What to do with my Japanese Navy?

[Jeznob]

I am playing a very interesting game of Revised at the moment with my Dad. It is now J2 and I have a wide array of options. In the first Japanese turn I wanted to annihilate the British fleet off India, the US fleet at Hawaii and conquer China. While my 7 inf 1 Fig got carved up in China, leaving only 1 inf, 1 fig, I took minimal losses at sea.

As it stands now in J2 I have:
1 BB, 1 AC, 2 Fig, 1 Transport in the Solomon Islands sea zone.
1 BB, 1 AC, 2 Fig in India’s sea zone.
3 Transports in Manchuria’s sea zone (61).
1 Fig, 1 Bomber, assorted land units in Japan
2 inf in Solomons (original and 1 from wake)
Original inf on other islands

Note: I have no land units on the mainland.

I also have control of the Suez (2 inf in Transjordan, 1 inf 1 art in Egypt) with 1 German BB and Transport in sz 15 (to the north of Egypt)

The Allies have:
India:
6 UK inf, 2 UK Arm, 1 UK Bomber, 1 AA, 1 IC (Colonial Garrison)
2 R inf, 1 R Arm
FIC:
1 UK inf
Manchuria:
1 R inf
China:
1 US inf
2 R inf
Buryatia:
7 R inf
1 R fig

Western US sea zone (55):
1 BB, 1 Transport
Solomons Sea Zone:
1 UK Sub

Libya:
2 Uk Inf, 1 Art, 1 Arm
Algeria:
2 US inf, 1 Art, 1 Arm

Analysis: I have serious problems on the mainland and desperately need to make a comeback this turn. While I control Kwangtung, I don’t want to buy an IC that would need defending. Given the extra distance from India, an IC in Manchuria in J3 or J4 seems safer. My transport infrastructure is intact, so in the next few moves I will shuttle as many land units as I can to Kwang and Manch. At the moment they have no protection so I will need to either buy or pull back some of my ships.

However, I also want to take advantage of my controlling the Suez, something that can only be done this turn. What is more, I would like to take down the US BB and Trans off Los Angeles. If I can destroy them now they will not be able to go to the Atlantic. Taking out Australia or New Zealand instead is another option. Such a move would permanently lower UK income and help make up for mainland losses.

My current plan is to:
Buy 1 Destroyer, 1 Transport, 4 inf.

Attack Australia from sea zone 38 with my Solomons fleet. 2 inf 2 Fig 1 BB vs 3 inf is a good bet. The US BB will get away, but now my 2 fighters and BB are in place for a J3 attack on FIC or re-attack on Australia.
Attack Manchuria (1 inf) with 2 inf, 1 Fig. If the Russians counterattack or stay in Buryatia I will destroy them in J3.
Attack UK Sub in Solomons with my Bomber
Move 1 BB from India sz to Kwangtung sz with 1 transport and 2 men from Japan. Land 3 fighters in Kwang.
Move 1 AC from India sz through the Suez to link up with the Germans. German fighters will land on it next turn.

Place 1 Destroyer, 1 Transport in Manchuria sz (61) and 4 inf in Japan.

Questions:
What is the better target, Australia or the US BB and transport?
Should I consider moving my Solomons Trans to sz 42 and then on to take Brazil and then South Africa?
Is it worth sending a Japanese Carrier and/or a BB to the Med so early to help protect the German fleet?
What is the fastest way to counter 2 allied IC’s in Asia when you start J2 with no forces on the mainland?
Is it worth buying an extra German transport for the Med?

While this is a game in progress, I will be making my move tonight before reading any responses. Thank you.

[Jeznob]

Well I managed to take Australia and get an AC into the Med. While I missed the opportunity to wax that US BB (which is a shame as I am hoping to suicide my baltic fleet on his atlantic fleet this turn), it meant I was able to threaten India with 6 inf 5 fig and 2 bb on J3. I figured that delay in his moving to FIC would help me build a IC in Manch or even Kwang on J4.

I wonder if I made the right decision.

Even if Japan have no forces on the mainland at the beginning of J2, and they face an IC in Sinkiang (built US1) and a colonial garrison IC in India, is it inevitable that Japan will conquer Asia?

[Sankt Hallvard]

There was just way too much text in your “question” for me to get through it all. You seem to have a good grasp of the game, though, don’t know if you would need my input anyway. And I have never played with NAs so I don’t know how that will affect things. I’ll answer your questions at the end of the post, based on what I think is best.

@Jeznob:

Questions:
What is the better target, Australia or the US BB and transport?
Should I consider moving my Solomons Trans to sz 42 and then on to take Brazil and then South Africa?
Is it worth sending a Japanese Carrier and/or a BB to the Med so early to help protect the German fleet?
What is the fastest way to counter 2 allied IC’s in Asia when you start J2 with no forces on the mainland?
Is it worth buying an extra German transport for the Med?

1. Australia isn’t going anywhere, take the BB and transport first.
2. No, don’t overextend by taking Brazil early in the game.
3. Yes. But in this game it seems the allies aren’t going for a standard KGF which means the German navy should be safe alone. So: No.
4. Build as many trannies as you can fill, make use of BB shots and fighters.
5. Sometimes. And in your case it clearly is. Let Japan use her ships to bombard India/FIC and have Germany take control over and hold Africa.

Also note that all my answers are situational, they’re what I’d normally choose but in given situations I might do the opposite.

Good luck beating your dad!

[Jeznob]

Thanks Sankt. I agree my post was far too long, I tend to over-think A&A too much. Your conclusions are sound. Everytime I look at that US BB I feel a tinge of regret :(

Good luck in the tourney and your game vs Mojo.

