Topics created by Vareel

@Lozza007:

Hey chaps,

I’ve been looking over these threads for a while now and am keen to work on my Allied strategy.  Also used to play a bit through www.days-of-infamy.org with AAP a few years ago.

So what’s the update on Japan taking Hawaii in the first couple of turns and then working its way south towards NSW on J4?  Has this been discredited at all, with blocking ships perhaps?

Similarly, what are the thoughts on staying alive as UK in India/China?

I’ve only played the game once as I don’t own it yet, but I was rather shocked to see how much firepower Japan can bring to bear on J1.  The J1 attack certainly seems optimal given the IPC/Allied unit/Japan income tradeoffs.  The only plan that seems to get the US into the war quickly and effectively seems to be a northern route, out of Midway or Hawaii and attacking Japan’s new builds and maybe Korea.

I’ve modelled some naval combat a bit and found that the US player only has any hope of victory in the first few rounds if it can nibble off bits of the Japanese fleet.  Fighting battles with extra Japanese air power (i.e. more than the 6 air units from the Carriers) results in disaster, and any battle that sees the US lose the core of its fleet (Carriers, Battleship etc) is a win for Japan - just like in original AAP.  By the time you rebuild and get in position again, Japan has matched you $ for $ and it’s a stalemate.

A couple of questions too (since I don’t have a copy of the rules):

can you build ports and air bases on newly captured territory? (ref: Japanese port in Midway) can you build Industrial Complexes on newly captured territory? (ref: US Factory in Korea).

The latter is important as I can’t understand how a US Factory in Korea would survive if it was built 1 turn after Korea was captured - Japan would surely have units nearby to retake it, or just bomb it to uselessness?

Cheers!

Lozza007

On J1, Hawaii can be hit with 3 inf, 1 art, 1 tank, if 1 tac is scrambled to prevent bombardment. The defense is 1 bmr, 2 inf, 1 ftr. Both have an attack total of 9, so let’s say both get 2 hits. Then it’s 1 inf, 1 art, 1 tank vs 1 inf, 1 ftr. Each get 1 hit, so it’ll be art, tank vs ftr. Thus Japan can take Hawaii with 1 tank. However, since it used all 3 transports, it can’t take the philippines or any DEI. Thus, the US gets 61 ipcs, and unless Japan moves most of their fleet to that sea zone, the transports will die. After US1, hawaii is defended with the entire fleet in the sea zone, 3 inf, 1 tank, 1 ftr, and 1 tac, while most of the Jap fleet is in the Phil SZ, unable to reach Hawaii.

China and UK will die if Japan plays properly. The key is to delay them long enough that the US and ANZAC gain naval and air supremecy in the Pacific. After India falls, Japan collects 78 ipc’s, to US’s 55 and ANZAC’s 15. However, since the US and ANZAC should have naval superiority by now, they can easily attack the DEI, PI, or perhaps Mal or Kwangtung, since they can take control of it and build a major factory. In order to achieve naval supremecy, the US should take Iwo, allowing them to hit SZ6 from WUS with bombers. This will probably catch your opponent by surprise.

The southern route also works to grab the money islands, which forces the Jap navy to block, allowing you to destroy them piecemeal.

For your questions: Both are no.

Using a J1 DoW with the intent to take out India will indeed work.I pose it to you that this is what the designers had in mind anyway, as its the only way for Japan to truely have a shot at winning. The real game is what happens after India falls. Japan must take one more VC and hold it. The games ive played vs a J1 DoW have come down to an arms race for navies and airforces, usually resulting in a stalemate until someone gets too tired an screws up. India must fall, and this makes it a much more realistic game , as Britian didnt play much of a role in this theater anyway. BTW (subs, infantry and fighters are key to US/ANZAC defenses after Britian falls). All that said, it is important that the British and Chinese kill as many aircraft as possible before they die, Yunnan and Burma must be held onto if you want to delay the J3 fall of India until J4…allowing the other Allies a chance to build up another turn while Japan is out of position.

oops, it seems ive been cheating by rushing my Mech infantry and Tank to Alaska as US every US 1.

