How did playtesters miss J1 attack?

One thing you can do as the Allies to throw a curve ball at the Japanese is to build a CV for the British on B1. On ANZAC 1, save at least 6 IPCs and lay down a CV on ANZAC2 in SZ62. If you move the US at start fleet to New Zealand on US2 from Pearl, and move the British fleet to SZ56 on B2, then the Japanese have a dilema on J3, as the US fleet in New Zealand, and whatever air the US may have in Australia, can counter-attack SZ56 from New Zealand. The ANZACers can follow up with a smaller, part two, counter-attack in their portion of the third turn as well, from SZ 62.

When the British make the move from SZ39 to SZ56, they can swap out their fighters for ANZACer fighters if they wish, leaving India strong.

J3 is generally the turn in which the Japanese will want to take Singapore to get ready for the major IC there on J4, and will have to face the fact that if they wish to take out the British fleet before it links up with the rest of the Allied CVs in SZ54, they’ll have to divert carrier air from the assault on Singapore to conduct an air assault on the British fleet. If the Japanese try to take on the British with Navy, the US and ANZACers are positioned to counter attack.

If the US buys a CV on US1, and it is at Pearl on US2, and Japanese let the British fleet go by on J3, then the Allies can put the British fleet, the ANZAC CV + DD in SZ62, the US fleet at New Zealand, and the US CV at Pearl all in SZ54 on turn 3.

The Allies will then have a strong defensive position in SZ54 to attack out of in later turns.

The main problem with this is that while a multinational fleet may be great on defense, it isn’t too terribly good on offense…at least until the US can pour more units into that SZ.

This is what I don’t understand, Jim.  True, Japan starts with a lot of planes, but if you lose half your planes taking Sydney or Hawaii, what’s been destroying India and China during that offensive?  You can’t do both at the same time with the same effectiveness as a single target.  And what’s left to counter the ever-growing American fleet?

In my worst game here online, I lost 12 planes after completely taking China and India. That left 16 planes.  Easily more than what I needed to take Sydney.

If you have something that works, try it out.  Gargantua and Calvin and Hobbesliker are testing out an idea against me as well.  They’ve already shown me some interesting moves I like (but I think I’m still going to win both  :-D )

Again, though, I repeat:  when AAE40 gets here, who is going to play pacific as a stand alone game?  I think we all (me included) will move onto the new game and on occasion play the combined game.

Kauf - your idea sounds like it may grind out a few more Jap planes.  If I have less than a dozen planes, I find that I can’t take Sydney by turn 7.  Care to try it?

Cheers

@jim010:

Kauf - your idea sounds like it may grind out a few more Jap planes.  If I have less than a dozen planes, I find that I can’t take Sydney by turn 7.  Care to try it?

Cheers

Oh hell no, the Allies are a lost cause in AAP40! :-o :lol:

I’m 90% sure of that as well, but there’s still that 10% - which is why I try to get games going to see if something fleshes out.

@jim010:

I’m 90% sure of that as well, but there’s still that 10% - which is why I try to get games going to see if something fleshes out.

A buddy of mine and myself have gutted out well over 150 hours of game play trying to find that “magic move”, so if you find it, be sure and let the rest of the world know! :-D

@calvinhobbesliker:

Kauf, I posted your strat on Harris’s site, and here’s a reply I got:
Calvinhobbesliker,

So how does taking India win you the game? On J6, you have infantry that can hit most of Australia…but you still don’t have India yet. Plus it’s 5 full turns for Australia to reinforce, and for America to help them. The real question is, once India falls, what do you have left to take Sydney or Hawaii?

From your post, it’s hard to say exactly without all the details. So are you leaving Australia with its transport or taking it out? Are you killing the British BB and 2 trannies? Are you taking FIC and Kwangtung?

And what are you buying on all of those turns? Planes? A navy until you have a factory placed?

How much of the Japanese navy do you break off to attack the Philippines?

