POLL - G40 Your favorite turn for Japan to declare war and attack

  • TripleA

    Good to see J1 doing strong. I admit I always J1

  • '17 '16 '13 '12

    I’m facing a G4 right now. It’s nice but awaiting the onslaught!

  • TripleA

    If you are the allies and Japan does not war round 2, shove everything. USA can put a fighter on each island with an airbase, china, uk, Russia, you should also have islands under uk pac and Anzac control (leave inf on it) Anzac air can land on islands don’t forget, just shove everything. Japan can’t hit everything and you can start to wither away at Japan.

  • '15 '14

    @Zhukov44:

    Assuming G40 2nd edition, imho J3 is inferior to J1 or J2.  As Axis, I prefer J1, but J2 is almost as good if Axis knows what to do.

    Agree!

  • '17

    @Cow:

    If you are the allies and Japan does not war round 2, shove everything. USA can put a fighter on each island with an airbase, china, uk, Russia, you should also have islands under uk pac and Anzac control (leave inf on it) Anzac air can land on islands don’t forget, just shove everything. Japan can’t hit everything and you can start to wither away at Japan.

    I am convinced you’re right after seeing this first hand in the one game we started; though depending on dice, Japan might, maybe get the chance to regain the initiative. I hope I get a few more rounds with you.

    I was in group think where the allies players would not shove anything forward unless they had like 70% odds or better. Shoving everything forward is smart as Japan cannot hit everything. Anything they don’t hit is a gain for the allies.

    I’m going to try this if Japan does not go to war on round 2. I think an aggressive allies strategy against Japan like that might lead to less J3 attacks.


  • I like J4…because I like a G1/J1 on Russia. I take out 10 infantry in western Russian zones, and wait for foolish Russian counterattacks which exposes them to losing more units. Total kill Russia first strat for all three axis. J1 from the east and take 3 territories (the Mongolian troops are out of position and not an issue). I1 build mech/tank and head to the front ASAP. I then begin to strat bomb Moscow when in range (usually G3/I3). I keep USA out of the war until they declare at the end of US3 (limiting them to 52 IPCs for first three rounds, importantly* the limit of 3 units at each factory prevent a huge buildup. I take out China by round 4-5 using all 21 aircraft and 2 factories on mainland making mechs and tanks.  Japan usually has 6-10 Russian IPCs, so Japan usually collects 50+ before even taking the money isles (gaining USA 10 IPC NO three times). USA cant get to anything important in Europe before US6, and by then I am taking out Moscow (severely weakened by combination of the loss of eastern IPCs to Japan, strat bombing, and first round loss of 10 infantry). I call this strat the “Land War in Asia”, and I find it successful far more than 50%.

  • TripleA

    I am surprised you don’t Dow j3 if you are doing Russia, you have to take out UK Pacific otherwise it is the second Russia if it grows too big and the allies contest islands. The income can get out of hand, usually turn 2 they Dow on you for the NOs if you aren’t able to snag islands because USA only loses out on a round of attacks, that is it.


  • i declared in turn one all allied powers (not russia) war and attack,
    see also my japan playbook.

    i think, this is the best starting for japan, because you get a lot of ipcs and can attack more territories from this position.

  • '17 '16 '13 '12

    @Cow:

    If you are the allies and Japan does not war round 2, shove everything. USA can put a fighter on each island with an airbase, china, uk, Russia, you should also have islands under uk pac and Anzac control (leave inf on it) Anzac air can land on islands don’t forget, just shove everything. Japan can’t hit everything and you can start to wither away at Japan.

    I’m a big proponent of aggressive play against Japan. Anzac fighters play a big role.


  • I am a big proponent for J2 DOW. J1 I purchase the classic 2 transports and minor facility, mobilize in Asia, take the easy Chinese territories, and use the heavy bombers and Kwangsi units to take out the Burma road at Yunnan.

    In the non combats I move the navy from SZ19 and 20 to SZ36, with both transports stocked. keep a 2 unit perimeter on each territory adjacent to the China front, move the rest down the coast (leaving the infantry stacks on Manchuria and Korea). The loaded aircraft carrier in the Caroline Islands moves to SZ36 as well (to make a more dynamic looking plan). And then the entire navy in other than the cruiser and 1 destroyer SZ 6, with the transport loaded with the tank from Japan and 1 infantry from Korea, moves to the Caroline Islands.

    This mobilizes the Japanese forces for taking Hong Kong by land and air J2, Borneo from SZ36, and Malaysia with most of the SZ36 Armada, including the other transport, and the heavy bombers. Depending on whether the UK turtles GB1, some of the force can go towards a Philippines attack as well.

    Now the variable then becomes what to do with the transports purchased in J1 in SZ6, and the Caroline Islands fleet. You have the option of a full strike and hold of the Honolulu, or a strike on Queensland and the Philippines.

    No matter what path you take, the key is always to keep as many planes and capital ships alive as possible, ideally you will not lose more than 3 planes, and no capital ships at all.

    Thoughts?


  • Howdy ya’ll…  With 57 votes so far, J2 has a clear lead.

    I thought J1 or J3 would pull ahead… either balls to the walls fighting starting turn 1, or keep the US out longer.  J2 splits it down the middle, lots of directions the game can go.   But I am surprised J2 is in 1st place so far.

    Thx again everybody for the comments and contributions.

    Also please check out Tabletop Simulator on Steam, my preferred way to play A&A G40 real time. Hit me up I’ll host a game, my Steam ID  is DadaPlaysDaBlues

    :mrgreen:   Cheers…


  • I experimented with J1 on the Tripe A game against hard AI’s and I prefer it than riding out US trade. I am not sure however if I want to try a J1 against other people.


  • As far as the game setup goes, and trying to compare the setup to the actual timeline of the war, I believe that a J2 DOW is more comparable to the actual timing of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor… However, we all know that an actual Pearl Harbor type strategy is most likely the optimal strategy when playing this game.


  • @tambo264:

    As far as the game setup goes, and trying to compare the setup to the actual timeline of the war, I believe that a J2 DOW is more comparable to the actual timing of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor… However, we all know that an actual Pearl Harbor type strategy is most likely the optimal strategy when playing this game.

    J2 seems like it, in terms of history, you would have to spend J1 invading Chinese and then on J2, attack Hong Kong, The Phillis, and Pearl Harbor on the same turn.

  • '21 '20 '18 '17

    Its G1940, you’ve already been in china for 2+ years as Japan.  J1 would still be 1940…which explains why there are carriers at Pearl Harbor at all, December 1941 would be something like turn 3 or 4, right?

    Since you can change everything about the war in the gameverse, by J2, Pearl Harbor could be completely empty, so there is no attack and no reason to attack it, same J3, J4.  This makes everything but the starting position alternate history.

  • '19 '17 '16

    I’ve noticed one response to a common variation of a J2. Situation:

    • SZ36/20 have 2-3 transports and/or marines on board BB/Cruiser (if you are playing Balanced Mod)
    • There are no Japanese naval bases usable in those SZs.

    Strategy:
    USA DD to SZ43 (Off Borneo)
    UK DD to SZ37
    UK land on Sumatra
    Anzac land on Java

    Result:
    Allies are secure on Sumatra and Java through turn 2. Some possibility of convoying off income but unlikely to get it all and some of the fleet might be exposed if they try to convoy both. Every bit as important: Japan doesn’t get the money on turn 2 which slows them down a fair bit.

    Just tried this against one player and he avoided the DOW J2.

    Downside: Losing two DDs. Doesn’t seem like a big problem. The UK one can be replaced turn 3 with the one starting off South Africa.

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