What's the latest best Japan opening?

@Soviet-Steamroller said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

1) where to put my IC? (F.I.C. or Burma directly under UK’s nose?).

East Indies. It produces 4 units per turn, you’ll have a navy nearby in SZ35 after J1 (for a J2 build of a tpt and 2 inf, perhaps AAA if the allies get cute with a USA bomber in australia

A decent UK player would probably put an IC in India in response but also could muster 1 inf from Persia and 2 Fighters (Egypt & Australia). On my J2 i would be facing 4 inf, 2 fighters and 1 AA!
2) What to do with the Russians?
At first i could have 2 inf and 2 fighters defending Manchuria vs 3 inf, not really scary.
But having 7 Russians staring back at me on my second turn is something else entirely!

Let the Russians come! They don’t get any money for it, nor will the chinese as Japan can usually just take it back easily on their turn.

Should i go in and take Buryiatia S.S.R. right away to peel it off? => Manchuria + A.A. (1 inf/ 1 tank) + 2 fighters and 1 Battleship bombing?

My Japan is expansive elsewhere initially, then expand on Russia later (Rd3?)

@Soviet-Steamroller said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

@axis_roll You are absolutely right and your advice make full of sense but my mistake is that i forgot to mention one critical information which is that we (me and my gaming group) ruled out the building of factory on islands (like in global).
We think this is just too darn cheesy ;)

yep, we have the same limits in our Anniversary rules. Back to the OP. If you wanted to still buy an IC J1, FIC would be your best answer. It’s within range of the homeland ships for easy resupply.

As for the Russians i see what you mean. I thought it might make me waste time and resources to take it back but after all i asked for advice so i might just give it a try.

The Russians are wasting time and resources taking it for no gain, other than ‘forcing’ Japan to take it back. Their supply line is MUCH greater/farther, and they are using their defensive pieces offensively. If you have extra infantry or feel so inclined to make it more than a mere walk-in, I would leave 2-3 inf behind to induce an attack.

I have to say that I purchase 2 transport and 1 IC on J1. You may delay the IC to J2 with the more versatile purchase of 3 transports and 2 tanks. It is important to say that you need some protection for your transport in SZ62 at the end of J1 because of the US bomber. In my opening, I leave a loaded carrier with a destroyer from SZ51.

I am not in favor of attacking the USA on J1 because I consider their possible counter strike equivalent to my attack. Also, if you are going for India and make only transports, it might be harder to strike again USA on your second turn at Hawaii. In addition, any fleet in Hawaii is an easy target for the richy USA. I prefer attacking only UK because they cannot strike back. I concentrate heavily on China and I destroy the UK fleet only with planes on turn 1 while keeping my fleet somewhat regrouped and at distance from the US coast to force USA to invest in their fleet if they go in the Pacific. Most of the time, I use my battleship and cruiser to support an attack to Fukien.

I really like to place my IC in Manchuria for many reasons on J1 or J2. It can easily be supplied from Japan. It does not need a lot of protection because it has no use for the allies. It produces at 3 so this is equivalent to India. If India is a threat because an IC is built, I try to use heavily my transports to send additional ground units to FIC so that they can combine with tanks from Manchuria to attack Burma and India with air support. At this point, Russia needs to dedicate supplies to help UK not to lose India in the long run. And if the allies are able to keep it, so be it. It means that Japan has accomplished its goal that is fighting against Russia and UK the most so that Germany will easily be able to expand in Europe.

About Russia, let them come and make the coast attractive for R1. Their attacking infantry will be just dead on J2. You can use all transport and air force to strike them back. I prefer to concentrate at first on China by attacking 4 territories and destroying their plane to minimize any new infantry that they can produce. Their plane is basically their only attacking piece. This almost eliminates China production for the rest of the game. Russia needs every infantry to stop Germany and has a serious supply gap between Manchuria and Moscow.

1. Anyone here ever try putting a Japan IC in East Indies Round 1? I find it can be very effective. Sure its out of the way, but you can buy 2 transports and 2 land units for it round 2. Including the infantry that starts on East Indies, you have 3 land units that can strike Austrailia, Bombay, Egypt, or Trans-Jordan, which is great for spreading the UK defenses in the area pretty thin. You can also make repeated strikes at India or Australia each round, as a transport in sea zone 35 or 39 can pick up units from East Indies and come back in one round. (Or even move from 35 to 39 and pick up some new units on the way.)
   If the US invests heavily in the pacific war, the ability to place naval units in sea zone 38 can be a great way to check their advance. If they don’t, an IC in East Indies means when you get India, you can use the IC to dump an additional 4 units per turn into India, OR invest in another couple transports to dump 4 a turn straight into Persia.

@PizzaPete said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

1. Anyone here ever try putting a Japan IC in East Indies Round 1?

YES! That was the first reply in this thread

@axis_roll said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

@Soviet-Steamroller said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

1) where to put my IC? (F.I.C. or Burma directly under UK’s nose?).

East Indies. It produces 4 units per turn, you’ll have a navy nearby in SZ35 after J1 (for a J2 build of a tpt and 2 inf, perhaps AAA if the allies get cute with a USA bomber in australia

A decent UK player would probably put an IC in India in response but also could muster 1 inf from Persia and 2 Fighters (Egypt & Australia). On my J2 i would be facing 4 inf, 2 fighters and 1 AA!

@axis_roll said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

@PizzaPete said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

1. Anyone here ever try putting a Japan IC in East Indies Round 1?

YES! That was the first reply in this thread

@axis_roll said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

@Soviet-Steamroller said in What's the latest best Japan opening?:

1) where to put my IC? (F.I.C. or Burma directly under UK’s nose?).

East Indies. It produces 4 units per turn, you’ll have a navy nearby in SZ35 after J1 (for a J2 build of a tpt and 2 inf, perhaps AAA if the allies get cute with a USA bomber in australia

A decent UK player would probably put an IC in India in response but also could muster 1 inf from Persia and 2 Fighters (Egypt & Australia). On my J2 i would be facing 4 inf, 2 fighters and 1 AA!

Well don’t I look like an idiot, lol. My bad.