But how long will it take for Japan to take India after your plan? Would you march through land, pumping out 10 infantry a turn? Or go with a naval assault? Either necessitates planes or ships pulled away from the East, strengthening America’s position. There has to be enough protection for your trannies to withstand the UK airforce. By turn 5 you haven’t assaulted India yet, which could be 4 additional UK fighters, bringing their total up to 8 and a tac bomber.

At the end of the post you state: Japan still usually has its giant fleet at Malaya and you can’t destroy it.
Why can’t I destroy it as America? If it’s around Malaya, you’re not protecting Japan. And you’ve spent a lot of money on a factory and 10 infantry, and from what I’ve read, you’re not reinforcing China in favor of going after the VC’s.

US1: Buy 2 transports.
US2: Buy 2 battleships, 1 transport, 1 infantry, 1 artillery
US3: Buy 2 battleships, 1 Aircraft Carrier
US4: Move fleet to Hawaii
US5: Attack Japan

Thus Japan has to fend off 1 Sub, 1 Destroyer, 1 Cruiser, 5 Battleships, 2 loaded Carriers, and 4 loaded Transports.

Japan’s starting fleet can’t counter that.

“But I’d by X Y & Z to counter!” Well, all of that navy being purchased comes from the same limited pool that has to buy a major factory, 10 infantry, an replace plane losses.
You also have to take India, which could have 10+ infantry, 8 fighters and 1 tac bomber. The UK needs to move the Malaya stack back to India. Japan has enough airforce to incinerate them, so I’d rather move them back to the fighter cover.

A third factor is China. You’ve made no mention of reinforcing them, or placing a minor factory on the mainland. I suppose that if you don’t reinforce it there, you’ll have more money for India and the US fleet, however, after several turns of neglect, China will start to threaten your hold on Kiangsu and Kwangtung.

There is a counter to everything, especially in the void of a forum. Yes, Japan has a sizeable starting force, but they can’t be everywhere on the board at once.

I thought you died, it was two days that you didn’t log on, mini vacation?

@calvinhobbesliker:

Kauf, I posted your strat on Harris’s site, and here’s a reply I got:
Calvinhobbesliker,

So how does taking India win you the game? On J6, you have infantry that can hit most of Australia…but you still don’t have India yet. Plus it’s 5 full turns for Australia to reinforce, and for America to help them. The real question is, once India falls, what do you have left to take Sydney or Hawaii?

When India falls, and China is all but finished, all you have to be able to do is add. If that guy can’t do that, he can buy a calculator.

If China is down to one territory, the Japanese will be sitting on a major IC in Singapore, with 77 IPCs a turn. US and ANZAC IPCs will be at 70.

@calvinhobbesliker:

US1: Buy 2 transports.
US2: Buy 2 battleships, 1 transport, 1 infantry, 1 artillery
US3: Buy 2 battleships, 1 Aircraft Carrier
US4: Move fleet to Hawaii
US5: Attack Japan

Attack Japan on US 5 with 4 transports!?! I’d leave my about 15 a/c on the island and avoid the sea battle, easily defeating the land attack. Then on my next turn I’d fall like a ton of bricks on that US fleet. Game over. On turn 3 the Japanese are earning 60+ IPCs, if the US spends the whole first 5 turns telescoping their move like that, why bother playing?

The US is going to spend 20 per BB, and as Japan, I’ll match his BBs with 2 fighters, or maybe a ftr & dive bomber. When the $hit hits the fan, I’ll be getting twice as many shots in combat as the US player.

BBs just aren’t cost effective.

@calvinhobbesliker:

Japan’s starting fleet can’t counter that.

Does this guy think the Japanese don’t bother buying anything for the first 5 turns?!? Gimme a freakin’ break, that’s nothing more than pipe dreaming there. I could even wonder whether that guy has ever played the game!?!

@calvinhobbesliker:

The UK needs to move the Malaya stack back to India. Japan has enough airforce to incinerate them, so I’d rather move them back to the fighter cover.

