I have been experimenting with a KJF strategy in most of my recent games as the allies, and have had such good success with it that I would like to hear any opinions on how to counter it.
The overreaching strategy requires USA to go all out for Japan, building fleet for the first two turns and then deploying the fleet to either the Soloman Islands, or else Wake Island depending on the board situation. While the UK dumps as many ground units into Arckangel/Karelia as possible, and Russia stacks inf to hold off Germany. This however, does require africa to be ignored and it turns into a race for Tokyo vs. race for Moscow.
The key to this strategy seems to be to create a situation in which the Hawaii fleet survives, or better yet causes the Jap fleet hitting Hawaii to be killed in a counter attack. This all hinges on the UK1 moves. For UK1 I send my IO DD to kill the transport at Kwangtung, the UK transport with 2inf to Borneo, the UK ftr to hit the Soloman sub along with the UK sub, the UK AC to the Philipines, and the UK transport in Australia to the seazone east of the solomans (don’t have my map with me). Also the UK airforce is flown from UK to West Canada, and 1inf is moved into India from Persia. (there should also be 6 Russian inf in Bury as well). It has appeared so far that with the likely loss of the Jap sub, that the Japs cannot destroy the boosted US Hawaii fleet without being lost to retaliation on the USA turn and then the UK2 turn. There is also enough UK fleet around that Japan must protect the seazones around Japan for any transport build or else be hit by either the UK or combined USA/UK. Either way the USA seems on its way to an unstoppable fleet which usually destroys the Jap fleet by turn 4.
Sorry for the long winded explanation (my first post :-)) but I would really like to hear anyone’s ideas for Japan moves to counter the situation, and prevent the Allied fleet (extreemely powerful if UK carrier isn’t killed on J1) from becoming too huge for the axis to handle. Thanks…
Japan should try to take out any place were the allies can pump more units i and then act defensively with thier fleet. you cannot build ic’s but trns if the US builds navy. in most games germany has to go on the offensive and attack rusia. but i am wondering what would happen if they decided to go for BRitian instead of Russsia. Just turtle there and and send you navy there to besiege britian. then america would have to switch to front’s wasting there navy. or if they don’t you could plan for a surprise attack on the american continent. just a thought though.
I found at the critical stage of KJF, the Allied fleet acts defensively (occupying Solomons and threatening the rich islands from there) - so builds mainly carriers (lands planes) and some subs. Any UK survivors are just as good; I’ve seen the Russian sub too.
So Japan must keep offensive forces growing to deter that advance for as long as possible. More subs, some fighters to double the carrier capacity (8 ftr from 2 car, swapping to land bases). Some incursions to expand income in Asia are still worthy. When the time comes this cannot be sustained, resistance can be prolonged if there’s a factory in Indochina, produce 3 subs and retreat the fleet in front of it. Japan itself prepares for land defense (count carefully all US tra loads and planes in range and BB shots ! and be sure to use the simulator ;-)). US will have an extra turn of production wasted in the logistic chain…
Meanwhile yes, Germany has to race to Moscow as fast as possible. Lots of inf at start, augment last slow-production turn with abandoning (keep swapping) France, then build lots of tanks synchronized to arrive in a “cumulative charge” at the target. Key is to get a large force able to survive in West Russia (fighters irrelevant because it was Russian). From where it threatens Moscow, Caucasus (will be emptied) and any northern UK reinforcements. Next, add arty’s from Caucasus.
A little trick Allies can do is advance the main fleet to Solomons, while 1 sub or tra sacrifices in Wake to protect them from direct attack of the fleet off Japan (sz60). So the main Allied fleet can be weaker, needs only to resist air attacks. THEN WHAT can Japan do to prevent this ? keep the main fleet in Caroline ? then new production of subs off Japan is vulnerable, at least to air.
Personnally, I have found it very difficult to win with a KJF strat.
Germany, if left too much to itself, and I mean without serious pressure from the USA, becomes an unstopable beast!
Japan can always turtle up in its’ capital and hold out a long time making the allies buid ICs’ and ships to try and finish them off, while Germany alone is allowed to build up to take Moscow, or London!
I agree CI. With decent players I think “KJF” is somewhat unrealistic and unnecessary. To effectively take Japan out of the game you only need to contain them to their home island. So instead of KJF a more realistic approach is CJF: contain Japan first. Not that it’s completely impossible to take out Japan. But it takes too long to “kill” them to capture Tokyo. And that gives Germany lots of time and opportunity to turn the tide of the game. Once Japan is contained then shift focus to Germany and the other (easier) VCs.
I’ve played CJF successfully many times, but with decent players KJF seems more like an attempt to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. ~ZP
You will find this concept listed in several older threads as SJF… Slow Japan First…
Many of you guys have mentioned building lots of infantry for Russia or Germany… Aren’t Tanks a better way to go?? Sure, they cost more, but they attack and defend at higher roll counts…plus, they can move 2 spaces…
For defense INF are the better buy.
