@Kavik:
On turn 1 you send the BB and Inf/Tank to Torch (take Morocco). Leave the BB and Trans there, and you buy a second Atlantic trans on turn 1 (instead of the Bomber on turn 1 only) to leave at Washington. From that point forward you fill that single transport bridge with Inf/Art or Inf/Arm and harass North Africa/Gibraltar from behind for the British. It doesn’t matter if you lose these units every turn, as long as you land them. If the Germans kill the BB/Trans (they usually don’t) you can sacrifice the Washington trans and extend the harassment for another turn without any additional naval purchases.
@Hobbes:
I assume you mean DD, not BB. Which means that G can send fighters/subs on G2/G3 to kill the US/Allied fleet.
I had a BB and Trans there in the game of AA50 that I played. Like I said, Germany usually doesn’t get around to killing it. But if they do you can still sacrifice the transport at Washington to extend the landings for another turn without buy any more navy in the atlantic. You are only doing this in the Atlantic for 3 or 4 turns, you are gaurenteed at least 2 turns of landings. In my experience the “bridge” usually survives all 4 turns because the Germans usually wind up with a higher priority for their planes than sinking your lone BB protected transport.
@Kavik:
Back in the Pacific, you will solidify your NOs before establishing your bomber base on Okinawa. Conversely, you will switch your builds to the Atlantic and killing Germany while your fleet it in the process of getting to and taking Okinawa (but you’ll know that you are going to succeed because you already have naval superiority). When you switch after turn 3 or 4 (depending on the Japanese naval build response) you will essentially reverse yourself… sending a trickle of forces to the Pacific (bombers for SBR and subs/destroyers to lock down the Pacific).
@Hobbes:
With 3-4 turns worth of US buys (minus the ground forces for the Atlantic and the bombers for the UK) you’re expecting to take and hold Okinawa against the Japanese fleet? After J1, Japan will most likely still have 3 ACs, 1 BB, 1 CA and fighters to fill the ACs. US will have 1 AC, 1 DD, 3 FTRs and 2 BMR.
I’ve done it many times in the past, mostly in previous versions of AA. I’ve only played on game of AA50 so far, but I was the US and this is what I did. We won. You start with a CV and the planes for 2 CVs. Buy a thrid and two planes, 3 CAs a couple DDs and subs and you can take down the IJN. Like I said, you switch to European production as you send this fleet away from the coast towards Okinawa so you aren’t actually taking Okinawa until turn 5. It’s a bomber base. Once positioned their any fleet coming within range 2 faces both your fleet and your bombers. You will strike them if they come within range, not wait to be attacked. Typically the IJN needs to assemble before coming after you, many of their ships are normally far south or in the indian ocean when you make this move. By the time they get too you, you are entrenched in Okinawa with the bombers to support your navy if needed. You have the backbone of the navy, and can add subs/DDs/CAs if the situations calls for it, but I don’t normally do that other than maybe 2 more subs as time goes on. The 1 bomber per turn you keep adding is uaually enough to be safe.
Of course, the Japanese player could not go south with his navy to defend against this, and that would put a kink in this plan… but then the US would have pinned for the beginning of the game… which is almost as good for the Allies as the bomber base on Okinawa. In this case, personally I would change strategies, give up on Okinawa and be happy with pinning the IJN for the early turns, and begin going after Germany early:-)
@Kavik:
From this point forward you are essentially in a typical KGF game… except that you have denied Japan some of their NOs, mostly destroyed their navy, and you are bombing Tokyo! You won’t ever get to the “KJ” part, if the Allies win in Europe Japan will be more than ready to surrender by the time that is over.
@Hobbes:
You have not denied J any of their NOs with the US:
- Indochina, Manchuria and Kiangsu will very likely still be Japanese +5
- Kwangtung, East Indies, Borneo and Phillipine will very likely be Japanese +5
- Australia or India will very likely be Japanese +5
By taking Okinawa you’ve managed to give UK an NO, not removing from J. But if the axis control either Egypt or Australia then the UK has less 1 NO, so that evens it out.
Meanwhile I can assume that Japan will not stay idle as the US fleet is building up on the Pacific and will concentrate its 3 ACs + the rest of the fleet, plus building subs/planes. Which means that Okinawa will fall (and with it any US bombers standing there), probably even on the first Japanese turn after it is conquered by the US. And when that happens, then J can take Hawaii, Wake or Midway, negating the US an NO.
I didn’t say deny Japan their NOs, I said defend the US NOs from Japan and prevent Japan from taking US related NOs.
Taking Okinawa is for the SBR, I didn’t even realize it was an NO for anyone, haha.
I’m not saying this is an ultimate, unbeatable strategy. Just that it is a very effective one that I have developed over years of playing AA with the US. It also seems too me to throw a few wrenches into the typical “KGF” strategy that I read about so much. I should point out that this “DJKG” strategy is even more effective if both the UK and Russia help put the squeeze on Japan early on as well (without spending too many ICs to do it). Just a couple Russian infantry and a tank into China from Russia, and a minor UK effort to make India a harder target wont take much away from handling Germany early on but will really start to add up against poor Japan. When the focus switches to German on turn 5, Japan has their hands full. They aren’t in a position to do anything to help Germany and won’t be for at least several turns (probably never considering the SBR on Tokyo).
It’s not an unbeatable strategy, none ever are in a game that works. There are counters that can force the US out of it (but Japan still pays a price for those counters). It’s just the way that I’ve evolved into playing the US over the years, and it seems too me that it counters the often discussed “KGF” strategy in some interesting ways.