Turn 2 Quandary

[SunTzu7]

Just started my second Global 1940’s game (first as axis).

Germany

Opened up with Sealion opener for Germany. Managed to eliminate 109/110/111 fleets, took Normandy, France, Yugoslavia and all set for buying 10 Transports. Will 100% stick with Sealion but don’t think I will need quite so many units attacking as my friend didn’t buy any ground troops for the UK. In fact everything was deployed in South Africa.

So far, UK took out Italian Destroyer in Sz and the forces in Tobruk. Unfortunately I withdrew against Sz109 so managed to take out the destroyer but not the transport. My friend has retaken Normandy using it but has meant that there are less troops in the UK.

I have 4 Tanks, 2 Artillery and 1 Infantry in France and no ground troops in Holland / W Germany. I haven’t taken Southern France yet and want the Germans to take it. Suspect that the French will survive a further round as likely to use Artillery and Infantry against the 2 Infantry in Normandy (along with air support) and move some ground troops from Italy into France. I did want to keep the tanks for the attack on the UK.

Because my friend hasn’t left much in the UK, I am hoping to also attack Novogorod by Sea. End of Soviet turn there is a tank, 2 Mech Infantry, 3 Infantry and a couple of fighters/tac bomber.

Japan

Japan followed Cow’s guide to the letter. Everything went perfectly with 1 exception which was I failed to take 1 Chinese territory (Hunnan) due to some shocking dice rolls. I did move a destroyer/Carrier from Caroline Islands to Borneo to protect the transport though.

Situation is now that US has bought 4 Subs, Carrier and some Air and deployed on West Coast and moved all existing fleet from Hawaii and West Cost to Midway. Currently Japan only has 1 Battleship, Destroyer, Sub in Sz 6 but the rest can all be recalled before the US next move.

QUANDARY: Purchases, I intend to buy a minor IC and deploy in French Indo China. Airbase to go on to Korea so I can scramble a total of 6 fighters. I was then going to buy 2 subs (Got 40 to spend) to use as canon fodder should he attack any time soon. Worried about US ability to outspend me if focus is all on Pacific. Intention might be to move German fleet to East Coast to distract and move spending away from Pacific.

I am now poised with 6 troops on Borneo/Phillipines to either take 3 of the DEI, Malaya or I can get 4 and with some sea/air try and take Queensland. Queensland appeals as feel reasonably confident that I can take Anzac capital fairly quickly but Malaya is also enticing me. Although I can get more points from DEI, taking Malaya denies Anzac a bonus and further reduces British by 3. I also long term want to put a minor IC here as well.

Italy

Situation is that Italian Fleet is intact in Sz95/97. UK Med Fleet is intact. It focused all it’s effort on Sz96 and I got a bad roll. All forces in Tobruk have been lost. Currently, UK Med fleet is in Sz96 and has 1 Carrier, 2 Fighters, 1 Destroyer, 2 Cruisers and a transport. Using a calculator, with 2 Fighters, 1 Strat Bomber, 1 Battleship, 2 Cruisers, 1 Destroyer, 1 Sub, I should be able to win but likelihood is that it will be close. Also means I can’t take on French fleet.

So unsure what to buy and what to do. Suspect it’ll be 3 Mech Infantry to help support German ground troops against Soviets. But I am tempted to just head towards the states, take some troops, take gibralter on my way and either move onto the Pacific map or head to the east coast. Could try and take Central US potentially.

Advice appreciated. :)

[Tall Paul]

SunTzu7,

––You might be playing with a different rules set, or using ‘house rules’ so if so my comments are meaningless.

You indicated you planned as Japan to deploy a minor IC into French Indo-China. As far as I’m aware, players can only deploy IC’s into territories that they controlled at the beginning of the game.

––I hope this helps.

“Tall Paul”

[ghr2]

@Tall:

SunTzu7,

––You might be playing with a different rules set, or using ‘house rules’ so if so my comments are meaningless.

You indicated you planned as Japan to deploy a minor IC into French Indo-China. As far as I’m aware, players can only deploy IC’s into territories that they controlled at the beginning of the game.

––I hope this helps.

“Tall Paul”

Paul, that only applies to major ICs, minors are fair game.

[Cow]

How bad did Hunan go? Lost 1 infantry and 1 fighter? That happens sometimes.

You pretty much can never go wrong with a minor IC on FIC early in the game as it is close to your cash islands and it is adjacent to the burma road. You can also never go wrong with fighter purchases on japan.
~
Do not airbase Korea. You are better off getting a sub and rolling kamis on dds that attempt to wack it. Typically USA will not try to sink a few subs as it requires him to send a DD to detect the subs and then enough air to discourage a 3 fighter scramble… which would put his stuff off the coast of Japan… which is a very one dimensional position for USA to have his naval… and then he has to hope your kamikazes miss the destroyer.

Anyway you better off getting hard units and not something that is a liability to protect. I prefer an airbase on FIC simply because it can wack the entire burma road, scramble a more critical position, and wack anything in Japan waters.
~

Germany advice: always maximize your odds for attacking a capital. You will not regret sending too many units to conquer a country. It does not matter if it is just one guy, sending 10 to take a capital is totally worth it… unless you can find a better deal than -30 for him and +36 for you and then -30 for him every round after and +6 for you.

