I noticed you can go from Sz101, Hawaii and San Francisco directly to the Sz around Samoa. From there you can get in two turns to the money islands and Philipines (with a naval base built).
This can be a huge surprise for the axis. Imagine US building up a fleet in 101 ready to invade Europe. When Japan declares war they suddenly converge with the pacifix fleet around Samoa and gong from KGF to KJF.
Plus part is your reinforcements don’t go via Hawai where they can be attacked from the carolines so you can Chuck transports and navy.
Down side is UK Pac needs to buy an Naval base.
Not an all winning strategy but one guaranteed surprise .
Plus if you keep building reinforcements in 101 you can always divert to Europe.
Just a brainfart…

Hey, I’ve been asking myself the same question, why do axis have a huge advantage. My friends and I don’t have that feeling (rather 55-45 for axis). But we never play with victory cities. Our games usually ends with axis victory when:

1. Axis take moscow with a huge amount of troops remaining and Allies have no solid ground in Europe and with japan still going wild)
2. Axis have a huge advantage in total IPC revenue per round per player (for exemple when germany and italy have a decent revenue and Japan is still controlling money islands).

I think in the long run (10-15 turns) the allied will gain an advantag (if they gain more IPC per round than axis), so i think most people play with victory cities on the short-middle run (7-8 turns).

But yet again, this is my experience (playing for 14 years for 2 games a month) on the board, i don’t play on triple A.

Hello,

I made a video about a strategy built around UK Europe. In the video i discuss the UK1 move and it is an answer to the old question wether or not there is an alternative to Taranto. It’s a bit like the Gibastion move but not entirely.
We play OOB tabletop without bid.
I’m not claiming it to be thé best move and off course it depends on what Germany buys G1, but i might give the Axis (especially italy) something to think about.

https://youtu.be/lscPRKF9VEE

@sleepykoala

Yes i made a movie about it:

https://youtu.be/lscPRKF9VEE

With the UK fleet still alive and with the factory in Egypt i start buying subs to start convoying Italy and combined with bombers to industrial bomb germany.

I do this because US goes in a KJF so except for some subs and bombers no land units are built in the atlantic

@nolimit That is not true. SZ26 is two sea zones away from Western US (SZ26=>SZ12=>SZ10. so ergo it’s forbidden to dock there.

@djensen hey! I’m still here.

@Argothair You have a point stating the combined allies have twice the amount of cash in the pacific, so making negative trades isn’t that a big deal. But you should non the less pick your fights well because Japan has a lot of capital ships that can take a free hit. Your tactic can be compared to “death by a thousand needles”.

My group has been experimenting with a KJF and KGF etc. This is what we have concluded:

1. You cant leave Japan unchecked with the US, sooner or later Japan will take hawai/sydney or go for economic victory and go to africa). When doing a KGF you need to spend like 20% of your means in the pacific (for exemple a few fighters or bombers each turn) just to keep the Japanese navy busy.

2. UK: If you send your fighters away from londen UK1 than Sealion can and will happen. Unless th US build its first buy in atlantic (as GHG calls out in his 'london calling"). We usually buy a DD in SZ110 to block Germzny from taking Gibaltar and two fighters on london (or a bomber).

3. Taranto or not: if it works perfect. But it’s not the only sollution. We tend to do the Gibastion (hence the DD in SZ110 to block any german ships) or (after destroying the italian transport around malta) retrating with the UK carrier in the red Sea and unit it with the pacific fleet

4. Question: what if you buy a carrier witk UK pacific and a BB withUK europe in S-Africa and thus building a UK fleet in the pacific strong enough to keep japan at distance and to threaten the Med?

@Luftwaffles41 that’s what i say, Japan can and will take Sydney (and in lesser chance Hawai) if US does absolutely nothing in pacific. I’ve seen it before.

I know the J1 attack on pearl and it’s not that bad, it depends on what your goal with japan is (kill the US presence there or go for money islands?)

“How do you know they’re going Afrika Korps??? If you as the British player saw me build 2 transports and an aircraft carrier would you get any ideas? This is the type of thing you have to be really careful with as the British because you really can’t do anything to influence Germany from doing anything. If the U.K built a destroyer in 110 then I’d do Sealion so fast.”

I don’t know that, but germany starts with a transport that can reach Gibraltar and when they buy two transports and carrier then I will certainly buy the DD in Sz110.

We don’t do the taranto raid but only attack the italians around malta. After that attack you can gather the brittish remainders around gibraltar (if UK buys and Airbase on gibgralter they can hold of the germans/italians. There is a post here about this topic.

