Japan VS. US
Its my expieriance that Japan usually does win, with VP’s or taking India. A&A Pacific is probably the least historically accurate veriant of all of them… which is good because otherwise the game would be no fun. In fact if you wanted to make it completely accurate, Japan would keep its 19 per turn but US’s would be closer to 200 or 300! But 75 is still alot, and if gives US (obviously) an advatage over Japan (the highest Japan can conceivably reach without winning the game being in low forties). But even still Japan’s navy, large and mobile island army AND, possibly most importantly, their first turn attack against everything for ones makes Japan a formidable opponent. Unless Japan has some serious bad luck the game should be pretty close most times.
A&A Pacific is, in the opinion of me and the person i play with, a 1v1 kind of game, i play against my dad in Pacific most often, playing Europe or my friend’s world edition with groups of friends because it has more accomidating numbers (plus in Pacific the India/Australia is not that fun to play, so in reality its US V Japan).
I thinkt he ultimate downfall of people who say Japan has no chance is two things,
1) they dont fully use the turn one ability of Japan’s, by fully use i mean destroy you can conceivably without leaving yourself open to a substantial counterattack.
2) They are overwhelmed and disheartened by the US players superior money and production, as Japan you cant win in a straight up fight every turn. In fact… most likely you cant win a straight up fight after turn two. With Japan you need to split US fleet, or draw them away before its fully ready to come get you. You also cant afford to let the American player sit and build up, because if he just sits and builds up with you just watching he will surpass you in just a few turns… even if your making the low forties. What i do with Japan is, after obvious first turn of attacking everything like crazy, i harass where i can but pull back to the sea zones near Mariana’s and Iwo. Both of these places have airfields that can be stationed with bombers and excess fighters that dont have nearby carrier, I also heavily fortify the bases the US will need to do the same to me, places with airfields to limit their offensive potential.
If your playing a very good and prudent US player, they will wait until they are MUCH stronger and come for you… if your playing me, they will come soon, leaving themselves open to bomber, fighter attacks from islands and your combined Eastern fleet sent against them. But lets assume your playing someone who IS prudent, they will still eventually come for you, theyll have to otherwise theyll lose the game… and if they just sit there and let you win then they arent as prudent as me and you thought are they?
Anway, if you are up against the vastly superior US fleet then you may have to do some tricky running work, harrasing and running via ports you control, where as they control none. You keep drawing them in, keep bringing them into areas where you have your airforce fully ready and willing to surround and crush their fleet. All the while you building up bombers or fighters that can reach them from Japan. Now if they dont follow your running, and they head straight for a blockade of Japan and wait for you, you must asses their fleet. Is it mostly defensive? (if it isnt hungry for a desisive battle it probably is) defensive being carriers and fighters, they are dangerous weapons offensively and defensively, but even more so defensively. But if its mostly Battleships and Destroyers, it is not nearly as strong defensively as it could be. So, if your opponent is low on the carriers and defensive planes, attack him with your fighters and bombers, and navy, rip him a new one!
But lets say he is carrier strong, he has the best mix of fleet, some Battleships to soak up hits, destroyers for their nive firepower and anti sub, Carriers and planes for their huge potential in the seas and islands that you need so desperately to protect. Lets say his fleet is much superior to yours defensively and he refuses to engage you on the offensive with that fleet. If he does do this, one of four things will probably be happening.
1) he sits there and waits for you to come to him, and lets the victory points shoot up because he refuses to fight you for your money and fleet.
2) he starts building transports and marines to come and get Japan or the surrounding islands, if this is the case you should once again use your bombers and fighters from your airfield islands to destroy the transports, if he is giving them a little escort when he buys, use some small navy or just chance it with your planes, either way, he should lose boats and leave his men stranded. (hopefully if he breaks through you will have fortified your islands well enough to atleast detest the beaches anyway leaving it open for airial counter attack and thus making it useless for an airbase. this is assuming he doesnt go straight for Japan, if he does INFANTRY INFANTRY INFANTRY.
3) he starts building bombers to come try and give himself the offensive edge he needs, bombers are great weapons! But they need somewhere to land, this is where your heavy island defenses pays off, he will have nowhere for his bombers to land, as long as your deep enough inside your own territory. This option will probably be his long term goal after option 2 (above) so ideally you would stop him in option two before this stage.
4) he keeps buying what he has been traditionally buying, more strictly naval units. if this is true you should send your big navy, to go destroy his smaller newly built navy. this may expose your navy but by using your ports (which you have captured in the opening stage of the game in your wild expansion fest) you can outmaneuver his big navy if he trys to get you in a pincer movement. If he does, evade if you think you’ll lose, or stand in fight if theres a good chance youll win, or almost win. Remember your bombers and fighters on the airfielded islands though, they are key to your whole defense, your harrasing, and your offense rest on the shoulders of holding the out bases to give you the mobility and deprive the US player of it. Mobility is the name of the game.
Anyway, this wasnt supposed to be this long… guess i just kinda got into it, but if youve made it this far thanks for reading, and your a better person then i. Good Luck using this if you choose to.
P.S its a strictly VP strategy, and most of your buys should probably be fighters or bombers.