How to play Japan!?

[Clyde85]

@theROCmonster:

alright clyde if you want to know what a good strat for japan is I will tell you what my japan is sitting out right now

……um ok, dont know why this is directed at me, im not the one who asked “How to play Japan!?” I have my own way of playing Japan. This post is for the benifit whom ever started the thread and wanted to know. A blanket statment of “Play correctly” dosnt really teach the enquiering player anything, nor give him your unique perspective on playing Japan that he could possibly take away from reading here and apply to his own games. He might find something from your play style that works well for him and improve his overall enjoyment of playing the game.

Also, and this is really just a minor thing, but posting about where you got a country to really dosnt mean anything unless you tell people how you got them there, how their enemies responded, how you countered, how you spent your IPC, ect. Without this context its like telling someone about the best sandwhich you ever made and then handing them two slices of bread to re-make it with.
@theROCmonster:

IC in kiangsu I purchased on the first turn with 2 mechs and a tank. I recommend on turn 1 sending 15 planes to kwangsi. 2 carriers to sea zone 36. Making a total of 19 planes china has to deal with in the event he makes a mistake. Look for weak points in allies play. No need to bun rush when japan has the advantage for the first 5-7 turns in numbers. If US doesn’t put 100% in pacific then this is even better for japan. Build a ton of fleet. I recommend only building 3 ground units a turn with japan. THese are to be placed in your factory bought turn 1 in kiangsu. I recommend these 3 units to be mechs. If you can spare the extra 2 dollars build tanks. All in all when building ships buy almost soley subs. They are cheap and fodder units. Japan starts off with a huge amount of heavy hitting units. Only build a carrier with japan if absolutley necessary. I consider necessary to hold sea zone 6. All in all I don’t think japan should have more than 5 carriers at one time since 1 carrier equals 4 planes if used properly. so that would mean 5 carriers equals 20 planes. This is already 1  more than japan has to start with since bombers don’t  count. This is my brief recommendation for Japan.

Which is totally what you do here, so good job and great ideas  :-)

[theROCmonster]

I will go over the purhcases and how I would counter each move. Turn 1 I always buy 1 IC and 2 transports. Place IC in Kiangsu ( I do this so that the mech infantry I produce on turn 2 can attack kwangtung, leaving my transports to attack all 5 of the major islands I need to take). Turn 2 depends on where UK moved his units and where Russia put his 18 inf and 2 aa guns. If russia put them on the boarder in amur T2 then I try to keep a transport or two in range of sea zone 6 so I can offload into korea. I recommend as japan if russia puts units in amur keep manchuria open and defend korea. Japan goes after russia so china will never see those 3 IPC’s. On turn 2 usually japan has 40 dollars so I build 3 mechs, for the factory in kiangsu, 2 subs 2 destroyers. Since US has only had 1 turn of build you really can’t look at what US is doing yet since he can at any time move his naval units from atlantic to pacific. T3 with japan I have yet to attack UK and I am probably made 42-44 last turn. Since I like to attack UK and Anzac on Japan T3 I have all my transports set up to take out all the islands. I buy 3 mecs and all the rest subs and 1 destroyer from here on out. I like to continue building only 3 ground units and all sea besides that keeping subs as the majority buy for the sea. Hope this helps a little more.

[Thantonous]

The great thing about this game is the replay ability of it. I have found that each game is different games flow and strategies change depending what your opponet does. In you 2 post and with your explanation of your purchases, I think you give a very good idea of how to approach playing Japan. Great post!

Thantonous

[theROCmonster]

does anyone have a question on how to counter a certain play from the allies on the pacific side?

[BigBadBruce]

@theROCmonster:

does anyone have a question on how to counter a certain play from the allies on the pacific side?

The only “Pacific Alliance strategy” I ever heard of is a “All Pacific US”… which is a fail IMO. I easily demonstrated it was a very, very bad idea for USA to put all his money in Pacific.

Do you have an Alliance strategy to discuss about?

[theROCmonster]

Honestly the allies I believe have a much harder time getting down the “perfect strat”. Not saying my axis strat is perfect by any means but the allies have so much to do… What do you normally have problems with on the european board bruce? I see that russia falls everytime no matter what, and I totally agree with that, but since the axis still need cairo it might be a long game to see if japan would fall before cairo or UK…

[theROCmonster]

so far I haven’t found a counter to the way I play the axis. I have played myself and the axis seem to be winning a lot more. What I like to do with russia is retreat the 18 infantry from the start back to moscow. This does two things. 1. protects stallingrad and the underbelly of russia from japan. 2. more men on moscow for defense. As UK I go 100% against italy until I knock out their fleet completly and am pumping units into greece and that area from my factory I have in egypt. With America I like to have 4 transports in the atlantic. UK can protect these with his ships. The rest I put into the pacific. Interesting game in that even is moscow falls the european board can still be even if Italy is gone and the allies are pumping loads of units into the south of germany. I think America is by far the hardest country to play as. Play them wrong game is lost. Play them right game might be won. Problem with america not building at least 90% for pacific I see is that japan will have the edge in naval power for at least 8 turns. This just becomes a nightmare because by then UK India has fallen for sure and china is dead and russia is having some serious problems in his backside. Not to mention Japan will be making close to 80 dollars… Allies are tough and I think it will take 50 games of play before I figure out a good way to play them.

