Opening w/japan…

@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.

7 IPC is plenty for a revised bid, IMHO.  Just need some punch to close Egypt on Germany 1.

Though, lately I’ve been getting sneaky and bidding 30 IPC to be Axis so I can work on KJF in “normal” games where my opponent is unaware I am going to hit him with it.  A lot of fun!  Had a few games given to me when my opponent sees a massive fleet emerge off the coast of S. America into the Pacific and his fleet is far away. :P

@tenth8sphere:

Trying to make the switch to revised. My fist game as Russia I lost Russia on G2. First game as UK, lost UK on G3. Believe it or not, I was moderately competent at Classic.

Now I’m being set to play as japan in an upcoming game. I desperately need a crash course in some of the important opening moves. Is it better to kill the UK fleet, or the AMerican one at pearl? Is my goal still to shunt infantry and planes to the mainland? What if the UK fleet unifies? What should I absolutely 100 percent do, and what should I absolutely NOT do as Japan?

Any help is most welcome. Hopefully I’ll keep Japan until at least turn 4.

"Is it better to kill the UK fleet, or the AMerican one at pearl? " - depends on the board position.

"Is my goal still to shunt infantry and planes to the mainland? " - Mostly.  Depends on what they do, but mostly.

“What if the UK fleet unifies?” - depends on the board position

“What should I absolutely 100 percent do, and what should I absolutely NOT do as Japan?” - Always build as many transports as you can on J1 (Japan 1, or Japan’s first turn = J1).  You need at least 4 transports to shuttle infantry between Japan and Asia, plus probably minimum 2 more to take infantry off the Pacific islands (where they aren’t going to do you much good) into Asia.  That means you will also need to build more transports on J2.

If the Allies go KGF (Kill Germany First), you will want an industrial complex at India as soon as you can.  If the Allies go KJF (Kill Japan first), instead of producing industrial complexes, you should think about fighter production along with your infantry.  (Even if you only produce 6 infantry at Japan on a turn, you will still need 5-6 transports; you have a LOT of infantry on those Pacific islands).

Don’t build infantry on J1, build a tank.  An additional early tank helps a lot because of the early mobility in Asia.  You don’t NEED any more infantry.

–

@newpaintbrush:

@ncscswitch:

There are so many problems with OOB rules that basically no one uses them anymore.

He’s callin me basically no one.

Wah.

my second ˝karmation˝ goes to you

In response to the KJF Bluff…

NEVER change strats during a game.  If you are going KJF, STAY KJF.  Otherwise, just go KGF, and STICK WITH IT.

Trying to bluff in the Pacific as the US leaves the Axis with economic dominance, and with USA and UK in NO position to assist a dying Russia.

@ncscswitch:

@Zooey72:

The key is to keep your fleet(s) (because of reinforcements) 3 sqares away from the main Jap fleet.  They can’t move out in force to destroy you because they need their air power in Asia.  Than just gobble away at Japan until you have the force to destroy the Jap fleet when you consolidate.

Staying 3 squares from Japan’s main fleet leaves you these options…
Turn 1… move to SZ44
Turn 2… move to SZ48
Turn 3:  Attack either New Guinea (1 IPC) or East Indies (4 IPC)
Turn 4:  Attack the other one.

For everything else, you WILL be in range of both the Japan Fleet, and their bomber.  And to move THAT far in the alotted time, you will have at most… 1 AC, 2 FIG, 1 BB, 1 SUB, 1 TRN 2/ 2 INF on board.

Not much for if Japan sends ANYTHING your way…

I agree with you for the most part, but the explanation would take too long and not really the question of this thread.  So I will take it up at a later time.

The quick explanation is that the first turn for the US is gone, they don’t move.  You can’t, the Japs have the Hawian sea space.  But you build defensively, ACs and fighters.  The Jap navy will pull back as it normaly does because they need their AF in Asia (don’t forget it takes a while for the Japs to overcome existing forces in Asia).

For the japs to fully equip their carriers against the US would take the Jap AF out of the Asian campaign.  They can’t afford that.  Early in the game a small allied push in Asia would wield great results if the Japs commited thier AF to the Pacific.

I think you’re right, the US going against Japan whole hog is not a good idea.  I am a “traditional” player as far as that goes.  But if played the right way it can win you the game.  It is risky, I won’t argue that.  But isn’t that what makes the game fun?  Doesn’t it get boring as hell to have the traditional game of “does Russia fall to the japs before Germany falls to the allies”?  I have seen the strategy work, it just takes more skill to pull it off.

Never mind… was thinking Revised…

Nice, I’ll go check the game out right away!