.

[Cromwell_Dude]

.

[MikeMasino]

I find much of the Triple A community to be more abrasive than you described!

I dislike playing solely VE/VJ (I don’t even like the K terms, I stick to the real ones)

So, on to playing both theaters:

As Russia, I typically hit West Russia R1, and not getting too aggressive that turn.  AS UK1 I gather the Indian and Australian fleet with 2 Aussie land units in the SZ south of India.  May or may not hit the Kwangtun trannny with a plane (depends if I want that plane on my carrier, and the fate of Egypt.  Land token UK force in norway (smashing any German air if possible, you usually see 1 ftr/bmr there) or France, if available, or merely build navy in the SZ off France.  This allows my American transports to stage off Canada unless the Germans keep a bomber in France. 
With the Americans, if the UK keeps th seas clear, I’ll put up a token transport force. relying on UK navy to protect it.  3-4 transports, often will stage in Canada to move to UK fleet protection or Algeria.  US 1 sees a transport build on the east, US 2 the next transport, if I didn’t lose any, and land units to fill it.  May replace tanks with art on those trannies if I need a couple dollars to fill out a Pacific fleet.  If my bombers had no targets of opportunity westward, they often fly to UK.  If Egypt survived, or is taken back by UK2 with that Indian fleet, (a typical move of mine) I’ll use the US bombers to bag whatever remains of a med fleet.  The US replaces a bomber whenever lost, to have a min of two.

In the Pacific, the US spends whatever income is left after the Atlantic, in many cases when the transports in the Atlantic are not on shore, it can be my full income.  I typically don’t begin moving to threaten islands until I have a comparable American fleet, or I can fly-swat Jap planes and avoid ships/place a blocker.  If the UK Indian navy is tied in the Med or nailed by the Japs, the Americans will take any high-value islands/land back that it can safely reach.  If the Japs built ICs, well, I consider that the best that can happen, as I wil force them to drop money into the water.  If they build heavy navy, I have to stay clever and outmove them, or even drop a WUS sub buy/bmr buy to lure them into attacking my fleet/keep my fleet safe.

[MikeMasino]

For the Asian conflict, the goal typically is to stop the Japanese from producing on the mainland, then ruining their navy/income, though that occurs mostly due to the Americans.  The UK Indian fleet can be a huge assest to me in this case, because it can make opportunist attacks and still defend itself from air.

The Russians I’ll have be pressure on Manchuria - though not on the coast, unless I’m pretty safe there - and get aggressive when I have good chanes against the Germans.

I don’t typically put up any ICs when I play the full board.  India requires too much commitment from the European theater for my liking, and Australia produces too little (and still too much mony for me to spend there).  I find the US income more effective at keeping Japan in check, and still able to put men on the ground in the Atlantic.  If Japan has a grand successful Asian campaign, though, they can outspend my American fleet turn after turn and I have difficulty keeping them in check at this point, necessetating use of blockers/keeping out of range of their fleet.

[special forces]

@Cromwell_Dude:

I am still curious if there exist any veteran players who play other veteran players BUT do not use KGF or KJF…And, also only play with standard rules.   Just curious if the players exist and how you enjoy playing in that manner.

I don’t know if i would count as a veteran (though more in Anniversary than in spring 42), but i have never played KGF or KJF, instead i would make my moves and purchases depend on the Axis initiatives. Usually i’d try to exploit their mistakes (if they make any) and/or failed attacks.

Start with damage control after the first german / japanese punches, then try to make the (general) balance tip over.

As Allies i rarely start with a defined strategy in mind, i count on my flexibility and improvisation. And yes, i enoy that :)

[Granada]

I decide what i will do after J1. More and more I am leaning to go Pacific with US which actually leads to a split strategy of sorts.

For me it has two main lines. The first one includes ICs on sink and India (build only R2 or even later), the other one is purely naval and air builds with US. I decide which one I will go according to the specific weaknesses of Japan. In general I consider the strategy including the ICs more promising and more universal but if Japan has really screwed the J1 on sea, I may go full speed after its fleet.

