@Cephir:

What is Cow’s playbook?

It’s 100 rules to picking up chicks.  My guess is Cow wants a date!

Agree with ghr2, need pics!!

Can’t agree with that strat knp.  :(

Everyone is different, but I honestly like making Germany the Europe controller.  I help Italy to the max, crushing UK fleet early, and building subs in the med.  I tend to build transports to make UK spend on their island, and then Italy and Germany can tag team Russia while having the subs to fend off USA.  Even better when Japan focus’s on Russia as well.  Germany needs help, and I like to make sure I have a buddy with me.

Not to say knp strat doesn’t work, I played Russia once and Germany went all out on me with nothing but tank builds.  He sacked Moscow in 6 turns.  :cry:

So… basically if you have lots of subs, and germany has no destroyers, you just need to kill the battleships/cruisers/carriers in order to wipe out the remaining transports because subs can attack while not being hit by air?

I thought we already agreed most of us would block J2 with a destroyer giving the USA the option of sinking your fleet J3 after you take Hawaii?

@Spendo02:

@Gekkepop:

Turn 2 buy depends on the board, but usually transports and men to capture Sydney.

Of course in doing so, you have 1 single goal in mind:  Make the US spend in the Pacific for 4-5 turns because they won’t be interfering in Europe until at the earliest of round 8 or 9.

There IS merit in going full out Hawaii, because if the Allies ignore it and spend on Europe, Japan wins the game in round 5.  If they don’t ignore it, and shut Japan down - which will take at least 4 rounds of purchases to do by the US, Germany and Italy should be well on their way to securing their side of the map.

I have no idea what you’re thinking here Spendo.  It will not cost the USA 250+ IPC to ruin the Japanese navy stationed at Hawaii.  Meaning, USA will be over in the other theater building turn 3.  If you want the USA to spend in the Pacific for 5 turns, you have to threaten something.

I can’t get on board with this Hawaii base of operations.  USA will ruin Japan, imho.

@Spendo02:

I actually employed that strategy once with the US and was very successful now that I think about it - the bait and switch that is.

I mostly just hate playing the same strategy, which is why I was trying to come up with a way to accomplish the same thing in a different way.

Back to the drawing board.

We’re talking about test of time strategies, and most optimal here from experience.  My players are crazy and always try new strategies.  You have to think outside the box sometimes.  For instances, I had a Japanese player take all his starting fleet, and went south around Brazil and smashed his forces into the Union of South Africa!!  How’s that for crazy.

@robbie358:

ANZAC conquers all.  At least it does in my games.  ANZAC is to the USA as Italy is to Germany… the secret weapon.
Ever try the Bielefeldt maneuver?  ANZAC takes Brazil and builds a minor there!

I thought about it, but it’s never been done in my games.  Is my sea-zone counting correct, it would only take 2 turns from Sydney to get to Brazil?  It’s interesting to think about anzac building there, if the Japanese lose face and give up the pacific, then they could spend everything over there.  Hmmm… strategy would work best with a heavy German navy, and you need extra cannon-fodder for Gib.

I never considered the US option to give it up and consolidate - which appears to be a better and stronger play.

The ol’ bait and switch tactic, giving you Hawaii seems like a nice offering (bait), then USA sinks your navy into the deep blue (switch).  But I agree with your assessment, one could try to defend Hawaii J2, but would fail if all Japanese fleet went there.  Your topic confused us I think lol.  You wanted experienced players to defend hawaii J2, and tell us our buys, but an experienced player would never be in that situation J2 haha.

*Unless Japanese split her fleet and USA could smash something US2.

@Cmdr:

My musings were less about keeping Hawaii and more about using it as a staging ground to hit Australia after getting America to commit away from Europe.  Basically, draw the allies away from Germany and hope the Germans can push into Russia faster - or if the allies don’t respond, use it as a staging ground to cap a VC win (either way, using it to take out Australia is probably a win no matter what you do from that point on.)

The problem with this though, is going south to Kwangsi/FIC is a much better staging point for attacks.  You can threaten India and ANZAC while getting money islands.  Hawaii offers none of these payouts except a turn 4 take on Sydney (or a dumb USA that doesn’t build in the Pacific and you can take San Fran, but we’re talking experienced players).

A good USA player always commits to Japan first to get them under-control, so they can spend the rest of the time stopping Germany.  (I suppose a great USA player can do both at the same-time.)

With that in mind, being able to sack Sydney on J4 (trading aircraft for minimal ground units), Flip on J5 from produced units on J3 and J4, its entirely possible to win and have the US spend nearly all its income in the Pacific for 5+ rounds - which leaves the UK and Russia on islands in Europe until at the earliest probably Round 7 or 8 before the US can intervene at all.

They would not need to spend 5 rounds of income to stop Japan.