This is not a strat that I came up with on my own, but I have used it and it seems pretty effective and for the most part unstoppable. If this is your original work please let me know. I want to give credit where credit is due. Anyway I want your ideas for countering this so that I can further enhance this strat.Â
Here it is:
IGNORE THE U.S. COMPLETELY.
START NO SEA BATTLES.
The inherent problem with Japan is that it feels the responsibility to be the axis-gardener of the pacific ocean, weeding out the pesky US and UK fleets. Added to that is the pressure from the German player to harass the US and delay it’s involvement in Europe.
Chuck these ideas out the window.
Japan is much stronger than either of the Allied powers in the Pacific. You are in no danger. Amass all of your forces into a superfleet off of the coast of Japan and let it sit. Slowly add one destroyer per turn to dissuade the US from a massive amphibious assault on Japan.
Island hopping from the UK and the US is slow and while costly, can be made up for and then some by focusing on your primary target: CAUCASUS. The key is to meet Germany here.
Establish an IC in Shanghai first turn and a destroyer.
Empty Japan using your transports, then bring them back to the fleet as potential fodder. Move your air force inland. There is no need to keep them in Japan or on carriers once your fleet is consolidated just off of japan. Take China. Don’t worry about Eastern Russia to the North; just build a suitable wall for now.
Every Turn buy three tanks, one destroyer and one infantry.
Place the tanks in Shanghai, destroyer with the fleet, and infantry in Japan.
Depending on what has already happened, or the way things unfold in India, You should have no problems taking Sinkiang, India and Buryatia within 2-3 turns. The only real mainland defense is India; an obstacle you can either ignore by going through Sinkiang or the longer route north, or simply power through with your massive air force (up to 7 fighters and 1 bomber without buying)at your leisure.
With 3 tanks per turn and your air force on the mainland, you can easily get to the Caucasus and either help your German counterpart squeeze it to death, or reinforce it against moscow. Either way, once you meet the German player over the Caucasus, moscow will fall quickly.
after moscow falls you will find yourself able to turn all your tanks back around and either take out India if you haven’t already done so or protect against a mainland invasion from the US.
move your planes back to the fleet.
At this point you should also be rolling in IPCs, despite the fact that you’ve lost a few islands, and be able to put all of them to work building up your navy. Unless the US player is foolish, your fleet should be intact after your adventures on the mainland, and with a steady addition of one destroyer per turn, you should look pretty formidable.
If you want to keep playing beyond this point, you’ll find that the US fleet will probably try a last-ditch all out sea battle with everything it’s got. that’s fine. if the US wins, it will only be by one or two boats, and any chance of taking Japan will be diminished, given that you’ve been steadily putting in infantry into Japan. With the addition of your air force to the sea battle it probably won’t reach this point, but if you are unable to get your planes back to the carriers in time for the big battle, get them back to Japan ASAP.
Once the US fleet is destroyed, move what’s left of your fleet to just off the Western U.S. to prevent further sea unit building in the pacific (keep an eye on sea units coming through the canal though). Bring battleships in for bombardments and slowly weaken western US for invasion purposes. Have several waves of transports, and a solid air force to back them time after time.
By the time you are ready for invasion, Germany will be harassing the Eastern US.
It will take a long time, but given Japan and Germany’s combined IPCs, US will fall in time.
HAVE FUN