French Indo-China

@arthur-bomber-harris said in A Nameless but Effective China Strategy:

Round 2: Japan captures 3 out of the 4 of the following territories: Malaya, Java, Sumatra, and Celebes. In your game you only captured Malaya.

Everything goes down the drain if you don’t have a strong J2 turn.

I’m not a fan playing against myself - it can make you go blind and miss obvious moves. The J1 was Cow, and J2 - 3 were Andrew’s moves from our mini-test.

The real problem is turn 3. The Allies have mid-sized fleets off both India and Queensland. As for as I can tell, Japan has 3 options for J3:
*Option #1 - Put the IJN in between the Allied fleets. This is what Andrew did, and is probably the least bad option. Most likely outcome is you trade the IJN for both Allied navies.
*Option #2 - Attack one of the fleets. Face the multi wave counter attacks ready on either side. Most likely outcome is you trade the IJN for only 1 of the Allied navies.
*Option #3 - Retreat north. Allow the Allied fleets to merge into a fleet bigger than the IJN. I haven’t played against this yet, but it feels like Japan is turtling.

Note - the absolute best realistic outcome Japan can hope for in the first 2 options is wounded capital ships limping back to a NB while facing another turn of Allied attacks.

I really hope I’m missing something and there is a 4th option.

@all-encompassing-goose

Though if Japan could take India, they would’ve taken Yunnan already.

It’s virtually the only way to move from Europe to China.

No, anyone in our local area playing the Axis would have conceded long before that happened.

Marsh

@JDOW:

@taamvan:

Malaya is too vulnerable, and it takes too long to secure.   HK is far stronger for your later-game strategic defense (free NB), hidden square)

The opposite is the case for Malaya. Yes, it is vulnerable but strategically Malaya is the by far most powerful IC Japan can place.

I think you’re taking FIC as a given there. I can’t see how the Malaya IC is more powerful than FIC. Doesn’t need a naval base built to reach Calcutta?

The French did put up a good fight against the British at the battle of Dakar on the West African Coast, an attempt to sink the Richelieu. The Royal Navy was repulsed with heavy dammages  and had to go back to Gibraltar. Richelieu took little part in it, firing 24 rounds in two days but scoring no hits.

Jean Bart, still incomplete, faced the US Navy during Operation Torch and took a heavy beating. She was unoperationnal for the rest of the war.

I like the immobille Battleship house rule. It could be included in the game, especially in SZ 87 but maybe in North Africa too.

@Tall:

Hey John,

––I just noticed your new avatar. Pretty Cool. I can almost hear the sirens Screaming! BTW, when my Dad was soldiering in WW2 Germany he “liberated” a complete Luftwaffe fur-lined leather flying suit from the factory his unit overan. Just one of the many “souveniers” he returned home with.
----Looks like this avatar might dislose your AGGRESSIVE side. I hope so. It will certinly be usefull when playing our A&A games,…especially when you play an Axis power.
----I guess I’ll see you Thursday week for our next gaming session. You’re Japan this time. BONZAI!�  :-D

“Tall Paul”
p.s. - I spoke to Doug and ordered his 1939-Global map & units along with several 1940-Global items I wanted/needed. He said they should be ready by this week-end. Later

I’m glad you like it. I got bored with my other avatar, and wanted a more aggressive avatar. I bet your dad had a ton of things he brought back. It would be neat to see some of those items. I hope I do better on the next game. I hope Doug will have our supplement packs completed this weekend. Take care Paul! :-D

John

Thanks, I appreciate it.

More Allied trickery going on.