The carolines have always been a pretty important strategic location especially in AA50.
I think you may be onto something, if Japan vacates them on J1 and US can move in it would probabaly bee too good a strategic oportunity to pass up. Especially with the naval/airbase in there.
The question is: Will you be able to hold it with the piddly navy the US starts with or are you putting your starting Navy at risk?
Remember all you can use to get there on USA1 is the transport in Hawaii and whatever ships survive (if any) from the Philipines. Seems like a US2 move would be safer. But even then, with the big navy, you’re still putting your whole fleet within striking distance of a shit-load of Japanese planes. As Japan, I’m not sure if I would pass of the opportunity to knock out the whole US fleet J3….
Yes but all 4 ANZAC fighters can land there, and if J moves to retake it on J2 that is one less transport heading somewhere else, and the US fleet can probably retake it US2 followed by the ANZAC planes landing there (which is why I said to move them to Queensland). Japan has no real choice on a J1 attack other than to abandon Carolines.
There are two territories on this board which are crucial for the game: Yunnan and Caroline. If the allies can take Yunnan and stack it and take over the Carolines it’s game over for Japan.
I totally agree.
To win, Japan must take and keep either:
The obvious Allied strategy must be to deny Japan any of this 3 VC’s, and to do that, they need Yunnan and Caroline.
I think the US-Player has to fortify Hawaii.
Get the fleet to Pearl Habour and the Jap-Carriers in Range of the Strategic and Tactical Bombers.
If he send the Hawaiian Transport to seazone 1, send ground forces to alaska. Get the AA-Gun + 1 Inf to Hawaii, build a new Carrier and mass the ships around Hawaii. Move all capable Planes to Hawaii.
The Jap player must make a decisison. Wreck the US-Fleet or bomb Hawaii to kill the US-Bombers on the Island. (You can place two Figthers on the Carrier at Hawaii)
In both cases you will be able to shoot down some of the expensive figthers/bombers and wreck all Jap Surface ships the Jap Player will send to a possible sea-battle.
In round 2 you get 50 IPC and go for the Jap Big ships.
It seems alot of people are struggling with the US, does anyone have some ideas on what the US can do to make an impact sooner? Is it better for the US to go north after Japan right away, head south to take on carolines, or skip the direct attack and head to new zealand and then after the dutch east indies?
To me it also seems the US would be best served purchasing destroyers and subs primarily with perhaps 1 or 2 carriers, as she lacks the spare aircraft for carriers that japan has, and with carriers being so defensive in nature, it seems better to load up on alot of smaller, more offensive ships. With the large aircraft force japan starts with, combined with he power of airbases, to me it would seem best for the US to head south, rally with ANZAC forces, and start liberating islands. This would force Japan to attack a combined allied fleet to keep her income. Any thoughts?
It seems alot of people are struggling with the US, does anyone have some ideas on what the US can do to make an impact sooner? Is it better for the US to go north after Japan right away, head south to take on carolines, or skip the direct attack and head to new zealand and then after the dutch east indies?
To me it also seems the US would be best served purchasing destroyers and subs primarily with perhaps 1 or 2 carriers, as she lacks the spare aircraft for carriers that japan has, and with carriers being so defensive in nature, it seems better to load up on alot of smaller, more offensive ships. With the large aircraft force japan starts with, combined with he power of airbases, to me it would seem best for the US to head south, rally with ANZAC forces, and start liberating islands. This would force Japan to attack a combined allied fleet to keep her income. Any thoughts?
Yes, I think that is exactly correct. The US also needs to make sure they have troops and transports available in the SoPac area or else the threat isnt ‘real’. In one of our games the US player staged air to Midway and took Iwo and deployed an airbase there with which to threaten any new Japanese builds. But the Japanese were able to relocated about 6-7 Fighters/Tac to Japan and coupled with anything new that was build it was just too tough to kill even with a fleet of bombers and other aircraft. And truth to tell, the Japanese didnt NEED more navy in the south anyways so unless the US was presenting some other threat, there was little need to reinforce the Sea of Japan anyways.
