Conquering China

[LLv34Mika]

Hi there

so far I played WW2 Europe and WW1 most of the time but just got into global war...
First impression is that China is surprisingly strong. Not just slowly dying like Russia in WW1 or in early WW2 Europe. They can hold their positions and even cause some damage.

Now I wonder what is the best strategy to beat them. So far I got a few ideas and almost all of them rely on focussing on one thing since there are not enough MPPs to do it all.

1. Research ground attack weapons and purchase more tactical/medium bombers
2. Research infantry weapons and maybe purchase a few units (or garissons and replace the armies/corps in the north)
3. Research mobility, upgrade your units and allow them to move better and do more attacks --> easier kills

If you attack in the center or north or south of China might be a personal strategy and a matter of taste. So far I am tempted to try number 2. Simply because you need many guarding units anyway and want to proceed with all these wonderful Islands that wish to join the Japanese Empire.

What do you guys think? Am I totally wrong here? Other thoughts?
Cheers

Mika

[Platoonist]

China's biggest allies are its rough terrain and meager infrastructure. Try to keep your units at five supply or better by placing your HQs in right places. Chain HQs if you can. In attack, use your planes and artillery first if available. First in with the medium bombers, they will lower entrenchment and morale. After that the tactical bombers. Then infantry should try to finish the job. That should average about one Chinese unit destroyed per turn in first two years. It's expensive to do, but try to motorize some key units to help overcome the lousy terrain. If all goes well, at some point cumlative Chinese losses and the rather anemic MPP income stream to replace them will result in the Chinese front fading into a bit of a sideshow.

It's a lot of work to conquer the whole nation. But you can push the Chinese so far into the mountainous back country that they become rather irrelevant.

[Zeckke]

i always conquer china at 1942 (around october) (against AI)

Mobility thats all...(but its expensive).....and of course invest in planes; also you need the corps and armys in Manchukouo (replace them with garrisons units if you dont enter in a war with russia)

just mobility

[Elessar2]

Artillery tech is pretty vital too given all the high entrenchments in the mountains and forts. But if you do go for China, you have to go all-in, else it will become an MPP sink when the US enters. But you need the early MPPs to build up your fleet...

[petedalby]

I don't think you need Artillery any more. With planes able to fly in all weather just build Medium Bombers. So you save MPPs on Artillery & Artillery Tech.

First in with the medium bombers, they will lower entrenchment and morale. After that the tactical bombers. Then infantry should try to finish the job.

A small tweak from me would be to go Med Bombers / Infantry / Tac Bombers / Carriers in Bombing mode (if in range).

Agree with other posts that Mobility is essential.

Just trying a new tactic of taking Urumchi first. Then Lanchow & finally Chungking. That way many of the additional Chinese reinforcements are prevented. It feels a bit risky though. The Allies are already arriving from Burma.