The Allies playbook: Standard openers and suggestions for sequential rounds

[Komiserik]

I’d love to see your updated Japan guide.

[Cow]

I got to finish my tournament. I play a rush game with the allies and sometimes I transition to a long time.

[variance]

Cow, thank you for tackling this tough assignment.

I notice an issue with your KJF Russian opener that might cause some problems if you try to get Soviets into Yunnan early. Russian units entering Sikang R1 is likely to provoke a declaration of war by Japan against UK/ANZAC (page 37 of the new pacific rulebook says “Japan considers movement of units into China by any other Allied power as an act of war against it.”).

This gives Japan the chance to have its cake and eat it too.  Japan may declare war on UK/ANZAC, seize Dutch colonies, and still get the $10 trade sanction NO as long as they don’t attack FIC or declare war on USA (the NO reads: “10 IPCs if Japan is not at war with the United States, has not attacked French Indo-China, and has not made an unprovoked declaration of war against United Kingdom/ANZAC”).  Indeed, Japan could decide to just let America sit on his thumbs in z101 until round 4 because “The United States may not declare war on any Axis power unless… Japan makes an unprovoked declaration of war against the UK or ANZAC” (p.37).  That could slow down the western allies opening a second front in Europe, which is something the Russians need them to do as soon as possible, while Japan runs rampant in the Pacific.

Also notice that a provoked declaration of war only against UK/ANZAC will allow Japanese ships to ignore the US destroyer off Philippines and pass right on through z35 if they want to.  I’m not sure there would be any advantage to taking Celebes or Dutch New Guinea instead of Borneo (maybe put bases there J2 for some kind of move on Sydney?), but who knows?

[Young Grasshopper]

So if Russia stacks the 18 in Amur (not that it happens much), than Japan should abandon everything in Manchuria to Korea in order to intice Russia to move in on an original Chinese territory.

[Eqqman]

@Young:

So if Russia stacks the 18 in Amur (not that it happens much), than Japan should abandon everything in Manchuria to Korea in order to intice Russia to move in on an original Chinese territory.

These issues are moot I think since the Russian player can simply make a DoW on Japan R1 and then do whatever they like, in China or no.  I believe the unprovoked clause only applies to the UK/ANZAC DoW.

[variance]

Eqqman, the rule used to say “UK/ANZAC” but my new rulebook says “Japan considers movement of units into China by any other allied power as an act of war against it.”.

YG, I agree - If Russia stacks Amur Japan should just stack Korea on turn 1 and then move everything back to Manchuria on turn 2.  If that happens to be a Combat Move rather than NCM because the Russians actually went into Manchuria, then great!  Japan takes India and USA sits in z101 til round 4 (unless Japan attacks UK/ANZAC/USA J1 instead of J2).  A smart Japan player would not attack Amur, and also would not declare war on anybody for the first turn.  Then again a devious Russian player might do this as a bluff and leave Manchuria alone R2 but go into Korea instead on R3 while the Japanese airforce is off fighting in Calcutta.

EDIT: but that’s just my reading of the rulebook and I could be wrong.  But if I am wrong I don’t see what else they would mean all those times they use the word “unprovoked”; one would assume there is also a “provoked” situation or they wouldn’t specify one kind of DOW as being unprovoked.  The political situations for UK, ANZAC and USA each have a clear statement that they must be at war with Japan before their units can enter China, but there is no restriction at all like that in the Russian political rules.  Nevertheless, they clearly state that Japan will consider the movement of any allied unit into China to be an act of war.  So unlike the other allies, Russian units can enter China even if Russia is at peace with Japan, but Japan will consider it an act of war anyway.  Why would they bother writing these rules in this way unless Russians going into China with or without a DOW is precisely the provocation they are taking about?  The writers seem to have paid a lot of attention to the situations between Japan, Russia, China and Mongolia so I do not think this grey zone is an oversight.  Thus, the rules are that if Russians enter China, Japan can make a declaration of war against UK/ANZAC that is not “unprovoked” in terms of the $10 NO and American neutrality rules.       :|

If I am wrong, I apologize.

[Eqqman]

You might have missed my point.  If Russia hands Japan a DoW R1, then the unprovoked clause is moot for any Russian actions that follow since Japan is already at war before they occur.

[Zhukov44]

Variance I think what that passage means is that if Russia moves units into China its an act of war.  That’s all.  Similarly, if UK moves into China its an act of war.  Officially, UK or Russia would need to declare on Japan to be able to do it.

