Kill USA First

[spectre_04]

Although I think taking San Fransisco is going to be impossible with a competent allied player with normal dice rolls, I think it is possible to seriously screw with the US player.  As long as you position yourself correctly, no matter which turn Japan decides to attack, they can take the Aleutians and Alaska.  Although you will not be able to hold it, its a stalling action which forces the USA to divert resources away from Hawaii and Australia.

[EvilGardenGnome]

I had this situation pop-up by accident in a game.

The UK re-inforced China in turn one (I had some nice rolls as Japan). I had some trannies ready to try and slaughter ANZAC early for some cheap IPCs. As a lark, I sent a small force (4 inf, 2 tank, 2 artillery) to BC. The idea was to either defend and build a sea base (it’s only three spaces from Japan so it held easy reinforcement opportunities) or invade Western US as my opponent had focused on a navy.

I went with a lark and invaded. I whiffed the first round and lost all my FLBCs so I retreated. The US ate the remainder for desert.

That said, if you build up the trannies and if UK or ANZAC provoke Japan before the US war-economy, and the US hasn’t built up the land forces, this could work. I think you’d be better off landing an offensive force. Though you could reinforce from Japan I really don’t think it’s worth it. Take the factory or take defeat.

[Guest]

Hey EvilGardenGnome, can I call you EGG? Welcome to the forum.
Nice first post.

[EvilGardenGnome]

@Brain:

Hey EvilGardenGnome, can I call you EGG? Welcome to the forum.
Nice first post.

Hello and thanks. Yeah, call me EGG.

Don’t enjoy the post too much. We’re not finished the game yet and it looks like my slaughter in China is the only highlight for Japan. The Brits have rallied and the US is a bugger. Focusing on the navy is letting them pick off my fleet.

In the long run, I should have put some more units in Asia (maybe a factory) and ignored ANZAC until after the Brits were done.

[Tavenier]

Has anyone tried an invasion of Alaska, next turn land a lot of aircraft and more land units and then build a IC there?

[miragehunter]

That sounds nice but hard to implement.  You are better off going after Hawaii.  It is a better strategic place to go.  Plus you can wipe out the forces on Hawaii with few losses.  It just doesn’t seem like a good strategy imo.

[Tavenier]

But you can’t build an IC on HAW. And you can stall an attack by moving one inf to BC.

[EvilGardenGnome]

@Tavenier:

Has anyone tried an invasion of Alaska, next turn land a lot of aircraft and more land units and then build a IC there?

That may work in the global game, but not Pacific. Considering the resources you have to put into it I don’t see it lasting. The US can drop up to ten units a turn, while you’re stuck at three. That means you have to invest in planes or transports to keep up.

Add to this that the US forces are doing a huge favour to the Allies by tying down Japanese units (need to hold Alaska). This leaves a hole in Asia that the Brits are going to charge through. If you’re feeling magnanimous with the ANZAC forces, and why wouldn’t you be, you can put their money into a navy to cover some of the shortfall for the US harrying Alaska.

In the end, I don’t think it will bear fruit.

That said, if you get lucky and actually manage to take the Western US, it would be pretty hard to catch Japan.

[Panzerfaust]

I’m in the middle of a game right now as the Allies and the Japanese player took Alaska with 3 tanks / 3 INF, moved about 6 fighters and 3 TACs there then took BC. The next round US took back BC, destroyed all Japan’s transports and damaged 5 capital ships off BC before retreating back to W. US to repair. Without being able to get all of his ships back to a naval yard to repair and with 3 fighters / 3 TACs, 6 Inf, 2 tanks, and 6 battleships I don’t see the invasion working out for Japan. Plus, now he has stretched his supply line to southern Asia so far and has to choose whether to rebuild a navy or pursue a campaign in Asia. Either way it should be just a matter of time before the Allies can squeeze Japan into defeat. Guess it depends on how lucky either side is with dice rolls.

[KH Stuka]

OK, back to this topic. I’ve practiced and refined my Kill Usa First strategy many times by now. It seems Japan CAN and WILL take/conquer the USA in combat turn 4. Maybe I’m completely blinded, but…I 'just can’t find the US answer preventing this! …Yeah dice luck will…but normally no chance (I played Lowluck)

Jap turn 1;
-Buy 3 transports, save 5.
-Attack 4 chinese territories with landunits, use 2 bombers in Yunnan. All planes should stay in reach for the homeland Japan. Fighters and Tact bombers CAN not be used. Take French Indo China.
-Move all manchurian landunits to korea, sail all navy (caroline) to Japan and get Iwo inf underway with the trans.
Get Okinawa inf with transp and sail back to Japan.

Total IPC’s at the end of turn 1 = +6 IPC = 26 + 6 + 5 saved = 37 IPC’s

US turn 1 ; do whatever you think will save you (buy 1 AC?, 2 destroyers?, 5 inf?), fly Phillipine Bomber back home? sail destroyer and transp. + 2 inf. back home?

