Your Japan Strategy

[Jennifer]

Unfortunately, I have to concur.  The only proven strategy is to build units to take Asia and knock out the hawaiian fleet on J1.

Though, others have tried to the US first, you just don’t have the production to out produce the United States and give up going for England until you own the IC in Karelia with Japan.

[madscientist]

As far as the US fleet, I use minimal forces. I attack it with both battleships and the sub and the fighter from the Carolina Islands. Usually the US makes 2 hits, so I lose the sub and 1 battleship. Then the US usually attacks the remaining battleship and that draws their battleship away from Europe for 1 turn.

[Jennifer]

Actually, I normally bring a bomber from Japan to Pearl as well.  I have plenty to attack China and SFE without it, and I can use it for a casualty at Pearl so I don’t loose a bomber.  (Or, if I’m feeling gutsy, I might even use a fighter for Hawaii and bring some infantry…removes an airport for a US counter attack, means the E. USA fighter cannot come to play.)

[DethSkwad]

As the Russians I love to see Japan send troops after Hawaii on the first turn because it leaves them critically weakened in Asia on successive rounds of play.  If Japan cannot achieve an early push in Asia so that Russia has to fall back to Moscow thereby surrendering Yakut and Sink then the Russians can stall the Japanese almost indefinately by moving from Kaz to Novo and forcing the Japanese to defend two fronts which are both far from their capital.  If the Japanese don’t play it perfectly, India may end up liberated, and or Yakut is held by Russia late into the game by which point Berlin should be about to fall and Japan will be too far away to do anything about it.  Plus an assertive Russian push in Asia compels Japan to stay at home and defend these Ipcs rather than go playing around in Africa.  If they do anyway Russia could end up camped in Mongolia which is really bad news for Japan as it makes Yakut, Manch, China, and Sink possible dead zones and will probably force Japan to fall back to defend either Manch or Yakut again leaving Sink, China and or India open for the taking.  Once the Russians are fully mobilized on the Eastern front Japan cannot afford to give up India because it can be very difficult to get back and may require giving up something like Yakut to do it.

[Jennifer]

When it comes to Classic, sending troops to Hawaii really doesn’t effect Asia at all.  You have plenty of cash to fill 3 transports (and buy them too) with Japan on J1, and if your entire Japanese strategy hangs on the balance of 2 infantry you are REALLY in trouble!

[DethSkwad]

NO!!!    Playing Japan in Asia is not about playing defense but about playing offense and creating pressure on Russia.  If you wait too long to do this then the Allies will have mobilized enabling Russia to send its army east creating all sorts of havoc for the Japanese.  But above all else it enables Russia with its shorter supply lines to bottle up the Japanese in the same way the Allies can do to Germany in the West.  If you are counting on Japan to win the game for you because you accept this will happen to Germany then you must be able to guarantee that Japan can win the game for you by getting Novo.  If you delay yourself in Asia for meaningless ipcs in Hawaii, Austrailia and New Zealand then this won’t be possible.  Further, as you point out Japan’s problem is usually having too much money so why give them more dollars they can’t use?

[Jennifer]

Hawaii is +1 IPC that’s secured for a LONG time.  Especially if you leave 2 BB, 1 AC and a Sub there.  So you’re short 2 infantry on J2 in Asia, no big deal, Skwad.  It’s two infantry, and it’s not like Russia’s all that aggressive on the Eastern Front.

[DethSkwad]

Except those 2inf are a big deal in that they enable you to push back Russia from Yakut which means Japan can focus on the Sinkiang front.  This is a huge help, and without it you will have to build into Manchuria for several turns just to get rid of Russia.

[Guest]

I totally agree with Dethsquad on this!!

[Jennifer]

I’m already pushing Russia back on J2 without those two infantry though.

I’ve got a large force already on the mainland without those two infantry, if I want to use them.  Though, I’d rather move into Novo and sidestep the Yak forces until later.

[DethSkwad]

You shouldn’t be able to.  If you start with 7inf, move 2, and bid 2, minus 3 for first round casaulties you are left with around 8inf, the bulk of which should be in China thus precluding a push on Yakut for the second turn.  If Russia uses its second turn to build some troops into Asia then on the forth turn they could reinforce Yakut strong enough to hold out for one more turn.  The cost of going to Hawaii isn’t just 2infantry on that turn but also the two infantry on the next turn that you won’t have either because you go to Austrailia.

