Where to build a Jap IC

[a44bigdog]

I build a J1 IC in FIC. This gives me a very early resupply of troops and attack pieces (arty) in the South West Asia, CBI,and South West Pacific areas. While an IC and sometimes even a latter one in Burma do not equal the production of island ICs, they do not require Naval defense and transport. I build a second IC in Manchuria when this and Japan maxes out, which is about turn 3. Depending on how early I capture India I will put an IC there or Burma, and by late may have built one in Burma after building one in India. I also like the ability of FIC to drop ships in SZ36 and SZ37.

[koffiekroft]

I standard build a IC in Manchuria. Its the most bang for a buck. Then later I build an IC in India as well. These combined give Japan the IC output it needs to take on the Allies and the SU.

[JimmyHat]

my personal preference for an IC in manch has waxed and waned over the weeks since finding this game, I believe I have fallen on the side of Pro Manch IC.  Even if you are afriad you will lose it J2, having it there helps to secure china and the northern road to moscow.  I am a big fan of the northern road since it is unsupported by brits moving through the middle east and takes money directly away from Russia during the advance.

[SilverBullet]

a manch factory is stupid(imo), u already can produce 8 from tokyo. also, persia is  better target for the japs then trying to get 2 moscow up north, a good russian player can stop jap advance up north easier then from the south. and if u build 2 twin island factories on j2, u can probably build another one in india or burma on j3, and another(india or burma) on j4. that will give u enough production 2 threaten(take) persia(or africa).

[JimmyHat]

please elaborate on how the Russians are going to stop the Japanese advance in the north?  My opponent keeps building the Manch IC J1 and then pumps out 3 tanks a round.  Add to that a landing in SFE of 3 inf 3 arm or 4 inf 4 arm and very soon japan has Evenki and is trading urals/novo.  I can usually trade india and keep china alive for much of the game, but what does that matter if Japan is in Moscow?

BTW, I usually have UK with fleet in Atlantic and trying to build a ground army of their own(karelia or Finland) and the US is shucking 4 inf to africa and messing with Japan in pacific.

[axis_roll]

The only thing I can think of is to help the 7-9 russian inf that have w/d from out east is with some allied ftrs.  If you make a stand in Evenki, and the UK navy is stationed in SZ3, ftrs can make it to evenki, and you can add additional ftrs as needed  andd replace with UK or even US ftrs bought in EUS (to SZ3)

[Zhukov44]

Theoretically, you can contain both Chi and Evenki with a stack of inf/art on Nov and tanks on Russia.  However, that requires keeping significant forces in places like Nov and Rus that are far away from Western Europe and the big Russia NO.

I think what Silver means when he refers to it being easier to kill Russia from Persia is 1) the industry from Ind/Bur/Sum is the fastest route to Russia and 2) late game, the mechanics of breaking down Russia are easier if you are coming from Persia, since you can reduce Cau and downsize Russia’s production.

But first Japan must stack Persia, which ought to be a challenge.  A good Russian player should anticipate this and deadzone Persia.

The easiest way for Japan to prevent that is advance with infantry on all fronts, wear down Russia via attrition.

So I wouldn’t recommend a Northern or Southern route.  Better to get as many boots on the ground as you can and then adapt to what the Allies are doing.

[SilverBullet]

manch factories r a waste imo.

#1: u can build 8 units in tokyo if u want 2 try flooding the north.(which is a bad strat imo)

#2: the islands have 4 production and japan has the transports it needs 2 take advantage of the island factories.(plus they produce units in the south, and japans aim should be india/persia imo)

[Zhukov44]

@SilverBullet:

#2: the islands have 4 production and japan has the transports it needs 2 take advantage of the island factories.(plus they produce units in the south, and japans aim should be india/persia imo)

While in some circumstances Sumatra should be developed before Man, I disagree with your post–here’s my reasoning.

Island factories tie up fleet and transports, reducing the speed of Japan’s amphibious expansion.  In order to take full advantage of the island factories AND Japan AND continue to expand overseas, you need to buy several new transports.  Sometimes, players just leave the Japan factory unused.  This is 1) inefficient and 2) a potential blunder if you end up scimping on China and Siberia and missing out on key swing ipcs, or if you allow Russian tanks to blitz those fronts.

Another factor to weigh is that island factories are liabilities against a USA Pac offensive–once USA gets going you can’t protect both SZ 62 and SZ 37 or 35 every turn…whatever happens, as long as the fleet is divided it will cost you space and initiative, and if you keep your fleet divided eventually USA will destroy one of them.  So imho it’s not safe to place them on J2 if USA could still come after you.

[Yoshi]

@SilverBullet:

#1: u can build 8 units in tokyo if u want 2 try flooding the north.(which is a bad strat imo)

#2: the islands have 4 production and japan has the transports it needs 2 take advantage of the island factories.(plus they produce units in the south, and japans aim should be india/persia imo)

But what if your fleet has to fight against the US ?

Your fleet cannot be in sz62 to protect the trannies and in the same time stopping the US progress somewhere else in the Pacific (and with CV + fighters, it’s quite easy for the US to put a pressure on several sea zones).

The main interest of IC on the main land is that you do not have to consider the position of your fleet. You will always be able to produce there and use the produced units. I already played a game as the Allies where I killed the japanese fleet but where Japan was far away from being dead, becaus of 3 or 4 ICs on the mainland. If you focus on Japan, EI or Borneo, loosing your fleet means game over.

