Prefered style of playing Japan

[Mziln]

I thought as long as we had started a thread on how you play Germany we should have one on Japan.

(1) China. How much do you commit to the ground war?
(2) The buildup for war with the Allies. Shipping or Troops?
(3) The Netherlands East Indies, Singapore, and India. It's all about Oil.
(4) The Hawaiian Islands. The sleeping giant is awakened.

[Chaplain]

Singapore is everything. It must be taken early, and fast. As Japan, an early war against the Dutch/British is my strategy - seizing oil and Singapore. Then we go for Pearl and try to keep pressure forward as long as possible, before running away and hiding behind forts and LBA. Unless your Yankee opponent is a nincompoop, he's going to batter you pretty hard. Prepare yourself psychologically.

[terje439]

I prefer to declare war on the US and Commonwealth at the same time, dividing my naval units to destroy as much of the allied fleet as possible at once. This is foloowed by captiring NEI, Singapore, Burma and the Philiphines. Then I switch to defensive and try to hold on for as long as possible.

When it comes to China I like to hit them hard the first turns, if they start to crumble I try to make any remaining China VERY small, but if the dce roll against me, I do not commit very hard in China, as this will keep imortant BPs away from my wareffort against the aliied forces that I know are bound to hit me later on.

[macgregor]

The best chance the Japanese have for winning(IMHO) is by helping Germany take out the USSR. Japanese troops should be able to cut the trans-siberian. If the Germans can put the Soviet forces on the ropes by fall '41, I'd try it . The NEI oil is of course,vital, so I'd plan for that. I'd for the most part keep my fleet within range of land-based fighters. Slower ships I'd use to protect convoys while keeping a powerful ,fast carrier fleet. After making the attack on Pearl Harbor,( if by attacking USSR they haven't already declared war on me) I would then use this carrier fleet as mainly as a deterrent, though ready to make a late impulse gamble if the opportunity should present itself. I set limited objectives for myself in China and once the resources I need from there are secure I take on a more defensive posture while chasing partisans. I miss this game.

[Greyshaft]

A Vladivostok gambit is tricky for Japan. If it is attempted in 39/40 and fails then Japan will lose a lot of attack potential and then will have no chance for victory in China. If it is attempted in 41 (in conjunction with Germany) then Japan is severely distracted from taking out the NEI and getting up a perimeter against the USA. I've tried it a few times in 39/40 since the whole Japanese Fleet is available to contribute lots of shore bombardment and airpower but I don't see it as a sure thing. It's certainly not an option to be taken lightly.

[meyerg]

1) It is in Japan's interest to concentrate on China early. If the Chinese can be pounded, you get more resources and can concentrate on US/UK later.
Usually the Japanese player should be worried that the Russians attack early, give the Chinese an early break, kill some of the limited troops the Japanese start with, force a peace, and take resources from Japan. If you can get the Russians to attack, hold them off (especially in the mountains of Korea), they make the US angry and you get to make the German's life much easier.

Japan should build armor+inf turn 1 and ramp up inf production. Build lots of HQs. Armor should allow the Japanese to choose ASSAULT killing more Chinese and maybe getting some 7-1 blitzes. It is critical to vary your attacks by season (attack from north in summer, south in winter) to maximize good weather. You can always build navy later, and more of it if you take Chinese resources.

2) By summer 40/41 it is time to take Vlad. If the Japanese can attrition Russia, the German's have an easy time. Vlad is on the coast, so the Navy can practically double your odds. War with Japan does not increase Russian production. As Russia, I usually only can afford two units in Vlad, my biggest INF, my biggest cheap garrison by summer '41. The Japanese need to attack it, I lose max 3 pts production, and don't lose valuable units I need to face Hitler.

3) Singapore is not eveything. The Oil is #1, Rabaul #2, Philipines #3, and Singapore #4. As long as UK has India and Australia, the Japanese will be stretched thin late in the war. Taking out India is big.

4) Japanese convoys are fragile. Land based air is best convoy garrison and seazone interdiction. Keeping a fast reaction carrier force is essential (in Truk is ideal, especially if you used to play Victory in Pacific).