[Shining Bowie]

In my last few games I over looked attacking the US battleship and transport to consolidate my entire fleet in one space…. and I regretted it… my opponent quickly built 2 AC’s and loaded them that turn. So I’m guessing it’s crucial to destroy that early navy and set mine in the sea zone neighbouring the US.

[newpaintbrush]

The function of the Japanese navy is to protect Japanese transports.  You buy some transports, then switch to ground units, and ferry units from Japan to the Asian coast.  The battleships support with battleship bombards, the carriers extend range of fighters, and defend against air attack; the sub and destroyer if surviving, act as battle fodder.

After you expand a bit, you build an IC on one of the territories worth 3.  It is not a problem to defend; usually the Allies will be desperately fighting off Japan’s attack.

You should build NO new navy except transports.  The transports are used to pull the infantry off the islands, and to move forces from Japan to the Asian coast.  Usually, you use the transports to help attack Africa later in the game, after the US has established a beachhead.

The plan is, after Pearl Harbor, you fly fighters back to the Asian coast, and pull the Japanese navy back.  The Jap navy can do nothing when parked off Los Angeles.  Fighters based on carriers there cannot help in the attack on the Asian coast.  So you pull back.

Generally, you should not move the Jap fleet out of the Pacific.  If the Jap fleet moves out of the Pacific, the US only needs to have two transports and a carrier to set up a powerful chain of attacks on the Pacific islands.  The Japs can move as far as the Indian Ocean, but must always keep an eye on the US.

[Axis4life]

In my last game as Japan I consolidated my fleet just off of Japan bypassing Pearl Harbor and it worked.  It scared the US player into wasting a lot of money on a navy.  When the US decided to go island hopping I would just reposition the fleet to be in striking range.  I know that most people consider Pearl Harbor a must but I disagree.  If you attack Pearl then the US can counter with their AF and BB usually destroying everything you have.  I guess it all depends on the US player.

[JamesG]

Don’t forget you can do Pearl Harbor “light”, with just a DD, a Sub and a bunch of air.  This leaves very little if anything for the US to counterattack in SZ52 on US1.  And if the US DOES move the BB to counterattack, that BB is a sitting duck for a Japan counter on j2.

There are a couple of drawbacks to this of course.  It ties up a lot of air power that you otherwise might have wanted to commit to China or killing UK boats.  And with no “free hit” BB commited to the battle, you are more likely to lose the DD and/or a fighter.

[jsp4563]

I played a game recently where my Japanese Naval units were all busy retaking the Dutch East Indies and dispensing with a UK fleet that was spread out all over the S. Pacific.  I only had Air Forces to attack the US at Pearl Harbor.  This had the advantage of depriving the US sub of firing back.  Has anyone else tried this, I may try this again in the future.

[liquidvet]

any decent us player will generally move the bb and transport out of the pacific and into the atlantic with its other ships.  I usually use the japanese navy to harass us if needs be and to take austrailia etc.  If us does start to build a force (which I will smile because it is a complete waste of time) generally japans navy can take it out. You can take austrailia right away though and that is an automatic extra 2 IPCS (either j1 or j2).  Other than that I usually never take the japanese navy out of the pacific.  After they have harassed the extraneous islands and helped destroy any guys in the pass leading to the caucus (pesia, india, etc)  they really become obsolete other than a scare tactic.

[Guest]

Never saw the “slow build” US navy strat then have you Liquid?

Just anoying enough to Japan that they HAVE to counter it.  Low cost enough that it is VERY minimal drain on the US ops in the Atlantic…

[frimmel]

Please sir, enlighten us on the slow build US navy. I am of the opinion that any US boats in the Pacific are a spot of IPC’s to the Axis aside from losing Australia, Hawii et al.

[Guest]

Slow build consists of the US building a Pacific Fleet via fractions.

They build their TRNs for the Atlantic, then keep those TRNs full for Europe.

The remainder of your income buys a Pacific naval unit, or if you have insufficient funds, you save that amount and then “reserve” that amount to add to the remainder from your NEXT Atlantic buy and buy a unit for the Pacific.  If Japan is naval heavy, it does not work.  If Japan is naval light, a few subs can divert their income to Naval buys.  If they ignore you, build TRNs and do a Siberian Insertion, or Island Hop.

A couple of TRNs, a couple of INF, and your surviving BB, make a nice task force if Japan ignores her navy.  Add a few subs, and you have some serious combat power.

[Guest]

OK, not sure that came out clear…

Example:
US has $38 to spend.  They have 2 existing TRNs in the Atlantic.
US buys 1 TRN, 3 INF and 3 ARM for the Atlantic, leaving $6 IPC, which they save.

The next round, the US has $38 to spend again, plus $6 saved from last round, and now have 3 Atlantic TRNs.
They buy 1 TRN, 4 INF, 4 ART for the Atlantic (4 loaded TRN).  With the $8 remaining IPC’s they buy a TRN or SUB for the Pacific.

Round 3 with $38 to spend, they buy 4 INF, 4 ARM to refill their Atlantic fleet, leaving 6 remaining.

Round 4 with $38 plus the 6 remaining, they buy 4 INF, 4 ARM to refill their Atlantic fleet and add a DST to the Pacific.

This strat assumes a solid UK, no cross-Pacific push by Japan, and typical moves in Europe and Asia.

If you start out with this strat, by mid-game, the US has floated a fair navy in the Pacific for Japan to contend with… prior to them massing for a final push on Moscow…