J1 attack very tough on allies

[Hobbes]

Next time I play Japan I want to do a J1 attack, attacking Phil, Kwangtung and invading Midway.

Why Midway? Essentially if you take it you’ve secured the route from transports from Japan to reach Hawaii (a US DD can block it otherwise). It also gives you an airbase to use on the Hawaiian assault.
To the Phil send 2 transports, one from SZ33, another from SZ6 with 1 ftr and 1 tac from AC on SZ33. The trick is that you need to lose both planes during combat in order for the AC on SZ33 to reach Midway during non-combat movement and join the fleet from SZ6 there.

When the US plays it will have to choose the least bad option:

• Reinforce Hawaii with all the planes and 1 inf + 1 arm from the US. This might still not be enough against Japan’s force of 3 ftrs, 3 tac. 4 inf, 3 art and 1 arm (assuming a 3 trn buy for J), 37 points, 14 hits against 3 ftrs, 3 tac, 2 bmr, 3 inf, 1 arm (31 points, 12 hits), so ANZAC needs to send 1 or 2 ftrs to shore up Hawaii’s defenses.
• Or abandon Hawaii. Least likely if the Allied player knows what he’s doing.

Concerning the US fleet, will have to pull it back south to prevent destruction or leave it on SF. The optimal move would be to buy 1 AC and keep it on SF fully loaded with planes (and move all ANZAC fighters to Hawaii).

On J2 it really depends on what the US/ANZAC has done. Assuming US/ANZAC took the moves described above, then J can simply move all loaded transports to the Hawaiian SZ and land at least 3 ftrs and 3 tac there, with a couple of bombers and leaving 1 DD for protection against shore bombardments/blocking US DDs.

The US now has 2 options again, to land the carrier planes to boost defense or pull back from Hawaii. First option it’s 7 ftr, 3 tac, 3 inf, 1 arm, 2 bmr (48 def points, 16 hits) against 6 ftrs, 6 tac, 2 bmr, 4 inf, 3 art, 1 arm (66 atk points, 22 hits) plus additional transports from the Japan.

What do you think?

[Uncle_Joe]

I dont think you’ll have the lift capacity to make all of those attack on J1 with any certainty. IIRC, you’ll have 3 TRs total. You’ll need at least 2 for PI for any hope of a non-costly attack. That leaves 1. And if you dont ship anyone else into SE Asia, you’ll quickly be out of troops there too.

[Hobbes]

2 transports go to Phillipines, 1 to Midway. Kwangtung is attacked with 3 inf 1 art already present in Kiangsu (or Kiangsi, can’t remember which is the name) - bring 2 of those to Kwangtung and the other 2 to Hunan to hit the Chinese inf there (both backed with plenty of planes).

[Uncle_Joe]

Yep, that’ll prolly leave you weak against SE Asia for a while.

Question: What do you have at Midway? The bulk of your fleet? If so, who is suppressing the Brits and/or taking the DEI? I dont think it’s wise to leave all that income untaken. And if I’m the UK and the Japanese are sitting at MIDWAY with the bulk of their fleet? I’m building a TR and taking the DEI (even if it’s suicide runs) Ditto for the Anzacs…they can be in that area on A2 and a Japanese fleet at Midway would be powerless to stop it.

The advantage here is that you pin the US back away from the DEI, but you have to make sure that arent just allowing the ANZACS/Brits in instead.

[Hobbes]

very true about SE Asia and the brits. My idea is to take and fortify Hawaii then swing back to deal with any brit forces. I won’t mind them taking nearly all of the DEI islands as long as Japan holds to 1 or 2 and denies them their bonus until I can send more naval units there.
Japan can take borneo on J2 using the transports from the Phillipines and then on J3 land planes there. The Brits/ANZAC can take the other DEI islands but their ships will be sunk afterwards.

[Uncle_Joe]

Yeah, I’ve become a fan of the ANZAC ‘suicide runs’ into the DEI. In fact, anything that would me when I’m playing the Japanese I make sure to try and do while playing the Allies. :)

[Hobbes]

@Uncle_Joe:

Yeah, I’ve become a fan of the ANZAC ‘suicide runs’ into the DEI. In fact, anything that would me when I’m playing the Japanese I make sure to try and do while playing the Allies. :)

I had a game last night where I played as Allies (I wanted J to try this strat but i lost the rolling to pick sides) and I simply loved playing as ANZAC in a suicidal way. My opponent was always complaining about them :)

[Hobbes]

Just tried J1 attack for the first time and it worked.

I attacked Phillipines and landed on Celebes, sunk UK BB and TRNs on J1, bought 3 transports. The Allies lose all initiative on the sea for a couple of turns.
Asia proved to be tough to crack but I held and bought ICs on J2, J4 and J5, placing them on Shangtung, Malaysia and FIC. After the 3rd IC I matched the Allies production on the continent and I slowly started to push back. When the game ended I was about to conquer India. You don’t need to get rid of the Chinese first, if you can take Burma from the British then you close the route and Allies get less 2 units, giving you the chance to overtake them on units.
I chose not to go for major ICs because of the naval war. My buys were always of 2 DDs and 2/3 subs every turn. On J2 I landed on Wake and on J4-5 used it to hit the US fleet on Hawaii. After J3 ANZAC had to send all planes to Hawaii to defend it from Jap invasion. Meanwhile the US was buying lots of subs but on J6 I landed on New Britain and Solomon (I already had all of New Guinea) and got the additional NO. US and ANZAC spent their time countering those landings and trying to go for Korea but my defense prevented them.
US made some bad moves, like moving the big fleet to help retake Wake. He had a lot of subs but I only send planes and they sank 2 ACs, 4 ftrs (2 ANZAC landed on Midway), 2 tac, 1 CA and 2 DDs with 7 fighters, 6 tac and 1 bomber.

[MaherC]

please tell me you put the 1st MIC in FIC on j2. :)

[Hobbes]

@MaherC:

please tell me you put the 1st MIC in FIC on j2. :)

Kwangtung, otherwise the China front would crumble for the Japanese, the FIC one was the last. And I only bought minor ICs.

I could spare to China/India the minimum required to contain the Chinese/UK and to establish those strongholds. Nearly all of my transports were busy carrying units to New Guinea, Malaysia, DEI and Wake and I build some 10 destroyers and 12 subs during the entire game plus fighters because of the losses while killing US fleets.

[MaherC]

never had that problem.  next time put a minor in FIC and then a major in Malaya.  Game over.

[Uncle_Joe]

If you can afford to spring for a Major IC in Malaya, the game is ALREADY over.

[Vareel]

Not true, Japan starts out with a huge advantage in the sea, they can afford a major IC and to build ground units there for a few turns before US can rival them.  And if the US ignores the north and wants to play in the south, Malaya is a perfect location for an IC.

[Uncle_Joe]

Again, I think things are tight enough economically that if Japan has the disposable income to blow 30 IPCs on an IC in Malaya, then chances are the Allies have already lost their shot at winning. The Allies have to keep the pressure on Japan early on and a 30 IPC splurge on J3 or so should be a luxury they can’t afford IMO.

[MaherC]

come on TripleA!

[Hobbes]

@MaherC:

come on TripleA!

It will take a while (if ever) before there’s a playable version of Pacific because of all the rule changes. But let us hope a little longer…

Buying a major IC by J3 is risky (like everything else) because you need to spend at least 30 IPCs for turn to fully use it otherwise J is wasting production capacity. And Japan needs destroyers, destroyers and destroyers to take hits and deal with subs.