UK's opening round

I had an Australian IC before but it proved worthless. You spend all your 2 purchases there on inf to make sure japan doesn’t crash fighters with bombardments and take it. If you take borneo, new guinea,  and kill japans lone sub/trans it could prove really good however.

@miragehunter:

That is a controversial strategy (big time!).  But i like it!  I remember games past of mine where i getting robbed blind by the Germans with rockets.  It feels nice to be able to give them a taste of what they are giving out :-D.  What are your thoughts on an Australian IC.  Thats a big gamble, I know.  But, no guts no glory as they say.

Aussie IC is a bad idea I think–-way too far away from the action.  India IC is much more viable and makes for a fun game.  Remember that if you build India you need to have the Soviets advancing on Bury/Sink, and you need a few Soviet tanks on Cauc to liberate India in case the Japs take it.  You also need some USA presence…either through fighters flown in, a factory at Sink, a Pacific naval offensive, or some combo of these.

Harrassing Japan with National Advantages
Open path for KJF

UK has:
Enigma Decoded
Colonial Garrison

1. Enigma decoded is used in Egypt on Germany´s first turn. Tank and plane retreat to Trans-Jordan
2. Colonial Garrison goes to India

UK 1 Combat in Asia:
1. Attack French-Indochina with 3 inf from India + 1 Plane from carrier + the one retreated from Egypt. Against 2 inf, 1 fighter FIC will most probably be taken with one inf left.
2. Attack japanese sub with uk sub. The australian trans could be used as fodder
3. Attack the japanese transport in seazone 59 with carrier + destroyer

UK 1 Non Combat
1. Move the tank from Trans-Jordan to India.
2. Land one fighter on carrier in SZ 59. With 3,3,4 on defense tough to attack
3. Move indian transport to 36. Blocks the japanese East Indies fleet from major combat
4. Move bmb from Uk eastwards to threaten SZs 50/51

Effects:
1. Japan down one fighter, one sub. Fighter means less punch in any one of the japanese attacks. sub means less fodder at pearl
2. East Indies battleship will not be able to participate in the SZ 59 fight.
3. Less infantry available for attack on China.
4. If FIC is not retaken the tk from india could attack China or Kwangtung on UK2. Build at least one more tk at india complex to increase this thread.
5. Japan now has to attack FIC and China
6. Japan has to kill british fleet or will not be able to build transports as there will be no capital ships to protect them if pearl harbour is attacked.

Sum up:
1. More fights for japan. Risk of cascade dice failure.
2. Japan has to choose:
2.1 Either attack british fleet to be able to build transports and skip pearl.  Even buying an additional carrier will not help against an attacking  force of destroyer, 2 fighters, carrier and bomber as UK will be willing to loose all of it to slow down japanese build up.
This will open the KJF path for the US.
2.2 Or attack pearl and build a factory. In this second scenario the british fleet and the american one at the east coast could unite in SZ 57 on turn 2. This is the slower path for KJF

If you’re looking to go the route of an IC, you could build in South Africa. India is, IMO, too easily captured by Japan early. S. Afr can’t be hit early in the game by Japan, can contest Africa, and can punish Japan if they don’t send enough forces to the Indian Ocean and Southern Asia.

I say always build an IC in India turn 1.  Build 1 transport, 1 infantry, and 1 artillary to place in SZ3 at end of turn 1.  Use your carrier fighter and sink the transport in SZ59.  land it back on carrier.  Bring your destroyer from 15 and merge it in 35. Bring your fighter from Egypt and land it either on the carrier or in india.  Use your sub in australia and attack japan sub in the solomon islands.  You can move your australian transport towards new zeland and see if Japan will move it’s fleet towards hawaii.  Keep your fleet by india for this turn and see what Japan does with their fleet.  Remember your fleet is to weak on offense during turn 1, but it is stronger than japans fleet defensively if they attack you.  You’ll have 1 carrier, 2 fighters, 2 destroyers, and one transport.  This meaning you’ll be rolling 3 3’s, 2 4’s, and 1 1 on defense.  They will attack with (1) 4, (1) 1, and (1) 3 on offense.  They probably won’t attack and will move their fleet towards Japan, leaving borneo wide open for you on turn 2.  Since you moved your transport up from australia on turn 1, you’ll be able to use your infantry from Australia to take the islands and use your fighters for fire support.  This will allow you to keep 4 infantry from india in india and will keep india protected until you get your tanks built by in turn 2.  turn 3 you should be able to attack burma with 3 tanks and 4 infantry.  Easy victory……

Use your BB and two transports from britian and canada and amphibious assault Norway with 1 tank, 1 art, 2 infantry if Germany still has it on turn 1.  Turn 2 you build 3 tanks in india and an IC in norway.  Turn 3 you should be building 6 tanks.  3 in Norway, and 3 in india.  Britian can shuttle 3 tanks into russian front lines every turn, and pounding Japanese front lines with tanks every turn.  If you build up on mainland europe with russia, Germany will have to build to match.  If germany keeps on trying to get africa, or builds an AC in the baltic, let them.  That makes Europe that much weaker.

