What are the most important places for Japan to take?

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

ORIGINAL: stuman

Sinapore, Manila/Clarke, Palembang, Rangoon, Mandalay, Hong Kong, Batavia, Soerabaja, Kuching, Balikpapan, Tarakan, Kendari, Menado, Amboina, Rabaul, Moresby, Suva, Noumea, Johnston, Canton, Palmyra, Wake,  maybe Yenen and Louchow.  PH, 'Frisco, LA, San Diego, Wash DC  if you are really cool.

This is too much IMHO. If the allied player does a good job of defending the PI, Malaya and DEI, places like Suva and Noumea and Canton should be very difficult for IJ to take.

Not to mention that they'll probably never take DC! We would definately stop 'em in Kansas! [:D]

I hope so, I don't want to be fighting them in Memphis !

[AW1Steve]

So if I understand what everybody is saying , What you really want is 1) the DEI, Malaysia and Java for resources.2)The Marianas to keep the USA from bombing the home islands3) The PI, and everything else you can grab, to deny it to the allies, force them to re-take them, and delay,delay,delay. Except for the fight for the resouces, Both the allies in the early war, and Japan in the later game , are in a delaying game. Take all that you can from the enemy, then may him pay blood to take it all back.
 
 This may sound like a silly question, but has anyone ever just taken what they needed, then concertrated on defending that? I'm just curious what the results were. [&:]

[FeurerKrieg]

I'm pretty happy with the gains in my game, but I won't speak to much about the how and why since the game is at the critical mid-1943 time period. If you want to discuss further visit my AAR or PM.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

So if I understand what everybody is saying , What you really want is 1) the DEI, Malaysia and Java for resources.2)The Marianas to keep the USA from bombing the home islands3) The PI, and everything else you can grab, to deny it to the allies, force them to re-take them, and delay,delay,delay. Except for the fight for the resouces, Both the allies in the early war, and Japan in the later game , are in a delaying game. Take all that you can from the enemy, then may him pay blood to take it all back.

This may sound like a silly question, but has anyone ever just taken what they needed, then concertrated on defending that? I'm just curious what the results were. [&:]

In my experimental game against the AI, I am stopping after taking Noumea. My original plans called for the conquest of New Zealand, but I'm revising my plans after seeing how really horrifically long my supply lines are. I think the extent of historical Japanese expansion is really about as far as you want to go....PM being the exception....maybe Darwin

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

I'm pretty happy with the gains in my game, but I won't speak to much about the how and why since the game is at the critical mid-1943 time period. If you want to discuss further visit my AAR or PM.

Thank you. I'll take you up on that.[:)]

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

So if I understand what everybody is saying , What you really want is 1) the DEI, Malaysia and Java for resources.2)The Marianas to keep the USA from bombing the home islands3) The PI, and everything else you can grab, to deny it to the allies, force them to re-take them, and delay,delay,delay. Except for the fight for the resouces, Both the allies in the early war, and Japan in the later game , are in a delaying game. Take all that you can from the enemy, then may him pay blood to take it all back.

This may sound like a silly question, but has anyone ever just taken what they needed, then concertrated on defending that? I'm just curious what the results were. [&:]

In my experimental game against the AI, I am stopping after taking Noumea. My original plans called for the conquest of New Zealand, but I'm revising my plans after seeing how really horrifically long my supply lines are. I think the extent of historical Japanese expansion is really about as far as you want to go....PM being the exception....maybe Darwin

Would that be for strategic,resource or point reasons? (Darwin)[&:]

[51st Highland Div]

Maybe its because it can be built up to airfield size large enough for 4E to operate out of and hit those oil points in the region...[&:]

[AW1Steve]

That makes really good sense. But what about taking Timor, and using it to bomb Darwin for "live fire training?". That way , no matter what he sends to Darwin, you bomb the devil out of it.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: 51st Highland Div

Maybe its because it can be built up to airfield size large enough for 4E to operate out of and hit those oil points in the region...[&:]

Yes, it is close enough to bomb Kendari, Ambonia, Sorong and other places back to the stone age. Plus it gives Southwest pac something to do other than plot your demise.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

That makes really good sense. But what about taking Timor, and using it to bomb Darwin for "live fire training?". That way , no matter what he sends to Darwin, you bomb the devil out of it.

I'm not that experienced at the Japanese side. That said, I find Timor to be a no mans land. I think Japan needs to take it, but not commit too much to holding it. Same goes for PM actually.

Edit: I didn't originally list Timor because, of course, it was historically a Japanese occupied area.

Edited Edit: Players who do conquer a lot more than what Japan did historically may be sticking there neck out just to get it chopped off. I can promise you that as the allies I would do my best to find creative ways to cut off isolated troops, like those that might have occupied Suva, or Canton Is.

[Historiker]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

What about Ambonia and Kendari? Should they be 1st targets to seize resources and cut off the allies retreat?

It's totally unimportent when you caputre the large ressource- and oil bases IF you take them!
In fact, it may be better leaving them to allies for some additional month and just cut them off. As long as the allied player controls them, the ressource and oil production continues without any damage which may change quite soon after you've taken the base!

I prefer taking enough lvl 4 bases around DEI/PI, so Ambonia, Kuching, Koepang and Kendari are targets for round 1.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: Historiker

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

What about Ambonia and Kendari? Should they be 1st targets to seize resources and cut off the allies retreat?

It's totally unimportent when you caputre the large ressource- and oil bases IF you take them!
In fact, it may be better leaving them to allies for some additional month and just cut them off. As long as the allied player controls them, the ressource and oil production continues without any damage which may change quite soon after you've taken the base!

I prefer taking enough lvl 4 bases around DEI/PI, so Ambonia, Kuching, Koepang and Kendari are targets for round 1.

