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Hello all,

I am at February 20 in my game. All the major early war objectives are still in my (allied) hands. I have inflicted significant casualties at the Sittang Bridge in Burma, the IJA has finally bottled me up in Singapore after very costly fights at Temuloh and Johore Baru. A recent shock attack across the causeway by three IJA divisions resulted in ~6500 casualties for the loss of around 100 British and Commonwealth troops. In the Philippines, the Clark-Manila-Bataan iron triangle is holding for now.

The Japanese also sent an unescorted troop convoy all the way down to Suva, I happened to have 2 CV's passing through to cover reinforcement convoys from Australia to Port Moresby, I redirected them and sank around 5 AK/APs carrying what I think was the better part of the IJA 11th Division.

My question is this - will inflicting losses as described above hamper the Japanese war effort in view of the fact that the Manchuria rule does not apply to AI? I.e. Does it really matter if he can just keep funneling fresh divisions in from Manchuria? I hope the answer is yes. I have read where making a too-effective defense of the key early war objectives can break the AI's ability to strategize but I am not concerned with that in this game. I am simply trying to win without worrying about whatever problems I am causing to the evil robots at the Imperial General Staff. Is it possible to bleed them so bad that they stop coming? Do their losses get replaced fast enough in terms of Squads/Support/other Devices that these losses don't really matter? I am playing on Historical AI for reference.

(Side question on the disastrous Japanese Suva gambit - was there some military utility in them sending an unescorted troop convoy like that? I suppose it makes sense if they are totally insensitive to losses in AK's and LCUs on the off chance it caught me off guard and had nothing in the area of Suva to rebuff it.)

The AI probably had a sweep of carriers and surface combat forces prior to this troop convoy. The AI does not escort invasions very well.

Aerosol2207 wrote: Sun Nov 23, 2025 9:14 pm (Side question on the disastrous Japanese Suva gambit - was there some military utility in them sending an unescorted troop convoy like that? I suppose it makes sense if they are totally insensitive to losses in AK's and LCUs on the off chance it caught me off guard and had nothing in the area of Suva to rebuff it.)

The Japanese AI is fond of suicidal "Hail Mary" missions to distant locations like Ceylon, Dutch Harbor and Fiji. Even saw one expedition to northern Australia once. Sailing in a slow armada of mostly defenseless AKs they usually get spotted by search and massacred if you get there soon enough. Your SIGNIT intelligence report often tips off their movements as well.

There usually comes a point in the game where the Japanese AI simply abandons offensive invasions and concentrates on using its troops to reinforce what it still has with what sealift capacity it still has. I can't speak for devices and squads, but apparently the Japanese AI never runs low on stocks of aircraft. I routinely cut down thousands during the course of a game but they just keep a-coming.

The AI scripts designate about 7 bases as "must have" - places like Singapore, Manila and Port Moresby are always on the list. There is also an "end date" for efforts to take the base. AFAIK, if it has taken the base there are no scripts telling the AI to withdraw the troops and abandon the base - they stay and fight.

To form new TFs, the AI's ships must be at a base, any base, and if necessary they will teleport to join the TF. But this means that the AI can only take unassigned ships, not ships in another TF. If it has all its warships out on raids, there are none available to escort troop convoys.

From what RJ and others have posted, I gather the AI can make an unlimited number of planes providing it has the component supply, HI and manpower (or whatever else it needs). Number of available factories does not matter to the AI. Ditto for troops and vehicles/guns. What the AI cannot do is provide experience and trained skill to the pilots and troops and ships crews - it must go with their starting abilities. That means as losses mount the replacements will be less skilled and easier to beat. (did I get that right RJ?)

BBfanboy wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 1:33 am The AI scripts designate about 7 bases as "must have" - places like Singapore, Manila and Port Moresby are always on the list. There is also an "end date" for efforts to take the base. AFAIK, if it has taken the base there are no scripts telling the AI to withdraw the troops and abandon the base - they stay and fight.

To form new TFs, the AI's ships must be at a base, any base, and if necessary they will teleport to join the TF. But this means that the AI can only take unassigned ships, not ships in another TF. If it has all its warships out on raids, there are none available to escort troop convoys.

From what RJ and others have posted, I gather the AI can make an unlimited number of planes providing it has the component supply, HI and manpower (or whatever else it needs). Number of available factories does not matter to the AI. Ditto for troops and vehicles/guns. What the AI cannot do is provide experience and trained skill to the pilots and troops and ships crews - it must go with their starting abilities. That means as losses mount the replacements will be less skilled and easier to beat. (did I get that right RJ?)

Oh yes, it is also easy to sucker the AI into CAP traps. The AI will also not do sweeps. But for me, the AI always gives up on the 1st of January 1943 . . .

Thanks all. So what about LCU attrition then? With the Manchuria rule not a consideration for the AI do they essentially have a bottomless pit of troops or can I kill off enough of them so that I will be able to "feel" the difference as I get deeper into the war?

Aerosol2207 wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 2:05 am Can I kill off enough of them so that I will be able to "feel" the difference as I get deeper into the war?

Not much that I've ever noticed. In numbers the Imperial Japanese Army is huge compared to the available non-Chinese allied forces and the majority of the IJA is never going to move by sea. Frankly, under AI control there is a good portion of it that appears to remain rooted in one place for the whole game building up fortification levels. Plus, there are a plethora of Navy SNLF units, independent brigades, detachments and late war reinforcements to contend with. In addition, destroyed Japanese land units can bought back via PP to arrive in Tokyo after some months although not at full strength at first. Killing LCUs certainly helps, but you mostly win the game based on the points you get for occupying high value locations, building up the value of your bases, fire-bombing Japanese cities and eventually sinking most of the IJN and their merchant fleet.