You don’t need to abandon the Pacific if your goal is Calcutta on J4. Calcutta normally falls J4 through the natural progression of your first few buys.
It is important to keep track of your transports. You can purchase 3 of them J1. An artillery is included as well
If you follow a traditional J1 attack you control the following at the end of the turn:
- FIC
- Kwangtung
- Phillipines
- Borneo
- a few northern chinese zones
you don’t control:
Your transports are at:
2x phillipines
1x borneo
3x Japan
and most of your planes are in Kwangsi
On J2 you buy:
- a factory for FIC
- navy to contest the US and Anzac + more ground units on Tokyo
Your transports in the south Pacific spread out and each take a DEI so that you collect your objective J2.
Your transports in SZ 6 sail down and unload in FIC
Using your aircraft and surrounding ground units you take and hold Yunnan J2. This often requires attacking Szechwan as well.
Additionally 2 of your bombers in Kwangsi attack the India factory.
Send 2 submarines in SZ 35 to convoy SZ 37
Now at end of J2 turn you additionally control:
- DEI
- Yunnan
- Factory in FIC with reinforcements unloaded from Tokyo
Your 6 transports are at:
- 1x Sumatra
- 1x Java
- 1x Celebes
- 3x FIC
J3 you buy:
3 bombers at FIC
naval to contest USA and Anzac + transports / ground units to continue invasion of China, defend DEI, prepare for invasion of Australia
You attack and hold Burma (units that landed in FIC can be picked up w/ 3x transports and brought to assist in this fight)
You attack and hold Malaya (3x transports in DEI + some air can secure Malaya)
You bomb the factory in India again and land in FIC
Move subs in SZ 37 to SZ 39
Kill any remaining UK Pacific Navy and ensure small planes are landed in Yunnan (optional shan state if you have spare units) or Carriers within range of India
UK Pacific should have ~ 5 to spend on defense, their factory has been destroyed twice, and they were convoyed in SZ 37 UKPac 2 and SZ 39 UKPac 3
J4 you buy:
irrelevant to India attack
You attack India with:
- land units based in Burma (feel free to load them on transports and land in India)
- bombardments from battleships and cruisers
- land units based in Malaya (same units that hit DEI J2, these pieces have been moving)
- up to 6 carrier based aircraft
- up to 13 short range aircraft based in Yunnan or Shan State
- 5 bombers based in FIC
You should have more than or about an equal number of planes as India has infantry. (Plus an additional ~20 ground units)
Even if you get really unlucky against AA guns, India cannot defend against this sort of attack without assistance from the European board.
Your total investment is:
J1 - 25
J2 - 12
J3 - 36
J4 - 0
This should give you roughly 120 to spend on other areas of the board as you see fit. If it is all navy you can delay the US from making significant progress while you wait for your navy to return.
J4 is a logical timing because it follows your 3 starting transports:
J1 you attack borneo and the phillipines
J2 you attack the DEI
J3 you attack Malaya
J4 you attack India
It is a very natural expansion.
So as far as what to buy J3 and J4 while your pieces on the board carry out their orders I normally recommend:
- Land units on Tokyo
- Aircraft in Tokyo
- Additional Aircraft Carriers
- Destroyers to block US fleet movement
- Naval Base in Hainan
- Transports to keep the empire well supplied with Infantry
Its really up to you and how the board progresses. The J4 attack is mostly comprised of starting units.
If you encounter delays due to bad luck or countries coming to the aid of India you can normally secure India J6 which is the turn the Infantry in Manchuria can arrive by marching.