• Ok, so given the FAQ/errata, what are the US options at the beginning of the game?

    From what we’ve seen so far, she can try and reinforce PI (which is still undefendable, but can be made more painful), reinforce Pearl, or move towards the Solomons. We’ve tried combinations of all of the above but none seem to be able to put undo pressure on the Japanese once at war.

    What other options does the US have? We wanted to base out of Australia, but the FAQ disallows that. Assuming the Japanese leave the US alone for the first few turns, what would you build with your 61 IPCs (17+22+22)?

    Where do you position your new forces?

    The overriding constraint we’ve seen for the US is that they have about 5-6 turns in which to force the Japanese to commit the bulk of her forces before Japan is finished annihilating the Brits and Chinese. Once that is done, without the ‘global’ game threat of reinforcements from the West (either Russian or Brit from Africa), the Japanese can turn her full econ to the US and Australia. At that juncture the game is likely over since the Japanese econ will be in the same ballpark, she has more forces on the board, she has no vulnerable econ, and she can coordinate far better.

    Given that, what can the US do in the first 5-6 turns to engage Japanese attention away from the Brits/Chinese? Keep in mind that IMO in order to engage them the US has to be able to threaten significant Japanese income or else position herself to be able very favorably trade her forces for the Japanese (in an effort to force the Japanese to rebuild a navy with her IPCs).


  • First of all, US can place bombers on Guam, Wake and Midway. They all have Airbases wich make bombers move 7 spaces, so a bomber from Guam can strafe lone trannies in seazone 6 and land on Midway. If Japan dont like that, he must occupie this small islands, and that will be disturbing to his plans to get his NO’s as fast as possible, since he start very short of trannys, and can only buy a maximum of 3 in first turn.

    US can also send as many subs as possible to convoy centers that soon will be used by Japan. Subs need only two turns to reach seazone 6, and then Japan must buy destroyers, or a major factory in China. This will slow them down.

    US might also send loaded trannies south, to be in position when war breaks out. 1 turn from US to Line island , then 1 turn to New Zealand, and they are allowed to be in the seazone, just dont embark the men on land before the war starts, and since NZ has a port they may reach Java in next turn. And then it is war, man.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    I abandoned the Phillipines as quickly as possible.

    bulk up in HAW. an IC and NB in alaska served me well, with subs going to japan every turn, which turned to the odd transport and 1 or 2 men.  I ended up backdooring Korea. Game.


  • bulk up in HAW. an IC and NB in alaska served me well, with subs going to japan every turn, which turned to the odd transport and 1 or 2 men.  I ended up backdooring Korea. Game.

    How does this work? Didnt the Japanese leave ANY planes on Japan? If they did, they can simply ‘scramble’ out to sea and kill anything send to that sea zone (unless we are missing something in the rules). Subs are little threat to the Japanese Home Islands if the Japanese build even a single destroyer here and there. One DD + a handful of planes = dead sub investment in Japanese waters.


  • I use the US fleet to build up in Hawaii (and position two DD’s in front of HAW seazone to prevent an all out attack) or Alaska.  Then Japan needs the larger part of its fleet to defend Carolines and other islands. By this time ANZAC has build enough subs to disrupt all southern islands.

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