Japan - Should I bother with China?

[Oerdin]

In HOI3 you could take China out without having to deprive the navy. Pretty much the war was over in 1939 with plenty of time to prepare for USA.

On taking out China, depends on if its single player or multi player.

If multiplayer, you main goal is to force USA and UK to throw things at you rather than Germany. Ditto on war with Russia, everything aimed at you is not aimed at Germany.

Never seen Japan with a manpower issue.

I have had manpower issues as Japan but I always pumped out lots of cheap infantry, marines, and mountain units until I had a hard time supplying them. Then I would try to use that early large army to grab everything I could before my enemies built up. This eats a lot of manpower and supplies.

 

[Jmland]

The problem I have with the 2nd Jap-China war is that Nationalist China folds way too easily, that the Communists are not involved, nor are a majority of the other warlord states. If that were fixed, MAYBE China would be a challenge for Japan. But more to the point of the question, yes definitely attack China. Resources, production, manpower PLUS at war government policies (the most important consideration in my view). You also get the added bonus of getting your ground forces (and some air units) and commanders some experience. And since experience (at the national level) will be a "resource", definitely yes.

 

[MGL 86]

Black Ice got the option for Very Hard China. In this case, China could hold Japan until 1944.

 

[Oerdin]

Black Ice did indeed make the war in China more realistic.

 

[scottchin]

China should always be able to defeat Japan if you are careless and they should be able to hold the line once the front became to long for the Japanese .if you decrease fronline in other places , you can defeat China but not that fast.

 

[Loke]

Well its all about mathematics and I say they have two options...

#1 How many resources will you get from a conquered China vs level of US hostility.
#2 How many resources removed from Allies by aiding Germany conquering Russia.
(#3 Going after the UK is more difficult as it will probably raise US hostility and worse the UK is located "all over the world"
-and not an option if Russia still in the game.)

If a historical Axis want to win they should avoid having the US as enemy and go for Russia.
The Axis game is atleast a draw if they win in Russia...

As soon as the US enters the war its just a matter of time before Japan loses.

 

[Oerdin]

In previous versions you could do both but you had to be aggressive and innovative as if you sat around the USA's superior production would tell. If you invaded the Aleutians, then Alaska, then hopscotched your way down the coast then you could be into North America before the American or Canadian AI could effectively counter.

Once China is out of the way and the US is effectively hamstrung then an effective invasion of Siberia can be launched. Hell, letter in the game even India was not such a big problem especially if the German player had launched a Sea Lion prior to Barbarosa. Properly planned things fall like dominos.

 

[Loke]

In single player vs the AI, many weird manouvers are possibly... Lol

 

[Grallak]

IIRC the japanese government irl was rather more interested in grabbing the siberian resources and was willing to stick to negotiations with china.

It was the army that kept provoking one conflict after an other. Japanese WW2 military was kind of a mess really.
The army acted like a semi sovereign state that found asking for forgiveness a lot easier than asking for permission and generally ignored civilian authority whenever it wanted, and the navy was ridiculously ambitious in it's goals and was willing to straight up scam the government out of money to afford it's fancy toys.
Both branches also treated the other like a persona non grata, if they didn't outright sabotage one another, and routinely falsified reports, especially in the late war to make themselves look way better than they actually were.

The government was also kinda sorta halfheartedly trying to reduce the whole "rape and torture" thing they had going on in china and with POWs. But turns out if your soldiers are routinely violently mistreated and are told their enemies will torture them and then rape all their women... Well if they get their hands on those enemies they won't be gentle themselves.

To deep for my taste.