War in China

[lomyrin]

Some good points about how to go about defending in China on this map.  After the game's release it will be very interesting to see how different strategies work out for both China and Japan.

[lomyrin]

The May/Jun 41turn starts with a Japanese initiative after a reroll. The weather is Fine everywhere.

The US has not talen any additional actions with their entry situation. it has been adversely affected by some notices of Axis atrocities not being published
( a bug)

Japan groundstrike on Chihkiang succeeded and the defender is disorganized.

Chihkiang is attacked and taken with the Chinese losing a Mil, no adverse affects on Japans units.

Japan also attacks a Mil further south and has a +18 rolls a 4 for 22. Japan kills the defending Mil but suffers two units disorganized.

Japan also broke down an Infantry unit into two Infantry Divisions at the north end of the south front.

In the north Japan continues to ooze southwards to the central plains and is sending a Mech Div to the orth and west of the front lines.

The poor Chinese in the meantime have so far not been able to breakdown any units, Nationalists or Communists, seems they have not figured out how to do that yet. (a Bug)

[lomyrin]

May/June impulse 2 with fine weather everywhere.

The Chinese impulse now is facing disaster in the south and the forces are running for the hills away from the Japanese. Some will be saved.
Blocking of the Japanese advances towards the central plain are also made. In view of what has happened they would have been better off running away earlier.

At this point it look quite bad for China. Do keep in mind that in a normal game Japan would by now have to stop major activities in China and keep occupied by preparations and p[ositioning for the Pacific War. Here that still seems to be quite some time in the future.

[lomyrin]

For Japans impulse 3 there is rain in the south which puts acrimp on the advances there. Japan chooses a combined action and sends troops out to Siam and Truk in preparations for advances from those points later on. This leaves only 3 land moves available in China and they are used to continue oozing south from the north and oozing west from the central area to force China to garrison Chengtu and Chungking and have even fewer troops at the fronts.

[lomyrin]

May/Jun 41 Chinese impulse 4 and rain in the south is saving a few Chinese units that are running to the mountains. 2 Uits are now in Kweiyang and Chengtu and Chungking are safe for the moment.

In the meantime Germany has now attacked the USSR. Soon the Japanese will have to pay attention to the CW areas in the Pacific.

[composer99]

I rather thought that the Chinese would eventually pay for having a line of 1 unit per hex in the south. All it took were some better Japanese dice (which finally showed up!). Fortunately for China, the threat of conquest or crippling is over.

The Communists can stand past, the Nationalists will want to head back to Kunming and hold the line there. The Japanese may want to withdraw to mountains in the north, take Ankang while they can to prevent it from being an advance base for China, and maybe seize Kweiyang. But I think they're about done their offensives against China.

[brian brian]

I don't know, China is tottering so badly it could really pay off for the Japanese to go all-in with more reinforcements and a use of the Offensive Chit in China; a smashing victory seems within their grasp. Especially with USE running late. I guess a lot of players like to attack the CW before the US, but I see no reason this always has to be the case.

[sajbalk]

China is going to survive and perhaps prosper.

The lack of breakdown and USE at this stage of the game is somewhat concerning as far as bugs.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: sajbalk

China is going to survive and perhaps prosper.

The lack of breakdown and USE at this stage of the game is somewhat concerning as far as bugs.

There is a bug with USE for taking out Chinese cities. For some reason, that was handled slightly differently in CWIF ("delayed usage") and I have never figured out why.

The break down stuff has to do with the unlimited breakdown optional rule. Basically, there will be two compeltely separate sets of code for when the optional rule is on and when it is off.

---
In general, prioritizing tasks is never the way someone wants it (except me[;)]). I am confident in saying that no two players would agree on the priorities/order for my MWIF task list.[:)]

[lomyrin]

M/J 41 impuse 5 Japan makes only one attack on the Chungking warlord unit that is blocking the road access for Japan.
From the present situation it is tempting for Japan to continue towards Kweiyang and perhaps even Kunming eventually.

Japan also debarked units in Siam and in Truk.

[hdosbe]

How many hexes may run the Warlords from their city?

[composer99]

Up to 6 in MWiF.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: composer99

Up to 6 in MWiF.

Yes.

Another change from WIF FE is that we let the players set them up (at the beginning of the game) anywhere within that range of 6 hexes. WIF FE required them to start in their home cities.

[lomyrin]

May/Jun impulse 7 and the weather has cleared in the south. Too late for Japan to do much since most of their units have been disrupted. The Marine Div has moved to the South China Sea coast.

Impulse 8, the Allies all passed for a 40% chance of ending the turn and it did end on a roll of 2.

[Froonp]

In this game, were the builts for Japan including finishing the construction pool carriers and repair pool cruisers & BB, and building 2 CP per turn ?

I ask this because it looks to me as if the Japanese have put a strong emphasis on land builts.

