Pacific theatre

[Amadeus]

Is there any major benefit to rule the pacific? Moral, mpp income?

I mean In my tournament matches I play completely without amphibious landing on the small isles. It is simply too expensive. When new units come I always transport them to combat and conquer points.

[Big Al]

Havent gotten a turn from ya! you got mine?

[aesopo]

This is what i have mentioned before- the slight MPP gain in taking far flung distant islands does not pan out (naval investment, costly amphib mpps) versus on concentrating on the Chinese mainland and then making in-roads to India and the USSR- let the US spend the naval investment and amphib mpps to try to take Japan. Japan needs to work in coordination with German and Italian forces as a comprehensive strategy, concentration of force, and effective cost ratio utilization of force.

[Big Al]

Well one thing that needs to be understood is buffer. Not taking the islands is gifting the USA with supply bases, launch points, and air bases to attack Japan with.

If you take the islands and create a buffer they simply cant sail across the Pacific and invade you in 1945 with a large fleet and no land based air cover.

#1 the amphibs can be spotted along the way and ambushed

#2 your land based planes can intercept or attack.

#3 Supply. You create naval engagements wearing down their supply. By the time they get to japan they will have zero supply and no bases nearby to recover or repair... if you did it right.

You can hold all of China and India if you want, as the USA all I need is Tokyo and Japan.

[aesopo]

It is still the same story with the island hopping- Japan stretches and then gets overstretched without acting in coordination with it's strategic partners- focus neeeds to be on China as just holding the islands and waiting for the American might to eventually come down is a slow death. Japan needs to strain the USSR/Brits as Germany and Italy are rolling in- without Russia the war is finished. Go ahead and take Japan in

Russia's stead. The mideast/India/Africa would also be in full play.

[Amadeus]

If you take the islands and create a buffer they simply cant sail across the Pacific and invade you in 1945 with a large fleet and no land based air cover.

I disagree. If you don't use your units for hopping and taking small islands you save money and could conquer China, Russia and GB (India, Australia,...) much quicker. In 1943 most games are already decided. Never played a SC match that last till 1945 and was not already decided. And I played more than 100 matches started with Blitzkrieg, Weapons and Warfare...

@AL: btw. I still miss your last turn

[Big Al]

If I saw a Japan thay didnt take anything I'd go after NEI, raiding your convoys, strat bombing you, and attritioning your navy.

For the allies its pretty simple, I will take an attrition battle vs the Axis anytime. I will be willing to sacrifice 1 naval unit for 1 naval unit because the allies can take it.

[Amadeus]

That is not the point Big Al. What goal do you wanna reach? That is the question. For Axis AND Allies there is no real need to take attention to the small pacific isles. As Axis I better take India and/or Australia with all units I have. As Allies I will concentrate on any nation I could take. If an axis opponent take some pacific isles I have the possibility to conquer neutral countries that will give me more mpps for example. Against Clausewitz in my Axis tournament games I took Turkey with 10 air units easily and won.

[Big Al]

I agree with focusing on one goal, but you cant leave yourself open and just be a glass cannon.

[Hubert Cater]

If I can ask those that play Japan and feel that they can mostly skip over the Pacific and focus on China, which Pacific Islands do you capture, if at all?

[Strategiclayabout]

Hello ,

- I usually play the island hopping game but when I'm less focused on the Pacific, my main objectives are:

Guam-Wake: to clear my rear

Nauru-Rabaul: gives some MPPs

Kukum (Solomons): you get Tarawa for free (and also some MPPs)

- Jap popping forces are already in good position and without tech upgrade so amphibious moves doesn't cost that much.

- I'd also add that only adding (japanese) national morale objectives to those islands would probably be enough to motivate any axis player to take them.

[Amadeus]

I agree that some moral add were useful cause I only catch isles with paras. Special Forces are too expensive in ambh. transport and needed somewhere else. When India is about to surrender the focus may change.

[SeaMonkey]

I always use unteched corps in amphib mode to capture the easy islands and I'll take whatever the Allies are giving.

[Big Al]

Same as SeaMonkey. Easy islands use the units you plan to garrison. Difficult islands send in the big boys.