My friend and I getting ready for an awesome weekend of gaming next Thursday and I have a bad case of the red ass after losing about a month ago.
He had usually been doing a J2 DOW every time as Axis which get USA to the party on time. The last time we played he did a stall and waited to J4 to blast it open. Most people would say fantastic, but he stacked loaded transports combined with this sneaky naval base purchase on Kwangsi combined with the IJN at 36 and 33. Then punched me in the nose everywhere. Even collecting the perimeter bonus in addition to DEI Needless to say, Germany was fairly well contained and sputtered in Russia badly. I had never tried the 4 bomber USA1 purchase which actually worked fairly well to neuter Germany economically once they got to the dance. He had to send many ftrs back from the east to stop it and I got lucky on some of the engagements hitting 2 one time. He probably played Germany poor but I like to think I played UK and Russia well. UK held their own
Question to anyone who can help or offer advice: What would be the preferred way to handle this delay and has anyone seen this naval base purchase on J1 (suggestion on how to deter)? What purchase should be made with USA to be best prepared for this because I’m pretty sure he will try it again. We play with our own balanced house rules ( see South Texas house rules) and no bid.
I know the answer is easy for some, but it has never happened in our games up until last time so maybe I just messed up on round 1?
Here’s a way the allies can be sneaky, when you feel it in your bones that the Japanese will DOW and start jumping on money islands, sail one British or ANZAC destroyer into the same seazone as the huge Japan fleet with all the loaded transports. This will prevent Japan from using their transports in an attack role as the destroyer blocks them, than the US can gain position around the islands and take a fight to them when they spread out the fleet. One of the major draw backs to waiting until a J4 attack, is that Japan will lose position around the money islands, and the Allies should be prepared to exploit that. Even if Japan sacks Calcutta, without a solid grip on the islands… their economy can not reach the necessary level in order to protect what they’ve gained let alone expand further.
I know i’ll sound stupid here… but…
DOW?
DEI?
Ok, makes a lot more sense now, ty.
UK DOW round 2, go into China. Send Russians to China.
@Young:
Here’s a way the allies can be sneaky, when you feel it in your bones that the Japanese will DOW and start jumping on money islands, sail one British or ANZAC destroyer into the same seazone as the huge Japan fleet with all the loaded transports. This will prevent Japan from using their transports in an attack role as the destroyer blocks them, than the US can gain position around the islands and take a fight to them when they spread out the fleet. One of the major draw backs to waiting until a J4 attack, is that Japan will lose position around the money islands, and the Allies should be prepared to exploit that. Even if Japan sacks Calcutta, without a solid grip on the islands… their economy can not reach the necessary level in order to protect what they’ve gained let alone expand further.
:?
Even if the transports aren’t loaded they still can be because of the exemption which stops this tactic.
Either way, the transports can ignore the DD and move out of the SZ with troops on board. Perhaps you’re saying something I’m missing?
Japan does not need the DEI to dominate. They can easily make up those ICPs with Russian, Chinese and India territories. It works very well with a G1 or strong G2 attack on Russia.
@Young:
Here’s a way the allies can be sneaky, when you feel it in your bones that the Japanese will DOW and start jumping on money islands, sail one British or ANZAC destroyer into the same seazone as the huge Japan fleet with all the loaded transports. This will prevent Japan from using their transports in an attack role as the destroyer blocks them, than the US can gain position around the islands and take a fight to them when they spread out the fleet. One of the major draw backs to waiting until a J4 attack, is that Japan will lose position around the money islands, and the Allies should be prepared to exploit that. Even if Japan sacks Calcutta, without a solid grip on the islands… their economy can not reach the necessary level in order to protect what they’ve gained let alone expand further.
:?
Even if the transports aren’t loaded they still can be because of the exemption which stops this tactic.
Either way, the transports can ignore the DD and move out of the SZ with troops on board. Perhaps you’re saying something I’m missing?
If Japan wants to declare war, they must deal with the enemy ship within their fleet, and can not jump on islands with transports pinned in that seazone during the same combat move phase.
Japan does not need the DEI to dominate. They can easily make up those ICPs with Russian, Chinese and India territories. It works very well with a G1 or strong G2 attack on Russia.
I disagree, they would be giving up 20 IPCs by ignoring the islands.
