Current Japanese Pushing Strategeries?

@ncscswitch:

1.  I don;t save cash as Japan because I have serious build limit issues as Japan early in the game.  If I can get 2 units built in Japan on J1 that I will not use on J2, then I have build capacity for something else in Japan on J2, like a FIG or a TRN.

I never have build limit issues with Japan on J2 because even though I have at least 4 TP’s and 8 available units to land, 2 of those TP’s are going to Hawaii and beyond so they aren’t going to stress the build limits for Japan. Plus, I also make it a priority to divert TP’s to clean off the islands early, as well, so my Japan rarely sees 8 units built there until J3 at the earliest. And with $38-$42 in the bank, my build on J2 would probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 IC, 1 TP, 5 or 6 ground units in Japan.

Your policy is to land maximum units in Asia before going after the Pacific, if at all, where my policy is to immediately bleed off a couple TP’s to hit the Pacific and delay max Asian pressure for a turn or 2 while I get my infrastructure up to speed. For you, using that money on J1 works much better than for me.

@trihero:

I would hit the Pacific early, yes. With the same amount of force that I do now. Those IPC’s are important to me. Gambling on using minimum force to clean up the Pacific IPC’s is a bad idea since they are so far flung. It would slow me down by 2 units in Asia for a turn,

Could you clarify what force you use? I am confused by what I am reading here, on one hand you say don’t use a minimum force, but then it seems like you use 1 tp to clean up the pacific (2 units a turn), which is minimal? I am not seeing it clearly.

What I meant is that I’m slower getting 2 units to Asia, not the Pacific, because normally I build 4 TP with the $2 cash to japan on the bid. With only $30 and 3 TP’s built on J1, I’m still sending my customary 2 TP’s toward the Pacific so I’m short 1 TP/2 units unloading in Asia than I normally would be if I had built 4 TP.

$32 and 4 TP’s built J1= 2 TP, 4 units to the Pacific, 3 TP, 6 units to Asia on J2.

$30 and 3 TP’s built J1= 2 TP, 4 units to the Pacific, 2 TP, 4 units to Asia on J2.

Yes, it was a rambling post and easily misconstrued.  :-D

@Romulus:

If you allow me I may also my answer on the argument.
Personally I build even more than 4 TRN. Usually I arrive at 6. For several reasons.
First it allow to retrieve inf from islands, more easy. I usually take away all the inf from the islands near the Japan landing them in Asia, while the more far inf are used to attack, Australia, New Zealand, and Madagascar, using the 5th and 6th TRNs. IMHO Japan have to counter UK predominance on Africa.
This is the way I see it. If Japan may hit hard UK other than advance in Russia, German will be less pressed.
Moreover if and when USA try to build a fleet to advance in Pacific, having a lot of TRNs is useful.

About the first point in our face2face games we are ruthless in stripping IPC away from UK. This is another reason for which our UK players leave the Indian Fleet to counter Japan, otherwise when the fleet is back home Churchill may only scrap it to have the money for buying more inf! :)

That’s pretty much how I see it, except, even with 6 TP’s for Japan, you don’t necessarily have to go to Africa immediately. Unless Germany doesn’t go after Africa. Normally, it turns out that as Germany is being cleared out of Africa, Japan’s Pacific fleet is finally arriving to replace them in the fight for Africa. If Japan goes to Africa quickly they usually just end up reinforcing German held territories(which, by the way, does have merits of a different flavor) but I prefer that those extra Japanese units be in Asia first and then Africa later.

@trihero:

I think this is all very interesting. I’m still undecided. It’s a big debate between whether to go into Asia hard, or to get those farflung IPCs quickly. The thing is, that if you go into Asia hard, you will get some Russian IPCs earlier. If you go off the to farflung, you get some US/UK IPCs, but it’s an overall permanent boost. I think you probably end up with the same amount of IPCs overall whether you get the islands earlier or later because it simply shifts when you get the Asian IPCs.

Going into the Pacific does indeed slow you down in Asia, but not by much really. It’s only 4 ground units that never need be rebuilt and replaced from Japan. Their losses are replaced by picking up the island infantry along the way. And, yes, those IPC’s are far flung but they are also far flung from the Allies to retake them so once those territories are taken, you can leave them undefended so you aren’t wasting units on defense.

I usually build 2 complexes. But if I’m strapped for a few offensive units I’ll pull 1 TP from Japan and add it to the Africa sz34 fleet so I’m only building 12 units but with at least some offensive capability. Once Japan starts earning close to $50, 14 units(2 IC, 4 TP) isn’t too hard to sustain.

And with gains in Hawaii (1), NZ (1), Australia (2), India (3), China (2), Sinkiang (2)
Bury (1), SFE (1), Yakut (1), and Madagascar (1), which are all of the “easy” territories for Japan to take, you are already at $45, and all of them pretty secure…

@trihero:

I think it’s less than that, because Sinkiang is hard to hold if you’ve been sending off so many units early on. The Russian 6 inf with 4 tanks in Moscow can easily sit on Sinkiang until it takes you a few turns for the complex builds to reinforce that area.

But I still like the idea of expanding out, it’s just that it does decrease your ability to storm novo/sinkiang/kazakh, which are also worth some IPCs.

It’s all according to your strategy.  If your strategy is storm the gates of Moscow ASAP, then you dump in Asia early and often.  If you like to take your time and squeeze Russia to death, then you pick up every available stray IPC while slowly building up your Japanese land forces.  I think either can be a viable strategy – the key is matching your Japan strategy to your German strategy.  But that’s another topic, I think.  :wink:

The only point to ICs in Sinkiang/China is if you have one in India and you are leaning hard on Japan.

You can easily build fleet and force the Japans into countering you instead of attacking SE Asia while you secure your territories and get your factories running.  Then retreat the fleet or press the advantage depending on your own style.  After all, once you have a significant force in SE Asia, there’s nothing Japan can really do to get out of it.

Actually, if faced with this as Japan, I’d recommend leaving FIRST.  See if you can blockade England and relieve some pressure on Germany.  It’ll take a few rounds for America to get your islands and while doing that, they’re not invading Europe.