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A key in DOS Pacific War, is for the IJN to capture the replacement entry cities. In reading the various WITP AAR; I find games where the Japanese conquers India, Russia, China, Australia, and/or Hawaii. The AI IJN seems unlikely to build an overwhelming force to attack the key cities and/or shipyard, nor does the initial Allied setup attempt to defend these cities against such a Japanese move. However it seems a Human Japanese player can push to accomplish this and perhaps the Allied player cannot defense against a such move. An example half measure is to move the initial five Indian Divisions to Karachi, Bombay, Colombo, Trimamacolee(sp), and Calcutta. However this means abandoning the front. It is unlikely a single division can defend against a multiple division invasion force supported by dominate CV and Surface forces. As ships move faster than ground units; the Indian forces cannot react sufficiently. Perhaps I overestimate the early Japanese power, but the AAR suggest it can be done.

Is the game broken by design or am I missing something. The Japanese can initially do anything it wants, but not everything. In my first game, my Japanese player took Midway in Dec41, PM in Jan42, and Noumea in Feb42. Have not figured out what his next plan is for Mar42. I am starting my second game with another opponent; seeking to define how to defend India with inferior insufficient forces. Perhaps he will not move to India but similar problem defending anything the Japanese player seeks.

Logistics are Japan's toughest enemy, especially early on. To take India either the IJN abandons the Pacific to the USN or an overland slog is on order. Both ways consume a huge effort and the later can easily bog down in Burma due to supply problems. The former option is such a long supply line that it's impractical and as stated the USN can run riot.

Bill,

The JN/A has, I think, 12 divisions free to deploy in the initial phase of the war, along with various smaller brigades and SNLFs. If the IJ player is buying divisions out of China, that's all he is doing with the PP.

The first three points here are

1. Withdraw the PI forces into the Manilla/Clark/Bataan triangle (San Marcellino is a rail link over a blue hexside on the standard map), turn all but a couple of units to no replacements and dig in, make him work for it. Slip some single ship AK tfs full of supply to Bataan/Manilla, if he is concentrating his air out on the offence you will probably slip some in.

2. Defend as long as possible in Malaya, to exhaust the initial impetus, and the zero bonus - keep fighters particularly in Singapore; if Singapore is heading for 'orange' supply, ship/fly to Java.

3. Send some Australians/Americans/stuff from Singapore to Java, and Timor, and maybe even Ambon, and after he takes Palembang, Balikpapan etc, bomb them into the stoneage. You might lose all of it, but slow him down, and leave some unit fragments in Melbourne or somewhere that will rebuild later.

The LJ player will run out of trained pilots and oil in mid 42 if he over commits, and if he is pushing west the USN is building without interference. Worst comes to worst, assemble your US carriers, transports, repl TFs, about 12 divisions, and about 2 million supply and invade Hokkaido from the Aleutians instead of engaging in the South Pacific, to stave off an auto victory. By then, the KB will have bumped into a big LBA force somewhere and taken some hits, and the seas off Java is a good place - see point 3.

On Tocaff's point about an overland invasion of India, there is (standard map) a break in the road/rail network between Mandalay and Imphal where the trails run through jungle/mountain territory and it takes a month to walk through it without opposition, let alone with. Dig in at Imphal and Kohima.