The pattern of the games is ussually as follows: Russia fights a defensive fight with Germany. US fights an offensive fight with Japan. UK first task is to controll Africa and then to assist both Russia and US. If executed well it leads to Japan being not killed but broken while Germany is still too far from Moscow.

But I do play KGF often and I cannot see any shame in this. I invite anybody who considers that an embarassingly easy way to win to demonstrate that against an expert Axis player like Bas or Hobbes.  :-P

[Advosan]

Imho there cannot be an actual KJF in '42. Japan can only be “broken”, to quote Granada. As “broken”, I perseive it reduced to 8-9 IPCs, without a navy and with 2-3 allied bmb SBRing it every round. And that s the time to turn on Germany.
I tend to believe that if the game evolves to a race between a full-out KGF and a full-out KRF, the Allies will always be the losers. So, especially against the more experienced Axis  players, Japan has to be crippled to some extend before a KGF can take place. The way I see it, every round that Russia manages to form the Karelia-Belorussia-Ukraine frontline is a round that the UK and the US must try and mess Japan up.

[_Flin_]

On R1, we usually go for a conservative WR and UKR.
6 INF to Bur, 2 INF to Yakut, 1 INF in Kar, 0 Inf in Archangel.
Usually trying UKR with 2 tanks.
From then Russia tries to get Land towards Germany, while concentrating on keeping it’s tanks and fighters, building tanks up slowly.

G1 goes for the usual stuff, kill British fleet, invade AES, take Karelia, reinforce Norway, move subs to Atlantic, stay in Algeria.

UK1 invades Algeria with Bomber, tank and Infantry. Builds AC, 2DD. Stays in India. Kills Japanese transport with fighter, lands in China. Then builds up fleet later, goes for Africa. Around turn 4 Atlantic is secured. 1-2 punches start vs. Norway. If Luftwaffe is reduced SZ5 will be staging area to ship towards Karelia/EE.

Japan is forced to take China. Small Pearl Harbor. Buys 2 trannies. Usually an additional fighter and 2 INF. Goes Bur turn 2, India turn 3. Proceeds towards Moscow, while Fleet protects transports and hunts subs. Plays cat and mouse with the US Fleet, which takes Solomons. Balancing fleet and ground troops is hard, esp. due to the need to protect the transports from US Air Force.

US buys Transport and 2ACs. Sometimes 1 AC and an additional fighter & DD. Sometimes Counter Attacks Pearl Sea Zone with help of Bomber. Reinforces/Invades Algeria. AC with 2 Fighters on East Coast turn 1 is important, to reinforce Bur in case Japan doesn’t take it on J2. From there on builds mainly transports, a 1-2 DD, a few fighters and a bomber every now and then. About 12-15 per turn for ground troops. Around turn 4 Atlantic is secured. 1-2 punches start vs. Norway. If Luftwaffe is reduced SZ5 will be staging area to ship towards Karelia/EE.

Usually over the course of the game the Axis makes a few mistakes to many, either staging to risky attacks, now enough attacks, buying too expensive stuff (ships!) or the one strategic error (leaving too few in Western Europe, while having their Panzers too far away) and loses.

Then maybe our best player plays Allies more often than Axis, which adds to the perception of imbalance.

[Black Fox]

What exactly is a KGF?  Does this mean you are going to try to kill off Germany first before Japan?

[_Flin_]

@Black:

What exactly is a KGF?  Does this mean you are going to try to kill off Germany first before Japan?

KGF is an abbreviation for “Kill Germany First”.
The strategy involves the USA not spending anything on the Pacific at all, but putting all into the Atlantic. Japan can roam freely in Asia, while the allies all go for Germany.
In the end, it often develops into a race for Moscow vs. Berlin.

It is a successful Allied strategy, hard to counter, and on top leads to rather short games, as a valued side effect.