US industry on FIC

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

I wonder if the US has ever found a benefit from building an FIC factory.  I would think that it would only be beneficial if the Allies has control of both the mainland and the Money Islands, with Japan cowering in Tokyo.  Perhaps Japan has taken Hawaii, Sydney, or India and has to turtle down in those areas.  Maybe that would justify a US FIC factory, but I have never seen that happen.

[WILD BILL]

Would be more likely that the US would attempt to take one of those Japanese held territories w/ic built by Japan.

[simon33]

@WILD:

Would be more likely that the US would attempt to take one of those Japanese held territories w/ic built by Japan.

Yeah, that is what would normally happen Although it may be Better to take a Chinese factory to destroy it if you aren’t likely to hold it from recapture.

[simon33]

@Arthur:

I wonder if the US has ever found a benefit from building an FIC factory.

In one of my early games ANZAC built an IC of FIC and benefited from it when I was Axis. Although this was back in the days we were still doing J4 DOW.

[taamvan]

Placing any extra American factories is sort of a waste of time

1. You have tons of capacity already, probably better to grab your opponent’s factories than tempt him to take yours…
2. Korea, Spain, might seem like good candidates but they are easy to retake and the “no loading in hostile SZ” rule makes them harder to exploit
3. taking Paris sounds good but it actually gives Germany a big boost of money when they retake it the second time (and bc US goes second, it is the on that gets the bonus but it won’t have an opty to reinforce it)
   3b) Europe is already covered in factories so you don’t need more
4. Norway sounds good but you have to control it land/sea/air or you’ll simply lose it again
5. Islands are also awesome in theory but that’s not permitted
6. the best choices are therefore building sea and air bases in unexpected places (eg Java, Greenland, Aleutians)

but,

1. Malaya and FIC (and KwangtungHK) are awesome places for Japan to build
2. FIC is on the front and isn’t burned down, can start J3
3. Malaya is harder to take and protect but both it and HK have free naval bases so when you build factories then ships there, they have 3 moves to start
4. the 4 more northern placement options are only best if you intend a long war with Russia or defense

[Caesar-Seriona]

The answer to your question is yes however why the US would factory FIC is beyond me. Because Korea as an example is strategically better for the US to capture and factory.

[simon33]

Korea is not easy to retake if 18inf 2AAA reinforce.

[Arthur Bomber Harris]

Korea is a royal pain to recapture.  Not only do the Russians reinforce it (not breaking the Mongolia rule since Russia technically isn’t attacking Korea), but America can subsequently fly in a bunch of planes.  If Japan can’t take it immediately after capture, they likely will struggle to ever recapture it.  The factory keeps churning out ground units and more Allied fighters keep landing on the spot.  Subs in the Sea of Japan reek havoc on the already fragile Japanese economy.  That can mark the beginning of the end for Japan unless they have been able to make headway elsewhere before that point.

[simon33]

Indeed. Far easier to make sure it never falls as Axis, which does tend to tie up IJN resources if it is seriously threatened.

[Caesar-Seriona]

I personally tend to factory Korea as Japan and leave behind units for it because it seems to be a nice spot that USSR and US try to capture.

[simon33]

That factory is a very long way from the action.

I reckon shantung is the best compromise.

[Caesar-Seriona]

That factory is far from China but not useless if USSR plans on doing something in the East which I have personally seen. My factory in Korea is simply there encase USSR enters the fight early, it also tend to make the US move haste if they go after Japan in the North instead of the South. So in terms of usable against China, then yes, it is useless but you simply can’t dismiss it.

[simon33]

3 turns to Yunnan or 2 turns if the factory were on Manchuria. Is the destruction if captured the reason for Korea instead of Manchuria?

[Caesar-Seriona]

The problem is that I don’t like to factory on border nations, the reason specifically for Korea is about 90% of the time, USSR isn’t going to put tanks in the East because they are better serves in the West so when 18 infantry and 2 AA guns move south, they obviously can’t take Korea in the first hit, it simply acts as a buffer.

[Caesar-Seriona]

That too, you can major on Korea which makes it more useful.