I noticed the revised forum has been kinda dead lately so I figured I would put forth a new Japanese strategy that involves an IC for East Indies. Ive only tested it a few times but I have had great success.
Turn 1 Japan purchase 2 IC’s, one for the mainland and 1 for east indies. Since your going to be pouring quite a bit of money into the indies a 2nd IC for the mainland will help you keep a presence there. Now lets take a look at the offensive utility of an East Indies IC.
There are also some defensive advantages as well.
Now my suggestion for the mainland IC is to place it in FIC for better synergy with East Indies. You can set up an effective shuttle system for moving inf to Persia at a faster rate to be able to follow newly built FIC tanks. Later in the game when japans area is secured an India IC will help assist in massing troops quicker. A few men from FIC to china will allow you to simply trade Sinkiang with the Russians since your focus is down south towards caucus via India. Now the only thing you really have to keep an eye on is the 6 russian inf in bury. They can be a pain if all your troops are down south which is why a fleet parked off FIC needs to be prepared to hit Manchuria with some drop offs from Tokyo should they press forward. A bid of Japan 7 is perfect for this strategy as well. It will insure the allies don’t throw you off and make bad rolls in china more forgiving. And with the East Indies threatening Africa, the loss of a German bid is negated. However regardless of a Japanese bid, it should work just as well.
@Blitz:
I noticed the revised forum has been kinda dead lately so I figured I would put forth a new Japanese strategy that involves an IC for East Indies. Ive only tested it a few times but I have had great success.
Turn 1 Japan purchase 2 IC’s, one for the mainland and 1 for east indies. Since your going to be pouring quite a bit of money into the indies a 2nd IC for the mainland will help you keep a presence there. Now lets take a look at the offensive utility of an East Indies IC.
- In a position for newly built transports to hit Australia, India, Egypt, Madagascar, Persia.
- Since East Indies starts with 2inf, a turn two purchase of 2trans 2tanks/2art nets you two full transports in a position with many options for turn 3 Japan.
There are also some defensive advantages as well.
- Should the US decide to go Pacific, the IC in the Indies will insure its safety allowing the Imperial Navy to posture itself in Sz 60 where it can protect Tokyo and hit Borneo/Manila.
- Any potential UK island hopping is deterred as well.
Now my suggestion for the mainland IC is to place it in FIC for better synergy with East Indies. You can set up an effective shuttle system for moving inf to Persia at a faster rate to be able to follow newly built FIC tanks. Later in the game when japans area is secured an India IC will help assist in massing troops quicker. A few men from FIC to china will allow you to simply trade Sinkiang with the Russians since your focus is down south towards caucus via India. Now the only thing you really have to keep an eye on is the 6 russian inf in bury. They can be a pain if all your troops are down south which is why a fleet parked off FIC needs to be prepared to hit Manchuria with some drop offs from Tokyo should they press forward. A bid of Japan 7 is perfect for this strategy as well. It will insure the allies don’t throw you off and make bad rolls in china more forgiving. And with the East Indies threatening Africa, the loss of a German bid is negated. However regardless of a Japanese bid, it should work just as well.
I like that, idea, like I’ve done it once as well and landed in Madagascar, South Africa, India, Midway, and Hawaii because of that IC so it is a good idea, but I forgot about it.
Kudos for starting something in revised. I like a focus on the southern region but don’t know if the East Indies IC is the way to do it. Granted, I haven’t tried it before.
The big drawback is that it ties down 2 transports that will either go from East Indies to FIC or more likely from East Indies to India every round. To do it the way you suggest, getting inf to Persia every round, you’ll actually tie down 4 transports and that’s just not efficient. Compare it to an Indian IC. The drawback to India is that you place one less unit and have to wait to build the factory. That’s not all bad because Japan won’t necessarily have the production to support it. On the plus side, the Indian factory is one turn ahead of the East Indies factory(Build East Indies, transport to India, walk to Persia vs. Build India, walk to Persia).
My preference is transports on J1 and ideally in KGF up to 6 transports by J2 with my first factory going down on J3. It utilizes Japan’s original factory until Japan’s income can support multiple factories.
@Fleetwood:
Kudos for starting something in revised. I like a focus on the southern region but don’t know if the East Indies IC is the way to do it. Granted, I haven’t tried it before.
The big drawback is that it ties down 2 transports that will either go from East Indies to FIC or more likely from East Indies to India every round. To do it the way you suggest, getting inf to Persia every round, you’ll actually tie down 4 transports and that’s just not efficient. Compare it to an Indian IC. The drawback to India is that you place one less unit and have to wait to build the factory. That’s not all bad because Japan won’t necessarily have the production to support it. On the plus side, the Indian factory is one turn ahead of the East Indies factory(Build East Indies, transport to India, walk to Persia vs. Build India, walk to Persia).
My preference is transports on J1 and ideally in KGF up to 6 transports by J2 with my first factory going down on J3. It utilizes Japan’s original factory until Japan’s income can support multiple factories.
With regards to some transports being tied down, I see it more as an advantage than disadvantage. For example, in persia’s waters your transports can move back to FIC and or East Indies for another drop off the following turn. It spares any transports the need to go back to sz 60 to acquire more troops to shuttle. Your bigger ships such as your battleships and AC’s can simply posture themselves off Persia to provide protection while keeping the option to go protect Rome’s waters open. With Persia plugged for most of the game, an india IC becomes more feasible. And transports eventually are going to have to be spared for the Australia,NZ,Hawaii IPC’s anyways so why not have them 1 turn closer.
That’s an interesting strategy, and I plan on trying it out. In most of my games the UK player builds an India IC, and then Japan tries to invade on J1 or J2 (and usually takes the territory, too). Therefore, it’s not practical to build any other ICs, as the British have kindly provided one for you. However, with an IC in the East Indies and another in FIC, it’s possible to wait before attacking India and mass more troops, and you can focus your starting troops, such as the Eastern CV and fighter, against the Americans as opposed to soley pushing west against India.
A J1 attack on India shouldn’t happen as long as the Kwangtung transport is killed off. Russia should position at least 2 tanks in range to liberate India.
My strategy for the East Indies IC is operating under the assumption it is not a KJF fyi.
@Blitz:
My strategy for the East Indies IC is operating under the assumption it is not a KJF fyi.
Well, you might still find challenges if the Allies have set up in a position to counter japan without necessarily committing. For example the R2 tank liberation of India is only something they will do if they need to; and it’s not a bad idea to build 2 tanks in the caucusus anyways
In a KJF, you cannot do this strategy as you said.
In a KGF, you also cannot do it imo. Japan has to take Russia then usually, which means that it needs forces on the mainland, that usually also means factories in FIC and IND. If you give early credits to an IC on an island and then build stuff there, you waste attack potential on the mainland. It becomes even worse if you use more than the absolutely necessary amount of your fleet to take Australia (which isn’t much because it’s mostly undefended, and an IC there is pointless for UK). Then you diverted your fleet and you can neither do polar express to distract US nor move it via the Suez to the med sea to help Germany.
In general, I think that Japan has enough power in the Pacific which needs to play a role either against the US or in the med sea if your opponent plays KGF. Also Japan does not need Australia unless it can be taken with minimal forces. Therefore, any ICs that are not on mainland are usually not useful.
EDITS: spelling and it’s KGF instead of KJF at the end
I played a game where my Japanese counterpart played this strategy upon my recommendation. It was a disaster for us, because it was just not practical for controlling Asia, at all.
