Prefer playing axis or allies ?

@MarineIguana:

KJF with us naval pressure and no ICs is different and actually competitive vs experienced players.

If you want something nasty, try accumulating battleships. 18 battleships landing with 1 infantry…

Lol, or researching destroyer bombardment and have 36 destroyers instead.

@MarineIguana:

First of all, I want to say that USA committing any purchases to the pacific is a mistake. For the same amount of resources, the USA can always pressure Germany more than Japan. This is from my experience playing hundreds of revised games, many at a high level.

That said, assuming the US commits to the Pacific…

1. Japan should always sink the US fleet at pearl harbor. If this is done, Japan generally starts with a 1 battleship, 2 carrier, 3 fighter advantage compared to the USA that will take 5+ turns of buildup for the US to overcome.
2. The US can’t make significant advances unless the Japan fleet is destroyed. The best way to stall the USA is to place your fleet in the sea zone off the phillipines or china and deadzone all sea zone within 2 spaces of Japan’s fleet. Have the carriers filled with fighters AND try to have an equal number of fighters in a land territory that can reach all the sz within 2 spaces of Japan’s fleet. For example, 2 carriers can support 8 fighters attacking a sea zone.
3. Japan can continue pushing land units into asia, even with all US purchases going to the pacific. My typical purchases are like 6 inf and 2 fighters. With the Japan fleet off of China

From what I have seen when the allies does a KJF is that, PH really isn’t that easy. If UK commits and is lucky, PH can be very difficult. Complete UK commitment would be  UK india ftr attacking the J sub in 45 with the australia sub, and then landing on PH. The Australia TT taking 2 infs to papua, the indian TT taking 2 infs to borneo, The UK CR attacking the japanese TT in 59 and the India CW either standing in 36 or 49.  At this point, taking PH might be difficult for japan. If they do it with air only (5 ftrs + bomber) they will lose about 3 ftrs for 2 ftrs, 1 cw, and 1 sub. The good news is that they will not lose boats to a counterattack, and can use their boats to deal with the british fleet, the bad news is that they are spread out, will be in trouble on land and will take 3 ftrs in losses for only 36 US ipcs (+ 10 UK).  If they try to do a heavy PH, alot of the uk fleet survives and UK will keep borneo until J3.

I still feel it is a bad move, since you are handing africa to the axis, but japan will be in trouble.

Maybe I can help.

Let’s start with Russia. The two most popular opens and the moves that I alternate between are attacking West Russia and Ukraine, and West Russia only. 3 infantry, 3 tanks is what I buy regardless of which open I use. I would not recommend attacking 3 territories, there’s way too much volatility in the dice to be a consistent first turn move.

Russia 1
Buy with 24 - 3 inf, 3 tanks

Combat
3 inf, 1 fig Kar to wr
3 inf, 1 tank Arch to wr
3 inf, 1 art, 2 tanks, 1 fig rus to wr
1 inf, 1 art Cauc to wr
10 inf, 2 art, 3 tanks, 2 fig vs. 3 inf, 1 art, 1 tank

Average result, Russia takes it losing two infantry.

Noncombat
All Eastern inf move west(just my preference)
both fighters land on Caucuses
aa gun to West Russia

Build 3 inf, 1 tank on Caucuses, 2 tanks on Moscow.

End result is
~8 inf, 2 art, 3 tanks on West Russia
7 inf, 2 tanks, 2 fighters on Caucuses
4 inf, 2 tanks on Russia
4 inf on Yakut

It’s important to note that West Russia has a huge strategic value, all of Russia’s units can meet here on the first turn and it commands the 3 prongs of German advance. Russia has deadzoned Karelia, Belorussia, and Ukraine because without horrible rolls, their units on West Russia and the tanks they built are enough to kill a German stack moved into any of these territories. In the early stages of the game, I view Russia’s primary job to contain Germany by preventing them from advancing past Eastern Europe so stacking West Russia is a must.

Now your problem was a counterattack of West Russia on the first turn. If Germany was sending all or most of their planes to West Russia, what were they sending to Anglo-Egypt and what did they send to attack the med Battleship? The Allies will be able to exploit Germany skipping either move. If you’d like to avoid the possible German counterattack altogether, try this.

Russia 1

Buy with 24 - 3 inf, 3 tanks

Combat

West Russia
3 inf Kar to wr
3 inf, 1 tank Arch to wr
3 inf, 1 art rus to wr
9 inf, 1 art, 1 tank vs 3 inf, 1 art, 1 tank

Ukraine
3 inf, 1 art, 1 tank Caucuses to Ukr
2 tanks, fig rus to ukr
1 fig kar to ukr
3 inf, 1 art, 3 tanks, 2 fig vs. 3 inf, 1 art, 1 tank, 1 fig

Average Results West Russia taken losing 3 inf, Ukraine taken losing 3 inf, 1 art

Same noncombat, same placement.

End result:
~6 inf, 1 art, 1 tank Wr
~3 tanks Ukr
5 inf, 1 tank, 2 fig Cauc
4 inf, 2 tanks Rus

Now the typical result is that Russia has taken West Russia solidly and has ~3 tanks sitting in Ukraine. This move takes out more German offensive units, destroys a German fighter, creates a buffer around Caucuses, and forces a counterattack - Germany cannot pass up such an opportunity to destroy Russian tanks. Actually taking Ukraine may depend on the dice, if Russia rolls really well, and Germany whiffs on defense, it might be better to just retreat and save the tanks. If Russia takes Ukraine, Germany’s got to either commit tanks or divert planes from other attacks - both are uncomfortable decisions for the Axis player. As with the other move, without awful rolls, Russia should still deadzone Ukraine, Karelia, and Belorussia. This is a solid opening that among other things, prevents the counterattack on West Russia.

What has Germany been attacking first turn apart from West Russia? I think I understand what your opponent has been doing with Japan but I would advocate building transports before buying mainland factories for them. Don’t be alarmed if Japan just rolls through Asia, just try to prevent them from taking territories in force. Specifically, try to deadzone Yakut, Sinkiang, and Persia as long as it doesn’t mean giving Germany some ground. What have the British and Americans been doing in your games?

@Fleetwood:

Okay, thanks for the reply. Stacking Karelia is a bit of a habit since I’m used to being able to do it against a lot of opponents. Against a considerably lesser player, victory comes quickly that way. The only issue I have with making drops in Archangel is how difficult that makes trading WE since I’m assuming the German player at some point abandons and deadzones it. I would hate to let Germany have it for free or to have the Brits cash out 6 short. The UK might not be able to do both, depending on the German plane placement and how many capital ships are available.

Agreed that Western must be traded, but if USA is in the Med they can take up the challenge (12 can be defended minimally assuming the Kraut figs aren’t on Western).

In my last two PBEM games, one as Axis, one as Allies(in progress) the Axis has won(1 inf to Ukr, 2 inf to Lib). In both, the Japanese controlled Africa, entered the Med, held Novo and were/are able to take Moscow. I think I just need to adjust improve my Allied play to beat better Axis play.

That kind of bid would throw my Axis game off…I wouldn’t allow a bid of 9 unless it was a tech game.

i have this as well. But its a HUGE file. in GB not MB…

if you got something in sections use media fire and provide links and ill put them together seamlessly and post or mail to you.

I plan on doing AA50 as well like this.

DiceRolls: 2@3 3@4; Total Hits: 32@3: (5, 6)3@4: (3, 2, 2)

I’m going to make sure the US gets that one next game :lol:.  Looks like I’ve hijacked this thread.  Oh, and btw, Salmon is also very good raw.  A true Japanese player eats sushi around J2!