Early stage Japanese issues

[generalfdog]

Most games I have played turn out pretty good but I have notice that if you play very aggressively early on as the allies that you can stop or make it so difficult for Japan that it is almost and ends the game before it gets started, much like the fall of France in wpe that initial part is key. The original version of wpp had the allies having no transport capacity I wonder if returning to that model would make some sense?

[AlvaroSousa]

Give examples of what they can do.

[stjeand]

I have noticed if the Japanese player does not know how to handle an aggressive allied player then they do have issues.

I have been able to reinforce the DEI and that can end the game early.


But players have to learn how to counter those things.

[generalfdog]

I have noticed if the Japanese player does not know how to handle an aggressive allied player then they do have issues.

I have been able to reinforce the DEI and that can end the game early.


But players have to learn how to counter those things.

So how do you counter an allied player who sends everything to Dei, Borneo, new guinea, and the Solomons? Japan dosen't have enough ships or oil to blockade them all and it sets them back to much if they can't take that stuff fairly quickly or even worse never take them

[stjeand]

Early on the Allies have no way to do that...
They do not have enough transports and don't have enough units.
If the UK send units to the DEI then I hammer India. If their troops are not there I will roll over the India defenses. Every unit is needed there.

To counter the DEI I keep ships around to intercept transports...
The Allies don't have enough ships over there to counter effectively. They could counter using the suicide strategy...send one ship at a time until the Axis have no intercepts left. Then move the transports in.
But not sure what they have that they can transfer to the DEI.
I like to move a Philippine small corp but that unit I blockade so it can't leave.

For Borneo I either take or blockade each and every port so no Allied units can land or leave.

Also my normal attack is to try to take Sumatra on turn 1 with multiple marines. I succeed probably 80% of the time.
Once you have that island an army arrives on turn 2...and starts moving to Batvia.

I guess I might have to see what your plan would be that would get around my first few moves and reinforce.

In the Solomons I like to blockade Henderson field so no units can land. IF the Allies want to land on the 1 size ports good luck to them. The Japanese can easily keep their blockaded with night moving ship groups.

[MattFL]

In my experience, the Allies can be very selectively annoying, but have no chance to meaningly interfere with what Japan wants to do in the first several months of the war.

Philippines - typically falls in Turn 1 (greater than 50/50 - though if it doesn't it creates a bit of a headache).

DEI - Batavia gets attacked on Turn 1 with 3-1 odds guaranteed and will fall in the first turn of no rain after that if the attack fails (and even with rain still usually falls on turn 3). So no need to commit much at all to Borneo - just one unit to grab some oil on the west coast which will then snag the rest of the oil after the DEI Troops surrender.

Even India seems extremely hard to defend for the Allies. They can build a defensive line around calcutta or even try to hold the rangoon line, but will eventually be invaded somewhere along the southern coast behind their lines rendering the line useless. And if they get creative and try to blockade the invasion ports, they just put their early war navy at risk to Japans carrier groups.

My take on this is that any troops the allies try to commit to DEI, Phillippines, Borneo, etc are just easily destroyed forces as early game the Allies don't have the navy to support them. I don't see how they can possibly effect the battles for these locations and if they try, they just weaken themselves where it matters more long term.

[laramieela]

I continue to find discussion of early Japan to inform. I hope to play Japan in 1941 as well as the historical successes.

[DeepTyphoon]

Even India seems extremely hard to defend for the Allies.

Against a skillful Japanese player you better be sending everything possible to India from turn one.

[ncc1701e]

Jungle terrain is indeed too easy to pass through imo...