One thing that strikes me as considerably different than AA50 is that the islands around Australia and the Coral Sea dont seem to be importan to Japan (at least not important enough to risk a fight over). Sure there is a bonus there, but 5 IPCs isnt worth overextending and losing even a single unit. This REALLY takes pressure off of Japan to stretch and lets her consolidate defensively after taking the DEI. We thought about a naval base at the Solomons for the US, but if I’m reading the rules correctly, the Anzacs have to build it, not the US (since it is Anzac territory). This seems a little wrong as the US DID build up Guadalcanal past where it was when they took it from the Japanese. But even a naval base in the Solomons (regardless of who built it) is just too little too late. Building it means that the Allies are down a few MORE ships or planes in the area and unless Truk falls, the US can’t easily reinforce to that area anyways.
I like the way they made Truk important. I do NOT like how the Japanese can cheerfully ignore everything south of Truk until the game is essentially over anyways. It doesnt allow the US to fight anywhere NEAR her own lines of supply/reinforcement whereas historically an awful lot of fighting took place at that extreme end of Japan’s logistical pipeline.
But to the point, I still think the US has no choice but to head south. Without that they can never endanger Japan’s econ. Unless Japan’s econ is brought down it’s only a matter of time till she can take out Australia for the win.
Agree, US need a shuck-shuck from US to Hawaii to Queensland. From Queensland they can threaten as far as Sumatra. This shuck are two moves for ships, two moves for fighters that need to land in Hawaii to re-fuel, and one move for bombers.
Since ANZAC can place 3 units only, they should build the Naval Bases and Airbases that are neccessary.
Since India has a Major IC, and also collect the NO’s for East Indies, they should try to re-capture them, but that is propably impossible since they are likely to be occupied fast. If US get the income, they must build units in US wich is far awaaaay.
When US attacks from south, they will be re-inforced by ANZAC. Also if US capture an island, then ANZAC may move destroyers through and block any Japan counter-attacks by ships. In this game, US must cooperate a lot with ANZAC, and also with Uk after they start to push Japan off the mainland. This is really an intruiging game.
How about moving the Indian warships, two loadet trannies and all the planes to Australia in T1. Then they will survive. If they stay in East Indies or India, they will just get killed.
Then US will shuck-shuck to Queensland. From there US will attack the islands and seazones, and UK and ANZAC will reinforce and protect, and block the adjacent seazones with destroyer screens. It will be very difficult for Japan to counter this. Unless they go for Australia first, but then the Allies need to use an other strategy.
Turn order:
USA - attack and capture islands
UK - reinforce with what it got
ANZAC - reinforce the island, reinforce the seazone, move destroyers into adjacent sea zones in order to block Japanese counter-attacks, and build the neccessary Naval Bases and Airbases.
On land, US can build a minor factory in FIC, and start making Tanks there, 3 each turn. Then attack Japanese territories, and then China infantry will move in and reinforce.
Turn order:
USA- attack with tanks only
China - reinforce with infantry
UK - reinforce with fighters
ANZAC - reinforce with whatever.
The big thing it seems to me with this map, is defending is much easier than attacking. ACs are extremely defensive in nature and power, and airbases are extremely powerful on the defense. Combine that with allies can defend together, but not attack together, and the idea would be to make the enemy come to you. By the end of turn 2, the starting US fleet could be in queensland along with 2 ANZ destroyers and 1 sub. Then on turn 3 the US can take/liberate Java with ANZ helping to defend, along with all the planes in Western Australia the allies can manage. Japan can attack that fleet, and expose themselves to a counter, or leave it be to continue stealing japan’s income. I think that will be the ideal way to go in this game as the US. Also note, Java is 2 turns away from Japan, and granted 3 away from the US but that is the best spot in my eyes as anywhere else is only 1 turn away from Japan.
If Japan does not attack turn 1, with UK I would take Java and Dutch New Guinea with the UK transports and rally all allied boats into SZ 56 to support the US fleet.
The other thing I wonder, is if a sub heavy ANZAC would be able to harrass japan as the US can block and can opener to clear the way. Granted with AN’s low income she may have trouble getting enough to be a threat but still an idea.