Kendari is a nice resource center and should be taken with a little damage as possible. The Dutch NG area is not very important for resources, however, it is nice to have to interdict the Allied retreat. In the Threadwar this was done against me and it was quite the pain in the butt.

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

ORIGINAL: Historiker

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

What about Ambonia and Kendari? Should they be 1st targets to seize resources and cut off the allies retreat?

It's totally unimportent when you caputre the large ressource- and oil bases IF you take them!
In fact, it may be better leaving them to allies for some additional month and just cut them off. As long as the allied player controls them, the ressource and oil production continues without any damage which may change quite soon after you've taken the base!

I prefer taking enough lvl 4 bases around DEI/PI, so Ambonia, Kuching, Koepang and Kendari are targets for round 1.

Kendari is a nice resource center and should be taken with a little damage as possible. The Dutch NG area is not very important for resources, however, it is nice to have to interdict the Allied retreat. In the Threadwar this was done against me and it was quite the pain in the butt.

So "cutting off" the allies in their retreat to OZ is a major priority? [&:] To starve them out? Or to force them to die in place?

[bradfordkay]

Certainly if you are going for an auto-victory (or hoping to prevent an allied victory late in the game), troop destruction is very important. This is an area where the Japanese player can rack up a lot of points. In our game which has entered 1944, Chez' VP lead is based solely on the approx 9000-1000 lead in troop destruction points. 

[Historiker]

So "cutting off" the allies in their retreat to OZ is a major priority? To starve them out? Or to force them to die in place?

By taking several lvl 4 airfields or cruising carriers around DEI, you achieve several important things:
1. You make it too dangerous for him to attack your landing TFs with surface fleets. I had a jap opponend not doing this and sank him 1BB, 3CA, 3CL +DDs with the Dutch and british ships. If he had Bettys everywhere, it were too dagnerous.
2. You sink the fleeing enemy shipping. This isn't as important as sinking 100 dutch/british/US AKs from DEI, Malaya and PI doesn't change anything. It also doesn't give you too much points - still, it's better than nothing and reminds your opponent better not to get into betty range. The important ships (warships, large APs) usually are too fast and consequently out of range, soon, to catch several of them.
3. You sink enemy fuel and oil transports comeing from DEI. THe allies are desperatly short of fuel in Australia at the beginning. I managed to sink the mini-KB in January 42 in the Java Sea with the two allied CVs initially off PH by shipping every ton of fuel available from DEI to Port Morsby and Darwin. If he had captured the lvl 4 airfields, neither would my CVs have appeared nore would I had have the chance to ship enough fuel for them and their escorts...
4. You sink enemy ships carrying reinforcements and supplies to Singapoore, Manila and Java.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

ORIGINAL: niceguy2005

ORIGINAL: Historiker



It's totally unimportent when you caputre the large ressource- and oil bases IF you take them!
In fact, it may be better leaving them to allies for some additional month and just cut them off. As long as the allied player controls them, the ressource and oil production continues without any damage which may change quite soon after you've taken the base!

I prefer taking enough lvl 4 bases around DEI/PI, so Ambonia, Kuching, Koepang and Kendari are targets for round 1.

Kendari is a nice resource center and should be taken with a little damage as possible. The Dutch NG area is not very important for resources, however, it is nice to have to interdict the Allied retreat. In the Threadwar this was done against me and it was quite the pain in the butt.

So "cutting off" the allies in their retreat to OZ is a major priority? [&:] To starve them out? Or to force them to die in place?

Hmmm...major priority? I would say not by comparison to taking Singapore ASAP, nor is it as important as bottling up USAFE and making progress there. I would rate Rabaul as easily more important also, as is the North coast of Borneo. Those are the opening priorities for Japan. However, every unit cut off is that many fewer units you have to face later. I think getting Bettys to Ambonia is probably an important early goal. They can do a lot of damage to allied shipping trying to flee to Oz. That is probably the biggest gain for taking Ambonia early.

The thing about Kendari, and Dutch NG, is that it takes very little force to actually take it. So in that sense it is low hanging fruit. Once taken it is easily defended and can provide a great base for staging, for recon and for anti-shipping.

[Q-Ball]

In my 2x2 with John3rd, the Southern DEI moves were high-priority. I landed immediately at Amboina, and landed at Kendari/Koepang within the first 20 days. If they Allies want to make Java tough they probably need P-40s, and they can't have P-40s there if you take all the airfields in the Southern DEI which they would need to stage from Oz. The Southern DEI strategy worked really well for us, and I would recommend it. The DEI was completely conquered in 6 weeks, including Java. You don't need many troops to execute it either, just SNLF. More important are getting base forces/supplies down there.

[AW1Steve]

Wow! You guys have definately given me a lot to think about.[&o] What about the central Pacific? Anything there that I absolutely should grab? [&:]

[Historiker]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

Wow! You guys have definately given me a lot to think about.[&o] What about the central Pacific? Anything there that I absolutely should grab? [&:]

Depends on the mod.
In RHS and my CHS IATB, captureing bases far out might be very usefull as the bombers have a far greater range.
In stock and CHS, a good allied player can simply outflank bases far out as they aren't able to cut into his flanks.

A good idea might be to try to capture every island that can have an airport bigger than 4 that is close enough to hit your already existing bases with B-17 and B-24.
It would be very uncomfortable if you allow the allied player to base B-24 on Tarawa and Wake...

[Hornblower]

Depends on if you have CV superiority or not.  If you can win the Midway battle, then I personally would try to take Canton Island and base some Betty’s and Zero’s there and cut the LOS to NZ and OZ.  Of course you need to be able to supply whatever you take.  Whatever your decision is, the gain might only be temporary unless your adversary manages to loose most of his CV’s and consequently his ability to project power in the central pacific..