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Can you experts offer any guidance on how much oil that Japan, say, should save rather than use for production in, say, 1939? How about Italy, France, the CW, the US? I think I tend to be too cautious about "spending" oil on production, especially as Japan, but even as the CW. Anyone have some rules of thumb on this?

I would say in 1939-1940, Japan should save 1 oil per turn over and above what it starts with - that is, it ends each turn with 1 more saved oil than it started with.

In 1941, make that 2 oil per turn. I would also save some in Canton, and possibly one other overseas spot that you intend on basing fleet out of as well.

Then you have a stock of oil to survive a turn or two while you re-conquer the oil once it gets cut off, and you can reorganise your overseas fleet in a pinch.

In 1942-1943 you probably want to continue stockpiling oil, at a rate of 1-2 points per turn. By late '43 you may be getting into the situation where you don't have convoy lines continuously keeping your oil flowing back to Japan.

Thanks very much. It sounds like I'm being too conservative about "spending" oil for production, then. Both Japan and CW are saving 2-3 extra oil per turn, for example. Maybe better to invest it in the military. (And, eventually, in synthetic oil?)

I rather spend the oil early on production and attempt to save more later.

I also prefer to build the synth oil early.

My guideline is 3 or 4 in the bank each turn until war with the US and then a reserve of 6 per turn.

(I don't mean saving that amount each turn, I mean that is the amount to have saved at the beginning of each turn, ideally, so the amount to save depends how much of the reserve gets used during the prior turn.)

Paul's #s sound good to me.

there are many approaches as to when and how to build the SYNTH plants for Japan

some build them on the first possible turn

some save 1 or 2 BP per turn and then build them when the surplus reaches 8

some combine those for the 2nd SYNTH

some wait till the the early middle of the war (me)

my reasoning is that I would rather build units to a) have more forces to capture resources with and b) have the maximum force possible when war with the USA comes
so I build one Japanese SYNTH plant the turn before war with the USA, or the turn of war, wait a turn, and build the second one. the first year of war with the USA, the IJN should be able to get the oil home OK. it's true that the earlier you build them, the bigger the total return. but also a bit less of a maximum position you can reach on the board, and you don't totally NEED the SYNTH until after war with USA



then there is the option of Japanese adventures in the Middle East….those are fun. it can be easier to get that oil than more Chinese coal, especially if the Allies just hand it to you…unless the Germans are bogging down going for the Rock against a tough Winston. then you might regret opening the sand box as you lose Manchuria. those factories are worth more than the oil.

Interesting. I didn't know some Japanese players had adventures in the Middle East! I'll take another look at the map.

Interesting post [:)]. What about Germany & Italy?

Personally, I tend to save 1 oil each turn with Italy (and get one from Germany to reorganise the units) and 2 with Germany. That is after reorganisation. I rather have oil available in 1944 to make sure the planes and HQ's get reorganised in late war, than to conclude that I build to much of the fun stuff and can't use it anymore because of shortages. The later shortages appear, the better it is. Especially when war starts with the USSR, you are down to 5 oil resources and at that stage the Euroaxis can't save anymore oil...