In second edition Pacific rulebook, it says that defending subs get a surprise strike if no attacking destroyers are present. Is this correct, and did it change from the first edition? Also if correct, are attacking casualties removed before they can attack?

Can an escorting destroyer ignore an enemy sub in a sea zone where the escorted transport wants to perform an amphibious assault?

Also for an amphibious assault, can an aircraft carrier act as an escort to avoid battle with an enemy sub?

If an Allied player attacks Japanese units in or declares an amphibious assault from one of these sea zones, the Japanese player can announce at the beginning of this phase that he or she intends to launch one or more kamikaze strikes in that sea zone. This is in the rule book for kamikazes but I’m confused about how it works for amphibious assaults.
I’m a little unsure about how this is supposed to work, so I will give an example to see how it works. The sea zone around Philippines has a kamikaze symbol and is owned by the allies. ANZAC has a transport and cruiser there and they load up a transport for and amphibious assault on Java, taking both the cruiser and transport from the Philippines. An ANZAC aircraft carrier comes from Queensland to join the assault on Java and an ANZAC battleship comes from Sumatra to bombard the coast in Java. 
So I have a few questions about this situation. Obviously there is no kamikaze marker around Java, but there is around the Philippines where the transport was loaded. Which ships can Japan opt to use kamikazes on in the sea zone around Java? The assault starts from a kamikaze zone but only the cruiser left from that sea zone with the kamikaze symbol. Can Japan kamikaze a ship that joins an amphibious assault if that ship didn’t leave a zone with a kamikaze symbol in it? Is the act of loading transports in a sea zone with a kamikaze symbol what activates kamikazes for the purpose of amphibious assaults?
One other question about this rule as well. If there are no Japanese sea units in a sea zone with a kamikaze symbol in it, and one of the allies does an amphibious landing from a sea zone that does not contain the kamikaze symbol, can Japan use any kamikazes against any eligible ships that accompany the amphibious assault?

I like to bring the far east infantry back to Europe. It helps keep Moscow from falling to the Germans. If Japan breaks the Mongolian pact that’s just more Russians that can make it back to either Moscow or Caucass or China. If the infantry stay out battling Japan, Moscow will fall. Originally I thought the infantry should be used against Japan, and they will have some impact slowing down the Japanese, but that doesn’t do much good if Moscow falls. Lately with all the hype surrounding a J1 attack, there has been much debate on how to best counter it with the Russians. Russia must spare all resources that they can and regroup. The supply route for the axis to push to Moscow is a difficult obstacle to overcome, if the Russians just refuse to lose troops to the axis attacks. If you are a player who leaves infantry behind to defend territory, you are wasting good men that can be held in reserve to hit the Germans hard. With Russian counters in Bryansk and Stalingrad, the German advance is slowed greatly. Most axis players will not position large armies that can be wiped by the Russians. If the Germans attack Russia round 1, I’m not quite sure what the strategy becomes. I’ve never faced a G1, but have seen plenty of J1. Still though, with the success I’ve had with bringing back the Russians, I think that facing a G1 and j1 that I’d still bring the infantry back to fight in Europe.

I leave 1 infantry in Amur and link up in Sakha. If germany doesn’t attack, I leave a mech in Turmenestan so UK can take east persia on round 1 and Russia can take Persia on round 2. Round 3 Russia can take Iraq, load an infantry on a british transport, so they can take Italian Somaliland on round 4. The territories in Africa are worth a boatload to the Russians. Tobruk, Libya, Ethiopia, Italian Somaliland, Persia, and Iraq. That’s 18 ipc. As Germany and Japan creep into the motherland, Russia can generate an income between 37 and 43. Instaed of going early to china with the russians I head to the middle east. One thing I find useful in pulling off this strategy is a russian bomber on turn 1. Also the Uk needs to cripple Italy to pull this off. I’m a firm believer in attacking Tobruk, Ethiopia, sz 97, and sz 96 on UK’s turn 1. It means taking an infantry and an artillery from India to take out Ethiopia, but my plan isn’t to hold India, which is an impossible task if Japan attacks the allies round 1. My plan involves scrapping over India long enough for the USA or ANZAC to come in and save the day. Hell even the Russians can get in on saving India, but I think their best if they use those resources to hold onto their gains in the middle east and Africa. Cow’s Japanese strat has me running games by myself trying to figure out the right strategical counters.

