R2:
Purchase: 3 mechs in Leningrad and 3 in Ukraine. Again, this is for counteroffensive power when the Germans attack (should be next turn). In addition, purchase 2 tanks in Moscow. These will head east into China.
Combat Move: If either Korea or Manchuria are poorly defended, then you may want to go for them. Just be careful- your 18 infantry are rubbish on attack, and you want to keep them intact as long as possible.
Noncombat Move: Send your units in Sikang to wherever the Chinese line needs reinforcements. This will be either in Yunnan, for a possible drive into French Indo-China or Kwangsi next turn, or in Suiyuan, to check any Japanese advances in the north. Your units in Kazakhstan should go to Sikang.
Collect: 37 IPCs (unless a poorly defended Korea/Manchuria fell, which is highly unlikely).
US2:
Purchase: Ideally, the same as before will do. Two extra carriers will make a lot of difference when fighting the IJN. If Japan has attacked, then you should take advantage of your new major complex and build five subs. If not, then just the carrier
Combat Moves: If the Japanese have entered SZ26, then counterattack with everything you have. If you’re still at peace, then nothing.
Noncombat Moves: If you’re at war, land in either Morocco or Brazil. If not, then there isn’t much you need to do. Keep your fleet safe in SZ10.
C2:
Purchase: 3-4 artillery in Yunnan (depending on if you finished last turn with 15 or 16 IPCs). From now on, buy artillery most of the time, you’ve got enough infantry as is.
Combat Move: You can’t attack French Indo-China, so from now on, your goal is to liberate the coastline (including Hong Kong), and let India worry about Southeast Asia. This makes Kwangsi your prime target. You shouldn’t have too much trouble in Kwangsi. If you haven’t already, take Chahar. Even if you get wiped out, the Soviets will be able to mop up the territory.
Noncombat Move: If the Japanese have taken Anhwe and Hopei, you might want to move your Flying Tiger to protect Shensi.
Collect: 18 or so IPCs, depending on how many northern territories have been liberated.
UKPAC2:
Purchase: 5 tanks in Calcutta
Combat Move: Send your units in Yunnan to attack French Indo-China. Even if you fail, you’ll be able to send in your second wave on UKPAC3.
Noncombat Move: Send the units you built last turn to Shan State (or attack Shan State if the Japanese in Siam grabbed it).
Collect: 21 IPCs (assuming French Indo-China failed, Malaya survived, and Hong Kong is lost)
ANZAC2:
Purchase: 2 destroyers in Sydney. These will be useful for defending the islands
Combat Move: If possible, try and take French Indo-China if UKPAC failed.
Noncombat Move: Send your infantry in Malaya to Shan State.
Collect: 14 IPCs, and end the turn with 21.
I don’t think an allied strategy that presumes a sea lion is much good.
He lost me while talking about this not-existing tank (round 1) in Calcutta moving to Yunnan round 1, and while talking about an artillery moving 2 spaces from Calcutta to Yunnan…
You are right. I should not have included those units.
Great strategy, sir. You are using all 5 powers together to pressurize Japan. Japan is far weaker than Germany, and in your OOB/bid games, should be the target.
I wouldn’t sacrifice the Russian planes, and while there are a lot of cool things you can do with Russian punch, unless the game has been modded (BM, HR etc) Moscow is going to die pretty quickly if you attack Germany proactively. The most consistently effective thing Russia can do to mess with Japan is to leave all 20 units in the east, the cross into manchuria or korea on the critical turn where Japan can’t do anything about it (though this usually ensures that moscow falls, hopefully around the time Japan is disabled by the loss of its fleets). Most turns, Japan can smash this combined stack if its on the coast but its pretty costly–which helps the allies.
As far as the USA, I buy 1 carrier and then a ton of subs on every subsequent turn, maybe a few DDs to ensure screening, whether I have the small factories or the big ones. Don’t get distracted with the Atlantic war.
At some point in the mid-game, Japan will be forced to either attack or defend in a major fleet battle at 1:1 odds or close. Whether Japan comes out well in this battle or not, UK and Anzac should be ready to hit them in a 1-2-3 punch. If Japan and the Allies both take a lot of attrition, this is good for the Allies because there is always 1 more follow-on fleet coming from the USA, whereas Japan cannot recover its presence on the water AND fuel its factories. With all 5 powers working together at once, Japan can be contained and while Japan has the planes to do anything, it cannot do everything at once or in one turn.
It’s still no good plan imho. Losing London is bad. And USA fight’s prior Japan means that Germany runs wild at Europa and mop up everything, especially Russia.
For US1, why buy fighters/tacticals?
Even with a J1, you’ve got access to 5 fighters and 1 tactical, enough to fill 3 carriers (without a J1 you get one more fighter). What’s more, Hawaii is a scramble zone, so you don’t need carriers to get full use of the planes.
If Japan didn’t attack the Hawaii fleet on J1, its almost certain much of their fleet went south to take the money islands, Malaya, Hong Kong, and Philippines, so usually you’re safe if you move your fleet to Hawaii on US1. Even if the entire Japanese fleet in sz6 stays in sz6, they can’t win against the starting U.S. Pacific fleet gathered at Hawaii with 3 fighter scrambles.
If Japan’s fleet is at sz6 and sz35 (Philippines), you can’t, but if their southern fleet is down taking the Money Islands or Malaya, taking the Caroline Islands gives the U.S. a lot of great options since it can hit Japan, Philippines, 3 out of the 4 money islands, and any factories on the Chinese coast, with a reminder that a Japanese factory in Chinese territory is destroyed if the Allies capture the territory.
