Ultra-Passive Japan Strategy

[Orm]

Maybe more land units build the first impulse and less later? That way you get more land units early, to hunt down aggressive Chinese units and garrison for partisan hunting.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

quote:ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14 Not sure this qualifies for your question: I am currently in a game with an excellent opponent. We are near the end of J/A'41. My strategy as Japan is very passive, but not "ultra". 1. No attacks into CHI cities. 2. No DOW's so far, but of course need to do the typical DOW's late '41/early '42. 3. Event triggers so far: Align Siam (US did not get a chit for this), and aligning FIC (US did get a chit...seriously considered waiting for this until mid-late'42, but did not want to burden Japan's action limits/units later in the game. Trade flowing into China through the Burma Road, Japan has not closed it. I say burden because Vichy FIC had a 1 point Chinese partisan in Hanoi. Germany doing Spain/Gib strategy. US entry is at (prior to September '41): Europe pool 31/23, Jap pool 21/16. Options taken: 1,4,7,9,11,15,16,20. Japan keeping China reasonable through what has been so far a successful strat bombing campaign (Lan Chow, Sian, Changsha). Thanks, this is excellent. What have your builds looked like?

I need to pre-qualify this a second time. Since the Soviet/Japanese surrender option is not programed (we both would definitely play with this option if it were available), we decided on a house rule that USSR/Japan can not DOW each other until 1945. Obviously builds would be very different and ground unit intensive.

Here are the builds leading up to Japanese DOW vs CW (S/O'41)

S/O'39 (10): 2xTRS(1st cycle)(4), 1xSUB(1st)(1), 1xAMPH(1st)(3), 1xTERR(2).
N/D'39 (10): 2xCV(2nd)(4), 1xCP(1), 1xSUB(1st)(1), 1xNAV2(2), 1xTERR(2).
J/F'40 (15): 2xCP(2), 1xTRS(1st)(2), 2xSUB(1st)(2), 1xPilot(2), 2xAMPH(1st)(6).
M/A'40 (15): 1xTRS(2nd)(3), 1xTRS(2nd)(4), SYNTH (8).
M/J'40 (15): 1xMIL(2), 1xNAV2(2), 1xSUB(1st)(1), 1xAMPH(2nd)(4), 1xPilot(2), 2xcp's(2), saved 2.
J/A'40 (15(saved 2 oil)): 1xMIL(2), 1xNAV2(2), 1xTRS(2nd)(4), 1xCVP(1), BB Yamato(5), 1xcp(1).
S/O'40 (15): 1xMIL(2), 1xRepair CA(1), 1xNAV3(3), 1xCVP(1), 2xAMPH(2nd)(8).
N/D'40 (15): 1xMIL(2), 1xMTN(4), 1xSUB(2nd)(1), 1xCVP(1), 1xNAV4(4), 1xPilot(2), 1xcp(1).
J/F'41 (15): 1xMIL(2), HQ-I(5), 1xNAV3(3), 1xSUB(1st)(1), 1xPilot(2), 2xCVP's(2).
M/A'41 (16): 1xGAR(2), 2xFTR2(4), 2xPilots(4), 2xSUBs(2nd)(3), 1xcp(1), 2xCVP(2).
M/J'41 (16): 1xINF(3), 1xINF div(2), 3xPilots(6), 1xFTR3(3), 1xCVP(1), 1xCP(1).
J/A'41 (17): 1xINF(3), 1xMTN div(2), 1xFTR2(2), 1xRepair BB(2), 1xSUB(2nd)(2), 1xCP(1), 1xCVP(1), 2xPilot(4).

Critic/comments welcome.

What about a Synth oil on the first turn? I always do because I feel that oil is Japan's Achilles heal.

[AlbertN]

They get the 1st synth in '40 iirc.
I tend to do it the 1st turn of '40 in fact.

[Jaimainsoyyo]

If Japan could maintain a constant strategic bombing on China Factories that strategy could be satisfactory , but Japan should forget that strategy when Oil Embargo started.

[Jagdtiger14]

They get the 1st synth in '40 iirc. I tend to do it the 1st turn of '40 in fact.

I don't like to build huge ticket items on the 1st turn of a year (SYNTH, O-chits, etc...), especially early in the game. The SYNTH in this case is over 50% of Japan's BP's in 1940. I prioritized the 3 new 1940 lift instead.

[brian brian]

To really bomb, bomb, bomb the Chinese the Japanese can really use one of their "Sally" LND3 bombers. And they might draw the "Nell" NAV3 with only one bombing factor and need to build that one (which they will need for war in the Pacific anyway). And then the long range 1940 "Zero" FTR2 are pretty useful too.

Much of this because the prime Chinese hex to bomb is Chungking, at some distance from the Japanese lines as it is the only one which offers the chance to hit more than one Production Point. And a smart Chinese player will hold their FTR back for defense of that hex. But many Chinese players would rather use, and inevitably lose, their FTR on the front lines, where it is more "fun".

Later in the war Japanese bombers are helpful in holding off the ChiComms in particular, so they won't regret these builds when the best air units inevitably have to withdraw from China to defend sea zones.


My current solitaire game is more an exploration of a German opening in the West. But it rolled Rain & Storm for Sep/Oct 39 and the whole thing is moot.

I think the Japanese can profit from a "mostly" Passive strategy far more than an "Ultra" passive strategy. WiF rarely rewards an "absolute" approach to most things.

[Jagdtiger14]

I Buy every NAV I can get my hands on, even the "Susie" NAV2. As Japan, I find it a tough decision to buy LND3's with so many other pressing needs, but I do see the value and need to try and squeeze it into the budget some how.

[AlbertN]

LND3 tend to have many "flying coffee machine" type of airplanes to receive an investment, unless the war is going very well for Japan.
I'd rather have 3 CVPs than 1 LND3 to have an optimal CV squadron as long as they're efficient and have somehow subpar replacements after the naval battle (which unavoidable brings the loss of your best CVPs - at least FTR wise).