US Strategy

@calvinhobbesliker:

Japan would only have 78 since Borneo is both a DEI and a British territory

Yeah, that’s right, I sometimes forget that in mulling things over and adding them up. That’s a four point difference.

Our little gaming group (all three of us) played A&A P40 tonight. After the last few defeats the Japanese countered my strategy of attrition in the Sea of Japan pretty well.

The Japanese bought a lot of fighters and a only a few destroyers a turn. He kept the fighters in Japan. I never attacked the Sea of Japan because I was never able to get sufficient forces to attack to begin with. With the remaining money he overran the mainland of Asia.

While the submarine attrition strategy is a tool in the toolbox, to be used when appropriate, it may be simply too slow in the build up to work as a main strategy.

@Redjac:

Our little gaming group (all three of us) played A&A P40 tonight. After the last few defeats the Japanese countered my strategy of attrition in the Sea of Japan pretty well.

The Japanese bought a lot of fighters and a only a few destroyers a turn. He kept the fighters in Japan. I never attacked the Sea of Japan because I was never able to get sufficient forces to attack to begin with. With the remaining money he overran the mainland of Asia.

While the submarine attrition strategy is a tool in the toolbox, to be used when appropriate, it may be simply too slow in the build up to work as a main strategy.

I think Uncle_Joe summed it up pretty well in another thread. There are some things the Allies can do from time to time, but once the Japanese player sees them, they are able to counter quite readily, and then you’re back back to square one.

Our little three man gaming group has played P40 about 30 times. Most of the time the Japanese have won. Lately, we have been experimenting with different Allied strategies to defend Yunnan and Singapore. Out last game was wild, the Allies lost Australia (a first for us) and still won the game.

Our crew leans toward the view that the game is Japan’s to lose. But a few bad moves by Japan and Allies can and do win.

I have a few more ideas about defending the mainland for the Allies. I have not seen the forum games, so I don’t know what has been tried, and what has not been tried for the Allies. When we play them a bit more, I will post my ideas on the forums.

I think the US has two primary options, assuming the Japanese go for a heavy Calcutta push:

1. Blockade the Japanese mainland while simultaneously taking Korea and building an IC there. This way the US can start liberating Chinese provinces (allowing Chinese infantry to be placed also) and pushing down towards Shanghai. The continuous convoy disruptions coupled with strategic bombing raids of the major IC on Japan would limit Japan to it’s mainland minor ICs that it likely built on turns 1-2. I’d imagine that the Japanese player would see the writing on the wall and surrender, saving everyone a few hours.

2. US captures Caroline Islands. The Caroline Islands’ air/naval base lets you threaten Japan and the DEI and Hong Kong, if you decide to go that route. Depending on the Japanese player’s moves, I’d aim for taking back the DEI. This would obviously allow the UK/ANZACs to maintain the IPC bonuses and would force Japanese air assets away from the mainland fight and buy the UK some more time. If the Japanese build naval forces to counter the US fleet, all the better; more ships = less ground troops going after Calcutta. Additionally, Japan focusing on the US navy would allow the UK to possibly launch an offensive into southern China and help liberate some Chinese territories, which can be a nuisance for the Japanese land army as well.

Any suggestions/comments from people are definitely welcome!

I suggest playing the Global game  :-)

Major Problems with Pacific only game in my opinion:
No Russia
Indian fleet is pinned in because it can’t go west of Z39.  Also, Indian ground forces are unable to escape to West India.
USA doesn’t have to juggle priorities with Europe, and California is treated as a capital, with capital rules (can lose all money and production)

An interesting strategic wrinkle I threw into a game last night was a UK/ANZAC attack on Japan at the beginning of turn 3. This caught the Japanese player greatly off guard, as he was still consolidating and prepositioning his forces for the big attack on the DEI and the UK territories on the mainland for the beginning of turn 4. It really messed up the Japanese land war and gave the allies the momentum and initiative that is often ceded to the Japanese.

A Japanese player should NEVER be surprised by a turn 3 unprovoked attack.  There is little deterrent for the Allies by then.  You guys are probably in your first few games - fun times!