If Russia is interested in massing in Amur on R1, which I kind of like, I think the U.S. needs to be aggressive in the Pacific as well. The whole point of possibly sacrificing the Russians is to delay the Japanese and tie up crucial transports, maybe get lucky and take down a plane or 3. Either way, I might pair that with dropping U.S. troops in Soviet Far East with an eye towards Korea. If Japan is dumb enough to attack Amur on J1, and bring their transports, that delays them 2 full turns (J1 they attack Russia, J2 they go back to Japan, J3 they finally head south, instead of J1).
If Japan attacked Amur J1, I’d have ANZAC and UKPac use their transports to take Java and Sumatra and on their 2nd turns, if possible, drop another pair of infantry on those islands. Anything that slows down Japan’s ability to get income is a huge win. 4 inf on each of those two islands (plus the option of planes) can cost Japan troops on transports they can’t replace easily.
@hecatomb:
It’s still no good plan imho. Losing London is bad. And USA fight’s prior Japan means that Germany runs wild at Europa and mop up everything, especially Russia.
While losing London is a serious handicap for the Allies, it isn’t fatal. The Axis need 8 VCs, and they’ll have Berlin+Paris+Rome+Warsaw+London=5 VCs. They can now either go for a Leningrad/Stalingrad/Moscow, a Leningrad/Moscow/Cairo, or Leningrad/Cairo/Stalingrad. Leningrad/Cairo/Stalingrad is probably the easiest. The Italians will probably be able to take Cairo. Leningrad will also probably fall. Both, however, will take a lot of Axis units with them (don’t forget all those Baltic States blockers and units in Leningrad/Ukraine). This means that the eighth city will have plenty of time to build up defences. Stalingrad and Moscow can support each other. By turn 5 or so, Japan should be weak enough that the US can turn to Europe, and have London by turn 7-8.
Leningrad will also probably fall. Both, however, will take a lot of Axis units with them (don’t forget all those Baltic States blockers and units in Leningrad/Ukraine). This means that the eighth city will have plenty of time to build up defences. Stalingrad and Moscow can support each other. By turn 5 or so, Japan should be weak enough that the US can turn to Europe, and have London by turn 7-8.
If Germany doesn’t let their Sea Lion transports get sunk on G3, then on G5 they can drop 20 units spread all over anything that borders the Baltic, including Novgorod. Especially easy if the U.S. is focusing on Japan, like in your scenario.
… but if their southern fleet is down taking the Money Islands or Malaya, taking the Caroline Islands gives the U.S. a lot of great options since it can hit Japan, Philippines, 3 out of the 4 money islands, and any factories on the Chinese coast, …
Not likely.
With Russia moving into China in force, Japan will not DOW turn 1.
In the above detailed strategy UKPAC and ANZAC declare war.
Which leaves Japan with no reason to declare at all. They simply have a free go at the money islands and other targets with the US forced to watch from afar.
Leningrad will also probably fall. Both, however, will take a lot of Axis units with them (don’t forget all those Baltic States blockers and units in Leningrad/Ukraine). This means that the eighth city will have plenty of time to build up defences. Stalingrad and Moscow can support each other. By turn 5 or so, Japan should be weak enough that the US can turn to Europe, and have London by turn 7-8.
If Germany doesn’t let their Sea Lion transports get sunk on G3, then on G5 they can drop 20 units spread all over anything that borders the Baltic, including Novgorod. Especially easy if the U.S. is focusing on Japan, like in your scenario.
Even if- worst case scenario for Russia- Novgorod, Baltic States, Vyborg, E.Poland, and Bessarabia all fall in one turn, they’ll have at least two turns to build in Moscow and Stalingrad. If the Germans bomb Moscow, they can build in Stalingrad to partially make up for that. Also, by turn 5 or so, the US should be able to turn to Europe, as Japan’s income and navy will both be weak. This strategy is less about occupying Tokyo and more about choking the Money Islands and sz6 with subs to leave Japan weak.
Also, by turn 5 or so, the US should be able to turn to Europe, as Japan’s income and navy will both be weak.
You did realize US4 is the first turn, US can even leave Hawaii?
No one declared war on them.
This would make it highly unlikely for them to turn to Europe in US5.
If Germany doesn’t go sea lion, Moscow is almost sure to be lost by g6. If they do go sea lion, unless it fails, ussr is still putting little pressure on Germany. I suppose the couple of tanks help but losing planes seems very bad.
I get the gist of this idea but the details don’t seem like they would work out. Particularly the uk1 dow which outs a somewhat specialist idea.
If you are playing with a bid of at least 20, why not put down two extra Soviet fighters which can reach yunnan? That would be the yunan stack strategy.
@V.:
Also, by turn 5 or so, the US should be able to turn to Europe, as Japan’s income and navy will both be weak.
You did realize US4 is the first turn, US can even leave Hawaii?
No one declared war on them.
This would make it highly unlikely for them to turn to Europe in US5.
I suppose since he’s assuming sea lion they can dow us3. Or is that only against European axis?
If USA enters war because of whatever reason, it effects both sides of the map and USA is free to do whatever it want’s everywhere.
I agree with Simon’s conclusion that Moscow falls G6. No need for Sea lion after UK1 DOW on Japan. This game is going to end very badly for the Allies unless the Axis player is very weak. Play some tougher competition!
