Japan

[MButtazoni]

Here are some notes i posted for testers a few months back:

Japan has to operate on a shoestring budget; there is no way around it. Every supply point spent before the war against the WA's has to be considered very carefully.

China - most players want to get China out of the way before taking on the WA. i think this is a big mistake, besides spending 3 to 5 supply a turn on air to bomb Chinese units (til they retreat) i would not spend any more in China (except maybe to take Foochow and repair the resource). Those empty chinese areas may look enticing but they cost a lot of supply to attack, and what do you really gain in China?

IJN Navy
General - Never use the navy against china before war with the US, it's a waste of supply
Light Fleets - No Light Fleet should EVER move before war with the WA, your just wasting supply.
Heavy Fleets- NEVER move the Heavy Fleets more than one area a turn unless your moving to take on the US Navy. Do NOT take the Heavy Fleets to Pearl Harbor. I usually move the Heavy Fleets to the Ryuku Islands sea area before war and leave them there to react to the US Navy (the sea area is 2 areas from Tokyo so move the Heavy Fleets 1 area per turn to get there, it costs 60% less supply than moving them there in 1 turn)
Carriers - move the carriers to the Ryuku sea area BEFORE war (again 1 area per turn). on DOW turn move them to the Midway Island sea area (6 MPs) launch air strkes on Pearl Harbor, and then move Carriers back to Ryuku (6 MPs) to station with the Heavy Fleets that should already be there.

French Indo China - needs 120+ supply, 4 Arty, 6 or more INF, 3 or more planes before war. There are 10 resources (Phillipines, Borneo, Dutch East Indies, Siam) so you need is 100 supply earmarked for repairs on turn 1 because you need to take all 10, delaying capture and repair of resources just wastes production. Dont even bother declaring War if you dont have 110 supply in French Indo China.

Research - pick at most 4 things you want to research and no more.

Production - prewar you want to build some more Air (i like Tac Air), Arty, Transports, Subs, INF and SUPPLY. 50% to 75% of every turn's production should be supply (pre war and at-war)

[riley555a]

Yea the smartest thing to do is to keep China in stalemate and play defence with your poorest units, to ensure they can't advance into Japan. You have to concentrate all your best units on the WA or you can't really win.

[MButtazoni]

here's another tip for the JA player; don't let Joel B. play China [:D]

[mavraamides]

The only strategy that has really worked for me as Japan is an all out blitz of Russia from turn 1. I was able to get all the way to the Urals while Germany took everything else but Moscow. I was even able to securre the Caucuses (6 resources!!) and drive down into the Middle East. But I kind of consider that an exploit.

So as far as a traditional strategy is concerned, I've been having pretty good success with a heavy sub strategy. Only take the coast of China so they don't get their prod bonus, then take the resource heavy islands (Dutch East Indies, Phillipines, etc) and hold the line there.

In the meantime, build up a reasonable sub fleet (7-10) and upgrade evasion and torpedo attack. With that I was able to do a lot of damage to allied transports and even stumbled accross an unescorted fleet of 6 heavies that I was able to anhialate. Use light fleets and planes against WA subs and hold the bulk of your fleet back for the final battle with the WA.

The thing that's nice about subs is they don't need supply which is perfect for resource starved Japan. They act both as an interdiction force against allied supply and long range warning system against a WA death star TF heading for your transports.

However, I accidentally allowed Russia into the game by leaving Manchuria open early and paid dearly. There are only 2 ways to deal with Russia as Japan:

1) An all out blitz from the begining before they have built up strength.
2) Avoid all contact until you have no choice when Germany falls.

Taking them on somewhere in the middle is suicide.

So far, I have found Japan the most difficult side to play unless you do the Russia blitz.

[artgrtr8u]

Does Japan attacking Russia on turn 1 activate any of Russia's frozen territories?

[MButtazoni]

They can freely move all units in the Eastern 1/3 of the Soviet Union and can strategically move thoughout the entire country.

