How can Japan help if Germany does Sealion

@krieghund Thank you very much Krieghund. This makes sense…

Italian canopening is even more effective when combined with the Germany “Dark Skies” option with lots of bombers.  The tanks+mechs+bomber attack options means that the Allies cannot place moderate-sized stacks within two spaces of the German/Italian main stack.  Russia ends up cowering in Moscow with a few minor exchanges each round.  UK ends up with a strong stack near Iraq, never daring to move it too close to the Germans.

Meanwhile the huge range of the German bombers give that power flexibility to find opportunistic attacks:
*Allied ground forces in W. Europe
*Allied ships in the Atlantic
*Allied ships in the Med
*Push into Siberia
*Mid-game Sealion or Egypt attack

I am not saying that this plan guarantees victory, but it allows League players to aim towards eventual victory in G13-17.  Most face-to-face games end up with a Moscow attack on G5-8 when the Axis players just decide that the numbers look close enough.  With the battlecaculator and more time on PBEM/PBF games, Germany can comb through the options every turn and patiently wait for the right opening with a big TUV swing.

I have a different opinion……You can not prevent Sea Lion from an experienced German player…I have tried to prevent Sea Lion in every imaginable way…it can’t be done

If I am playing the British…I prefer using that money to give units to the UK Pacific and units lurking around the Med amphibiously

Obviously I am paying close attention to the German buys and course correct if need be

Wow never considered sending jap forces into the Middle East. Figured the would always have their hands full in the pacific. also sorry to teslas. I was not saying the plan was bad or you need to go to the Middle East. Just saying that it was an option for good income.

Things I learned about fighting China:

1:  Try to control them not conquer them.  Contain them from getting to the coast.  Always be able to take the road back.

2:  I have found that an IC in Kiangsu can work.  I always have some land based Aircraft that are designated for Chinese attacks.  Spend what Chinas income is as a rule of thumb at the IC.  I usually buy 3 mechs a turn.  Movement to the road is quicker and supporting Aircraft make most fights manageable.  Going transports can work too.  Just a lot harder logistics.  Japans Achilles heel:  getting troops to the land.

3:  Dont be afraid to slam a chinese stack with just Airforce!! Especially early turns.  Kill that flying tiger whenever you can.  The payoff is much greater than the potential loss of aircraft.

4:  Fight China with the end goal of getting to India!  Once you have Calcutta the road is closed!  Do not let the allies coordinate!  Russia cant be helping china or UK reinforcing them.  Keep them isolated from each other.

5:  Know when to leave them be.  Concentrating on China to much can hamper all the other objectives Japan must accomplish.  Dont let it be a money pit.

Just some thoughts on fighting China.  I have yet to play the perfect Japanese game but i would suggest giving them another chance.  They are a blast to play.  Sometimes you have to understand what your role as Japan is going to be.  They are sometimes very dependent on what Germany does or how Germany is doing.  Have fun!

When I play Japan I like to play with the long-term in mind.  That is, I don’t really go for early do-or-die strategies like an India crush.  If I’m given the opportunity, I’ll go for it, but normally I’ll just try to improve Japan’s economy and keep it that way.

On the turn I attack, I grab the Phillipines and as many of the DEI as possible.  The rest will be gotten on the next turn.  Hong Kong and Malaya are also high-priority objectives.  Unless something has gone wrong, getting these will make Japan’s income in around the low-mid 60s, which is perfect.

Then I’ll put 1-2 factories in South East Asia, and just trade Burma with India.  With convoying, India can only produce around 1 Infantry a turn, so time is in my favor in that region.  I’ll strat bomb the India IC if I ever get the chance.

What determines my success at this point is how much US invested and is continuing to invest in the Pacific.  If it’s a majority or all of its resources, I know Japan’s not going to win.  I might attack Russia if I see a KJF strat, in order to help Germany win.  My fleet builds will primarily be defensive - carriers and destroyers - in order to make my fleet survive as long as possible against the growing US fleet.

If US is only spending some of its income in the Pacific, I’ll be trying to win in the Pacific if possible.  After I’ve got my income, I’ll try to place the majority of my fleet in the Carolines.  There I can threaten Hawaii and Australia.  With luck I’ll try to convoy Australia.  I’ll have taken 1 of those four Australian NO islands, so hopefully Anzac’s making less than 10 a turn.  With a good Carolines-based threat, Anzac will be building defensively - infantry - for the forseeable future.  Thus the majority of my income can go into my trade war against India and for fleet builds to compete with the US fleet.  Until India falls, I’ll go mostly for targets of opportunity at this point.  Hawaii if possible, but that’s tough.  The Pacific Island NO in A3 is impossible, don’t even bother looking at it.  The 5/7 NO in A2 was a lot better frankly.  :-P

With a long-term strategy like this, Japan’s overall victory threat is maximized.

The 2010 era  Ruleset was called Alpha, for “First Edition Global 1940”.  Extensive revisions to the setup were then made, through multiple iterations (Alpha +1, +2, +3) and the final version was then slightly modified into “Second Edition Global 1940” which was published and circulated a few years later…2012-3 I think.

Anyway, Alpha +3 was a playtest version that was circulated on the internet for improved play and was then published, so that’s what we recognize today as “G40”.  Only a few other minor map changes and rule wordings were changed.    Piece sculpts are different, artillery is very confusingly similar to flak guns, the smaller teams didn’t have their own molds just copies of the other molds.  Second Edition is far superior as a purchase, since First is obsolete.

That means that there are 3 official Rulesets (Alpha, Alpha +3 G40, G42).  You could go back and play the first edition (alpha 1), I bought in after that, so I’ve only seen the boxes, never played.  its radically different starting pieces for all teams.

@MEGAEINSTEIN:

China should attack SU on 1st turn to put pressure on SU

You mean Japan? I thought about this too.

@robbie358:

I’d like to see China roll for tech sometime.  War bonds, Improved Artillery, or Jets might be pretty useful for them.
Hey, if the Allies go Japan first (especially in the Alpha setup) it could be really useful for the Chinese to spend 15 bucks a turn on tech.  They won’t be doing anything else but buying a ton of infantry because they can’t move anywhere.

Why bother rolling for tech if they can’t move anywhere? I think that if China is doing well enough to roll for tech, they don’t have to roll for tech.