First off, “Hi” to everybody here on these boards! I’ve kinda lurked around on these and other boards for some time now, but lately have decided that this is my favorite site for Axis & Allies talk (I haven’t been to Larry’s site that much).
A good friend of mine and myself have been playing this new Pacific version as much as we’ve been able in the past few months since it came out, and we’ve logged just under 100 game hours so far.
Up to now, we’ve been seeing the Japanese concentrate on taking out India with mostly J2 attacks, but with a few J3 attacks in there too. Japan has been taking Singapore on J2 and placing a major IC there on J3. J1 has been mostly 2 transports and a minor IC for Japanese builds. Anyways, that’s the way our games have been going up to recently.
In another thread I started here recently, one of the people who replied outlined a brief J1 attack, in which:
*The Japanese took their transport from the Caroline Islands to take Midway on J1.
*They also took a sub to Pearl on J1 to sink the transport there.
*They take out the ANZAC sub, and take two transports to the PI with a small fleet of 1 CV, 1 CA & 1DD.
*The British BB & transports get attacked by, I think it was 3 bombers and a fighter.
*The rest of the Japanese fleet goes to Midway.
The reason for this particular J1 move was in response to the US being able to build a naval base on either Wake or Midway early in the game, even as early as US1.
I’ve since read a little bit on a couple other J1 attack variations here on these boards which are pretty interesting.
The move briefly outlined above went on to have the Japanese plan a naval base for Midway on J2. There are 3 transports in SZ6 to start J2, which could move on Alaska/Canada, Pearl, or reinforce Midway.
I don’t know about anybody else, but I thought that particular J1 attack was pretty good. I was thinking of what options the Japanese could go with on J2, and what the US & Allies could do in response.
One issue that kept popping into my mind was Pearl. Could the US & ANZAC fighters hang on to it? After a little time pondering this, it occurred to me that the Japanese could attack Pearl on J3 with a combined force of 3 more transports from Japan (built on J2) along with the 3 built on J1. The Japanese could also bring in extra air on J2, to beef up the J3 attack, basing them at Midway.
With only 17 IPCs on US1, there just isn’t a whole lot the US can bring in to Pearl on US2 to help defend Pearl before J3. I think Pearl could hold up on J2, but J3 it is extremely vulnerable to attack. If the Japanese skip building a naval base for Midway on J2, they could add an extra transport from Japan to the J3 attack.
The best response I can come up with right now is for the US to build 2 transports on US1, and hold the fleet on the West Coast with 2 fighters on the CV. All other us Air & the ANZAC air go to Pearl. If the Japanese are massing for a J3 attack, then the US fleet can move to Pearl on US2 and bring all the troops from the US and land the CV air groups on Pearl?
So I’m kinda curious about what kind of J1 & J2 builds people are going with for J1 attacks, and what direction do you go with your J1 attack? Pearl, Alaska, West Coast, Wake & Midway?
A naval base on Midway for the Japanese puts the whole West Coast under threat. Anyone building naval or air bases?