@Shin:
@cb4:
What are some good opening moves with ANZAC for each scenario?
For options 1 and 2, it won’t matter what you do, because a competent Japan player will win by round 10.
Right. They will either win on their own outright, or, in some odd situations, come in through the Indian Ocean and middle east to help take or outright take Egypt, in addition to providing a massive can-opener against Moscow so the Germans, even with heavy distraction in the west, can still take it.
A competent Japan cannot be ignored for more than a couple of rounds before you’re in big trouble. More than 4-5 rounds, and you’re looking at an extremely likely Allied loss.
For the other points in the thread:
A:
Queensland mIC, as others have said, only if I am already producing 3 units/turn and have the money to spare (IE: I was going to save 12 IPCs). This entirely depends on the game, but often you’ll end up with quite a few money islands and maybe even both of your NOs. ANZAC can make good money, and when this is the case, I pop down mICs anywhere I can so that I’m putting pressure in the Pacific so America can sooner begin to shift focus to Europe.
I oftentimes don’t even bother with attempting to retake India if Japan keeps more than one or two units there. The 8 IPCs/turn for Japan are good for them, yes, but I’d almost rather ANZAC get Borneo/Malaya, and, if possible, Kwangtung, and have that money concentrated into one economy. The 8 IPCs/turn can be greatly mitigated by ANZAC/US sub convoys once Japan is already in the process of collapsing.
B:
Someone said “fast movers” for ANZAC when you’re on the defensive. This is not required. Definitely not required. You can position your inf/art stack in South Australia. From there, they can retake any other territory. You can keep your planes/AA guns in Queensland on the air base, only moving those out of the way if you must. As an added bonus, you can pick up units from South Australia on your way to Java from New South Wales.
The only time you’d want fast units is if the Japanese invasion is going to happen on the next Japanese turn, or if you were sending a transport with a tank up to mainland Asia so it could blitz around.
C:
ANZAC priorities:
1: Don’t let Japan kill you.
2: Annoy Japan.
3: Aid the US.
Don’t be the nerd that loses his capital. This is critical. Make sure you have enough land units (inf/art, see above) in South Australia to repel a landing. If Japan wants to kill ANZAC, and forgoes many other options to make this their goal, you cannot stop them. What you can do, however, is make it so expensive for them that if they try they’re effectively shooting themselves in the foot. Keep your planes alive. Only send them in to die if you have a damn good reason to do so. It’s actually very, very difficult for Japan to take ANZAC in the first 5, or even 6, turns of the game (without a Pyrrhic victory). By then America should be there to make it impossible. Don’t die.
Taking the money islands from Japan is your main way of slowing down the beast. (Additional potential entertainment: If you’re playing against a pansy Japan that doesn’t J1, you can oftentimes send your starting ANZAC transport further west after you take a money island ANZAC 1, and have it off of Egypt. Being able to land your two ANZAC Egyptians in Greece/Turkey/Southern France or something is hilarious, especially if the Allies do a neutral crush, and gives the ANZAC a way to dump some of their money into Europe if the Pacific is already handled.)
A competent Japanese player won’t let you snipe off a chunk of their fleet with the tiny ANZAC one. A competent Japanese player won’t let you nab a transport (or if he does, it’s a calculated loss, most likely for the money island NO for a +9 jump in IPCs that turn). That being said, always keep your eyes open to make Japan pay for any mistakes. Someone said having a strategic bomber was a good idea. If it comes about that you can afford one on a turn, I totally agree. Park that thing in Queensland and it can hit all sorts of sea zones. Keep Japan honest, and sting him when you can.
As others said, dumping your 3 fighters on a freshly captured air base for the American fleet can not only be of huge help, it can be an absolute necessity. Help big brother out against a Japanese counterattack with some destroyers and planes!
If America does strike on its turn, there might be 3-6 damaged capital ships left in the SZ that now represent the only remaining Japanese fleet. It’s your job to come swooping in to make sure those are dead capital ships.