@Young:
Here’s a way the allies can be sneaky, when you feel it in your bones that the Japanese will DOW and start jumping on money islands, sail one British or ANZAC destroyer into the same seazone as the huge Japan fleet with all the loaded transports. This will prevent Japan from using their transports in an attack role as the destroyer blocks them, than the US can gain position around the islands and take a fight to them when they spread out the fleet. One of the major draw backs to waiting until a J4 attack, is that Japan will lose position around the money islands, and the Allies should be prepared to exploit that. Even if Japan sacks Calcutta, without a solid grip on the islands… their economy can not reach the necessary level in order to protect what they’ve gained let alone expand further.
:?
Even if the transports aren’t loaded they still can be because of the exemption which stops this tactic.
Either way, the transports can ignore the DD and move out of the SZ with troops on board. Perhaps you’re saying something I’m missing?
UK puts a ship in the sea zone, then Anzac declares war. The exception that would allow Japan to load on the same turn as they declare war does not apply because they were at war with Anzac (and therefore UK also) at the start of their turn. Avoid this Japan needs to leave troops on the transports
@Young:
Japan does not need the DEI to dominate. They can easily make up those ICPs with Russian, Chinese and India territories. It works very well with a G1 or strong G2 attack on Russia.
I disagree, they would be giving up 20 IPCs by ignoring the islands.
True, but you gain a lot from +10 ICPs from Russia + 8 India. That’s not to mention China and the South East Asia. Try it sometime… I have won my last 4 league games this way.
UK puts a ship in the sea zone, then Anzac declares war. The exception that would allow Japan to load on the same turn as they declare war does not apply because they were at war with Anzac (and therefore UK also) at the start of their turn. Avoid this Japan needs to leave troops on the transports
If the transports are NOT loaded, the presence of the UK naval vessel following an ANZAC declaration of war would stop Japan from loading transports during combat movement.
If Japan left the transports loaded, this tactic does not stop Japan from using the forces on them during combat. Because the combat movement is starting in a contested sea zone, Japan has the option of moving any forces out of that sea zone during the combat movement phase to avoid combat.
To block LOADED transports, you need to deploy blockers in the surrounding sea zones, not in the same sea zone. Even that doesn’t work if those surrounding sea zones contain useful spots for those transports to unload.
Marsh
All fantastic strategies and point gents, but I hate to say that no one has really answered my question.
The following has occurred. Successful Taranto from UK. USSR DOW on Japan on R1. 12 Russian troops firmly in place in Buryatia, the 6 others are headed west and stationed in the Urals getting set up for the big fiesta in Moscow. UK firmly in control of Africa and pressing all over the Middle East with a mIC in Egypt (probably not optimum placement but I like it there in case India goes down). India beginning the “Stack”. ANZAC pushing folks to various islands and setting up forts. I sent the usual DEI defense suspects to their death so there were 2 inf each on the DEI. I didn’t feel the need to send more but maybe that is the answer although I think it would ultimately kill Calcutta/Sydney if you take too many.
Japan has 10 fully loaded transports with 1 ART and 1 INF and one with a tank. All places can get smashed with overwhelming fire power to basically kick the income level to 68 IPC’s collected on turn 4 collect income.
What should the USA do for a counter given that they have 156 IPC’s to spend and assuming a G4 german assault on USSR?
I am not particularly concerned about the European campaign as I can handle my friend because he isn’t that creative over there because he knows that I can trash him every single time with the USSR over there and simply waits for the Pacific VC victory in about 85% of our games so far.
Now you know the situation a bit more completely.
I’m at work on a Friday and no other engineers are here so this pretty much my afternoon!
Cheers.
If the UK and USSR are capably handling Germany and Italy by themselves in your games, you as the US should be going mostly Pacific.
You can build fleet (including loaded transports) and stage if off Queensland for the moment when the US magically enters the Allied side and all of a sudden has a naval base to spring from. So, while Japan might grab the Dutch East Indies and hold them on its turn, the US right behind it turns those islands into American territory (and American IPCs). If Japan deployed fleet to cover individual transports that took islands, then the US has an opportunity to destroy the Japanese fleet in detail rather than in one grand battle. If not, any islands you don’t recapture still lose their uncovered transports and the forces there are stranded.
It will take Japan at least two turns to get new loaded transports in a position to attack India or recapture DEI (more if they did not build them the same turn the DoW was issued), and by that time the US fleet can have turned north and presented a challenge to the IJN. So, while the sudden Japanese expansion might be scary, it will peter out as long as you are in position to counterattack it. In fact, it is probably only working against you because you are hanging back with the US and not pressuring Japan.
