Which is worse for Japan…

I thought the best strategy to counter KJF was to KRF with Germany, since the Allies are ignoring you.

Yes.

Because a destroyer is cheaper.

You cannot buy 2 transports and a carrier on Japan 1.  That means trading in a transport to get a carrier, not a trade I want, or getting two transports (3 or 4 total available on Japan 2) and a destroyer thus not tying up your fleet on such non-sense as transport protection duty.

Not to mention, when I go after the American fleet with Japan, I always wish I had another destroyer.  I never wish I had another transport.  (Talking rounds 12+ when Japan goes after the Allied fleet to protect S. Germany)

Hurts that the Axis start with 12 fighters, 2 bombers between two nations, don’t it?  (I’d count the allied ones, but most of those are destroyed on Round 1. :P)

I believe the trick is to force the Axis to break up their fighter formations over multiple territories, OR, attack territories with AA Guns.  Though, I am always happy when I can take ou German Panzers even if I cannot get their Stutkas.

@ShadowHAwk:

Australia and NZ can be good locations if you can get there without expending to much troops.
It is easy IPCs and they wont take it back. Also it cuts away 1 of the allied powers concentrated.

If you focus on 1 power it helps more efficient then on all powers.

Especialy the turn you build an Ic you might not be able to build enough troops to use all 4 trannies if you move 2 south then ( to enforce FIC ) you can take Australia next turn without losing much transport power but cutting in 3 more ipcs from the UK who at that point has verry little IPCs and is losing afrika making it completely dependant on the US to do anything at all.

Sure they’ll take it back . . . but only if it’s a KJF.  I assume this whole thread is pretty much based off a KGF assumption, because otherwise Japan should go inf/fighter turtle.

My typical Aus/NZ/Hawaii plan uses ONE transport, BB support shot(s) and a carrier.  I use the infantry from the southeastern islands to replenish.

Sometimes I can’t afford to go Aus/NZ/Hawaii depending on the India/Ssinkiang situation.

i agree totally, so did his partner.  we both thought that after brazil he should have turned south and gobbled some african cash and then kept going through the indian ocean and back to the pacific.  it would still have been far too out position to save his other fleet and with his land unit requirements he couldn’t build his minor fleet up to a level that would make the usa blink.  once the trannies going into asia were gone, so was the game.

First off, the production limits will go a long way to making those IC’s less than valuable.

Second, build a LOT of trannies as Japan in J1 and start offloading into Asia.  If you took out the US Fleet at Pearl on J1, then on J2 send your 3-4 trannies to FIC to offload full cargoes of INF, plus your ART and ARM.  Build more trannies and refills for your existing units in J2.  Then in J2 sen the new trannies to FIC and bring the old ones back to SZ60 to offload remaining land forces from your J2 buy into Bury to start your Russia strike, or for movement to Manch, then China, then Sinkiang.

Use your AF (3 FIG and 1 BOM) to provide offensive punch to your forces in Asia.  Consolidate your Capital Ships to SZ60 (this position is superior to SZ61 for purposes of protecting Japan and its territories from US fleet) in J2.

In J3, you should be able to take the India factory (if UK is sending lots of AF in, or pulling forces out of Africa to protect it, so much the better… Russia is not getting ground support in Karelia/Archangel from UK, and Africa has been handed to Germany).  If UK has reinforced it, wait for your J3 transports to FIC then take it in J4.

Odds are you can take India in J3 though, and then with your J3 landing to FIC, in J4 you move those forces to China, plus some forces coming from Bury to China, and on J5 or so the US IC is also taken.

By now, Japan has a nice fleet of trannies as buffer for the US fleet and to tranny forces to Asia, 2 new IC’s to send ARM/ART/INF against Russia, and you are ready to continue your Asia strike w/o build limits (you can now build 13 units a round in your 3 IC’s), and you can add the occasional capital ship if the US gets too threatening with their AF (remember, the US can’t spend too much on Pacific Navy… they have an IC in Sinkiang to support, and they BETTER be sending forces to Europe, or by now Russia is all but dead from lack of support from both UK and USA)

Enough ideas to get you going?

if you are playing with optionional rules it might work out( cos briton is probably going to put his free IC on INDIA and Amer get’s one infantry for free every turn in sinkiang or china), but if you are playing without them it would be unfair (cos U.K. and U.S. will lose their teritories and won’t be able to get them back. Trust me. I prefer playing with optional rules(all of them) because lots of things gests balanced