I have to concur with the others who have posted. A combined transport and infantry build for Japan on turn 1 is the way to go. If Russia took Manchuria on round 1, and if the UK executed the “Kwangtung Maneuver”, the only place left for Japan to build is Southeast Asia. While initially it MIGHT be safe (the US can take that factory using China and Sinkiang forces one time in 3, and later will threaten it with a southern island hoping fleet), it is too far from Russia to do any good, and forward progress against Russia proper is easilly blocked by Novosibirsk infantry units. Japan HAS to focus on gaining IPC’s in round 1 in order to sustain a transport invasion of Russia through the back door (Manchuria to Yakut to Novosibirsk to Russia). Also, as Japan builds a transport navy (protect by heavy naval forces that were NOT sacrificed against the US at Hawaii) the US has to garrison Alaska heavilly (that japanease transport fleet ferrying troops to Manchuria is a single move away from an all out invasion of Alaska too). That reduces the number of US dollars that can be spent on the European war, allowing Germany to maintain the frontal assault on Russia that eventually leads to Japan taking Russia. So for an opening move, Japan re-takes Manchuria, takes Australia, blasts the results of the Kwantung Maneuver (if executed) or takes China using air force and Kwantung infantry. If Japan still holds Manchuria, they assault Yakut and take it. If the UK builds in India, that simply takes more pressure off Germany and allows THEM to take Russia, aided by the threat floating through the Siberian lands… too far from India for UK to do a darn thing about. YAKUT is the key for Japan. Take it and hold it, you have one territory with all of your west-marching forces to defend it from the Russians, and you force Russia to try to defend TWO territories against your massing forces. The drain on Russia: defending Evenk AND Novosibirsk plus holding Karelia and the Caucuses with an income of only 20 or so IPC’s is FATAL, REGARDLESS of UK and US support. And with Russia gone, the Alllies WILL lose (economic victory is immediate on taking Russia, world domination only a few moves away)
Japan: a industrial complex in manchuria?
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is that generally a good buy early in the game?
i find if doing so russia is a pushover in east asia.
usa seems to be the real problem to deal with.
thanks,
“Budge” Kennedy -
Manchuria is a very good buy, but not too early in the game or it will just slow you down. A first turn Japanese factory is probably the most common “rookie mistake” out there - a perfect example of the difference between looking one or two turns ahead instead of looking five or six turns ahead. It helps in the early, small battles for minor territories, but it hurts you in the big battles that really count - Novo and then Russia. The factory is mainly for buying tanks, and you need to get a good amount of infantry onto the mainland to support them first. A quick push will just stall out as you get close to Russia and your tanks will end up waiting on infantry reinforcements. This may already be basic knowledge to you - I don’t know your level of experience - but never go all or heavy tanks with any country. Try to keep at least a 3 to 1 ratio of Infantry to Tanks - I usually go 4 or 5 to 1 since Japan has plenty of planes for offense. I just mention that because a common rookie Japan strategy is to buy 2 factories as soon as possible and start cranking out all tanks - this is easily defeatable by a decent Russian player.
Here is what I like to do - I wouldn’t consider it too agressive or too conservative:
Turn #1: Buy 2 Transports and 3 Infantry
Turn #2: Buy 1 Transport and spend the rest on Infantry
Turn #3: Buy 10 infantry, save the rest
Turn #4: Buy 10 infantry, save the rest
etc…This way I am transporting 10 infantry a turn to the mainland, and as soon as the ‘saved’ IPCs add up to 15 I buy a factory, which is usually Turn #5.
I will continue to buy the 10 infantry each turn in Japan, and then whatever is left over will get spent on 3 units at the factory - usually a mixture of tanks and infantry until you get to 45 IPCs per turn.You will also want to buy a second factory a few turns later, either in Burma or more preferably in India.
A more agressive strategy would be to buy the factory on turn 3 or 4, and probably in Burma instead of Manchuria. A more conservative strategy would be to get up to 6 transports and 12 infantry a turn before buying a factory, and then sticking with one factory the whole game.
All three have pros and cons and their effectiveness depends mostly on your playstyle.
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I think there is one time when building an IC on turn 1 is a good move for Japan.
If the allies are going all out on Germany and ignoring Japan completely. By this I mean that the U.K. withdraws from India to Egypt, then I think that Japan should buy an IC and a transport, and place the IC in Kwangtung. There is are enough infantry on the surrounding islands to max out 3 transports for turn 2. The Japanese airforce is sent to Europe to bolster the German defenses, and is replaced offensively with tanks from Kwangtung.
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I think there is one time when building an IC on turn 1 is a good move for Japan.
If the allies are going all out on Germany and ignoring Japan completely. By this I mean that the U.K. withdraws from India to Egypt, then I think that Japan should buy an IC and a transport, and place the IC in Kwangtung. There is are enough infantry on the surrounding islands to max out 3 transports for turn 2. The Japanese airforce is sent to Europe to bolster the German defenses, and is replaced offensively with tanks from Kwangtung.
I agree with your overall strategy of being even more aggressive in that instance, and sending your fighters to Germany and replacing them with tanks is an excellent point and something you will have to do sooner or later anyway. But tactically it will still be more effective if you wait until about turn 3 to buy a factory. Germany can hold out on its own for several turns - you don’t want to send the Japanese fighters too early (i.e. before they are really needed) or they will just be a wasted resource. And if the UK withdraws from India to Africa then you have less of a need of early tanks.
Another important strategy for Japan along those lines - send your Japanese bomber to Germany as soon as possible so that the Allies can’t split up their fleet!
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The only time I will build an IC in Manchuria is if I know USA is going for a all navy, Japan first strategy. But if you want to build an IC, do it at India or Burma.
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I never place ICs within transport range of Japan; I consider it a bit of a waste. The only time I really buy one is to place in former Soviet territories (or India occationally), as it can be a frustratingly slow task to get infantry from the caost all the way to the front lines.
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I never place ICs within transport range of Japan; I consider it a bit of a waste. The only time I really buy one is to place in former Soviet territories (or India occationally), as it can be a frustratingly slow task to get infantry from the caost all the way to the front lines.
that is a really good point
your signature is dope to
the system rocks!“Budge” Kennedy
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get china of the map then put a ic on machurina then take india, now you can consentrate on east russia (note:nice start on alaska if you have east russia out of your way!) evenchuly attaking moscow!
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I never place ICs within transport range of Japan; I consider it a bit of a waste. The only time I really buy one is to place in former Soviet territories (or India occationally), as it can be a frustratingly slow task to get infantry from the caost all the way to the front lines.
Ah, but the main point of a factory is not to reduce the travel time of infantry - it’s to produce tanks on the mainland because they can’t be transported as efficiently. A factory producing 3 tanks is doing the equivilent work of transporting 6 infantry. Also, building factories in former Soviet territories is a bad idea - you can only build 2 units per turn instead of 3. That one extra tank on the mainland every turn really adds up.
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I find massive amounts of tanks rather unnecessary. I can usually do with buying perhaps 4-6 tanks for the entire game as Japan. With adequate air support (which is very abundant as Japan) and knowing when to retreat these tanks will stay with me the entire game; it’s large numbers of infantry fast that I’m usually more concerned over.
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I like to have an IC on India and one on Indo-China if things turn out well for me as Japan. It allows me to send 6 tanks to Novosibirsk and surrounding territories during each turn.
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heye GeZE
i too am from victoria, bc.
what is your story, maybe we could hook up for a game sometime.