@Vareel:

Oh i’m not saying you have to attack hawawi, nor that you should try to take it.  But it is a good idea I feel to send the US fleet at pearl to the bottom of the ocean.  The way I do that is with 2 carriers parked in SZ 31 with some extra boats to add to the attack, like a BB, pair of DDs, pair of subs, and keep a bomber or two in range, along with a purchased sub or 2.  Just 2 carriers alone in SZ 31 bring 8 planes into the fight allowing for 24 punch and 8 or 12 hits if you bring the carriers.  Add to that a pair of bombers, 2 DDs and a BB and you got 40 punch with 6 more hits.  And thats not counting the purchased units or the pair of subs you can position there if you want.  That still leaves you with a carrier, a battleship, 2 DDs, 2 Cru, and 15 planes for the DEI area.  Now I do sacrifice my transports to take DEI islands in the end, but I feel it is worth it.  If the US cannot be at Pearl on US2, or is sunk there, the earliest turn they can get to the DEI area with a significant force would be on US 5.

I understood that the propose is to prevent the US from moving the fleet to Pearl, not taking Hawaii itself and I agree that it is a good move. Most likely I’d move the US fleet to Line Islands and buy a naval base, allowing them to reach Australia on the next turn by leaving a DD on Johnson to block any J attacks.

The worse though will be if the US moves its airforce to Australia after J has attacked. Any Jap fleet on the East Indies will be threatened.

Ok so we played only two games, one I was Uk the other Japan. The first one was a J3 attack and the other one a J2.

I don’t think I have enough experience to talk high, but don’t anybody thinks that it is better for the Brits to go to Dutch New Guinea, giving its ANZAC colonies some money these need to have some transports and, using Australia as a shield, moving around it and trying to harass Japan around the ‘money islands’? Uk and ANZAC have to buy time for the USA to come in, and if Japan has to recapture one of his islands again just because some peskering Australians came in with a transport or destroyed part of their fleet with subs, it will get the job done. The ANZAC’s transport is, in my opinion, extremely important. This is what could annoy the Japanese in Indonesia in the 3rd and 4th round, giving some time for the USA to come.

But of course, all this depends on the Japanese.

What about using DDs in conjunctiion with SSs?  The subs can soak hits in the early rounds right, for only 6 IPCs instead of 8 IPCs.  I understand the extra #3 attack over a #2 gives the DDs a slight plus for the IPC cost, but i think adding a couple subs could give a small bonus to the final numbers.

@Vareel:

some units just don’t seem to have any nitch.

’

All the units in AAP40 have a niche, you just have to think about it more. Some are not as sexy as they used to be (tanks, battleships) and some are certainly bought less by certain players, but in general this is representive of history.

This set of unit stats is the best to date.

Why should crusiers be able to be traded with fighters?

the tac bomber rules already give them a clear role and make alot of sence except they are simpler that yours.

I do like your rules for infantry supporting tanks on the defence, except I dont like tanks costing five. tanks are big things that take alot to produce they should be expensive and players should not be able to build stacks of them (unless they are the russian player, in AAE40 the USSR should not be able to buy mech inf and instead can buy tanks at 5.)

no its the same.  sea battle first.

The big thing it seems to me with this map, is defending is much easier than attacking.  ACs are extremely defensive in nature and power, and airbases are extremely powerful on the defense.  Combine that with allies can defend together, but not attack together, and the idea would be to make the enemy come to you.  By the end of turn 2, the starting US fleet could be in queensland along with 2 ANZ destroyers and 1 sub.  Then on turn 3 the US can take/liberate Java with ANZ helping to defend, along with all the planes in Western Australia the allies can manage.  Japan can attack that fleet, and expose themselves to a counter, or leave it be to continue stealing japan’s income.  I think that will be the ideal way to go in this game as the US.  Also note, Java is 2 turns away from Japan, and granted 3 away from the US but that is the best spot in my eyes as anywhere else is only 1 turn away from Japan.

If Japan does not attack turn 1, with UK I would take Java and Dutch New Guinea with the UK transports and rally all allied boats into SZ 56 to support the US fleet.

The other thing I wonder, is if a sub heavy ANZAC would be able to harrass japan as the US can block and can opener to clear the way.  Granted with AN’s low income she may have trouble getting enough to be a threat but still an idea.

Why are you guy so focused on those NO’s? I mean it’s only a bloody 5 IPC, you don’t even get a tank for that price.  😉

I’ll take a look on what you posted about the US troops from the Phillippines whether they can be put safe or not. The UK BB and transports are really going to hunt you. They can join the India ships and Anzac fleet south of Java to make a nice 1-2-3 punch with the US later on in the game…… That’s why that BB must die no matter what.

Todd,
You get an AB & NB on the Caroline islands at set up along with a ton of ships in the area. All you need to do is transport more ground units in, and you’ll get your wish.