The Japan Playbook

Been out of the loop for a long while. Enjoying this thread, I now really want to try a J1 DOW on the western allies.

But I’m interested to hear what to do J1 with 18inf and 2 aa on Amur R1.

Is it better to ignore this stack for now and proceed as usual (ie going south) whilst leaving say 10 inf and 1ftr in Manchuria? Or smash Amur with everything you can J1.

Seems like if I do the latter, Japan gets set back in the Pacific and out of position straight away since I’m used to going straight for DEI and India. Furthermore the Mongolian inf become Russian which is annoying because more resources need to be directed away from what I really want to be doing in the South.

Maybe if Japan attacks the Russian stack at Amur on J1, Germany must be ready to go all out on Russia and not bother with Sealion. Japan should then also push on Russia since were now at war and I’ve done the dirty work of clearing them out in far east. I don’t necessarily want play this way, it just seems Russia has kinda invited me to go this route now. Thoughts?

When Russia puts everything in Amur R1, I always like to take it out right away. Just delay attacking the allies until J2 or J3.
Those 18 infantry are all Russia has in the east, and there aren’t any reinforcements likely to be coming, other than the Mongolians, which really aren’t much of a threat. Generally this move hurts Russia more than it hurts Japan in my experience. It definitely makes it easier for Germany to take Russia.

War war war.

Even if Russia doesn’t stack Amur, attack the hell out of them.  You both are going to lose troops, but 6 extra infantry from Mongolia makes very little difference in the long run.  As Japan, you are gaining IPC’s by taking the territory.  You are also making Russia watch its back-side while dealing with Germany.  You are doing J1?  Then kill them J2 or J3.  The earlier, the easier.

You can leave the road open in China, and still control the islands and push Russia/India.  You just don’t push as far into China and counter-attack their counter-attack.  Eventually, the Chinese have the road as the only territory they own.  I’ve only seen it in action once and it was from a very good player in our live game.

J1 is a great move.  The only problem I’ve had with it, is the Atlantic Slam.  Germany or Italy (depending on troop placement) usually falls before I can get the VC’s needed to win in the PAC.  Stack Hawaii and Sydney and its better luck next time.

I do the J1 every time, good chance of getting Island NO round 2, I build up to 4 factories on the mainland, bomb and convoy India til they can’t buy a single unit, and I push China back to their last 3 territories. Everything else after that is all progress for Japan.

Hey Cow,

since you are using tripleA anyway, why not add a tsvg-file of your J1/J2 playbook? Maybe even in your original post (if that’s even possible).

Regarding the J1/J2 openers:
I have played as allies against this several times now. My opponents were all strong enough so I can say with certainty that you should warn axis players of the +40/+20 IPCs the USA will have for a J1DOW or J2DOW respectively. This is another pitfall, in addition to the Yunnan-one you already mentioned.

Not digging too deeply into all the variable strategies but those extra IPCs for the USA are going to hurt the one the USA chooses to kill first.

@Young:

I do the J1 every time, good chance of getting Island NO round 2, I build up to 4 factories on the mainland, bomb and convoy India til they can’t buy a single unit, and I push China back to their last 3 territories. Everything else after that is all progress for Japan.

Isn’t this a big blow to the Germans & Italians with USA in the war turn 1?  Curious what your buys are with this strategy. I assume you bring the entire IJN down to Philippines/Borneo?

@IKE:

@Young:

I do the J1 every time, good chance of getting Island NO round 2, I build up to 4 factories on the mainland, bomb and convoy India til they can’t buy a single unit, and I push China back to their last 3 territories. Everything else after that is all progress for Japan.

Isn’t this a big blow to the Germans & Italians with USA in the war turn 1?  Curious what your buys are with this strategy. I assume you bring the entire IJN down to Philippines/Borneo?

Gaining early position in the south Pacific is much more important than keeping money out of America’s pockets. My J1 purchases are 2 transports and 1 minor factory, I keep 1 loaded carrier, 1 cruiser, 1 sub, 1 destroyer in sz#6 and 2 fighters on Tokyo to protect the new transports (maybe less if I put up a blocker) checkout the J1 strategies within this thread, they work quite well.

On a J1, USA gains +40 compared to a J3.

• USA treasury if  J3DOW: T1=52 + T2=52 + T3=52…

• USA treasury if J1DOW: T1=52 + T2=72 + T3=72…

@ItIsILeClerc:

On a J1, USA gains +40 compared to a J3.

• USA treasury if  J3DOW: T1=52 + T2=52 + T3=52…

• USA treasury if J1DOW: T1=52 + T2=72 + T3=72…

Like Cow says, consider the ipc swings.

-territories
Borneo and Kwang==14 ipc swing.
Phi=4 ipc swing
Fico=2 ipc swing

-units killed on J1
units off phi=14 ipc swing
units on phi=10 ipc swing
bb kill=10-12 ipc swing

If you wait till J3 then UK Pacific gets an additional 4 ipc on UK1 and 7 ipc on UK2 (plus maybe the +5 NO if they declare UK2).  Anzac gets +8 (and maybe the +5).

All that aside, there are strategic reasons for J1 that go beyond the economic rationales.

Wait… I thought the plan was to attack the USA near Hawai J1?
I can see the merits of J1 if focussing south (DEI + India), but not both east (Hawai) AND south at the same time!

Anyway, I am the last person on earth to not ‘look beyond economic rationales’.
I (try to) consider economic rationales, tempo, threat projection, ability to reinforce an area if a prolonged contest results (logistics, if you will), enemy counterattack possibilities, long term effects, the effects of my actions on the other, far away maps…etc.

If this J1 plot is SO overpowered it is a simple automatic win, it needs a fix, ofc. Talk to Larry about it (edit: or Krieghund). I’m curious what he says. Not that I think him the A&A-god of strategies and tactics or something, but I’m always curious about rationales behind a lot of things in A&A ;-)…
And I am (as always) reluctant to believe people just on their blue eyes. I need to see it first. I can tell you one thing for sure: first A&A thing I will study on next, is this. Just to see.

It’s not like I have any evidence that J1 is better than J2….for all I know J2 actually is better.  All I can tell you is J1 is strong enough that I keep using it :) because hardly anyone seems to have an answer for it.

But yeah, I don’t attack Hawaii.  While tempting, that throws Japan out of position for too small a gain.