How did playtesters miss J1 attack?

Congratulations: I could not wait to be a Tank (and wished I could have remained one!).
I started playing in 87 at university.

@Wilson2:

What would be an interesting game would be if Japan took US but ignored the other nations. Then Japan fighting UK, ANZAC, and China.

It is possible, but if the USA player knows what he’s doing, is maybe a 20-30% chance, tops.

My thinking is as a separate game this setup is flawed, but I’m betting anything that the Global game (the one we are all going to play from here on out for the most part) is pretty balanced with the addition of all those Russian infantry to the North of Manchuria. Something tells me that India crush strategy will take a beating.

America would build marines and send them to France, causing Germany quite a bit of problems.

So my group has completed a game where Japan went for America.  We figure that whether or not Japan wins is dependent on a few things.

I don’t remember whether the final assualt on WUS happened on J3 or J4.  I think it was J4, and they waited until J3 to attack Alaska?  Either way, the statistics were about a 45% chance for Japan to take WUS.  They needed some AA misses to throw it in their favor.

There really is little that the UK and ANZAC player can contribute to the defense of WUS.  The best thing for them to do is go crazy in the absence of the Japanese forces.  By the time America fell, the UK had liberated most of China, and had several rounds to build up a navy with the help of the DEI income.  Australia also had a bonus going on, adding 2 loaded carriers to supplement defense of the UK fleet.

Japan thought about going straight for Australia, but the UK fleet with transports(deploying from  Kwangtung and Kiangsu factories) was already threatening Japan.

While America had fallen, they only gained +10 income from America, +Mexico +Alaska, while giving up on their territories in the Chinese mainland.  They were being out produced by the Allies, and out of position to restablish a hold on the mainland.

@the:

…even though they have no attack value?

I guess it helps to think of the AC of having an attack value of zero. This means that it can be in with the combat move. (Also transports have an attack value of zero, but must be chosen last.)  Things that do NOT have an attack value are: AA guns, Naval Bases, Air Bases, Industrial Complexes.

It might help to clear up some of the confusion by stepping though an example.

Assume Japan meets the requirements on a previous turn to allow Kamikaze attacks.

Assume sz17 has 1destroyer and Iwo Jima has 1inf.

Lets say the US attacks sz17 with 1CRZ, 2AC (1AC has an ANZAC 1fighter on it as cargo because nations may NOT attack together, only defend together.) and 1trn with units for the Iwo Jima assault.

Lets say the US declares an amphibious assault on Iwo Jima with 1 transport w/2inf, 3ftr which all have 1 movement point left to move in noncombat and land on 2AC in sz17 during Mobilize New Units Phase.

In phase 2 (Combat Movement) of the US turn, the US moves his units and declares his amphibious assault.

When phase 2 is done, and before phase 3 starts, Japan announces 2 Kamikaze attacks on 1Ac, 2 Kamikaze attacks on the other 1Ac with ANZAC 1ftr as cargo on it.

Phase 2 for the US is done, over with; the US player may NOT change their moves.

Japan must declare how many Kamikaze attacks they will roll for. They can’t roll, then check for hits, and roll some more.

Fighters are already flying at the start of Combat Movement, they do not move with the AC, they move separately, and land on the AC at the end of noncombat.

Before phase3 for the US starts, the 4 Kamikaze attacks are rolled.

Let’s say Japan gets 1 hit on each AC. (if there were 2 hits on 1 AC, then the AC would be removed at this time.)

Now start phase 3…Conduct Combat!

US attacker rolls for 1CRZ @3,2 damaged AC @0, 1 loaded trn @0
US gets 1 hit.

Japan chooses 1DD as a casualty, and rolls @2 for a miss.

With the sz17 now clear, it is now amphibious assault time and the US wins that battle and takes control of Iwo Jima.

Phase 4 Noncombat.

Oh no! The US has nowhere to land 3ftrs, the 2AC are damaged, and the fighters are lost to the sea and removed from play.

On the ANZAC turn, his 1ftr may not leave the damaged AC.

On Japan’s turn, aircraft are sent to easily destroy the stuff in sz17 (1Crz@3, 2damagedAC with a fighter that is stuck below deck @2, 1trn @0), the 3ftrs from before are no longer there and 1 is stuck below deck.

Conclusion, the only planes involved with Kamikaze attacks are planes from other Allies below deck as cargo. The rest of the planes have to deal with whatever happened.

Japan would have loved to Kamikaze attack the transport, but the rules do not allow that.

Japan could have Kamikaze attacked the 1CRZ and, if successful, prevented the amphibious assault because there would be no way to clear the seazone (AC attack @0, transports attack @0).

Why did the US bring in the 2AC, when it could have moved them there during noncombat? I don’t know.  Rules do not prevent bad play. This was an example of what happens, not how one should play.

What about using DDs in conjunctiion with SSs?  The subs can soak hits in the early rounds right, for only 6 IPCs instead of 8 IPCs.  I understand the extra #3 attack over a #2 gives the DDs a slight plus for the IPC cost, but i think adding a couple subs could give a small bonus to the final numbers.