They’ll never make it back unless you move them out right on B1, leaving Singapore wide open and giving the Japanese a nice present along with their major IC a full turn earlier without even having to loose one troop. Those troops will come back and bite the Allies in the a$$.

Once Britian is bottled up in India and the Japanese park a couple subs off the coast…

@calvinhobbesliker:

A third factor is China. You’ve made no mention of reinforcing them, or placing a minor factory on the mainland. I suppose that if you don’t reinforce it there, you’ll have more money for India and the US fleet, however, after several turns of neglect, China will start to threaten your hold on Kiangsu and Kwangtung.

There are a lot of things that Japan has to do, I’ve yet to see China threaten Hong Kong. A 12 IPC minor IC is all that Japan would need to help in China in a worse case scenario. I mean, come on, the Japanese have loads of air assets vs men only.

@calvinhobbesliker:

There is a counter to everything, especially in the void of a forum. Yes, Japan has a sizeable starting force, but they can’t be everywhere on the board at once.

But they can be everywhere they need to be to win the game. It’s the Allies that can’t be everywhere they need to be to even get into the game.

Kaufschtick’s idea of combining an Allied carrier fleet near Australia on about turn 3 or 4 seems to be the best looking play I’ve seen so far.  At first it’s only defensive but over time it will develop attacking power.  It reminds me of a similar move in original AAP where the UK bought a carrier in Australia, and then move to northern Australia with 4 carriers to threaten any/all of the Japanese money islands.

After only 3 games of AAP40 I can say that Japan is overpowered and that India falling from turn 4 is a given.  The key thing then is placing the ANZACs and US in a good position from that same time, and this play seems to achieve that.  Once the US has had a couple of turns to churn out 1 Bmb, 1 Trn, 2 Sub, 3 DD it will begin to have enough fodder units and heavy hitting power to either advance towards Japan or recapture the DEI etc.

Whether reducing UK/India to a helpless target every time is fun for the UK player is another question entirely!  :?

Lozza007

I wasn’t going to say anything,  but I like that fact that you seem to be trying to learn and I’m getting tired of what seems like every strategy session devolving into talking about how all sorts of hypothetical reactions can/will completely cancel this or that so 'll help you out, Kaufschtick.  Oh and I played four games against one of my buddies who read your strategy.  He tried it all four of the last games he’s played as Japan.  The first one, the dice favoured me almost the whole game and I won rather handily.  The second game he won with India and ANZAC falling from simply outmaneuvering me and tricking me to overextend and then destroying my combined allied fleets completely.  The third game was close but also an allied victory with the Americans remaining elusive until the Japanese player was forced to commit to an attack or lose the initiative and then being attacked once their fleet was out of position to counterattack, and the fourth one was very close until I cornered his fleet with the Americans and then crushed it, great dice adding very nicely to my naval superiority (which the anzac bought dearly with the lives of their pilots).  While this might be a long post, don’t worry I’ll keep it to a bare minimum of actual points to decrease the opportunities for you to highlight my real points and tell me I’m stupid 'cause you disagree/don’t get them.  :p

Also keep in mind to read my post as if my tone is friendly and sincere, 'cause it is.  I’m a little too old and don’t care enough for a flame war.  :)

Your plan stated that you’re leaving your fleet based in Malaya.  You can’t counter a North Pacific American fleet with any boats if you do that, just your planes; AND only the planes that you pulled out of attacking India/China to defend the home islands or the ones you still have in range after your last turn of attacking India.  If you’re using your airforce to take India on turn X, then they are well out of range to threaten an American fleet in sea zone 6 that just landed 7 units and an AA gun in Korea also on turn X.  Plus, assuming a balanced American fleet there would be destroyers to act as blockers to hold up your Jap fleet from returning to face this threat and hold on I’ll get you my calculator… there would be at least one turn of income disruption from the initial landing of the navy at Korea, so that’s -8.  Then, assuming there are also subs and your returning fleet has been stalled or reinforcements built in Malaya, the American subs will cause ANOTHER round of income disruption, also -8.  That’s just like taking Borneo for two turns in terms or relative IPC’s.  Subs, trading subs for destroyers and convoy disruptions are the key to your income disparity problem.