[Jennifer]

Bid usually goes to Europe, which means Russia’s pre-occupied there.

I usually have 7 Inf in Manch with China holding 1.  I also have 3 fighters and a bomber and 3 transports to bring Oki, Wake and Japan island forces into Manch to reinforce.

I find it’s a better move to force Russia to pull out of Yak or loose their infantry then to take Sink.  2 IPC for America isn’t going to pressure Germany as much as 2 IPC for Russia (actually 4 since you’ll own SFE on J2 concretely if they pull outta Yak.)

Yea, they can start moving forces there, but on J2 the best they can do is a couple of fighters and a tank or two.  And that’s stripping naked on the German front.  Meanwhile, I have Hawaii which will remain mine forever and Sink isn’t a threat.  For that matter, India isn’t a threat.  I’ll keep moving transports around taking HI, Midway, NZ, Aus and Mad if I can.  I’ll just keep buying trannies or build ICs on the mainland while maintaining strong stacks of infantry opposing Russia.

(In case you’re wondering, 1 Inf from Kwang, 2 Inf from FIC, FIG from Japan, FIG from FIC, FIG from Manch, BMB from Japan vs 2 Inf, 1 FIG in China.  Meanwhile, you have 3 Inf in Manch, 2 from Kwang plus 2 from Japan in Manch on J2.  Fighters can either land in FIC (assuming british withdrawel) or in Manch.)

[DarthMaximus]

You have to bid 1-2 inf to Man as well.

[DarthMaximus]

By taking China heavy on J1, you can then consoladate in Monglia on J2 if you wish.  With about 11 inf, thus forcing Russia out of Yak without fight or they lose Novo.  AgentSmith used to talk about this move.

Or If you have the numbers on J2 you can take Sin heavy, again forcing Japan out of Yak without a fight or they lose Novo.

You need to get to and hold Novo as quick as possible, everything else is secondary and you can pick up later.

Position over IPC’s.  Again, Agent used to preach this.
And it holds true for the most part.

[Jennifer]

Yes, or I can take Hawaii and do this anyway.

[Guest]

I hav elearned the hard way that, as Japan, you can NOT afford to reduce the flow to Asia (POSSIBLE exception of a mid to late game 1 turn effort to sidetrack the American shuck to Europe 2 turns before Japan striked Moscow).

Moscow can be reinforced too heavilly, and every bit of fodder that can be gotten to Moscow by Japan is a dramatic increase in teh odds of taking it.  The longer your FIGs and BOM and ARM can fire without taking casualties due to INF screenign, the better your chances.

In a 5 round battle, 2 extra INF can get you quite a few more hits, soaking up enemy 2’s in exchange for keeping your 3’s safe and shooting (and maybe even doing some damage themselves)

[Linkon]

@MADDOGG:

I disagree there. Once you flood the continent with infantry,I believe IC’s can be very useful in kicking out tanks. But you do need to flood the area with infantry first.

I recall reading some time ago that early on Jpn should use trn to move the inf.  After Jpn income > $40, use an IC (captured no? then buy one) to build Arm.

The reasoning came down to cost efficiency.

On a basis of 6 ground units;

3 trn  ($24) can carry 6 inf or 3 arm.
2 IC’s ($30) can build 6 inf or 6 arm.  So the IC should be used for arm, and trn used for inf from the home islands.

[Linkon]

Personnally, after putting down 25-30 inf to the mainland,

I would get an IC and start adding arm for the showdown in Moscow.  I could get all armor builds for 2 turns, then ftrs, then bmrs so everything can reach the Rus capital for the takedown assault from Novo.

Still that would be 4 rounds, so Ger needs to be strong enough defensively and economically ($30+/turn) to hold out.

[madscientist]

Don’t forget, that as Japan, you want to get 2-3 fighters to Germany by say round 4 or 5 to help Germany defend. You can land them in Egypt after you have held it for a round, or if by some miracle Germany has managed to keep Egypt for that long.

[Guest]

You can also use an Indian Ocean AC as a bridge point, or Persia.  Lastly, you can get them to Germany from Evenk or Novo in one turn via NCM.