#1) You’re right. If US sets up it’s shuck-shuck through WUS starting on rd 1 then it is a NO GO. that is way you should do Rd 1 and 2 normal as the Axis
#2) No, you can go from Bury to Ala, not SFE.
Here are some things to consider:
1) Axis gets a bid (with at least 1 IPC going to Japan)
2) US builds in Eus on rd 1 and 2
3) US sends BB and DD in Pac to the Atlantic.
4) No Allied IC on either Sin or Ind
Now to Japan
Rd 1:
Normal buy 1 IC, 2 trns (gives you 3 total trns). Earn ~33 (up Chi, Bury - if Yak stack)
Note: Nothing out of the ordinary for this buy.
Rd 2
Buy 1 trn, 8 inf.
Fleets back to Sz 60 and Fic sz respectively. You get troops to Bury and Fic via trns and place 3 at IC. Earn ~36-39 (up Chi, Bury, SFE, Sin, possibly Ind)
Rd 3
Buy Inf/Arm for IC, Inf for Japan (possibly a trn if you can still get 6 inf on Japan).
Move Fleet to Sz 60 offload about 5-6 inf to Bury(from rd 2 buy), non-Com inf to Chi/Sin and Yak. Earn ~36-42.
Againg there is nothing unusual about thse three turns and what you’ll end up seeing after Japan 3 is something like this: (Japan Troops only)
Sin: 1 inf
Chi: 4-8 inf
Fic: IC, 3 inf, 5-6 ftrs, 1 bom
Kwa, Man: mt
Bury: 5-6 inf
Yak: 2-4 inf, 1 rt, 1 arm
Ind: 1 inf
Japan: 6-8 inf
Sz 60: 1 dd, 4-5 trns, 2 bb, 2 ac
Now you can even keep the up the illusion by having a trn, ac, bb off the coast of Fic, again assuming US left for the Atlantic.
So Fic Sz: 1 trn, 1 bb, 1 ac
Jap sz: 3-4 trns, 1 dd, 1 bb, 1 ac
You can also back out and contiue pressing on Moscow f you think you are being successful or just get squimish. Maybe Ger is doing really well.
But now you come to Japan 4 this is where you commit to the US move.
Rd 4
Buy trn (possibly IC or both) and inf. Make sure you have enough inf to cover your IC (3) and your new trn (2) and 1 trn you left behind (2). ~7 inf total.
Now you Combat Move 2 inf to W can (if open), and 4 inf to Ala. Move rest of your fleet to Japan (if at Fic), or entire fleet to Ala sz.
Now You non Com 4 inf to SFe from Bury, others go to secure Yak, you fortify Sin (don’t move to Kaz or Novo no matter how tempting), and fortify Fic (or Ind).
Rd 5
Buy trn and inf.
You can still get 6 inf to Ala while you should end up having 6 inf 3 trns in Jap sz for rd 6.
Move Asia inf to Sin and Yak again, keeping e/n/k deadzone-ish.
This is very possible and does not require millions of trans or a vastly different game plan then the typical normal crush moscow of rds 1 to 3.
Now IT DOES REQUIRE several assumptions about Allied play. Namely the US vacating the Pac and NOT setting up shuck-shuck through WUS.
Will the strategy work in the end, I don’t know, but it is possible given the right circumstances and DOES NOT hurt the early push to Mos.
All this being said, this is why I always try to start my shuck-shuck through WUS (this goes back to classic as well). I simply don’t want to have to worry about a Japanese player trying to mess up my European landings mid game so I just plan from the start to take that out of the equation.
But I think there is generally enough sloppy Allied play to where you could probably catch a few players napping on the West Coast of the US and while you won’t take WUS, you can certainly disrupt them for 2-3 turns and give Germany some mid-game breathing room, and it won’t cost Japan much at all in Asia with well placed/timed IC’s and trn buys.