Also remember to buy that destroyer so he cannot sub defend.

Use Italy to bomb UK’s airbase if he repairs it.

[SunTzu7]

Thanks Cow. Will look at alternatives for the Airbase for Korea. Tempted by 2 Destroyers and 2 subs.

Do I go for the DEI islands or Malaya? Is Australia worth making a play for? I also bought 3 transports in J1 and looking to transport troops to FIC. China have almost all their troops in Yunnan and will take a decent sized force to take it. Not something I will have for a few turns…

For Germany, was looking to to go with maybe 4 or 5 transports worth of troops for the UK but the rest I was looking to go towards Novograd. Depends how well Soviets buy and the US. If US buys all in Pacific, I’ll take all to UK and then G4 move to Canada.

Italy, I’ll look at bombing the Airbase but with no navy to defend, unsure it’s worth it as they can’t scramble anyway?

Bought the destroyer :)

[Cow]

oh wow. ok don’t bomb the airbase… usually uk has a fighter on london lol!

Pick islands you can defend so you don’t lose any boats. Usually I start near and work my way forward, because next round is when they position off of australia and I put the bulk of my naval on Java and the other locations I just have to defend from air or I can just block with 1 destroyer.

[SunTzu7]

Just a couple more questions. I bought 3 transports and just trying to decide where to transport and deploy troops to. As I’m looking to build a minor IC in FIC then that is a good place to deploy. Alternatives are Phillipines and launch from there to another DEI island or Austrailia.

[Jennifer]

@SunTzu7:

Just a couple more questions. I bought 3 transports and just trying to decide where to transport and deploy troops to. As I’m looking to build a minor IC in FIC then that is a good place to deploy. Alternatives are Phillipines and launch from there to another DEI island or Austrailia.

Why not minor complex Malaya instead and use the NB there to have sway over the Pacific South West/Indian Ocean areas?

Just a thought.  Not saying pro or con, but honestly, I am not a fan of complex builds for Japan.  It seems that when players do that, they get too embroiled in protecting the complex and not on the overall situation.  Just my unqualified opinion there.

[SunTzu7]

I would prefer to IC Malaya except I haven’t taken it yet. Just the seazone. I do take your point though that if you put an IC somewhere, you will end up protecting it. I’ll look at how I can manage without. It’s just how many Transports I’ll really need to get ground troops to where I want them I guess.

Oh and Cow, there are two fighters on London but only the French ground troops left (and the AAA guns) and a mech infantry. Other than their range, I don’t know what the airbase really offers the UK as with no navy they can’t scramble.

[Jennifer]

8 Transports total is what, I feel, you need to move your troops around SE Asia.

4 to get from Japan to French Indo-China
4 to get from French Indo-China back to Japan

That’s 8 ground units a round.  Leaving you 2 open builds for ships or aircraft as needed.

[Cow]

You don’t need a navy in order to scramble yo! You can always scramble!

[SunTzu7]

@Cmdr:

8 Transports total is what, I feel, you need to move your troops around SE Asia.

4 to get from Japan to French Indo-China
4 to get from French Indo-China back to Japan

That’s 8 ground units a round.  Leaving you 2 open builds for ships or aircraft as needed.

I’ve thought quit a bit about this and it’s the time it’ll take to get units to where I want them. 1 turn to purchase, another to transport. The minor IC is cheaper than the extra 2 transports.

One if the reasons I chose FIC is because the Chinese can’t reach it. It will also take the British a couple of turns to be able to reach so I should have more than enough defence to hold them off and gradually push them back. I’m trying to slowly reduce the mount the British can earn which is why I really want to get Malaya next turn. So they will struggle to make much headway hopefully.

[knp7765]

Commander Jennifer,
Interesting idea using transports for Japan instead of ICs. As Japan I pretty much ALWAYS purchase at least one minor IC, usually for either Kiangsu or FIC. Often times it is both. I wonder how it would work if I didn’t buy any ICs, but just got extra transports and kept moving men/material from Japan to some point on the continent. One thing about this strategy if you use FIC to land your troops – it assumes a Naval Base purchase for Hainan. That’s the only way you could keep shuttling back and forth from Japan to FIC. I will have to try this out in my next game.
Sun Tzu7,
Cow is right. ANY combat movement into a sea zone that is adjacent to an Air Base can be met by scramble fighters. For example: Japan has an Air Base. Let’s say Japan has no navy at all in Sea Zone 6. The US decides to land an amphibious assault on Korea (also bordering SZ 6). The US landing force can be met by scramble fighters send from the AB on Japan even though there is no naval battle in SZ 6 and the assault is not on Japan itself.

[Jennifer]

I have, in general, purchased a naval base for Japan anyway, since it allows for a quick dash to India or down to Australia from that sea zone.  Yes, you can get to both from Malaya, but as pointed out, it’s not a one step jump from Japan to Malaya and back to Japan.

I also find that 8 transports is the magic number for Japan anyway.  It’s just so flexible.