wipe off any Amur stack if he dares to come in there.
regarding the buys there is imo usually not too much of a choice for Japan as you need to my mostly transports and usually 1 IC. I’d say only a small fraction of the JP money can be spend variable on e.g. Naval in case US invests a lot in the Pacfic or rather into e.g. a bomber if US invests more in the Atlantic.

If The US and anzac link up at queensland round 2 or 3, it becomes tricky for japan to keep the money islands secure, even more tricky to protect all of the transports.

The best way to do a J3 or J4, in my eyes, is to try to make it look like you can declare war at any time so the allies don’t prepare for it correctly.

I have to say I do not exactly understand that so far but maybe I am biased as in my current game my opponent threw ALL US money in the Pacific neglecting Europe.
To my understanding it should be the goal of US to take Caroline and build a sustainable outpost there. This is imo possible with the help of Anzac. After DOW JP usually must clear Caroline. US takes, Anzac secures with 3 fighters for scramble plus some naval.

But I see that the reach to the money islands is better from Queensland so I agree that US/ANZAC can harass better from there and Caroline is rather the “next” move to increase the pressure on JP.

[JDOW]

The best way to do a J3 or J4, in my eyes, is to try to make it look like you can declare war at any time so the allies don’t prepare for it correctly.

Agree:)

[Cow]

moo

[Derek]

bump, this along with German and Allied strategy playbook needs stickied ;)

[Derek]

bump… :-D

[A Former User]

Been out of the loop for a long while. Enjoying this thread, I now really want to try a J1 DOW on the western allies.

But I’m interested to hear what to do J1 with 18inf and 2 aa on Amur R1.

Is it better to ignore this stack for now and proceed as usual (ie going south) whilst leaving say 10 inf and 1ftr in Manchuria? Or smash Amur with everything you can J1.

Seems like if I do the latter, Japan gets set back in the Pacific and out of position straight away since I’m used to going straight for DEI and India. Furthermore the Mongolian inf become Russian which is annoying because more resources need to be directed away from what I really want to be doing in the South.

Maybe if Japan attacks the Russian stack at Amur on J1, Germany must be ready to go all out on Russia and not bother with Sealion. Japan should then also push on Russia since were now at war and I’ve done the dirty work of clearing them out in far east. I don’t necessarily want play this way, it just seems Russia has kinda invited me to go this route now. Thoughts?

[ChocolatePancake]

When Russia puts everything in Amur R1, I always like to take it out right away. Just delay attacking the allies until J2 or J3.
Those 18 infantry are all Russia has in the east, and there aren’t any reinforcements likely to be coming, other than the Mongolians, which really aren’t much of a threat. Generally this move hurts Russia more than it hurts Japan in my experience. It definitely makes it easier for Germany to take Russia.

[AK_Grown]

War war war.

Even if Russia doesn’t stack Amur, attack the hell out of them.  You both are going to lose troops, but 6 extra infantry from Mongolia makes very little difference in the long run.  As Japan, you are gaining IPC’s by taking the territory.  You are also making Russia watch its back-side while dealing with Germany.  You are doing J1?  Then kill them J2 or J3.  The earlier, the easier.

You can leave the road open in China, and still control the islands and push Russia/India.  You just don’t push as far into China and counter-attack their counter-attack.  Eventually, the Chinese have the road as the only territory they own.  I’ve only seen it in action once and it was from a very good player in our live game.

J1 is a great move.  The only problem I’ve had with it, is the Atlantic Slam.  Germany or Italy (depending on troop placement) usually falls before I can get the VC’s needed to win in the PAC.  Stack Hawaii and Sydney and its better luck next time.

[Cow]

shameless bump

[Young Grasshopper]

I do the J1 every time, good chance of getting Island NO round 2, I build up to 4 factories on the mainland, bomb and convoy India til they can’t buy a single unit, and I push China back to their last 3 territories. Everything else after that is all progress for Japan.

[ItIsILeClerc]

Hey Cow,

since you are using tripleA anyway, why not add a tsvg-file of your J1/J2 playbook? Maybe even in your original post (if that’s even possible).