Japan and Russia being at war has no effect on UK and Japan’s political status, even if Russia and UK are already Allies against Germany.

[Eqqman]

@variance:

So imagine this.  Russia sends a tank/mech to Sikang R1.  Seems innocent enough, but Japan feels provoked by this act of war and immediately declares war on Russia, UK and ANZAC but does not declare war on France or USA.

Again, all moot if Russia declares war beforehand on R1.

[variance]

Well I asked Krieghund and he says I was wrong.  Sorry guys but I was mistaken.  If Russian units enter China it does NOT mean anything with regards to the political situation of the other allies.

[Young Grasshopper]

@variance:

Well I asked Krieghund and he says I was wrong.  Sorry guys but I was mistaken.  If Russian units enter China it does NOT mean anything with regards to the political situation of the other allies.

Way to go dumb ass!

[variance]

yeah I know.  I am an idiot.  :-)

But I did ask what a “provocation” is and he explained it to me:

In the case of Japan regarding UK/ANZAC, the only provocation would be a declaration against Japan by UK or ANZAC. Of course, the reciprocal declaration by Japan would be purely ceremonial in such case.

[Young Grasshopper]

I was just kidding with that dumb ass comment, I was trying to see what it would take for you to flip the board…. just kidding again.

[Jeff28]

Cow, what’s the best way to set up Russia to protect the southern territories in G5+

Caucaus, Volgograd are worth big bucks to Germany and even with a big inf stack in Bryansk the axis can push you back to Moscow and take the south with Tanks?

[Cow]

I do that to people when I can’t take russia for some reason (fighters flying in) causing me to delay the Russia attack. Not much you can really do about it to be honest.

[variance]

That’s a good question Jeff and I agree with Cow that there might not be a good counter to it (yet).  Germany can push the Russians back without even firing a shot if they go in hard and fast.  If Germany went into East Poland on G1 the Russians will have evacuated Novgorod through Archangel (or died in Belarus), and as of round 4 a lot of them will be up in Vologda so forget about attacking Bryansk R4. Now suppose Japan were to do the suiyuyan airbase thing and land 20ish planes on top of the Germans as soon as they get to Bryansk. With Japanese planes holding the fort in Bryansk, the German mech/tank army can then sweep down to Caucasus and beyond starting G5.  The Russians can sit in their turtle shell and get SBR’d every turn while the Germans build up artillery in Ukraine for the final apocalypse.  Escort fighters are important if they sent allied fighters to reinforce, but Germany should have several bombers by then.  This is all contingent on Japan NOT declaring war on USA before round 4.

[Cow]

Well yeah, the allies don’t have nearly as many strategies as the axis. Bids are getting ridiculously high and I am starting to come around to it.

For low luck games, 15 sounds about right. For dice games I am coming around to the 10 range. Sadly.

For right now I am just trying to gather allied attack plans (as opposed to the reactionary ones that depend on what the axis do).

[Gigeneral]

I leave 1 infantry in Amur and link up in Sakha. If germany doesn’t attack, I leave a mech in Turmenestan so UK can take east persia on round 1 and Russia can take Persia on round 2. Round 3 Russia can take Iraq, load an infantry on a british transport, so they can take Italian Somaliland on round 4. The territories in Africa are worth a boatload to the Russians. Tobruk, Libya, Ethiopia, Italian Somaliland, Persia, and Iraq. That’s 18 ipc. As Germany and Japan creep into the motherland, Russia can generate an income between 37 and 43. Instaed of going early to china with the russians I head to the middle east. One thing I find useful in pulling off this strategy is a russian bomber on turn 1. Also the Uk needs to cripple Italy to pull this off. I’m a firm believer in attacking Tobruk, Ethiopia, sz 97, and sz 96 on UK’s turn 1. It means taking an infantry and an artillery from India to take out Ethiopia, but my plan isn’t to hold India, which is an impossible task if Japan attacks the allies round 1. My plan involves scrapping over India long enough for the USA or ANZAC to come in and save the day. Hell even the Russians can get in on saving India, but I think their best if they use those resources to hold onto their gains in the middle east and Africa. Cow’s Japanese strat has me running games by myself trying to figure out the right strategical counters.

[barney]

How does russia take persia on rd 2?  Aren’t they still neutral?

[Cow]

They don’t unless Germany goes to war with Russia. I like being prepared.