Assuming the Americans stay out of trouble (which they probably won’t), and suffer no gains or losses, by turn 5 their fleet could consist of 1 battleship, 11 subs, 6 destroyers, 5 cruisers, 4 fully loaded carriers (5 fighters and 3 tactical bombers), plus 2 bombers and 4 fully loaded transports.  Just to give you an of what can sail from Hawaii the turn you’re taking India.  Hell, if you build them in a particular order you can drop 3 carriers and a fighter on turn 5 in San Fran and still be able to land planes based in Hawaii on them after taking part in an attack on sea zone 6 the next turn.  Oh and basing out of Hawaii and having transports is not telegraphing anything.  It threatens many different important areas and transports are need to take anything.

As the allies, always try to set up a 1-2 maybe even 3 punch with India, ANZAC and the US.  If the Japs move in force to something like Java with a Battleship, and two carriers and a destroyer early on, and the American planes are based in Queensland, why not attack them.  If the Japanese take three hits and soak all three, then if you lose your planes fine, but if you still have any retreat.  Then the Brits go and lo and behold, now it’s 4 fighters and a tac vs. a damaged bb and two damaged carriers and a destroyer.  Plus ANZAC still goes.  If they lose navy and keep the carriers undamaged then they’re taking casualties so good for you!  You need to understand the the Japanese power lies not in their airforce but in their navy.  If you can knock out Japanese fleets DO IT Especially if it only costs you Indian or ANZAC units.  America is the important power for the allies and they need naval superiority, so have the other two help them get it instead of just building for it.  This isn’t Seafarers of Cattaan (or however it’s spelled).  If Japan sends a Battleship and a destroyer to take out the ANZAC transport on turn one, send in the fighters.  Every fleet you destroy could be one turn earlier that America can make a push.

Finally and most importantly learn to lose to learn.  If you’re probably sure that you’re going to lose a game don’t concede, play it out.  That is where you learn the really good moves, the clutch plays that turn tides and slow enemy advances to a crawl.  I win many more of my games than I lose simply because I play them out.  I learn new ways to turn tides, predict enemy moves and buy time to regroup. You can learn this too, but not on a forum, not by winning easily and not by reusing and perfecting one stupid set of moves over and over and over.  The best part is as you do this more and more, you end up being able to win games that many others would either have conceded or had been impossible without your hard earned hard fighting never roll over skills.   If you find Japan turn one attacks end you up with too easy a victory, play a Japan turn 2 or 3 attack.  It’s not going easy or pitying your opponent your making the game more interesting for yourself and it’s a game so why play it if it’s not fun.  If you want a challenge, before you start making changes to the rules, play a more challenging version of the game, you’ll be happier and better experienced for it.

P.S.
Go out and find the game TACTICS II.  It’s awesome.

P.P.S.
I don’t know how you guys play China, but I can’t figure out how people think it’s a pushover.  I always make them do extremely well or make the Japs spend way too many plastic lives on taking them out.

@kungfujew:

Your plan stated that you’re leaving your fleet based in Malaya.

Never said that I’d keep it there.

@kungfujew:

If you’re using your airforce to take India on turn X, then they are well out of range to threaten an American fleet in sea zone 6 that just landed 7 units and an AA gun in Korea also on turn X.

Never said I’m using my air force to take India. I’ve seen India go down mostly with CV air, bombers, off shore attacks and a fair amount of amphibious and land units. Depends on the game though…

Last game-fest we played, one game saw India go down on J5. Normally this doesn’t happen until about J7 or later.

J1 Japan takes the PI & Celebes
J2 they take the rest of the DEI (they’re at 60+ IPCs at this point)
J3 they take Singapore
J4 they build a major IC there
J5 the first batch of stuff shows up, with a lot just to consolidate gains (worse case)
J6 the first load of troops exclusively headed for India shows up (worse case)
J7 they move to Shan State
J8 to Burma
J9 the Japanese will have combined an amphibious assault (sometimes mech inf. follow up the first wave of men headed to India) and India is done, at the latest turn 10.

