Kauf, I posted your strat on Harris’s site, and here’s a reply I got:
Calvinhobbesliker,
So how does taking India win you the game? On J6, you have infantry that can hit most of Australia…but you still don’t have India yet. Plus it’s 5 full turns for Australia to reinforce, and for America to help them. The real question is, once India falls, what do you have left to take Sydney or Hawaii?
From your post, it’s hard to say exactly without all the details. So are you leaving Australia with its transport or taking it out? Are you killing the British BB and 2 trannies? Are you taking FIC and Kwangtung?
And what are you buying on all of those turns? Planes? A navy until you have a factory placed?
How much of the Japanese navy do you break off to attack the Philippines?
But how long will it take for Japan to take India after your plan? Would you march through land, pumping out 10 infantry a turn? Or go with a naval assault? Either necessitates planes or ships pulled away from the East, strengthening America’s position. There has to be enough protection for your trannies to withstand the UK airforce. By turn 5 you haven’t assaulted India yet, which could be 4 additional UK fighters, bringing their total up to 8 and a tac bomber.
At the end of the post you state: Japan still usually has its giant fleet at Malaya and you can’t destroy it.
Why can’t I destroy it as America? If it’s around Malaya, you’re not protecting Japan. And you’ve spent a lot of money on a factory and 10 infantry, and from what I’ve read, you’re not reinforcing China in favor of going after the VC’s.
US1: Buy 2 transports.
US2: Buy 2 battleships, 1 transport, 1 infantry, 1 artillery
US3: Buy 2 battleships, 1 Aircraft Carrier
US4: Move fleet to Hawaii
US5: Attack Japan
Thus Japan has to fend off 1 Sub, 1 Destroyer, 1 Cruiser, 5 Battleships, 2 loaded Carriers, and 4 loaded Transports.
Japan’s starting fleet can’t counter that.
“But I’d by X Y & Z to counter!” Well, all of that navy being purchased comes from the same limited pool that has to buy a major factory, 10 infantry, an replace plane losses.
You also have to take India, which could have 10+ infantry, 8 fighters and 1 tac bomber. The UK needs to move the Malaya stack back to India. Japan has enough airforce to incinerate them, so I’d rather move them back to the fighter cover.
A third factor is China. You’ve made no mention of reinforcing them, or placing a minor factory on the mainland. I suppose that if you don’t reinforce it there, you’ll have more money for India and the US fleet, however, after several turns of neglect, China will start to threaten your hold on Kiangsu and Kwangtung.
There is a counter to everything, especially in the void of a forum. Yes, Japan has a sizeable starting force, but they can’t be everywhere on the board at once.