China + UK; irrelevant, they can’t disturb the plans in time.
Anzac; Buy fighter/sail destroyer and transport with unit to New Zealand, fly New-Z fighters (3!) to Hawaii (won’t help…but still, that’s what I did)

Jap turn 2:
-Buy 4 transports + 3 inf.
(check location of Philly navy + planes…make sure they can’t attack your transports)
-Sail to- and attack Alaska with complete navy (incl. 3 filled AC’s) + 5 transports/10 units cargo.
-Check for combat opportunities in China
-If Phillipine transport and destroyer are sailing back to USA > attack and destroy them with Bombers! (that is a MUST)
-Get all possible planes in Japan / in reach of Alaska

Anzac turn 2;
-Buy 1 fighter
-Fly 3 Hawaiian fighters into USA, fly New-Z fighter to Hawaii, sail destroyer, transp. + 2 units to Hawaii

US turn 2; same as turn 1…

Jap turn 3;
-Buy 3 Bombers
-Attack/take British Columbia with all Alaskan units (now the next turn the newly bought Japanese Bombers can attack USA and land in BC)
-Attack and destroy the US fleet / make sure you controll the seazone bordering Alaska-British Columbia!!! (seazone 1??)
-Sail the 4 transports with 8 inf. to Alaska and debarque inf’s
-Land all planes in Alaska

US turn 3;
In 3 turns the US had 17 - 22 - 62 ipc’s (notice that USA can only place 10 units max in capital)
Okay, you could kill the 4 unescorted transports at Alaska with a bomber (still 5 transports left).
Or, try to kill the Japanes fleet. Or, attack British Columbia
Or, stay quiet…

Jap turn 4;
It’s over…Japan wins, whatever USA did!

Please correct me if possible! This could be a tunnelvision…I dont see the US cure.

Cheers!

[ksmckay]

tunnel vision it is

[valthonis]

So really it’s similar to my normal strategy…

1.  Japan takes Alaska
2.  ?
3.  Very good dice rolls
4.  ?
5.  Axis Win!

[marechallannes]

@KH:

Jap turn 4;
It’s over….Japan wins, whatever USA did!

Please correct me if possible! This could be a tunnelvision…I dont see the US cure.

Cheers!

Same old story with never tried strategies. :-P

You should talk to Col Hajj and his theme: Naval Base in Alaska wins the game

:-D

[marechallannes]

…by the way.

You don’t really expect Dutch troops for A&AE40?

[RJL518]

is there gonna be dutch troops from europe 40?  i thought only france was being added…

[KH Stuka]

Nope, sure I don’t expect Dutch troops. Still, I don’t see any real comments/analysis that would lead me out of the “tunnel” named Kill Usa First. I described all my actions. If this strategy is indeed so horribly stupid, it can’t be that hard to tell me what the US could do to prevent this to happen. Jap first attack in turn 2, and finish US in turn 4. Meaning US has only big cash to spend in turn 3. More then happy to leave the tunnel, if proven ineffective.

Thanks.

[Vareel]

Ok let us take a serious look at this.  Your goal is to take the US completely with a turn 3 attack on alaska and/or pearl, followed up with a turn 4 attack on US proper, correct?  This also means you will completely show your hand if someone has ever seen this before as you will have all your transports in SZ 6 with your fleet.

By turn 4 you could have around, 3 (starting) 3 (J1 purchase) 3 (J2 purchase) or 9 transports worth.  On J4 you could also purchase bombers if you hit alaska first so you have an LZ.  This gives you 18 ground units, plus 6 carrier planes, and we’ll say 7 bombers.  The US will have earned 17 (start) + (23 x 2) US 1/2 income = 63 IPCs to spend to defend against this.  We will rule out the turn 1 income as she may not react that swiftly so 46 IPCs on hand, or 15 inf, plus 6 original ground units, plus 10 planes that could get there and an AA gun.  It gets worse if they buy men on turn 1 as well though, and/or the 2 Inf from Pearl.  And if you start on turn 2 it gets even worse unless you go for a turn 3 US capture.

And even if you win you get a 1 time windfall of war economy, and gain 15 IPC income a turn from your capture.

Meanwhile, UK income equals yours, ANZAC income is getting up there, and China should be about to kick you off the mainland.

[spectre_04]

I think Vareel is totally correct.  For Japan to attack the USA is not a sound strategy, even if your playing against a complete greenhorn.  I tried it playing myself and the US can totally block your invasion, even if not they can still plop down defensive infantry once you are within range.

[KH Stuka]

Thanks for giving serious input on this Vareel and Spectre!

The strategy is slightly different though. I attack Alaska in turn 2 (6 stuffed transports). In J-turn 3, I move my 12 Alaska units to British Columbia and land 8 more landunits (4 transports) and all available planes to Alaska. This means US has 17 (turn 1) - 22 (turn 2) - 62 (turn 3) ipc’s to spend before the final attack in J4. I’m totally sure the US can not buy or get enough defense capacity to resist this. I tried naval blocking, but did not succeed yet. Japan could and should attack all early blockades. If US blocks the Alaskan route in US 1, Japan should buy an airbase in J2, kill this blockade in J2 and land in Aleutian instead of Alaska. At the end of the turn, place the airbase in Aleutian. Next turn, as earlier said, Japan should take British Columbia to create a landing space for all fighters and tac bombers in the next turn (J4).

In J3 I bought 3 bombers. They can participate in the final J4 attack and land in BC.

Cheers…

[Make_It_Round]

Stuka’s got a point. I (embarrassingly) lost the US due to overconfidence in my second game. This is a live possibility, and a real worry for the US player.

Once the US is taken, it’s a fairly simple matter for Japan to focus all of her overwhelming forces on first the ANZAC, then the UK player, and push them out of their victory cities. China, trapped in their imaginary box and deprived of naval units, can only wait on the beaches for the next superior Japanese invasion force to come.

Looks like it’s all-infantry purchases for the US until after J4, just to be sure! Where’s that Canadian inf on British Columbia when you actually need him??