[Metaxas]

@JimmyHat:

@WILD:

I haven’t really played where Jap didn’t at least try to take 1/2 of China…

Sounds like you have a new strategy to try out the next time you’re Japan.  I still pop China in the mouth J1–I try to cut the burma road for 1 round, but after that retreat all remaining Japanese forces to Russia and perhaps a few to SEAsia.  Notice the look of surprise and big grin forming on your opponents face?  He’s all hot-and-bothered over having a strong China…but you already know China cannot leave CHINA!

This strategy really only works when Moscow is your Axis goal, so KRF, and once Moscow falls then you can attack India from the weaker Western direction.  You will not be able to win on the Pacific board with this strategy because you are leaving 2 VC’s to China, so you’ll need to win the game on the Europe board then.

Am I missing something? People are mentioning China cannot leave China, and at the same time saying China will control 2 VCs. Last time I checked there is only one VC in China. Chinese troops can only enter territories which are Chinese and Kwangtung/Hong Kong is definitely British, not Chinese.

[Jennifer]

@Metaxas:

@JimmyHat:

@WILD:

I haven’t really played where Jap didn’t at least try to take 1/2 of China…

Sounds like you have a new strategy to try out the next time you’re Japan.  I still pop China in the mouth J1–I try to cut the burma road for 1 round, but after that retreat all remaining Japanese forces to Russia and perhaps a few to SEAsia.  Notice the look of surprise and big grin forming on your opponents face?  He’s all hot-and-bothered over having a strong China…but you already know China cannot leave CHINA!

This strategy really only works when Moscow is your Axis goal, so KRF, and once Moscow falls then you can attack India from the weaker Western direction.  You will not be able to win on the Pacific board with this strategy because you are leaving 2 VC’s to China, so you’ll need to win the game on the Europe board then.

Am I missing something? People are mentioning China cannot leave China, and at the same time saying China will control 2 VCs. Last time I checked there is only one VC in China. Chinese troops can only enter territories which are Chinese and Kwangtung/Hong Kong is definitely British, not Chinese.

China is permitted to move into Kwangtung and Burma as well as original Chinese territories.  Kwangtung is a Victory City (Hong Kong) so theoretically, China can hold two victory cities and keep them out of Japanese hands.

I disagree with this opinion, I think there’s a 150% chance that Japan can pretty much ignore China and the Russian infantry and still hold the two victory cities, but as I said, that is something I think, I have not written a treatise on how to do it and rebuttal over every possible argument and tactic that can be used to try and stop it.  So yes, it’s opinion.  :wink:

One thing Japan needs to keep in mind is this:
“Planes, Ships, Infantry, IPC and anything else you have will not let you win the game.  You can only win the game (with Japan) if, and only if, you control 6 Victory Cities for one round of play.  If it costs you 22 planes and 1 infantry to take that last victory city and there is no possible way for the allies to liberate one within the next game round, this is a very good investment!”

[Cow]

There are several overall strategies to Japan. The drive to australia and the cash isles or china/india first or China/Russia first (a assist germany by hammering russian states for income).

Some peeps like to slap a major IC down on asia, problem is the only spot you can slap one on is a bit out of touch with China. Some peeps like a few minors and slap some tanks down, which works out fine as you clear china quicker which makes up for the expense.
Some peeps like transports but japan only cranks 10 guys so you gonna need a complex eventually. Depends on how fast you want to claim the islands to be honest.

getting enough to take australia is rough because it becomes out of reach of the mainland asia for a bit and the americans have a strategic location. Works out if you can sink USA.

Most people solve the chinese problem first and figure out where to go from there depending on their opponent. Some peeps kick off the war round 1 others round 2… few wait for round 3.

[Cow]

To be honest as long as you have decided on a capital that is Moscow, India, or Aussieland…. you will be fine. Games are won or lost at capitals, you should push for it as axis. Allies usually hole up in India for a bit so it may take some work. ANZAC usually gets support from USA and it is hard to take because it is hard to get men over there and he has a complex down already (in other words if he feels threatened he stops making navy/air and cranks infs).

Moscow push sometimes works out instead of india if india is well fortified after you shutdown burmaroad and china. Also it is kind of unexpected and it is a gambit…  Good times though.  fly all the planes to russialand and get ready to take russia with some hardened vets that killed chinks and a couple armor… yeah good times. If you win… it makes up for all your losses you will experience back home (as long as you hold japan… who needs asia when you got russia baby).

So you can play the old way sometimes with a russia first strat. I do it when the opportunity presents itself.

[ghr2]

@BigBadBruce:

@Noll:

#ZehKaiser

what if after you move all your fleet in India’s seas, during J2, the american player moves all his fleet 1 sea zone from sz6?

I don’t see this as a real problem. USA can’t have an amphibious attack strong enough to take Japan. As for navy, I never (ever) saw a USA able to hold in z6 long… with Japan’s planes, I would just load 2 fresh carrier in z6 along with few DD (as ZEH said, kept behind) and additionnal 3 planes in Japan. It should do it to repel USA Navy.

Keeps them off india for a turn however, very helpful