MOVED: Addressing AAP40 Game Balance: "So Easy, A Caveman Can Do It"

Highest I’ve seen without taking capitals is 60’s

It depends on what side you are playing.  If your son is going to be Japan, tell him to follow the previous advice.  If you are playing Japan, follow the USA-killing strategy in the Pointlessly Broken thread and effectively win the game in turn 5.  Sadly something like 75% of the content in that thread is a needless flame war (as these boards are un-moderated for all practical purposes) but there is plenty of insightful commentary in there if you can suffer through it.

EDIT: I should point out that the war plans in that thread don’t translate that well into the Global game.  If the USA can afford to ignore Europe for the first several turns of the game, then it has enough to place into the Pacific that Japan won’t take it down.  Japan also has the issue of a possibility of expanding too quickly- since there are so many places it needs to reach, its forces will start to thin out all along the front.  At that point the Allies can start to pick off Japanese forces piecemeal and slowly turn them around.  I liken it to blowing up a balloon- if it gets too big, you can pop it.  The Japanese are protected from this effect on the Pacific stand-alone map since they will run into the edges of the map which provides cover for their flanks.

@allboxcars:

@Autarch:

Though I do question starting Siam under Japanese control….

I imagine this will change with the Global game as it depends on what happens to France.

#501

I’m not talking about FIC. Siam had a favorable view of Japan’s opposition to Western Imperialism and their diplomatic assistance in settling border disputes with France, but was not interested in becoming part of the Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere. Japan landed troops there during the opening days of the war to secure passage into Malaya. Realizing there would be no help from the west, Siam negotiated a truce and allowed Japanese access to railroads, harbors and airfields.

Kiangsi and Kwangsi were invaded by Japan in 1938 but only in several small coastal pockets at that and were non contiguous. None of these territories should start under complete Japanese control in 1940.

@Captain:

play a few more games.  Japan should take Phillipenes right away on J1 and the US should not be able to fortify it.

If they do that though they also need to take the uk space along the china coast to prevent both us and uk from their NOs.

I do similiar moves with China. I don’t allow any walk ins, I want a chance to kill an infantry unit in every territory Japan walks into. I’ll keep a mass (or as many as I can mass up) of infantry behind the front lines with the fighter as a counter attack force. If Japan can muster a ground force larger then I think I can counter attack and kill I’ll move my mass further back and to the north so ultimately it will cost Japan an extra turn of movement when China does die and they go after India. I’m always looking to counter attack. If you can get the Brits and China working together to keep Yunan from falling to the Japanese that’s great too, but, it really depends on how the game progresses.

@Hobbes:

The counter there by the Allies would be to move the US/UK/ANZAC DDs and CA to SZs 37/43/35/45. It limits J transports in SZ36 (South China Sea) or SZ33 (Carolines) to attacking Malaya, Borneo and Phillipines on J3. You can take the remaining DEI on J4 but the transports will require protection because the US can fly the 3 bombers to Australia on US3 and the UK planes can also attack.

Simpliest solution to that is to park your fleet in SZ 42 on J2.  Just make sure the UK/ANZAC cannot sink it, US isn’t allowed to attack until turn 4 and cannot land planes on Australia until they are at war so they do not matter in this case.

I have seen it very very even.  I played two games and I am 2-0, one with allies and one with Japan.  Both against very good but not spectacular opponents (Im not great but I can be creative and level headed).  The games were slugmatches from the very beginning. 
Both games were won and lost in China and the victor was able to play a better game of cat and mouse with their American/Japanese navy.  Its probably the best and most balanced axis and allies expierence I have had.