What counrty do you guys go after first? Germany or Japan

Hey - you made the old sculpts looks pretty cool…

When I played it was almost always with the same two people so I usually got stuck with Germany. I got to play the US once and that was a lot of fun.

I have to concur with the others who have posted.  A combined transport and infantry build for Japan on turn 1 is the way to go.  If Russia took Manchuria on round 1, and if the UK executed the “Kwangtung Maneuver”, the only place left for Japan to build is Southeast Asia.  While initially it MIGHT be safe (the US can take that factory using China and Sinkiang forces one time in 3, and later will threaten it with a southern island hoping fleet), it is too far from Russia to do any good, and forward progress against Russia proper is easilly blocked by Novosibirsk infantry units.  Japan HAS to focus on gaining IPC’s in round 1 in order to sustain a transport invasion of Russia through the back door (Manchuria to Yakut to Novosibirsk to Russia).  Also, as Japan builds a transport navy (protect by heavy naval forces that were NOT sacrificed against the US at Hawaii) the US has to garrison Alaska heavilly (that japanease transport fleet ferrying troops to Manchuria is a single move away from an all out invasion of Alaska too).  That reduces the number of US dollars that can be spent on the European war, allowing Germany to maintain the frontal assault on Russia that eventually leads to Japan taking Russia.  So for an opening move, Japan re-takes Manchuria, takes Australia, blasts the results of the Kwantung Maneuver (if executed) or takes China using air force and Kwantung infantry. If Japan still holds Manchuria, they assault Yakut and take it.  If the UK builds in India, that simply takes more pressure off Germany and allows THEM to take Russia, aided by the threat floating through the Siberian lands… too far from India for UK to do a darn thing about.  YAKUT is the key for Japan.  Take it and hold it, you have one territory with all of your west-marching forces to defend it from the Russians, and you force Russia to try to defend TWO territories against your massing forces.  The drain on Russia:  defending Evenk AND Novosibirsk plus holding Karelia and the Caucuses with an income of only 20 or so IPC’s is FATAL, REGARDLESS of UK and US support.  And with Russia gone, the Alllies WILL lose (economic victory is immediate on taking Russia, world domination only a few moves away)

it all depends on the country in question. no one unit is best for all of them. but here’s my picks :) :

Russia: INF, sheer numbers can overwhelm the german war machine on a relentles march to berlin

Germany: Tanks/Armor, blitzkrieg, thats all there is to it

UK: trannies, i know it sounds stupid, but without them the UK can’t do much of anything

Japan: anything, japan needs all the help she can get on the mainland, it doesnt really matter what it is, just get units there quick

USA: Carrier w/ 2 Fighters, can we say smackdown?? they can obliterate japan’s navy while also serving to protect units in an amphib assault

now these are just my picks, they might not work for all your strats, so feel free to tweak them to work for you.

I only say sacrifice that front for the Factories… otherwise…

I usually build a ton of infantry to protect my capital early on. That way for the rest of the game I don’t have to worry about it. Just keep building tanks and hitting Russia in the east. Use every single plane you have no matter where it is located. If it is in Western Europe, fly it over to Ukraine. Hit them with everything you’ve got. This will cripple both of you, but as long as the Japanese player is smart enough to take them in the East, then you will come out on top, because you will have almost twice the economic might and will be attacking them on two fronts.

Also get a tank or two over to Africa and blitz through the open countries there. It will really put the kaybosh on the British player launching any decent offence against you, cause he will have no money

but I still think you should go after india first

@Ansbach:

There is a mythical Japanese strategy out there that has yet to be discovered. It involves Japan putting equal amounts of pressure on Russia and the US with the idea that Germany would have some relief from the US but would face more pressure from Russia.

Anybody want to move to New Jersey, become a US Senator, accept bribes, only have to give the non-financial gifts back, and get a slap on the wrist from the US Senate, while the dude who bribes you has to serve time in prison? Reminds me of the good old days back in Chappaquidic(sp.?). Sorry, just got a little nostalgic.