after taking the DEI I send a task force, BB CR, 2 DD, maybe a sub or another DD, and i toast the Aussi fleet. Without the fleet, and without income to build it up quick enough to overcome a small task force in the carolines, the Aussis are neutralized.

well if you gonna attack J1, bypass Phillipines and concentrate on the easy islands, also ensure that your naval forces are sufficiently concentrated so as to prevent the British from counter attacking and causing significant damage to your navy. Keep in mind that it is advisable for the British to exchange ships with the Japs, so dont think that because you equal the British forces that they will not attack, In my experience, the British will consider their ships lost, and look for the most efficient way for them to go out.

I always built transports turn 1, so as to force the British to decide to build up infantry or abandon their capital. If they abandon it, it is totally worth while to take it, if they defend it, they have 9 inf that will sit there for a long time, and then I attack russia through the Baltic with the transports.

can a tank move 1 space then be loaded into a transport. I dont think so, but for clarity I would like to know.

For the sake of trying to save the Italians a headache i take Normandy as the Germans. I generally leave sz111 alone so as to have enough forces to do that.

As far as Japan, I push hard into china turn 1, 2. I then organize for assaults on DEI, Phillipines turn 4. I know I alone in my policy of leaving war till then, but I do it so as to push the US arrival in Europe back by 1 more turn. It is absolutely essential that the Germans have 1 extra turn to produce an army which can effectively repulse American or British Amphibious assaults. Without that extra turn the Germans have to cut short the resources they are sending into Russia to defend from the West, which it throws into question whether or not the Germans can take southern russian territories (Ukraine, Volgograd, Caucus, ect). The southern Russian territories represent the ability to produce 6 units, and as much as 18 IPCs for Germany and 8 fewer for the Russians a turn (the Germans get 5 for owning Volgograd, 5 for owning Caucus).

After taking the DEI, Phillipines, and assuming good progress in China, the Japanese are normally sitting on 60-70 IPCs a turn. They need to start building forces to take away the US additional income. SO they need to take the Phillipines, either Hawaii or Alaska, ect. After this, prepare to attack the United States so as to force them to spend all their money fighting you, not the Germans or Italians where the main show is happening.

What it comes down to is if the Germans defeat the Soviets, game over. The Japanese need to do everything to 1) make themselves a fighting force, and 2) use their fighting force to take the US out of the European theatre.

“The value of initiative cannot be overestimated.” -Karl Von Clausewitz.
I try my best to always tweek what I do so that  my opponents do not get used to anything, but the common denominator is that the Germans must set the tone for war, and they must dictate to the British what their first moves will be, what their purchases will be, and what their overall strategy must be.
Things to consider: attack the USSR as soon as there are sufficient infantry to protect the tanks.
-threaten London with anphip so to make them spend 27 IPCs on inf turn 1.
-re inforce italian airbase to protect italian fleet.
-neutralize as much british navy as possible.
-keep a submarine alive in the atlantic to deny a NO to the British.
-standard conquests: france, normandy, yougoslavia, finland.

It depends on whether you go for London or not. If you dont, which IMHO is the way to go, I try to go on turn 2.

I always build 6 transports. Since I always clear sz 110, 111, 112 the brits lack the capacity to overcome my BB, Cruzer, and 3 fights. This allows maximum striking capacity, as attacking the USSR and the Brits are both legitimate options, It forces the Russians to pull back and the british to build 9 inf or forfeit London.

I am a history major, so I have a small amount of insight into this area, and the primary reason that the Russians were able to push the Germans back is because of immensely horrible leadership by Hitler. Had Germany followed Guderian’s encirclement plans at the time of invasion, or had the 2nd or 3rd panzer corps not sat still for 39 days after the fall of Smolensk, or had Hitler not sent Guderian to the assistance of Rundstedt, or had Hitler used Gen Student’s paratroopers. Or had Hitler merely besieged rather than conquer Stalingrad, or allowed Von Paulus to break out and meet Manstein, or really just allowed Gen Bock to command the South in 1942. Any of these things would have brought victory to the Germans.

dude you are taking a perfectly fun game and making it unfun. No offense intended.