Need Some Suggestions for Next Moves

[TheMoe]

I've never made it this far in the game, and I'm a bit confused about what I should do next. Here are some screen shots for the pros out there, that I'm hoping can give you a better picture. I joined with Italy and Japan to defeat GB and France, then Japan decided it wanted the East Indies, which some helpful players said would happen, just as it did. Somewhere in there Japan attacked the Philipines, but while we were still allied, which brought the US and what was left of the allies into the war.

I just finished taking the Soviet Union, and I have plenty of factories. All of the armies you see, besides the garrisons and maybe 24 divisions donated by my puppets, are 40 width, with five support each - engineer, recon, field hospital, logistics, anti-air (infantry) or signal company (tanks).

My navy is in development, but I won't have four super dreadnoughts until another year and few months. I have the starting ships, plus some 1940 destroyers, 1940 cruisers (light and couple heavy), four 1940's aircraft carriers, and I've updated the rest of the larger ships with radars and better fire controls.

My inclination would be to repair the Soviet infrastructure to increase supply and then move some of my troops to the far SE side of Russia, I believe is called the Kamchatka Peninsula, then straight into Japan, then the Japanese held parts of China. I don't feel comfortable going up against the larger Japanese navy, or the US navy for now. Maybe in a couple years once I've built up a few more ships.

How does that sound as a starting strategy? I'm thinking the other Japanese held areas will flip or do something once Japan capitulates, and I believe I can go from Russia to Japan without having to risk a naval invasion or possibly do it with a very short hop.

After Japan, then I thought I would naval invade Alaska -> Canada -> USA, but I'll need better ships before I try that. How does this sound as a strategy? Land invade Japan, then build up navy a bit and naval invade Alaska? I guess I might just be able to take a short hop from Siberia to Alaska and avoid most of the US navy, too. Hmm. Never thought about that route.

Edit: I was incorrect. The part of Russia that appears to connect with Japan is North Sakhalin, which is partially controlled by Japan.

 

[Jays298]

I had honestly the same issue in my game, shortly after sea lion I annexed the Indies for the rubber without realizing that the Japanese would not like me very much.

I feel like that Japanese drive to the Indies should be averted if the Axis holds it. Because then the Axis would be trading with Japan and there would be little need to go to war. Though it does make the game interesting.

That's actually a brilliant strategy about Alaska. Especially if you have U boats in the Atlantic or wherever the US has shipping to distract their Navy.

If it were me I'd would go against Japan first. Though I'm no expert.

 

[TheMoe]

I had honestly the same issue in my game, shortly after sea lion I annexed the Indies for the rubber without realizing that the Japanese would not like me very much.

I feel like that Japanese drive to the Indies should be averted if the Axis holds it. Because then the Axis would be trading with Japan and there would be little need to go to war. Though it does make the game interesting.

That's actually a brilliant strategy about Alaska. Especially if you have U boats in the Atlantic or wherever the US has shipping to distract their Navy.

If it were me I'd would go against Japan first. Though I'm no expert.

Thanks for the advice.

I completely agree that the war is unnecessary, but maybe it's a matter of Japanese pride. They feel more secure if they own the materials that drive their war machine, similar to the way I feel if I hold the TV remote as opposed to my wife. J

I was actually happy when they attacked me initially, because I love the naval side of the game, and I was picturing some large naval battles against the Imperial Japanese fleet. I've read and watched some naval tutorial videos that say the 1940 ships will beat anything that came before them. "Just make 1940's ships and you'll have naval supremacy, easily."

I've never moved my ships to ports other than the ones I own, but I think I understand the principle. First I'll need to look for land and ports near the areas where I think there will be battles, then I'll open up that country's information and look for "ask to use ports" or something along those lines. I would think my puppets would have to allow my ships to dock, and I may also have a port near Japan in Russia. There might still be time for a few good naval skirmishes.

 

[Simon_9732495]

My navy is in development, but I won't have four super dreadnoughts until another year and few months. I have the starting ships, plus some 1940 destroyers, 1940 cruisers (light and couple heavy), four 1940's aircraft carriers, and I've updated the rest of the larger ships with radars and better fire controls.

You need more DDs. You have 16 capitals and only 59 Screens. Go for 70-80 screens for your capitals. And maybe you need some more DDs to hunt Subs or protect your convoys.

After Japan, then I thought I would naval invade Alaska -> Canada -> USA, but I'll need better ships before I try that. How does this sound as a strategy? Land invade Japan, then build up navy a bit and naval invade Alaska? I guess I might just be able to take a short hop from Siberia to Alaska and avoid most of the US navy, too.

I'd recommend naval invasion in an area with good ports and good infrastructure.
The USA has a huge Army with a lot of Divisions. In Alaska you have poor supply, poor Infrastructure, no Airfields and you fight in Mountains. It's almost impossible to break through the stacks of Infantry the US will bring there. (They will have a lot more supply than you.)

