Japan - Am I doing it wrong?

[thebard]

I don't consider myself to be a bad HOI player, but I struggled massively in that China Invasion with Japan.

When you activate Marco Polo Bridge, you get this new modifier, which nerfs your army to the ground if I understood it correct. Obviously I still managed to beat the Chinese, but it took me up to '42 and required a huge effort on my side, 1 Million casualties + crippled my Naval buildup. I had a break from the game until the release of the Update so yeah, it might be rust too.

What I observed:
1. The AI spams tons of divisions, Warlords, PRC and Nat China are in full horde mode
2. The AI is playing better, at least on the ground, it seems to be not as easy to cheese it as it used to be.
3. Defeating China by multiple, simultaneous naval invasions did not work as I planned. The AI would stuff in tons of divisions out of nowhere in '38, forcing me to all out massive land battles where I wanted to actually evade these.
-> hence lots of equip/manpower loss + massive war effort on my side to actually beat them

I'd like to ask: did you have difficulties? I observed that playing China is actually easier (in SP). You mirror their tactics, force them into big battles where they loose loads of equipment and after a certain point you can push them back because you can Grind out more divisions then they can keep up with.

 

[Sloeberjong]

I played it on "regular" and with small boost for China, I beat them in '40. I also found it much harder than previous editions, which is a good thing if you ask me. China should be hard to beat since the Japanese couldn't do it in real life.

You need to escalate the war a bunch of times until you lose the Marco Polo debuff. It is a debuff to simulate the war gradually escalating from a small incident. I actually noticed it later. Invasions do work though. I used marines for the invasions themselves and then put up a front line for regular infantry so they took over. Rinse and repeat however often you'd like. You don't need to go to Yunnan though, just defeating China should do the trick. I happen to take out the PRC, but it took very long, that terrain is very difficult.

I've noticed advances are really slow on the whole front so I had 3 "main" armies holding the front (2 north, cavalry and infantry; 1 south, infantry). Then I used a separate infantry corp and a separate mobile corp (basically the 5 divisions with light tanks and mob. infantry, I gave them all the mob. infantry div. template, I didn't really bother with the light tanks). I used those corps to amass at certain points to push toward victory points. Just relatively small pushes of a couple of provinces each time. I let them build up planning bonus and then fire away. During those pushes it's possible to get some encirclements, but nothing massive.

It was pretty rough though and it took a while before I got to that point and I was permanently running out of supplies, small arms and artillery. It's definitely a more challenging fight than before! Good job PDX!

 

[Zwirbaum]

I went to war with China around historical time (14 July 1937) - I've forced Chinese capitulation in 12 March of 1938.

My tactic was basically to exploit the fact that Shanxi forces on the border are not prepared for the aggression. Pin down Chinese nationalist forces on the main line, and go for the northern hook approach and swing to the south cutting off most of the KMT forces (46-50 divisions). After that I've also launched small invasion in the south to divert more of the attention of warlords and KMT forces. After that is basically just watching that you don't overextend and eliminate any enemy forces you encounter. Tennoheika Banzai, I guess.

 

[Donderwolk]

hmm.. put your best troops on the north border..
keep your tanks, motorised and cav in a harbour
and divided your remaining divisions in 3 groups
(enhance those slowly)

build 3 mixed marines forces ..
invade in three different spots.. (north, middle and south china)
and where you succeed to get a chinese harbour
make a front line for the remaining division groups..
and pick the location where you want your armoured units to go

create island/harbour defence units after china has fallen

still classic and still works

 

[Daddl]

I started the war in late 1937 and won within a year. All warlords had joined China. I had 96 infantry (20 width) and 3 light tank divisions.

Put 30-40 divisions in the north. You can push through half of Shanxi before enemy troops stop you. Then just sit there and wait. You will never get through the mountains.

The AI will get most of its troops to the northern border. Pin them down and do a naval landing with another 30 divisions in Qingdao. Push northwest and encircle them. I managed to encircle around 60 chinese divisions. Thats obviously the victory, even if you have to mob up whole China afterwards.

At the same time make another naval landing in Shanghai. I walked through half of China largely unopposed with these troops. Only shortly before Chongqing I had to make a little effort to make them capitulate in the end.

You have to encircle and destroy a large portion of their army, if you just push them back province for province it won't really go smoothly.

 

[lemonsquid]

i generally find more success from launching multiple naval invasions rather then trudging my way down from Manchuria. you usually get ample time to move quickly inland before a formidable defense appears

 

[thebard]

I will try to employ these hints in my next run.

Thanks!

 

[Admiral Piett]

I have found it significantly harder as well. I didn't notice that a new modifier was added, so that must be part of it. I need to prioritize "secure china" to help clear it I guess.

 

[Meglok]

I will try to employ these hints in my next run.

Thanks!

Take those mixed divisions with armor and replace one of those armor battalions with infantry. Then take the excess armor and create new mixed divisions. The 1937 Chinese still can't pierce a division with 1 battalion of armor. Use them up north to take Beijing and defend against the horde of Chinese attacks. They will chew up the attacking Chinese divisions.

Other than that, the northern hook as noted is good. Develop as many 6/2 Marine divisions with ENG as you can. Focus on one invasion now, you don't have enough divisions to support several landings. You CAN feint a few landings to draw the ai off, but either the Shandong penisula or Shanghai should be your target. Either one of those cause the ai a slew of issues.

 

[celethiel]

I found it very difficult... however after i changed the Template for it's infantry to include artillery, it cut through China like paper... well not paper, but it was significantly easier.