Then its Japan 78 IPCs, Allies 70 IPCs.

But like I said, it depends on the game. The Allies have enough strength to attack, but not enough to counter attack. The Japanese do, so they can take advantage of Japanese won battles (and Allied won battles) by having enough left the next turn to develope what ever the situation happens to be.

We’ve had plenty of games where the Allies have taken Truk, but were so weakened in doing so that they effectively lost the game.

Both sides have to be able to win a major battle, and then have enough the next turn to take advantage of the situation.

In the DEI, as soon as the Japanese get a major IC in Singapore, they can get reinforcements to that region way before the Allies, who are relying on them to come all the way from San Fransico, 3 moves away.

The Japanese can exchange fleets with the Allies, build a new one the next turn in Singapore, right where the action is. San Fransico is a long way off, and the US come in piecemeal.

A good Japanese player will screw with the ANZAC bonus income by taking one of the Solomons too from time to time. They can hit either side of New Guinea from Singapore. Sometimes a DD will move down to Truk with a suicide transport bound for New Britain and take advantage of the air cover from Truks airbase and planes.

The Japanese have enough, and are able to build enough as the game progresses, to move steadily toward India, defend Truk & Japan (SZ6), squeeze out China, and screw with the Allies in the Solomons (the ANZAC bonus islands).

@kungfujew:

Plus, assuming a balanced American fleet

@kungfujew:

Then, assuming there are also subs and your returning fleet

Don’t assume, you know what happens then…

@kungfujew:

Assuming the Americans stay out of trouble (which they probably won’t)

Yeah…

But there’s just too much assuming going on here.

You know as well as I do that the game takes on it’s own personality after just a few turns.

@kungfujew:

As the allies, always try to set up a 1-2 maybe even 3 punch with India, ANZAC and the US.

You can try what you want as the Allies. It doesn’t change the fact that the Japanese start the game way air heavy over the Allies. That the Japanese can take the PI, the DEI, Singapore, and on to India smartly without taking heavy casualties.

It doesn’t change the fact that Japan can go 26 IPCs J1, 40 IPCs J2, and then be at 60+ IPCs J3 & on.

It doesn’t change the fact that Britian will go 16 IPCs B1, 13 IPCs B2, 9 IPCs B3, and then be at 5 or less IPCs from then on.

It doesn’t change the fact that Japan can take out China and only need to divert a few fighters and/or dive bombers by using their strategic bombers smartly.

It doesn’t change the fact that Japan will be able to match the US and ANZAC buys early on, and then out buy them after India is done.

The biggest factor for an Allied win OOB is a poor or ineperienced Japanese player. Against a good Japanese player, it just ain’t going to happen unless there is a blue moon. :-)

Or unless the Japanese player has drunk too many Blue Moons.  :-D

@kungfujew:

P.S.
Go out and find the game TACTICS II.  It’s awesome.

Tactic II was a good game for it’s time, which unfortunately was a little before my time (but not by much). By the time I got into Avalon Hill hot and heavy, Blitzkreig had been released, which was the “upgrade” or “revision” to Tactics II. I did however, buy Tactics II (and just about every other A_H WWII game I could lay my hands on) and owned it a long time ago. I played a few games, but like I said, Blitzkreig just blew it away, especially when you used all the optional rules (like the air rules, and the upgraded naval rules that came out in The General).

I traded most of the the old games I didn’t play anymore in at the local gameshop here in town a long, long time ago though. A buddy of mine kept all of his, he still has Tactics II!

@kungfujew:

P.P.S.
I don’t know how you guys play China, but I can’t figure out how people think it’s a pushover.  I always make them do extremely well or make the Japs spend way too many plastic lives on taking them out.

