Japan replacing all Manchurian forces with GARs a good idea?

[OxfordGuy3]

Is there an reason why it would be a bad idea for Japan to replace all it's forces in Manchuria with Garrisons in the early game, so that they can use the HQ, Armies and Corps Vs the Chinese? Apart from potential operational movement costs? The Soviets can't attack if there are Garrisons in the key locations, right?

[Simulacra53]

I have been waging 3 years of war with no troops in japan.

Everything goes to China, my invasion forces or the Islands.
Note that I did not declare war on America and the Soviet Union is not threatening me.

The US embargo is limiting the number of MMPs, but as I take more of China I getting closer to pre embargo levels.
Of course MMP are not the same as oil.

[Hubert Cater]

Not a bad idea at all and something I try and have the AI do as well.

[OxfordGuy3]

Great, I might try it then, moving the existing units out via a mix of operational movement and forced march

[Treefrog]

Did that myself, stripping all 5 garrisons on mainland and sending them.
Build a 6th garrison asap (50mpp) and shipped it to Manchuria (15mpp) so total cost was 65 to free up a corps that would cost 175 mpp.
They did a regular march, stopping one turn to upgrade on the way so they arrive at their most formidable.

[ThunderLizard11]

ORIGINAL: Treefrog

Did that myself, stripping all 5 garrisons on mainland and sending them.
Build a 6th garrison asap (50mpp) and shipped it to Manchuria (15mpp) so total cost was 65 to free up a corps that would cost 175 mpp.
They did a regular march, stopping one turn to upgrade on the way so they arrive at their most formidable.

Aren't the Chinese garrisons needed to quell partisans?

[Xenocide]

The only downside is that once the Soviets are in the war they can take out the garrisons with ease if they can spare the troops but that is usually not an issue until 1941 and with a good Barbarossa the danger is minimal. A Soviet invasion of Manchuria is unlikely before the Soviets start pushing the Germans back.

[Easter80]

In the game it's shown historicly wrong, that Manchuria surendered to Japan. Japan made an puppet state of it after occupying it. So in my own mod I changed it into an 100 % activated minor of Japan and swaped all japanese Units with japanese garrissons and set the japanese corps and the HQ to the chinese front additional with 4 manchurian armies and one HQ. My tactic is also the same against the western allies and the soviet union: I sent all activated japanese units on the islands in the pacific to the chinese front and don't declare war on any of other allied powers.

[Xenocide]

Wait.....what?

[sveint]

Easter80 lives in an alternate dimension. Manchuria and Korea was very much occupied. If anything, Korea should be changed to occupied status. The entire game makes the Axis powers far far stronger than they were historically.

Garrisons vs troops: depends on whether fighting is expected vs the Soviets. Either Japan taking Vladivostok (a good idea) or late game Soviets attacking Japan (nothing to worry about until 1943 at the earliest).

[Numdydar]

The Kwantung Army was heavily augmented over the next few years, up to a strength of 700,000 troops by 1941. While experienced troops were transferred out as the war with the Allies progressed, even by 1945 it still had over 700K troops.

So taking these troops out and replacing them with garrisons is very gamey and ahistorical. The only time troops were removed from there for China was for Operation Ichi-Go in April '44. But they were still replaced with less experienced troops to keep the troop count up.

This makes Japan stronger in China than was historical. Which is why it is so easy to overrun China in the game.

There should be some major penalty for swapping these troops out.

[Steely Glint]

Perhaps if the Japanese player withdraws troops from China then there should be a proportional risk of USSR invading Manchuria.

[Easter80]

sveint understood completely wrong what I meaned. So I have changed my text, that also he understands, what I mean.

[Xenocide]

ORIGINAL: Steely Glint

Perhaps if the Japanese player withdraws troops from China then there should be a proportional risk of USSR invading Manchuria.

There is. Once the Soviets are mobilized they can invade at any time and if I see only garrisons I will go for it.

[Numdydar]

Yes but the AI will not. So SP is where the problem is at.