Consider that once the US goes to war, its income is higher than Japan and both nations share the same logistical concerns – new naval units are built the same distance from where they are needed. If you 1-1 swap ships with Japan, you are winning the economic war in the Pacific because Japan cannot afford to rebuild navy to challenge the US and also win the game at the same time.
Also consider in the Pacific that it does not matter if India falls as long as the Allies hold New South Wales, Hawaii, and Western US. You could turn Hawaii into a mega fortress with a fleet around it that can sail to the relief of Australia with an accompanying land force, and during the same turn build replacements in Western US for whatever you send to Australia.
Marsh
If Japan has 10 loaded transports after round 3 I bet China is doing pretty well. Without seeing the board I would have USA invest in matching CV’s with Japan and buy many subs. I would suspect with as many transports so early that Japan is low on DDs. Try to use this to your advantage. Drain him of DD’s and your subs are golden. Keep adding Air power as well until you have a force that can take and sit at Caroline. This forces Japan to not be able to purchase naval units in seazone 6 if his fleet is at the DEI. Japan is not in any danger of losing their island but they risk building ships in season 6 which is what Japan wants to do. Japan does not want to build ships at its factories on the coast since that takes away from the land units to outnumber China and India. If he moves the fleet to DEI then take Caroline if you can hold it and send the Russians to Amur. I can almost guarantee that fleet will turn around. Good Luck :)
Fantastic reply. My question is should the USA fleet in Hawaii always immediately go to Queensland with a later Japan DOW? My friend usually waits for the 2nd round.
I know this is kind of dumb for most people but I was really close last time with the Allies maybe just 2 rounds from Berlin. The game before last a horde of angry Communists combined with a punishing US 18th Airforce (18th because I had 18 of them) sent German industry into the Stone Age resulting in a very jubilant victory on my side of the plywood. I would love nothing more than to make this one even more punishing for him as he has been letting me know about this for about a month and a half now. We also have a crappy little trophy we bought at a garage sale with a sculpt from every power hot glued to it. I would like that back in my possession. Thanks for any help with this.
Fantastic reply. My question is should the USA fleet in Hawaii always immediately go to Queensland with a later Japan DOW? My friend usually waits for the 2nd round.
Nothing stops you from moving the entire US fleet to Queensland on US2. You could also maintain the fleet around Hawaii, which is a threat to Japan and the Carolines and provides you with the opportunity to relieve Australia and then move down to Queensland if Japan is making heavy noises in that direction.
If Japan is spending that heavily on transports, then you should be able to win a naval engagement. Even when not at war, the US is bringing in more cash than Japan that is at war with China and Russia.
Also, acquaint yourself again with the rules allowing the US to declare war early and with Japan’s NOs. For instance if he’s taking FIC early but you’re still paying him 10 IPCs on his turn, that’s wrong. Sometimes there’s little nuances to the rules that we miss, and it serves us all well to periodically review them.
Marsh
Marsh said it very well. If you can hold out in Queensland without the US the do so because Seazone 6 will be in hot water so to speak.
In response to the OP, My moves are to:
HTH
@Marshmallow:
UK puts a ship in the sea zone, then Anzac declares war. The exception that would allow Japan to load on the same turn as they declare war does not apply because they were at war with Anzac (and therefore UK also) at the start of their turn. Avoid this Japan needs to leave troops on the transports
If the transports are NOT loaded, the presence of the UK naval vessel following an ANZAC declaration of war would stop Japan from loading transports during combat movement.
If Japan left the transports loaded, this tactic does not stop Japan from using the forces on them during combat. Because the combat movement is starting in a contested sea zone, Japan has the option of moving any forces out of that sea zone during the combat movement phase to avoid combat.
To block LOADED transports, you need to deploy blockers in the surrounding sea zones, not in the same sea zone. Even that doesn’t work if those surrounding sea zones contain useful spots for those transports to unload.
Marsh
I would choose to interpret the rule that the Japanese’ first turn after the DOW applies the exemption. Otherwise it seems a loophole.
@Pac:
During your
Combat Move phase in which you entered into a
state of war, your transports that are already in sea
zones that have just become hostile may be loaded
in those sea zones (but not in other hostile sea
zones). In effect, transports may be loaded in their
initial sea zones for amphibious assaults before war
is declared, while the sea zone is still friendly.
It doesn’t specifically state that this only applies for the declarer of war. It’s the first turn that Japan has entered a state of war with the UK so I would consider that the exemption still applies.
