This is the basic J1 attack:

Take PI with 2 transports (2 inf 1 art 1 tank) from home fleet + cv from Truk (planes in land battle) + okinawa fleet.
Eliminate UK BB (and transports) with 3 Bmb + Formosa fighter. (wonder if you knew about this move)
Kill New Britain sub with DD
Kill Hawaii Tr with SS

Take Kwantung, Yunan, etc… with troops and planes on continent + additional planes from Japan.

Speed is critical for Japan. You have to neutralize UK/China in 3-4 turns. If you find yourself having to spend heavily on mainland forces as well as building your navy the allies have won.

The Caroline transp can either help take PI or take Borneo J1.

J2 the Phillipines transports have 3 moves because of Naval Base.
Possible to pick up surviving troops from HongKong and take DEI or Malay peninsula. (Can also reach Queensland which gives ANZAC something to ponder)

With transports you built J1 land more troops in French Indo China (to help cut Burma road again J3). You can build minor Ind in FIC.

At this point I retreat two thirds of my fleet to Truk to stare down the Americans. single DD screen to prevent Hawaii fleet from entering Sea of Japan.

DD = destroyer
SS = sub
TT = transport
CV = carrier
BB = battleship
CA = Cruiser

As USA I build an unassailable fleet.
Mainly subs, but with a few destroyers and loaded carriers (3) sprinkled in.
Simply add 4-5 loaded transports, stirring until thoroughly mixed, build a Naval Base on Midway and plop everything down in an amorphous lump on Midway and the surrounding sea zone.

Problem is UK has other worries.
Sealion, (invasion of UK) for instance.
Because of that danger UK1 build is normally 9 inf.
UK2 build is 10 inf.

Only then can you get creative.

@Hobbes:

@Van_Trump:

You could attack Midway sea with Fighters/TAC from Japan AB and land them in Sea of Japan “IF” you built Carriers that turn. Odd quirk in the rules that gives fighters an extra move.

Fighter moves 3 spaces from Japan AB to Midway sea then 2 spaces from it to SZ6. How is that an extra move?

It is not. It just has the appearance of an extra move.

Interesting rule is the “Landing Planes on Newly Built Carrier”.
Basically you can end movement in a sea zone that is about to have an Aircraft Carrier built on it, landing on that Carrier during the Place Units phase.

You could attack Midway sea with Fighters/TAC from Japan AB and land them in Sea of Japan “IF” you built Carriers that turn. Odd quirk in the rules that gives fighters an extra move.

IMHO this should not be allowed. Since the CVs only appear at end of turn, this should be ruled as illegal suicide movement.

The rule was meant to allow planes to be placed on newly built Carriers.

If Germany stacks fighters in Gibraltar they are not being used elsewhere.
As USA, I could bring fleet over and take Morocco, blocking any German fleet with a DD.

Easiest is probably take an additional turn as USA to build up invasion fleet (65 ipcs build don’t forget). USA 5 no way Gibraltar holds. All those German planes will die.

If map had made Gibraltar an island, allowing scrambling, MAYBE this becomes a viable Axis strategy, with the Italian fleet stationed there.

Whoa, did not know about reduction of captured IC.

Have to read Global rules carefully before trying it.

To be frank, people I am playing against are not strong players.
The only game balance I give them is I play my turns extremely quickly, making the odd mistake from time to time. Also try to give them advice about my intentions.

Well, when I come over on USA turn 4 we’re talking a minimum 6-8 loaded TTs +whatever bombardment + possible air support if US stages its CVs in mid-Atlantic.

No way Gibraltar holds. It falls along with Morocco on first Torch landings.

…but (last post was done late at night) concentrating on Russia and not taking London gives the Americans time to effectively “Torch” Africa. Not clear that Axis can hold Cairo if USA makes it a priority. UK can build stuff in South Africa to hold off Italians until USA arrives.
American fleet having the run of the Med causes all kinds of defensive problems for the Axis, landing forces behind the lines, etc…
Italy will be back down to 10 IPC production before you know it. Axis could be at 7 victory cities for a loooong time.

In this extremely long game scenario it may be necessary for the Axis to take Turkey to give themselves a short cut to Africa.

Ok played 2 more games.

First one I played the allies. Sealion such an abysmal failure that the Axis resigned and we immediately started another game. In a nutshell, Germany did not exclusively buy transports and stuff to put on them. He also did not attack G3, instead invading Scotland (intending to have a dble attack on London next turn.) I strafed Scotland, eliminating two thirds of German force plus built 10 more inf on London.

2nd game I played the Axis.
I took France but crapped out on one of the sea battles. 2 fighters, 1 Tac, 2 subs vs 1 BB, 1 CA. Both UK ships survived. UK chose not to destroy German fleet (G1 buy: CV, DD, SS). Instead he used Gibral fleet to sink half the Italian navy.
He did Infantry stack buy in part because I warned him about my intention to Sealion.
Surviving Royal Navy linked up with Canadian DD and TT in the sea zone between Ireland and uk. (These ships sunk on G2 with minimal loss for Germans)
UK2 saw another 10 inf built in London.
Set up interesting situation G3. I judged the G3 Sealion attack about a 50-50 chance. I set up to repeat an almost identical attack G4 so I proceeded, retreating 2 planes after final round of combat. Eliminated 75% of UK defense.
G4 Sealion (Porky’s 2, the next day) was no contest. USA was not in the war so could not reinforce London US3 with planes. UK falls.

Meanwhile, USSR had a considerable stack in East Poland and waltzed into Poland on R4.
G5 saw Germany mounting a hasty defense in Berlin (bringing back all surviving Armor from London). Germany upgraded Berlin IC to major AND had the money to buy 23 inf (10 in London, 10 in West Germany, 3 in Berlin.)
Cairo had also fallen so Axis needed only 2 more cities. UK had no more builds in South Africa so the Italians were mopping up. Also Italy build IC on Iraq to help threaten Russia.

Americans were off the coast of Europe in force by US6 with an unassailable fleet (8 loaded TTs)-they were intimidated by German fleet and had delayed coming over for a turn.

G6 Germany used TT’s to move Infantry stack to Poland (together with everything in Berlin) and USSR was on the defensive.

At that point we had to call the Game because of time but I feel the Axis had the win: US takes 2 turns to ferry stuff to the front while Germany can build directly on London (or Paris) as needed.

Sealion was not a sure fire strategy for Axis win. Pushing Russians back on broad front starting G4 seems safer (putting IC in Romania instead of TT build).
but