Depends on what the Japanese do, but it doesn’t matter either way. Defend Yunnan or go north. If the Japanes park their strat bombers in Hong Kong, Kwangsi or Vietnam, they can reach out and touch the Chinese (and the British and anyone else who strays too near). That, along with 2/3 fighters and or dive bombers is enough to do in the Chinese.

I even built a minor IC in Hong Kong, or was it Kwangsu (doesn’t matter) one game as insurance, and didn’t even need it. It was a 12 IPC win for the Allies as it was 12 wasted IPCs for the Japanese, who won the game anyways.

The Japanese are going… or should I say, they can start building fighters on J2. Truk gets defended with…again… I should say, Truk can be defended by Japanese air units. If the US moves on Japan, these air units are available to return to SZ 6 and attack any US ships there after an attack on Korea and land in Japan. The Japanese are…dang it!!… They can defend Japan with fairly numerous air units as well with just a modest amount of new fighters being built each turn.

I never said the Japanese fleet stays in SZ37.  They go there when they’re ready to take out India sure, but the PI is where they go if there’s nothing else to pounce on at the moment.

Hell, I’ve seen the Japanese with 5 CVs by J4 before. When they are spending 60+ IPCs by J3 (that is a given), you better believe they are going to have something to say about the US making a move into SZ6, AND have enough to be getting ready to trottle the British in India.

And that’s the main problem with the game. The Japanese start out heavily advantaged in units, then zoom to an equal income level with the Allies in just two turns, as the Allies collective income is dropping like a rock in China & with the British.

By the time the US have collected up enough strength to throw a single punch at the Japanese, the Japanese are waiting with a double combination counter punch. Then it’s downhill from there.

There is a reason why there are no effective Allied Strategies being discussed on here, or on any forums.

It’s because the Japanese can counter anything the Allies can do.

And once the Japanese player gets the hang of what he/she is doing, then it’s hopeless for the Allies.

The Allies may out dice the Japanese once in a while. Or catch them making a bad move. But when the Japanese progresses to the point that they know what to do to win, and go about it smartly, you’re just wasting your time as the Allied player.

You take two equally skilled players and have them play a number of games, and you’re going to see the Japanese side start to dominate the win column.

Not the mark of a good game, or at least one that was well play tested anyway…

Hey stick,
it was my post on the Harris site, so I’ll reply here.

When India falls, and China is all but finished, all you have to be able to do is add. If that guy can’t do that, he can buy a calculator.
If China is down to one territory, the Japanese will be sitting on a major IC in Singapore, with 77 IPCs a turn. US and ANZAC IPCs will be at 70.

It’s more than just addition.  Even if Japan has more income, they may have lost enough during that time to be unable to counter the coming American offensive, which would see that income unravel.

Attack Japan on US 5 with 4 transports!?! I’d leave my about 15 a/c on the island and avoid the sea battle, easily defeating the land attack. Then on my next turn I’d fall like a ton of bricks on that US fleet. Game over. On turn 3 the Japanese are earning 60+ IPCs, if the US spends the whole first 5 turns telescoping their move like that, why bother playing?

If you leave your planes on Japan, why can’t America attack Korea instead?  Then build a major IC there the turn after.  You can fall “like a ton of bricks on the US fleet, but you can’t take back Korea with no trannies in range.  Your Chinese gains would quickly unravel.

So…if you’re leaving 15 a/c behind, how have they been participating in the India assault?  If you’ve left them there, how can you stop the US from taking the Carolines and threatening multiple VC from there?

They’ll never make it back (Malaya stack) unless you move them out right on B1, leaving Singapore wide open and giving the Japanese a nice present along with their major IC a full turn earlier without even having to loose one troop.

But Japan has enough fire power moving that direction anyway.  Does 4 infantry really scare Japan enough that they have to build up a sizeable force to take it?

There are a lot of things that Japan has to do, I’ve yet to see China threaten Hong Kong. A 12 IPC minor IC is all that Japan would need to help in China in a worse case scenario. I mean, come on, the Japanese have loads of air assets vs men only.

