Ralph Boerke's Tribute to Axis & Allies
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Overall Strategy: [Top]
Japan is the Axis power that has more options as to what it can do. It has two major opponents. The USA at sea and the USSR on land.
At sea the USA is evenly matched with Japan. However the Pacific is not economically useful to Japan and an attack on the US territories will only give a few IPCs (Hawaii 1, Alaska 2, Mexico 2, Panama 1) but the USA will usually take back the continental territories quite easily. And this will only work if Japan can defeat the US fleet which will only work if Japan has a larger force and this requires time and IPCs.
So the better strategy for Japan is to invade the Asian mainland and build up its resources there and then contend with the US fleet on tis terms. Once the initial US and UK forces are defeated, in China and India, the only force against Japan is the USSR. If Germany is pressuring the USSR then the USSR will have less resources to use against the Japanese.
To contend with the US fleet depends on the strategy the US follows. Does it go after Germany via the Atlantic or Japan via the Pacific? If it goes after Japan or threatens Japan with a naval arms race, Japan must prepare itself by keeping a force that is ready for a US attack. We know that defending values for the naval units are better than attacking values so we only need to invest enough IPCs to defend against a US attack.
What to do after the Battle of the Pacific?
If the fleets do battle and Japan wins. Normally the win will be with only a few of the larger ships left. Japan should buy one or two Subs or Transports for each round afterwards. Until a healthy fleet is again reached. This can be held off until a US fleet again reappears if the Asian mainland needs more attention. If the fleet is large enough i.e. both Battleships survived the battle, then split the fleet with a Battleship and Transport to take Australia and New Zealand. Meet in Hawaii with the new large fleet and use Hawaii as a base to harass the US. Invade Alaska, Central America, and all territories in between.
Hint: Base Bombers in Hawaii with defensive forces to Strategically Bomb the Western USA factory.
Hint: Use two Battleships and one Infantry on a Transport to land an Infantry on the Western USA. With two Battleship shots (shore bombardment) and the Infantry landing you should be able to take out two US infantry for each Japanese Infantry lost! (keep the Battleship safe by bringing in the entire fleet for these attacks except the Transport(s) which brings more Infantry from Japan to Hawaii.) If the USSR is conquered think about a third Battleship to add more damage on these hit and run assaults.
If Japan loses the Pacific battle. Normally the US will have a small fleet left over with which to position itself in Japanese waters. Japan needs to build a fleet away from this fleet. Hopefully Japan will already have a Factory on India or Indo-china Burma. Airpower and a quick new Submarine fleet (with one Aircraft Carrier) should be able to contest the US fleet but the US will be reinforcing its fleet as well. Use Bombers to destroy these reinforcements. Concentrate on the USSR as the US will still need a bit of time to start transporting Infantry from Alaska to Soviet Far East.
Japan's major strategy should be to conquere Asia. The territories of China, Sinkiang, India, Persia, and some USSR territories can give Japan 14 or more IPCs per turn (total of 39 IPCs). Once these territories are taken, hopefully by the third or fourth turn, then Japan can be in a position to defend against any US fleet buildup (US only has 32 IPCs income!) and also to start a buildup of Armour on its factories on the mainland. With a factory in India and another in Burma, Japan can build six Armour on these factories and three Infantry on Japan (Bridging to Manchuria).
First Moves: [Top]
Opening moves which are useful are to coalesce the entire Japanese fleet in the Japan sea zone and land men in Manchuria. Usually the USSR will have attacked and conquered Manchuria and the fleet will be used to make an amphibious assault on Manchuria.
A good move for the UK is to attack Kwangtung and then the Philippines Infantry may be used to retake this territory. If enough forces (Infantry from Burma) are available then attack China along with Airpower. The US Fighter is very important as it is the only offensive force the US has here, and should be attacked even if it leaves Indochina open! (which can be retaken later).
Hint: pick up the Infantry from Wake and Okinawa along with Japanese Infantry when transporting to the mainland. They are useless as defense against any US forces which will undoubtably be superior.
Hint: Keep the fleet together. Occasionaly allow a lone Transport to take islands (Australia) or move into the Indian ocean (Africa).
Opening purchases: three Infantry and two Transports. = 25 IPCs.
The two Transports brings the Japanese fleet up to four Transports (good defense and 'cannon fodder' for naval battles) which can move many Infantry into the mainland. This option will create a pipeline of Infantry onto the mainland. Once enough infantry are placed there a Factory or two can be built on Manchuria or Indochina. With a Factory then Armour can be built to take Russia. Airpower and Infantry alone will allow Japan to take most of Asia before the Armour are available depending on the Soviet response.
To deal with the US fleet the Japanese fleet may need to be enhanced. A few subs added to the existing fleet (2 Battleships, 1 Aircraft Carrier with 2 Fighters, 1 Submarine, 4 Transports) will enable it to defend against a powerful US fleet. The US will sometimes add 4 Subs, in one turn, to its fleet of 1 Battleship, 1 Aircraft Carrier with 1 or 2 Fighters, 1 Sub, and 1 Transport. Japan need only buy two Subs to equalize the fleets. And the US must send its fleet across the ocean to reach Japan, within range of Japan's land based Fighters and Bomber.
If the US fleet moves to the south (Solomons, New Guinea) then the Japanese fleet can move to the Indo-china Burma sea zone and use this opportunity to transport Infantry from Japan to Indo-china Burma.
If the US fleet moves north then prepare to intercept it.
Hint: A useful trick is to stall the US from landing its forces in the Soviet Far East. Usually the US fleet will wait outside of the Japanese fleet's range in the Gulf of Alaska and then move quickly across. Japan can use one Submarine to block the fleet in Alaskan waters (the other Alaskan sea zone)! This will allow Japan to prepare defenses on land and sea. (You lose a Sub but gain time).
Alternate Targets in the First Move: [Top]
The Pearl Harbour attack. If you insist on doing this then bring in all available forces. Submarine from Solomons. Aircraft Carrier and Fighter and Battleship from the Caroline seazone, this Fighter lands on Wake. Fighter from Philippines to land on the Carrier. Fighter from Japan to land on the Carrier. Bomber from Japan. Battleship and Transport from Japan. These forces can easily defeat the US fleet (2 BB, 1 ACC, 3 Ftr, 1 Bmbr, 1 Sub,1 Trns vs 1 Ftr, 1 ACC, 1 Sub).
However the US now can use its Battleship and Transport on the West Coast and its two Fighters in Eastern and Western USA and the Bomber from Eastern USA to attack the remnants of the Japanese Fleet. The Fighter from Eastern USA can land on Hawaii.
What this does is effectively reduce both Japanese and American Fleets to one or two capitol ships.
For Japan to reduce the forces in the counter attack it must take Hawaii, and deny the Eastern USA Fighter a landing zone. Japan will then have to take the Armour from Japan on the Transport to hopefully win the battle for Hawaii. It can not lose the Transport in the battle and might lose a Fighter instead.
Japan will lose the opportunity to transport men to Manchuria and use its airforces in battles on the mainland of Asia.
Bad Dice: [Top]
The Pearl Harbour fiasco can be compounded immensely if the battle goes the wrong way. A US domination of the Pacific could spell doom for the Axis as the US could start to funnel forces into Soviet Far East and free up all Soviet forces to fight against Germany.
The drive into Asia is important but we sometimes have the luxury of losing a turn or two in this drive. So long as Japanese pressure is brought to bear on the USSR capitol within four or five or six turns the Axis will have a chance of winning the game.
To the Next Chapter: USA
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