Hey Robbie - this is some very non-specific stuff… it is more over-arching strategic stuff that work for me.
Germany - start with 2 transports and either a carrier or two destroyers with Germany. The three total transports at the end of your first turn force Britain to spend all IPCs on infantry at home, slowing them down in Africa. Round 2, shuck infantry/artillery to Norway. Repeat. When the time comes to attack Russia, it will be a challenge to stop the fall of Leningrad… when continuous stacks of 5 inf/1 art are heading north… well, it is a supreme challenge to stop, even for a good allied player. If you in general make purchases that are mixed but weighted toward infantry (10 per turn is nice), you won’t find yourself exhausted against Russia when you’re going toe to toe. Your advantage vs. Russia is your mechanized forces and air power, so keep superiority in those two arenas. Use your mobile forces as a constant, intimidating threat, or to hold a particular, strategic location on the front. Sprinkle in a little bit of navy as a shield - the point is to stay isolated one-on-one as long as possible vs. Russia. Give some thought to a Minor IC and airbase combo in Greece - it allows Germany to project power into the Med and the Black Sea (7 IPcs per turn for the Caucasus, anyone?), and can protect Italy’s med fleet quite nicely as the Allied noose tightens.
Japan - get infrastructure on the coastline as fast as possible. I find that two additional Minor ICs do the trick for me. A good player I play against likes to add three (Malaya, if possible). It is a good idea to purchase an airbase in Korea at some point before the US becomes active. Purchase a good blend of inf and mechanised forces to go along with your air power. You will eventually find yourself wishing your navy had more “middle class” ships - so you will have to intuit when it is time to begin replenishing your fodder - mostly destroyers and some subs. I’ve found that a fourth carrier, at the right moment, can lock down practically any island with an airbase. Keep an eye on your transport total - the Allies might raid your islands to take away NOs, and you’ll want to take them back. Just like Germany fending off the Allies in the Atlantic, the point is to isolate the mainland… fend off the Allies long enough to own China and seal off India. With the economy you have, you should be able to continuously replenish your destroyers at sea, and overwhelm India. Then, you can turn your eye toward the domination of Anzac.
Italy - well, firstly you have to react to Britain’s turn… do you still have all your fleet? If so, there’s no excuse not to dominate the Med. One idea you might want to try is taking Malta, and creating a shuck to Africa of infantry, parking air power, as needed, on the island. It is a strategic spot. Italy’s talent though is opening up holes in the Russian front for Germany to exploit at the start of the next turn… the one-two punch can be devastating for Russia if timed well. It can allow Germany to reinforce with armor/air power, or to slip through the first line of defense and wreak havoc behind the lines. This is particularly true if you’ve been diligent about slowly adding to Germany’s mechanized forces… no Russian player likes to see 12 German armor and 6 mech infantry two layers deep into the front. Well, at least I don’t when I’m Russia. Ultimately, it may come to pass that the Allies overwhelm your ability to remain a force in Africa - and in that case, don’t be afraid to make heavy infantry purchases and layer your coastline - this keeps Germany free to wear down Russia, rather than turning south to help Italy.
Hope this helps as a framework. Specifics are hard to give, because every game is different - one of the great things about this version.