Regarding the J1/J2 openers:
I have played as allies against this several times now. My opponents were all strong enough so I can say with certainty that you should warn axis players of the +40/+20 IPCs the USA will have for a J1DOW or J2DOW respectively. This is another pitfall, in addition to the Yunnan-one you already mentioned.

Not digging too deeply into all the variable strategies but those extra IPCs for the USA are going to hurt the one the USA chooses to kill first.

[Cow]

Man I still have not got around to updating my j2 lol. Can someone do that for me lol. I tend to almost always do J1 dow unless Russia knee deep in china…. in which case I will setup for a J2 a certain way.

[IKE]

@Young:

I do the J1 every time, good chance of getting Island NO round 2, I build up to 4 factories on the mainland, bomb and convoy India til they can’t buy a single unit, and I push China back to their last 3 territories. Everything else after that is all progress for Japan.

Isn’t this a big blow to the Germans & Italians with USA in the war turn 1?  Curious what your buys are with this strategy. I assume you bring the entire IJN down to Philippines/Borneo?

[Young Grasshopper]

@IKE:

@Young:

I do the J1 every time, good chance of getting Island NO round 2, I build up to 4 factories on the mainland, bomb and convoy India til they can’t buy a single unit, and I push China back to their last 3 territories. Everything else after that is all progress for Japan.

Isn’t this a big blow to the Germans & Italians with USA in the war turn 1?  Curious what your buys are with this strategy. I assume you bring the entire IJN down to Philippines/Borneo?

Gaining early position in the south Pacific is much more important than keeping money out of America’s pockets. My J1 purchases are 2 transports and 1 minor factory, I keep 1 loaded carrier, 1 cruiser, 1 sub, 1 destroyer in sz#6 and 2 fighters on Tokyo to protect the new transports (maybe less if I put up a blocker) checkout the J1 strategies within this thread, they work quite well.

[Cow]

I just buy 3 transports with Japan personally. Next round I can slap down an airbase or a naval base or replace fighters if I have to attack China with all my air or something.

[Cow]

America does nothing to Germany and Italy anyway for the first 3 rounds.

Round 1 has nothing
Round 2 still has nothing
Round 3 moves out

Any difference?

[Cow]

USA gains 20 ipc woopy do that is the difference

However he loses more than 20 ipc of stuff round 1 to Japan. DD and Sub will only tilt 2 bship and a carrier at best (these days I only put 1 fighter 1 tactical on the fleet after combat and 2 fighter on borneo transport carrier, rest of air position for china).

[ItIsILeClerc]

On a J1, USA gains +40 compared to a J3.

• USA treasury if  J3DOW: T1=52 + T2=52 + T3=52…

• USA treasury if J1DOW: T1=52 + T2=72 + T3=72…

[Cow]

Yeah but Japan gains so much more than +40.

If America does not go full pacific early. Japan can easily win. India is super vulnerable.

J1 buy 3 transports only

J2 1 ic FIC, 3 fighters, secure shan state or yunnan make sure allies cannot take away your landing pad.

J3 move in position, buy 3 fighters on FIC.

J4 all in.

During J2 and J3 you are securing all the islands. Big money. J4 You take India. Big money (you may not make some island money because you need everything to take India with minimal losses).

J5 Reclaim islands position fleet accordingly prepare to take Hawaii or New South Wales.

J6 Move out

J7 attack for the win.
~
It is just that simple.

[Cow]

If you want to look at money gained for going to war early

DD sub kill for free = 14 ipc

fighter 2 inf at the cost of 2 inf and 1 arty = 6 ipc

borneo, FIC, Phil = 8 ipc

Usually you get Kwangtung barring snake eyes = 3 ipc
~

J2 you get 3 more islands = 11 ipc + NO. Sometimes you do malaya instead so 10 ipc

• 11 (islands previously taking)
  ~

That is more than 40. Also being able to deny money from a country that is far more important in the early game (UK Pacific) money from borneo and kwangtung, makes it so much more vulnerable. UK Pacific can only get help from Russia or Africa, both of which desperately need their air. ANZAC will most likely land 3 fighters on Java to try and help out, but it cannot do this if America is not full pacific or ANZAC becomes a juicy target itself.