Axis achieve victory for controlling 8 victory cities on the european side or 6 victory cities on the pacific side for one complete round of play. What does this mean? Example: Germany takes its 8th victory city. Russia takes it back. Japan then takes it back. USA takes it back, and UK reinforces. Italy then takes it back, giving axis 8 victory cities. Anzac and France can’t liberate a victory city. On Germany’s next turn, axis control 8 victory cities. Do the axis win? They didn’t control eight victory cites for a complete round, but they had 8 at the end of their last turn and now have 8 at the start of their turn. It would have been nice if the rulebook defined the victory conditions a little better. I have no idea the definition of a complete round. Also have victory conditions changed since the first addition, and if so what was that change?

Make it a little easier for them by moving the purchase new units phase to right after noncombat. Keep repair at the top of the round though.

A friend and I’ve recently added tech to our games but we’ve made our own house rules for it. First we created a new facility, called a research lab that costs 15 ipc and can only be placed where there are victory cities. The labs can be damaged just as an airbase or port can be. They are repaired normally and cease functioning at 3 damage. Once you have purchased them, they can not be destroyed. Also each power may only buy 1 research lab. Once owned and after the round it is placed, that power may roll for technology. If the lab is at two damage or less, then the player gets one free roll for a six to see if their power gets a breakthrough. The player may buy additional dice at 5 ipc, but may never roll more dice on a single turn than the value of the territory where the research lab is. Regardless of the number of successful research rolls obtained on any given turn, a player may roll on the breakthrough chart only once per turn. Successes are not saved. Also in order to buy additional research dice the research lab must be at two or less damage. This rule made it so that we had to change the sequence of the turn order. First is repair, then research, then purchase and continue as normal. Max damage for labs is a 6. As for the breakthrough tables: we roll our D6 first, then choose one of the two. If I roll a 2, I choose between rockets and jet power. If I choose rockets and roll a 2 again, I am stuck with rockets. If I roll a 2 again on the breakthrough chart, I roll until I don’t get a 2. Normally neither of us buys more additional dice, unless the tech is needed desperately. Even then there’s limited control in what you get. I like tech, and as the rules are, I see it as a waste of money. With these rules the research lab pays for itself in three turns, and after 6 turns it should yield 1 successful research. Thought, questions, comments?

If Japan left your fleet in 26 you are pretty good. A full purchase on the european side gives you many options. R1 I purchase 3 bombers 1 transport  1 destroyer. Bombers are awesome round 1 purchase to harry the advance of germany and italy. Americans will stage in gilbralter and grow powerful. Take brazil r1. They can move north to be picked up by transports you build on r2. Converge fleet in Hawaii if safe. Fly tactical to east coast. Bomber to london. I prefer to fly hawaii fighters to Australlia and turtle on west coast. block japanese transports with a destroyer so japan can’t take hawaii on r2. The strategy is to build in gibralter. USA builds in europe for a knockout of italy. Japan’s first 2 rounds are spent going after the DEI. USA plays to knock out italy. Sprinkle as little money into the pacific that japan will allow you too. Do not be afraid to abandon india for west india with the UK. I’ve swapped that capitol 3 times in 1 game, sapping japan’s time. In the same game i lost Moscow, but retook impressively with russia on their turn. If allies play to extend the game, time is on their side. USA can take Spain while germany is off fighting Russia. What? Attack a neutral? Allies can do it if they attack more than 1 neutral. A factory for the US on spain might be worth it. A combined allied effort usually will hold it. Also Anzac’s fighters can come to europe through somoa and brazil if you force japan to fight back and forth for calcutta. Cow’s strategy is fun, but its not unbalancing. It is far from a sure thing. People need to remember china can save money for a large reinforcement of allied forces. Taking out china is hard. Japan can’t do everything at once, and they get a lot of money. But no matter how much money you have, you always wish you had about 15 more bucks. At least I do. Also attacking neutral will allow the usa to absorb south america. +6ipc for usa. Get crazy with allies. Go pretty much full europe side purchases for like 5 to 7 rounds. then come back and slam purchases in the pacific if you think japan might get its VC win.

must scramblers land on the airbases they scramble from, or could they (all) possibly land on any airbase from which any one of them were scrambled?

Thank You, Basically airpower or/both sea power can protect transports from scramblers. But one must commit before they know if there will be a battle. I get it an like it.