3 IPC purchases 2 points and a unit of defense if you do INF.
5 IPC purchases 3 points and a unit of defense if you do ARM.
15 IPC is 5 units at 2 points each if you buy INF.
15 IPC is 3 units at 3 points each if you buy ARM.
A quick and dirty way to determine value is:
attack or defense value (depending on which way you want to use the unit) + the number of units.
So on defense…
15 IPC as INF is
5x2+5=15
15 IPC as ARM is
3x3+3=12
15 IPC spent on INF is 25% better on defense than the same IPC value of ARM.
And that difference is multiplied if there are FIGs backing up the INF so that the INF shield allows the FIGs to fire more rounds of battle before being taken as losses.
The kicker is to add SKEW to the defensive posture… or as I refer to it… ANCHORS.
You need the INF for bulk… to absorb attacker hits, and to create a few hits against the attacker. But you need anchors, preferably FIGs that will most likely score a hit every round of combat, to chew into the enemy forces while your INF shield the major defenders from enemy attack.
An large INF stack with a several FIGs is the best defense you can get. In that situation, ARM are a just a bonus, and ART are no improvement over INF.
Wow, I never really looked at it that way… Thanks!!! I’ve been buying tanks left and right and hardly ever purchase Inf… you really make a good point…
Hi, thanks for the input. I agree that the strategy is mostly a SJF unless of course Japan is lightly guarded, then a nice trick is to purchase bombers on the turn the USA move into Wake and then roll for heavy bombers on the Wake+1 turn. This allows for enough offensive firepower usually to destroy the Jap fleet and leave your transports free to unload on Japan, sometimes surprises the enemy. 'Course it requires playing in a tech game.
But back to topic, I guess my post topic wasn’t really what I was asking, I’ve gotten feedback on KJF in general, but what about specific moves for J1? Should Japan go Pearl Heavy with the UK airforce stationed in Canada? Or should they just buy trannies and ftrs and hole up around Japan? Anyone have any specific ideas? It just seems that no matter what Japan chooses they get the worst of it with the UK moves as described.
I realize that this is a thread about how Japan can counter a KJF, but on the flip side…
My buddy that I play A&A with (when he is the Axis) for some reason never attacks Ango-Egypt. Tell me what you guys think about this British strategy towards Japan in my case: SZ40 sub to Sol Is sub, SZ40 trn w/ 2inf to New Guinea, India fig to kwang trn (to land in Sink), Anglo-Egypt fig to FIC (to land in Sink), 3inf from india to FIC, India trn to pick up 1 inf and 1 arm to drop off in FIC.
By the way, I know it seems silly to leave Anglo-Egypt so loose, but US will land in Algeria to put pressure on Germany.
No units (other than those already in India) can be picked up by the UK SZ35 TRN on UK1 to land in FIC.
To grab Egypt, TJ or Persia units the TRN would make 1 move to SZ34, and its second (and last) move back to SZ35.
So the extra INF and ARM cannot reach FIC for a UK1 attack…
@ncscswitch:
No units (other than those already in India) can be picked up by the UK SZ35 TRN on UK1 to land in FIC.
To grab Egypt, TJ or Persia units the TRN would make 1 move to SZ34, and its second (and last) move back to SZ35.
So the extra INF and ARM cannot reach FIC for a UK1 attack…
I realize I’m the new guy on the block, so respectfully I’d like to disagree. It appears to me as though FIC touches SZ35 next to Calcutta. Can I not conduct an amphibious assault with the transport?
FIC has only one adjactend seazone and that is 36.
No offense intended, but when I get outta work tonight I’m going to check my gameboard at home - I’m not convinced yet! Sorry
Well all the online gameboards clearly show that FIC is NOT adjacent to SZ35, but I could swear that my gameboard at home does… Oh well…
But still, what do you think about the 3 inf from India attacking FIC along with the fig in Egypt?
It’s a gamble with 50/50 odds, I made it in my last game, but it is nothing I would try in every situation.
No offense intended, but when I get outta work tonight I’m going to check my gameboard at home - I’m not convinced yet! Sorry
I am looking at my game board (and at Battlemap) and neither of them have even the slightest hint that SZ35 (India sea zone) is directly adjacent to the land mass of FIC…
I just looked at my physical gameboard - to me its clearly adjacent by at least 2/8 to 3/8 of an inch. I know that is small - but adjacent none the less. Again - I’m not trying to be difficult, I just dont understand how youre drawing the conclusion that its not adjacent. Thanks
From the avalon hill FAQ for revised edition:
Map
Does sea zone 14 connect to the Balkans? Does sea zone 35 connect to French Indochina?
No in both cases.
