No Soviet far East Fleet???

@the-duke

You just load em up onto your Soviet Black Sea Navy. The one with the Battleship.

It projects a bigger threat by still allowing a destroyer and even a carrier if you want to reach 54 in case America or Anzac puts a blocker in 46.

I find this move allows more flexibility than keeping that carrier off Carolines.  Granted, it doesn’t allow me to move 2 carriers back to 6, but I’m never going to do that anyways; I want to bring them to the money islands to protect my transports.  And provided that I commit myself to taking at least either Indonesia, Celebes, or Philippines on J2 (a no-brainer), then that carrier off New Guinea won’t be out of position.

So the major advantage, besides the one I listed at top, is that it allows you to get 2 more planes into any fight off 54 without requiring you to leave a carrier out of position.  You just have to remember that you’ll be shuffling your planes all around on to different carriers when you plan out your J2 combat.  Planes from your carrier in 36 should land in Asia, making room for the planes from the carrier off New Guinea, which hop over to make room for the planes from Carolines.

Ah man… it’s not looking so good. The US fleet off Hawaii looks like it can take you, and in my experience that’s never a good position to be in for Japan. Unfortunately, you have fallen into the trap that is China. For future games, don’t go all in for China until you’ve taken Calcutta. It’s just a huge cesspit that devours Japanese ground units and does nothing to help you win. There are no victory cities there for you to grab, and because there is no capital China is the easiest Allied power to bring back into the game. Also as Japan you want to grab SOME, not necessary all, of the money islands the turn that you go to war. I prefer a J2 DOW and grab Borneo, Kwangtung, and Malaya, as I’m a firm believer of storming Calcutta as soon as you possibly can.

In your current position, I would finish off China since you’re already so deep and there’s very little Chinese units left. I would focus all of my ground efforts in southeast Asia with the ultimate aim of taking Calcutta, and going on the defensive in the Pacific. For me this would mean huddling everything I can into SZ6, with a full scramble waiting to go on Japan itself, and then basically waiting for the opportune moment to strike. You’re definitely in it for the long haul at this point, it may be too late to get the money islands. Good luck!

I know people hate them but I like having a couple cruisers in my fleet accompanied by a good screen of subs and DDs to protect carriers. I’d rather spend 4 more IPCs and have two slightly less powerful rolls of the dice in a battle while still having the ability to soak the two hits a BB would get with one unit.

Any time
Always fun to think and talk about A&A strategy, and tell others about what’s been learned from experience
Happy gaming to you and your buddies

man been awhile since I played some lobby games of global. I am getting bad, but I can still beat most players.

I don’t see a reason to expose your fleet early as Japan.  That said, even playing games with the Americans, albeit fun; is counterproductive.

You don’t gain much as you can still bait the US into buy full Pacific early in the game against a well-versed player, so that school of thought is out.

Carolines don’t come into play until much later in the game (read securing Calcutta) and VC win is Hawaii or Sydney.  However, I’m banking that Hawaii is “easier” to take once removing the fleet than Sydney.  This is primarily due to the Minor IC being able to put out multiple units round after round until you arrive with an Amphib that requires the Carolines.

Its much easier to go after Hawaii as it is a single move from Tokyo anyways (barring any blocks).  Having to fight for the Carolines and then Sydney seems less… efficient?

Mexico isn’t worth 3 now, much less back in the 1940s