I am preparing the 1939-1941 builts for my Japanese in our new Vassal game, and I could not fit a single INF for the moment in my build plan. Only 2 MIL in 1939.

I am planning an initial production of 10 in 1939 and 13 in 1940. This is without taking extra resources in China so it could raise to 15 if I take Sian and another resource and clear the railways, but in your game this was achieved very late.

I am also saving 1 BP per turn for building a synth in late 1940, and saving 1 oil per turn and planning on an oil consumption of 1 per turn too.

How did you came up with a so large army ? You did not build CP, no Synth, no oil saved, no navy ?

If that is true, this Japanese is already doomed in front of the Western Allies.

[Froonp]

My builds are :

S/O 39 - 10 BP
2 CP
CV Shokaku (2)
repair CA Aoba
MIL
PIL
1 BP saved

N/D 39 - 10 BP
2 CP
CV Zuikaku (2)
repair CA Kinugasa
MIL
PIL
1 BP saved

J/F 40 - 14 BP
2 CP
CVL Zuiho (2)
repair BB Hiei
DIV ARM
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

M/A 40 - 12 BP
2 CP
CVL Chitose (2)
repair CA Takao
ART
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

M/J 40 - 12 BP
1 CP
1 TK
CVL Chiyoda (2)
repair CA Atago
DIV MAR
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

J/A 40 - 13 BP
1 CP
1 TK
CVL Shoho (2)
AMPH (1)
TRS (1)
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

S/O 40 - 13 BP
1 CP
1 TK
CVL Ryuho (2)
repair CA Asama
SUB (1)
DIV ENG
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

N/D 40 - 12 BP
1 CP
1 TK
BB Yamato (2)
SUB (1)
PIL
CVP
Synth
Use 7 saved BP

J/F 41 - 15 BP
1 CP
1 TK
TRS (2)
SUB (1)
Yamashita HQ-I
PIL
CVP

Only from now do I have turns productions of 5 BP so I can plan land units.

And for S/O 41 I have 1 extra AMPH, 1 extra TRS, 1 extra HQ-I, finished all construction pool and repair pool ships, and build 2 CP per turn and the synth, all of which I consider necessary to face the war inthe Pacific.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

My builds are :

S/O 39 - 10 BP
2 CP
CV Shokaku (2)
repair CA Aoba
MIL
PIL
1 BP saved

N/D 39 - 10 BP
2 CP
CV Zuikaku (2)
repair CA Kinugasa
MIL
PIL
1 BP saved

J/F 40 - 14 BP
2 CP
CVL Zuiho (2)
repair BB Hiei
DIV ARM
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

M/A 40 - 12 BP
2 CP
CVL Chitose (2)
repair CA Takao
ART
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

M/J 40 - 12 BP
1 CP
1 TK
CVL Chiyoda (2)
repair CA Atago
DIV MAR
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

J/A 40 - 13 BP
1 CP
1 TK
CVL Shoho (2)
AMPH (1)
TRS (1)
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

S/O 40 - 13 BP
1 CP
1 TK
CVL Ryuho (2)
repair CA Asama
SUB (1)
DIV ENG
PIL
CVP
1 BP saved

N/D 40 - 12 BP
1 CP
1 TK
BB Yamato (2)
SUB (1)
PIL
CVP
Synth
Use 7 saved BP

J/F 41 - 15 BP
1 CP
1 TK
TRS (2)
SUB (1)
Yamashita HQ-I
PIL
CVP

Only from now do I have turns productions of 5 BP so I can plan land units.

And for S/O 41 I have 1 extra AMPH, 1 extra TRS, 1 extra HQ-I, finished all construction pool and repair pool ships, and build 2 CP per turn and the synth, all of which I consider necessary to face the war inthe Pacific.

Without doing a detailed analysis, your ship repairs seem to be started rather early. Those units will arrive when there is nothing for them to do. They just sit around idle until 1941 don't they?

The infantry are also going to be necessary for the war in the Pacific, and if they are built early they can be earning their wages in China during all of 1940.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
Without doing a detailed analysis, your ship repairs seem to be started rather early. Those units will arrive when there is nothing for them to do. They just sit around idle until 1941 don't they?

The infantry are also going to be necessary for the war in the Pacific, and if they are built early they can be earning their wages in China during all of 1940.

You're damned right Steve !!! How didn't I saw that earlier !
I did not play Japan for too much time, I'm gonna revise that immediately !

Edit : I also postponned the construction pool builts by 1 turn, and manage to replace the 2 MIL by INF, and add a MIL. I may have more, depending on the resources I gain in China.

[Orm]

I usually build the Synth plant the first turn with Japan. That way I get the maximum amount of oil from it.

I do not save any oil in the beginning for Japan. I rather save more later.

I also postpone the productions of CP to later. They arrive rather fast.

[sajbalk]

For the SYNTHs, I do one in J/F 1940 because I like to get many land units built in the first two turns for the China land war. The second SYNTH is started in M/A 1941 after the CV's are started in J/F.