Well, the post on the Harris site wasn’t very informative, giving a simple J1: xxx  J2: yyyy  and did not specify what was purchased when except for the major IC, so I had to do a lot of speculating and asking questions.
But this is a good example.  So do you mean that you’d use your planes in China only for J1 & J2, then pull them back to Japan because an American fleet is coming?  You can’t finish off China with planes AND defend Japan/Korea from an American landing.

But they can be everywhere they need to be to win the game. It’s the Allies that can’t be everywhere they need to be to even get into the game.

They can be, but it’s not guaranteed.  And Allies most certainly can be everywhere they need to win:  they only need to make it to Japan while holding 3 VCs.

If you really want to find a counter or definitively proof that the game is broken, I’m open for some back and forth PMs or forum posting.  I’m sorry if you’ve posted it already, but I don’t have the time search the forums in depth.

Could you post how you would move everything in a J1 move towards this strategy? (or a link to where it’s already posted)  We could then hash out as many Allied counters as possible to see how reliable they all are.  I love discussion strategy and could do it all day.  So whenever you have the time, detail your J1 move down to the last man, Non combat, and purchasing.

I am just not convinced that the game is fundamentally broken yet.

@Whackamatt:

If you leave your planes on Japan, why can’t America attack Korea instead?  Then build a major IC there the turn after.  You can fall “like a ton of bricks on the US fleet, but you can’t take back Korea with no trannies in range.

No transports in range?

Think about it.

Your US strat is to build an IC in Korea.

On the turn the US strike into SZ6 and take Korea, we’ll call turn A.

An IC gets built on turn B.

Units can finally be built on turn C

The Japanese have two full turns to counter attack Korea before the US can start placing units there. They have a full turn to build transports & units, and move on board units into the SZ which will cut off the Americans from outside  reinforcements, and Korea will fall before the US IC can start building stuff.

The Japanese player will probably get your next beer from the fridge for you though, as it’s the least they can do to repay the favor the US did for Japan by buying them an IC in Korea.

The US doesn’t have the strength to bust into the zone, recover from the Japanese counter attack (there will be a Japanese counter attack), and then bust back in all over again on consecutive turns.

Japan does.

The Japanese can place units straight into the battle.

The US has to bring them in from two turns away, telescoping their intentions

The problem with the Korean strat, is the same problem with the “take Truk” strat, which is the same problem as all the other Allied strats. The Japanese just have too much to start with, and the Allies never can make it up.

The huge advantage in at start air units and the airbase on Japan make an IC in Korea nothing more than pipe dreams for the Allies.

The SZ to go after as the US is SZ19. It borders 4 territories worth 9 IPCs to the Chinese, which will bring China back into the game. Those Allied units can then move inland immediately to take back more Chinese territory and move away from Japanese counter attacks. Then the Allies don’t have to stand in there and fight toe to toe with the Japanese in SZ19. The Allies can shift their attacks to other areas of the board, keeping the Japanese spread out and chasing them.

Jab and move, jab and move. The Allies won’t win a punching match with the Japanese until the Japanese have been whittled down a bit, and that is no easy task against a good player.

Kauf,

I’m pleased you debunked the Korea IC strat.  It’s a great objective, but I was always puzzled how the US was supposed to hold it.  Like you say, the US can’t get units there until turn C, giving the Japanese ample opportunity to regather its Transports and counterattack.

Even Strat bombing isn’t as effective for the US anymore as it doesn’t “remove” Victory Points (there are none), and defending Ftrs will rip Bombers to shreds with no escorts, which the US can’t bring unless they park a carrier in sz6.

I like the sz19 idea but at the end of the day the Allies need to be in a position to fan out and capture all of the money islands (DEI, Philippines, Java etc) with Subs, and then block an additional sea zone outward with Destroyers.  Tricky to say the least!

Lozza007

@Lozza007:

I like the sz19 idea but at the end of the day the Allies need to be in a position to fan out and capture all of the money islands (DEI, Philippines, Java etc) with Subs, and then block an additional sea zone outward with Destroyers.  Tricky to say the least!