You want to naval invade in a territory that is well suited for tanks and where you can get a beachhead with good supply and a good airfield quickly. You don't want to get stuck and let the US pile up huge stacks of Infantry and dig in. You want to bring tanks and planes quickly and establish a long front line soon.

I recommend invading Florida and Texas. If you want to go from the Pacific maybe go straight to LA. But you will need naval bases and long range ships for this.
Another big advantage of the carribean expect from range and a lot of beach to attack is, that you have airbases there. In the pacific you will have to fight the US navy and invade without much air support.

 

[CrazyZombie]

Question is: why would you build superheavy battleships at all? They are expensive as hell, and, well, overkill against AI fleets.

 

[TheMoe]

You need more DDs. You have 16 capitals and only 59 Screens. Go for 70-80 screens for your capitals. And maybe you need some more DDs to hunt Subs or protect your convoys.



I'd recommend naval invasion in an area with good ports and good infrastructure.
The USA has a huge Army with a lot of Divisions. In Alaska you have poor supply, poor Infrastructure, no Airfields and you fight in Mountains. It's almost impossible to break through the stacks of Infantry the US will bring there. (They will have a lot more supply than you.)

You want to naval invade in a territory that is well suited for tanks and where you can get a beachhead with good supply and a good airfield quickly. You don't want to get stuck and let the US pile up huge stacks of Infantry and dig in. You want to bring tanks and planes quickly and establish a long front line soon.

I recommend invading Florida and Texas. If you want to go from the Pacific maybe go straight to LA. But you will need naval bases and long range ships for this.
Another big advantage of the carribean expect from range and a lot of beach to attack is, that you have airbases there. In the pacific you will have to fight the US navy and invade without much air support.

You make some very good points. Yes, I can't wait to get rid of my entry-level, version I DD's with incredibly short range. I'm building DD's like crazy, though I'm finding it takes time. I have quite a few dock yards and I have three DD's building constantly with 10 dockyards (max) on an infinite loop. Those Tier I DD's are greatly limiting the range of my cruisers and larger ships.

Your second statement about the pitfalls of invading from the West are so true. I just found a playthrough where someone tried from that direction, invading through Alaska into Canada and then West from CA. It was a nightmare, as all his troops got caught in the western mountain ranges. I'm a bit concerned about getting naval supremacy for the invasion if I go through the Caribbean to FL. Mexico has aligned with the US, so I can expect to find both of their fleets in that area, assuming Mexico has a fleet. Do you have suggestions for a jumping off point to start my naval invasions? I've heard that some people naval invade the norther part of South America and establish a beach head, then build up the port and make the jump across the Gulf of Mexico, though I've never seen this.

 

[TheMoe]

Question is: why would you build superheavy battleships at all? They are expensive as hell, and, well, overkill against AI fleets.

I don't have the game experience to answer your question. It seems to me that the AI likes to doomstack, from the videos I've seen, and it's not uncommon in the waters around the Philippines and Malaysia for me to see Tubers come across nearly the entire Japanese AI fleet of 7-8 battleships and four CV's plus numerous cruisers and destroyers. I would hardly think that 4 1940 BB's and 4 1940 CV's plus some old cruisers and DD's would be a match for such a fleet, but I've yet to experience such a battle in game.

I just watched a player go against such a fleet with about 1/2 of the Royal Navy, and it wasn't pretty.

 

[squid_hills]

Go for Japan first. They are far easier than the US to naval invade, because the AI usually forgets to garrison any of the ports, or to keep more than a token force of troops in the country. At least, if they hold territory in China, that is. If Japan is reduced to just the Home Islands, they garrison pretty well, but as long as they have territory on the continent, they forget they have islands that they live on. The US, in comparison, likes to stack 40 width infantry divisions 10-deep on each port. I hate invading late game USA, and you will too.

 

[TheMoe]

Go for Japan first. They are far easier than the US to naval invade, because the AI usually forgets to garrison any of the ports, or to keep more than a token force of troops in the country. At least, if they hold territory in China, that is. If Japan is reduced to just the Home Islands, they garrison pretty well, but as long as they have territory on the continent, they forget they have islands that they live on. The US, in comparison, likes to stack 40 width infantry divisions 10-deep on each port. I hate invading late game USA, and you will too.

Haha! I've heard the same thing from several YouTubers about Japan putting everything they have into China. Yes, they have troops in China, and heading north into Russia. Great advice!

I also agree that the invasions I've seen of the US have appeared to be slug fests. GB can be hard to invade later in the game, so I can just imagine what it's going to be like to try and take the US. Looks like I need to end Japan's reign quickly so I can focus 100% on the difficult US invasion. Thanks!