Thanks about your feedback about the building of an UK carrier and BB.

@Arthur-Bomber-Harris said in Beating J1:

I have seen an increasing number of top players focused on KGF with ANZAC turtling for much of the game. It truly is hard for Japan to capture Australia or Hawaii with just a little bit of USA assistance. Fighters are such a great unit since they provide so much protection on defense, can threaten fleets with a few sacrificial subs, and can strafe ground units. Never underestimate the strafe against Japan as ground units are so precious. Often I will sacrifice USA planes for Japan infantry. A 1:2 exchange can still be a strategic victory for the United States.

I think, when japan consolidates his navy and transports around Carolines on J1 (no DOW) then buying a tpt with anzac is not a good idea. Even when japan DOW on J2 or J3 while slowly building up around carolines, anzac might fall easier than you think. I always thought anzac was very to take in the early game, but buying to much fleet in the beginnin with japan around carolines opens the door to an early invasion.

@taamvan The longer i play this game, the more i’m convinced that the allies have the most chance of winning when they’re not defeated.
Explaination: when allies try to make a push or get diced in an attack at sea or air , they are doomed. When they lose a key city like Egypt, Moscow or India too cheap, they are doomed.
Taranto is a 80 or 90% win for allies but when you get diced things will look grimm. That’s why as Allies you must avoid those kind of battles and force the Axis player to take those risky moves on you.
In that perspective UK should primarily focus on defense of those key locations, especcially in the early game.

@frankmac4 you best help China by sending some fast movers to Yunnan to boost Chinese defensie.

@klaaslolkema hoe ver van Antwerpen schat je?

@klaaslolkema Hey Klaas, vanwaar ben je, regio Antwerpen of Brussel?

@argothair attack Fleet around Malta with cruiser and fighter and put DD around Greece so the italian fleet can´’t reach egypt. Send UK fihters of Londen via West Afrika to Egypt (UK2 you can have 5 fighters there).

@argothair thanks for the considerations. It is indeed not a game winning move but keeps the fun in it.

Funny you Mention Wake bc that was my starting point from which i came to Samoa.
I´ve done that a few times.
US1 you can gather your entire pacific fleet and fighters (incl the ones in Philip) and the Anzac cruiser (no anzac fighters allowed).
The big problem is yes you can get to Sz6 easily but Sz6 is often a trap bc Japan can throw everything to attack you there.
It can idd be a start for an island hopping strategy towards the mainland (killen Jap factories).

@barnee @crockett36
No Line is not within 3 spaces of the East Coast.
What do you think of the general idea? Surprising the axis and still being able to switch to europe

@argothair @crockett36 @simon33

For years we have been switching between KGF and KJF as Allies. Building on East or West as US side gives away your initial plans off course.
Building in S-Francisco is giving Japan a heads up to start preparing for a naval clash with US.

This is a brainfart:

As US you built for three turns 100% on the East coast (carriers, DD, tpt,…) as if you were preparing for a KGF, forcing italy and Ger to prepare and makingJapan believe they free reign. The Pacific fleet shucks troops to Hawaii as normal. On US3 you send everything (Eur and Pac) to Samoa. It can be reached from New York, Hawaii and S-Fr. UK Pacific builts a Naval base there UK3 (they need to save their income).

From there you are one turn away from Queensland and thus the money islands are in reach. All reinforcements can come via a built on the East via Samoa to Queensland coast so your supply lines are safe from SZ6. And you can switch to a KGF easily.

Did it once and it surprised the Axis player like hell. Unfortunately systematic bad dice shred allied play so no matter the strategy, it was a lost game so no valid after action review possible.

@simon33 ok good argument. So you would search the fight with Germany and sandbagging Egypt against italy.

@simon33 ok good argument. So you would search the fight with Germany and sandbagging Egypt against italy.

@simon33 idd you don´’t have to Defend algeria but take the fight . he can take you out in 2 rounds of combat if you stack: 2 cruisers, carrier with in totaal 5 fighters. Let´’s say the DD is blocking the italian fleet.
Losing all that for 7 fighters. I don´’t know if that is worth it giving the Italians free reign in the Med. The few times he did attack me the axis won bc it toon forever containing Italy.

If he does not attack then he will probably stick around mainland italy slowly building up fleet. If he goes to Egypt/transjordan then your ships in the Red sea can´t join the fight but idd you can attack him with pure air bc he will Block you with a DD at Malta.