Lozza007

Out of the box, it’s a lost cause for the Allies.  SZ19 is just something to take if the opportunity presents itself.

Van Trump is the one I saw the idea from. He always advocated a naval base on Midway, from which SZ19 is reachable for the US through SZ6. Its a good move, but the Japanese will see it and block it with a surface ship in SZ6 covered by ample air units. If the US has transports at Midway, and the Japanese block SZ6, those transports can always swing down to attack Truk if there is an opening there.

Anything the Allies do though is counterable by the Japanese. Once the players get good at playing the Japanese side without letting Japans units get picked off willy nilly, then playing the Allies is just an excercise in futility.

@calvinhobbesliker:

That’s why Z54 is the most important zone to the allies

Q.F.T.   :mrgreen:

It’s very clear that no allied strategy will be able to, in your opinion, counter the Japanese plan that you’ve fine tuned over 150 hours of game so we’ll just have to agree to disagree.  I find making the same moves over and over very boring so I’ll continue to enjoy the variety and challenge offered by the game and if we ever get a chance to play you can show me your unbeatable strategy.  I mean at this point I can’t really lose.  What your implying is that if you win using those moves it’s not that you’re  good, the  game is just broken.  But if I win then it’s because I managed to outplay and outmaneuver you in spite of your broken game plan.  Game on!!!  8-)

Oh and they’re not assumptions if that’s what I would be building. ;)  I’ve personally never tried building an new complex in Korea, I never really like to build new ones, but now that you say it’s impossible to pull off I kind of want to.

But you should certainly do what Whackamatt suggested.  Post your planned moves.  I’m very curious to know where all your planes and naval ships are when you’re setting this plan in motion over the first few turns.  Feel free to explain why you’re positioning where you are and what kind of Allied moves you’re expecting to be able to counter.  You never know maybe you’ll convince me and I’ll sign your petition to make the immediate US bonus on a Japanese turn one attack.  I’m almost always in favour of making a game more challenging.

@kungfujew:

But you should certainly do what Whackamatt suggested.  Post your planned moves.  I’m very curious to know where all your planes and naval ships are when you’re setting this plan in motion over the first few turns.  Feel free to explain why you’re positioning where you are and what kind of Allied moves you’re expecting to be able to counter.  You never know maybe you’ll convince me and I’ll sign your petition to make the immediate US bonus on a Japanese turn one attack.  I’m almost always in favour of making a game more challenging.

Kaufschtick and others on this site have been calling for effective allied strategies from day 1.

We KNOW the J1, J2, J3, J4 moves that work. They have been posted in more than one thread. What we desperately need is someone to post the Allied counter moves instead of nebulous assurances of parity.

Specifically, what exactly does US buy their first 4-5 turns?
What is the most effective use of UK power, which decays rapidly?
Where exactly do you move and place Chinese inf? (bear in mind any defensive stack gets whacked by MJAP, massive Japanese air power)
How can ANZAC best support the growing American fleet?

My original idea for parity is simply ban the J1 attack. I’m inclined to use the caveman method developed by Kaufschtick. Regardless, when I play the allies we use OOB rules, when  I play Japan, I offer game balance.

As far as sticking with a game through to its conclusion, Japan is on a tight deadline. If the game is not clearly won within a few turns it is probably an allied victory. If Japan reaches the point where it has to dodge a superior US fleet, Japan has lost.

I favor Midway because of the psychological effect it has on my opponents. They tend to overprotect Japan. A competent Japanese player can counter it.

As far as using ANZAC and UK air to whittle down the Japanese fleet, if a Japanese player allows this to happen they deserve to lose.

I have lost twice, both times as allies. Both times to less than perfect opponents. Japan can afford to make a couple of mistakes, the allies none.

I likened it to a chess match: the winning player (Japan)has any number of imaginative moves and strategies to try. The losing player (Allies) must make one perfect defensive move after another just to survive.