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I have never played as the Japanese yet and I am about to begin the 17 scenario as the Japanese vs. the computer does anyone have suggestions for opening strategies?

Take Port Moresby

Yeah I kinda figured that… to clarify how many ground troops should I use at a minimum? Do I wait for further Japanese CV’s to arrive? Should I take Buna and Gilli Gilli as well? Do I even worry about Guadalcanal?

Originally posted by Micah Goodman
Yeah I kinda figured that… to clarify how many ground troops should I use at a minimum? Do I wait for further Japanese CV’s to arrive? Should I take Buna and Gilli Gilli as well? Do I even worry about Guadalcanal?

Use everything you have. You DONT have the luxury of time.
It is NOT needed to sail around New Guinea and do an amph landing either. You can land at Buna and walk overland easily.
(and much less losses)

Conserve your LBA. Do not squander them in un-needed attacks.

Read the following thread. It gives detailed breakdowns on the force strengths for each side and will allow you to clearly understand the window Japan has to perform in:

showthread.php?s=&threadid=34362

Playing against the AI, expect the USA to come at you with their CV's quite soon into the game. This is a blessing in one respect (as humans will not be so careless) but a curse in another respect (as the AI unlike humans tend to be far more likely to win the engagement).

Also note, the computer can move Coastal Defence guns from Brisbane into PM, so expect your transports to get seriously shot up when landing unless you have cleared the way with bombardment TF's into PM or prevented the move with surface TF's blocking troop transports.

As with all Japan actions, don't think as PM as a goal. It is a stepping stone to the next base, nothing more. Some folks treat it with silly levels of respect. Give it none as it is not really worth anything other then the removal of a thorn in your side (it's fall prevents Rabaul from being hit by long range bombers - Hudson/B-17/B-24).

Your goal is Brisbane or Noumea, anything less is a failure. Use the right amount of troops for the job and these targets are fairly simple to get as the AI tends to expose itself by moving troops forward too quickly leaving these rear bases exposed.

Don´t take PM.
Capture Dobadura and station bomber there, the result is many ai-ships will sunk (nearly all ai-transports).

You need to take as much ground as you can early on, to allow you to create a buffer zone between your major bases and the allied lba, which later i the games is quite capable of closing your bases and smaching all your planes it to peices.

Giving the allies lunga and and the surrounding bases will allow then pound on shortland and rabul with there heavies, You should take Lunga and use it a stepping stone to wards Noumea.

Setup small bases forward and use you float planes to scout all over allied territory

As Chiteng says:

Conserve your LBA. Do not squander them in un-needed attacks.

Using you bombers to continally hit allied air bases is a waist, you don't get that may planes and they take alot less damage than allied units, later on the allies can fix bases faster than you can damage then, save you Betty's and nells for hammering his invasion fleets;)

As with all Japan actions, don't think as PM as a goal. It is a stepping stone to the next base, nothing more. Some folks treat it with silly levels of respect. Give it none as it is not really worth anything other then the removal of a thorn in your side (it's fall prevents Rabaul from being hit by long range bombers - Hudson/B-17/B-24).

I think the Japanese player has to give PM the amount of respect comensurate with the level the Allies are prepared to defend it. If you were playing me and gave PM no respect you would be making a big mistake. As an Allied player I always defend PM to the maximum I am able to do so, because I'd rather be fighting the definitive defensive battle defending 1 base in New Guinea than trying to defend 6 bases of Australia.
What the Allied player can do is reinforce PM with enough regiments that it will take the Japanese player until mid-late June to receive the 2:1 ratio of ground forces it needs to take PM...and by that time the US will have more carriers available and reinforcing Australian divisions which will hold the line until the 1st Marine Division arrives.

If you are the Japanese player, taking PM should be a major concern if you are playing a competent opponent. Dont start planning the invasion of Australia until PM is securely in your hands.

Careful Snig, the ENEMY may be listening.

I'm speaking purely hypothetically, of course

He's playing the AI guys, PM is just an allied death trap vs the computer, not really much effort involved there.

WRONG!...all of the above,take what the allies will give you then take what you can ....translation....guadacanal if he concentrates thier then so shoud you...if he goes for new guinea then give him a feint and act like you will reciciprocate the solomans chain is the key.You cannot an I repeat cannot survive with allied air power controlling the solomans...I DARE any allied player to beat in scenario 17....EMAIL AT....bonzomadrid@cox.net...the japs got it made in this scenario....cheers.