[celebrindal]

ORIGINAL: MButtazoni

here's another tip for the JA player; don't let Joel B. play China [:D]

Oh ya this coming from the guy with the nuclear japanese subs. [:D]

[Dalwin]

ORIGINAL: MButtazoni

They can freely move all units in the Eastern 1/3 of the Soviet Union and can strategically move thoughout the entire country.

I haven't actually done it but I believe it is the eastern 2/3. I think the Central 1/3 gets activated regardless of which side the war started from. If this was not the case, the 2 factories in Vladivostok would be all they had to work with. The others could build supplies or research but not units for using against Japan.

[MButtazoni]

If this was not the case, the 2 factories in Vladivostok would be all they had to work with. The others could build supplies or research but not units for using against Japan.

because the strat move restriction for the entire SU is lifted the above statement is not correct.

[mavraamides]

ORIGINAL: MButtazoni

If this was not the case, the 2 factories in Vladivostok would be all they had to work with. The others could build supplies or research but not units for using against Japan.

because the strat move restriction for the entire SU is lifted the above statement is not correct.

Yeah, the Russians were definitely able to crank out troops in frozen regions and ship them to their Eastern Front to face me. But the problem they had is they need every production point to prepare for Germany and everything they used against me served to weaken their Western Front. Once Germany attacked, Russia was extremely weak on that end and had to withdraw a bunch of troops that were fighting me to face the Germans. That allowed me to roll all the way to the Urals. They could stop me, or they could slow down the Germans, but they couldn't do both.

That's why I consider this strategy kind of an exploit. In the real war Japan did attack Russia before the German invasion and they got slaughtered. So they withdrew and never went back. It seems too easy in WAW compared to history.

[Dalwin]

ORIGINAL: MButtazoni

If this was not the case, the 2 factories in Vladivostok would be all they had to work with. The others could build supplies or research but not units for using against Japan.

because the strat move restriction for the entire SU is lifted the above statement is not correct.

Good point about the strat move restriction, but the manual still says that it is the eastern 2/3 that are unfrozen if invaded by Japan and not the eastern 1/3.

[sveint]

I have a feeling that a Japanese player that tries to attack Russia on the first turn would get crushed.

At least unless they can convince Germany to join in right away...

[Joel Billings]

ORIGINAL: sveint

I have a feeling that a Japanese player that tries to attack Russia on the first turn would get crushed.

At least unless they can convince Germany to join in right away...

I agree. Gary is already at work on some better Soviet AI to deal with the issues of the Caucasus and the Japanese Siberia attack. Against a human, attacking without German help would be a very hard strategy to pull off, and would allow the human player to reorganize their western defenses before a German invasion.

[dulsin2]

There is no way Germany can attack until turn 3. The tanks are required to deal with France and there isn't enough rail to get them all to the polish border and put a garison into the newly captured territories in one turn.

If Germany attacks Russia on turn 2 it will be with no more than 2 or 3 armored units.

[Dalwin]

ORIGINAL: dulsin2

There is no way Germany can attack until turn 3. The tanks are required to deal with France and there isn't enough rail to get them all to the polish border and put a garison into the newly captured territories in one turn.

If Germany attacks Russia on turn 2 it will be with no more than 2 or 3 armored units.

I basically agree with this statement. However, I think if the German really wanted to, he could take a two turn approach to conquering France using mostly infantry, which would free up the tanks to move to the Russian border on turn 1. I would never do such a thing, but I see it as a possiblity that could be explored.

[dulsin2]

If you ever do that against a human WA player he will evac the entire french army and fleet to England. Taking an extra turn against France is not an option.

[mavraamides]

ORIGINAL: sveint

I have a feeling that a Japanese player that tries to attack Russia on the first turn would get crushed.

At least unless they can convince Germany to join in right away...

I've won a decisive victory that way as Japan against the AI on normal.
It was actually quite easy. Germany didn't attack until turn 3 or 4 but when they
did, Russia was completely overrun because they had used to many production points
fighting me in the east.