5) No matter what, Japan needs to worry about the US at all times. Too many Japanese get focused on China and China turns into a large POW camp for Japanese troops that wish they were stopping the US from getting to Tokyo. Put two white print units in Truk and Rabaul (I like the 5-3's because they usually are flipped when the invasion comes anyway and it makes me feel efficient).

6) Land based air is the key in the Pacific. (Watch old Black Sheep reruns if you need to verify this)

[PanzerLehr]

Of course, a lot of the old Japan vs China / Russia strategy will become redundant since the whole world will be modelled at the European scale. China will be a nightmare of manoeuvre and tenuous supply lines.

[YohanTM2]

ORIGINAL: PanzerLehr

Of course, a lot of the old Japan vs China / Russia strategy will become redundant since the whole world will be modelled at the European scale. China will be a nightmare of manoeuvre and tenuous supply lines.

But it will also be difficlut for China to garrison effectively unless they change the troop mix. And then they will have to change it for Japan. And then they will have to change it for the US and GB and Russia and...AAGH

[PanzerLehr]

Yes. But the first side to screw up even for a moment in this theatre can expect to pay a horrible price.

Partisans too :shudder:

[meyerg]

I didn't know we were going to all European map hexes? That will probably favor the Japanese all the more. Their superior movement and ability to shift fronts at will with the navy will be even more of a factor.
Put me down for an infantry and armor the first turn as the Japanese and major problems for the Chinese Summer 40.

[gbed]

All well and good, but supply is a real bear! Don't let your HQ's stray far from a rail line or it is a very good way to lose complete armies in short order.

[Mziln]

ORIGINAL: gbed

All well and good, but supply is a real bear! Don't let your HQ's stray far from a rail line or it is a very good way to lose complete armies in short order.

I send Yamamoto on a brief tour of duty in China to solve the supply problems. Its not like Japan is planning to go to war with the U.S.A. early (well lets hope they don't).

[gbed]

I do that as well, but with the increased size of China on the European scale, and with foul weather, supply will be the determining factor, IMHO. The Chinese have to play with Supply and weather in mind. If they do that, things can be made very difficult for the Japanese. All the talk about superior movement comes to a crashing halt in rain and storm impulses. I think that this scale is a blast in this theater!

[meyerg]

Bad weather can often favor the Japanese. I don't know how many times I have flipped two black print Chinese and attacked them as two defense because the weather was bad.
If you read my earlier suggestion, i build lots of HQs for Japan. Plus, when its bad weather on one front, it is usually good weather on the other.
The dream for the Japanese is to pound China so bad that Japan gets many resources and frees up the army. i don't know how many times i had to leave china one city until the us comes in (don't want to make the us entry roll for conquering china until the US is in the war).

[PanzerLehr]

Partisans in China will become a mortal threat too - even for those of us accustomed to limited Pacific map ZoCs, without which it was possible for Japan to shut partisans out of lowland China completely just by holding four or five second-line units behind the front.

[MButtazoni]

will become redundant since the whole world will be modelled at the European scale.

is this a fact or rumor?

[Mziln]

ORIGINAL: MButtazoni

will become redundant since the whole world will be modelled at the European scale.

is this a fact or rumor?

In CWiF China is about 48 hexes wide at its widest point.

If European scale is used that would make China 4,800 kilometers at its widest point.
If the old scale is used that would make China 12,000 kilometers at its widest point.

The actual diameter of Earth is 12,756 kilometers.

Ps: There is no longer a U.S. minimap.

[meyerg]

Don't tell me we have the option of moving an armor "by hand" from the west coast to the east coast if we want to. I for one am willing to make the assumption we shouldn't be fighting in the US to make the game simpler.
I will buy a complete India and Australia, but a European hex US may be going a little to far.

[Greyshaft]

ORIGINAL: Mziln
Ps: There is no longer a U.S. minimap.

Where did this rumor come from [&:]

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: meyerg

Don't tell me we have the option of moving an armor "by hand" from the west coast to the east coast if we want to. I for one am willing to make the assumption we shouldn't be fighting in the US to make the game simpler.
I will buy a complete India and Australia, but a European hex US may be going a little to far.

Er, it's already been done [8D]. Have you seen the beta demo?

Cheers
Neilster