@jbriggs:

I say always build an IC in India turn 1.  Build 1 transport, 1 infantry, and 1 artillary to place in SZ3 at end of turn 1.  Use your carrier fighter and sink the transport in SZ59.  land it back on carrier.  Bring your destroyer from 15 and merge it in 35. Bring your fighter from Egypt and land it either on the carrier or in india.  Use your sub in australia and attack japan sub in the solomon islands.  You can move your australian transport towards new zeland and see if Japan will move it’s fleet towards hawaii.  Keep your fleet by india for this turn and see what Japan does with their fleet.  Remember your fleet is to weak on offense during turn 1, but it is stronger than japans fleet defensively if they attack you.  You’ll have 1 carrier, 2 fighters, 2 destroyers, and one transport.  This meaning you’ll be rolling 3 3’s, 2 4’s, and 1 1 on defense.  They will attack with (1) 4, (1) 1, and (1) 3 on offense.  They probably won’t attack and will move their fleet towards Japan, leaving borneo wide open for you on turn 2.  Since you moved your transport up from australia on turn 1, you’ll be able to use your infantry from Australia to take the islands and use your fighters for fire support.  This will allow you to keep 4 infantry from india in india and will keep india protected until you get your tanks built by in turn 2.  turn 3 you should be able to attack burma with 3 tanks and 4 infantry.  Easy victory……

Use your BB and two transports from britian and canada and amphibious assault Norway with 1 tank, 1 art, 2 infantry if Germany still has it on turn 1.  Turn 2 you build 3 tanks in india and an IC in norway.  Turn 3 you should be building 6 tanks.  3 in Norway, and 3 in india.  Britian can shuttle 3 tanks into russian front lines every turn, and pounding Japanese front lines with tanks every turn.  If you build up on mainland europe with russia, Germany will have to build to match.  If germany keeps on trying to get africa, or builds an AC in the baltic, let them.  That makes Europe that much weaker.

There’s a couple of problems with this strategy……

1. The destroyer in the Suez is usually up against the whole Italian navy and airforce. That’s 1 BB, 1 TRN, and up to Bomber, 2 Fighters. ???
2. The fighter from Egypt must survive against the DAK which is also unlikely.
3. This means that defending India SZ we have just 1 CV 1DE 1FIG. Japan can throw at this 1 BB 1 CV 3 FIG. This seems to me to be an easy win for the Japs.
4. India Land battle is 4 inf defending against Bomber, up to 3 FIG and 2 inf. Close but Jap should win with 1 Inf + some air remaining

Granted this has completely upset Japan’s standard opening but a first turn capture of IC India is a rare prize for Japan and sets up an early Blitz through Southern Asia into Khaz/Egy or build TRN to go for AUS/MAD

Even if the first round battle is a UK win, I don’t think that UK can hold Japan 2 with up to 7 Land units + up to 7 air units + BB bombardments.

In short I see the India IC as quite an unsound strategy. It also leaves the Atlantic sea under-defended against German air and delays any Brit landing into Europe or Africa. Brits can’t really move fleet to SZ 3/6/7 without an AC+destroyers etc. due to German 5+ fig /Bomber/ Subs etc.

Similar arguments can be made against an early build of IC Norway. Germans can attack with Massive force to recapture. Then Germany uses IC to build INF next door Russia or tanks to blitz Moscow.

Correct Strategy for UK is to build AC T1 + build up a fleet of 4 trns and drop large numbers of troops in whatever spot Germans leave weakly defended. Fleet of 1 BB 1 AC 2 FIG 4 TRN  in SZ 6 can threaten up to drop in 6 different locations.

Yes you’r right about india being taken by Japan.  But long term if Japan moves all those assets to hit India in force it will give the US a chance to strike where the japanese navy isn’t.  It also delays Japan from taking China and assaulting Russia to the North. Buying Russia at least 3 rounds before Japan starts taking land from their rear.  That is 3 extra rounds that can cripple Germany. India also has 1 AA gun for defense as well and should hit at least 1 fighter.

It is important that the carrier fighter from 35 takes out the TRN in 59 in GB1.

Yes the destroyer in 15 may be killed.  But if the germans commit units to attacking that, that means its less air units they will use in hitting russia.  Again, it only works in Russias best interest long term.

An India IC is not quite as strategically weak when you consider the Russians can liberate it with tanks from Cauc and the Brits can build again on the following turn.  The key for the ALlies is there has to be something more than India in the mix–a USA Pacific offensive, a Russian offensive, a Sink factory etc.  India has to be part of an overall effort–otherwise it is too isolated to hold for long.

That said true enough I wouldn’t play an India IC against the best competition with 8-9 bids etc etc.  But the people who reflexively diss an India factory don’t realize how fun KJF is–it’s part of Revised strategy and makes for an exciting match.  India IC takes some skill to pull off though–for beginners I would reccomend concentrating on getting the full use out of your excellently placed London factory.

I do agree that beginners should stick to the London factory.  It does require skill pulling off the india IC.  But It just depends on how you and your allies play the game.  If each of you are gonna do your own thing, the game will certainly be over quicker than usual.  Thats the key…… Teamwork and persistance.  Control the game by limiting the enemy of options.  Do this and you’ll win no matter who you are.