I usually build in FIC, and very often in J1. Because this IC give the maximum of options : troops on the mainland that  can fight either in China (Chinghai is at the same distance from FIC and from Manchuria) or towards India ; but whatever the Allies do, this will be usefull : 2tnk a turn towards Russia when facing a KGF, infantries if China survived for any reasons ; ships to fight the US ; ships that you cannot build safely in sz62 (see for instance the final of the last tournament where I built a lof of times a CV there because my fleet was in sz50 to contain any US move).

The only exception to the FIC IC would be when not built on J1 (that mean because of the bid or a R1 bomber so that I want to go after Burma and keep Philippines for J2 ; in such case, I build two trannies on J1 to be sure I can take everything I want on J2), and the US goes away from Pacific.

After that, it depends a lot of the situation : I like Manchuria if I sea that I need my fleet somwhere else and that there is some resistance in China / north way towards russia. I like East Indies when facing a KGF or a round 1 India IC. India can be the best second IC if qui safe. But I have no rule for that, all depend on the game.

[SilverBullet]

on j1 i always buy 2 transports and a man, then i see what usa does,
if usa goes atl, i love my twin island factories on j2(along with a tank), imo, japan has plenty of transports for the task, i usually keep 2 in tokyo so i do put a little pressure on russia from the north, but i love dropping 8 units a round from my factories, and like i said, on j3 i usually buy another factory and yet another on j4, as long as u aint playing vs a master, japan should be able 2 take persia, then cauc then moscow faster then going heavy 2 the north. gj taught me the folly of trying 2 go north or thru china. as someone said, russia can easily halt japs advance with tanks in msocow and inf in novo. now im not saying im master or that this is the very best strat, but the next game u r in, and usa goes atl, buy 2 island factories on j2 and see if u ca make it work.  ;)

[axis_roll]

@SilverBullet:

japan should be able 2 take persia, then cauc then mosow faster then going heavy 2 the north…

as someone said, russia can easily halt japs advance with tanks in msocow [sic] and inf in novo.

Your logic is flawed.

The same Moscow tank-based counter can stop persia just as well or even easier since Caucasus is a dropping point for 4 inf.

[JimmyHat]

well, my normal FTF opponent and I are closely matched, we’re not masters, but we’re good and have a good handle on the tactics of Axis and Allies.  We have also learned that a KGF strat doesn’t work well for the allies because someone has to try and keep Jap in check(=USA).  I think perhaps I am trying too hard to trade India or hold it.  I send 2 russian inf to china on R1, and 2 inf to Persia to move to India on R2.  I build a Russian bomber to hit Jap trns off Sumatra.  After Round2, the russians retreat back to Caucusus and I switch from holding INdia to trading it, but I know that if I let Japan have India then the very next turn an IC is going down and pumping 3 tanks 2 territories away from Caucasus.

All the while, my opponent is sending 9-11 units through the north…per turn!  He just holds the japsz, and sends those units through SFE.  I have toyed with the idea of sending a small force to try and squash his fleet off SFE, but Japan can counter by taking Midway and closing the pacific.  My opponent is also wise enough to never lose the naval arms race.  He always mirrors US purchases, US builds a BB, he builds a bb… This keeps Japan well ahead of US naval presence.  The most I can do is hold US NO and perhaps retake Aust.

The Manch IC is killing me because it can be used against China or to beef up the northern advance.  Japan is advancing in the north not so much for the IPCS as he is for the divergent front that is the furthest from the Germans and also grabbing a few Russian IPCs while he’s at it.  Also, we have been playing with a 12 bid.  I recently changed my bid to 1 inf Egypt, 1 inf Kar, 1 sub off India and it certainly worked better!

[Yoshi]

@SilverBullet:

if usa goes pac, then i dont do my twin island factories, i usually buy 1 factory in fic and 3 subs on j1. if usa goes atl, on j1 i buy 2 transports and a man.

how do you know on J1 if USA is going pacific or not ?

otherwise, even after a US1 towards atlantic, you cannot know if the US will invest in pacific or not. Beggining the pacific fleet purchase in round 2 is quite common. I’m not a big fan, but sometimes, the board makes that you need at least to buy a CV for sz10 on US1. But if I see an opponent building 2IC on EI and Borneo on turn 2, I’ll certainly go after Japan heavy : that will be very hard for Japan to hold against the US with so many positions to protect (when you build an IC, you cannot afford to loose it one turn or two ; whereas you can afford the loss of EI or Borneo for a couple of turns if it gives you some strategical advantage…

[SilverBullet]

i do standard jap buy on j1 , 2 transports and a man,  then i buy twin island factories if i see usa go atl, if usa comes pac, i buy fic factory and 3 subs.

my logic isnt flawed, its just a start, if u r worried japs cant go north or south then why even run the japs, stick with the easy countries like usa and uk.

[Zhukov44]

@SilverBullet:

i do standard jap buy on j1 , 2 transports and a man,  then i buy twin island factories if i see usa go atl, if usa comes pac, i buy fic factory and 3 subs.

my logic isnt flawed, its just a start, if u r worried japs cant go north or south then why even run the jpas, stick with the easy countries like usa and uk.

But haven’t you been in a game where you made the double island factory buy J2 and then USA came for Japan 100% starting USA2?  I know that with my standard USA KGF opening I would be very tempted to switch gears and go for Japan.  For me it would be a tough choice, because KGF would also have good chances of success against that opening.  But I think more experienced Pacific campaigners would not hesitate to come for Japan.

[SilverBullet]

zhuk im sure u could counter any strat i have anyway so i might as well stick with this one  ;)

[Desert Rat]

I normally put my IC in Man, but I’ve been considering going for the islands on turn 2 if it looks like a KGF strat.