How To Win
Strategy - We Must Tell the Emperor
I always enjoy reading the negative comments about games on BGG. Sometimes, they are thoughtful and insightful, more so than those happy comments. Alas, more typically, they are rife with ignorance and revealing of the gamer’s inner id. For some reason, reading them in German is most satisfying. The pleasure comes from the observation that said gamer knows absolutely nothing about how to play the game properly.
As a retort to our ignorant friend, I offer this instructive explanation of the pure nuts & bolts of strategy & tactics to triumph in the beloved We Must Tell the Emperor. I trust Fuzzel will bring the requisite humility and docility to learn how to best serve the Emperor.
***
Listen up, young warriors. Great events are now in motion. The die has been cast and we are commanded by our illustrious Emperor to crush the enemies of the Japanese Empire. The plan is simple. Drive back our enemies and deliver Knock-out Blows against the British, MacArthur and China. Repeat until Military Victory is achieved. Here is how to do it.
Do Not Battle at Pearl Harbor
Go for Elite Status initially in the Resource Track.
Maintain Elite Status throughout the Early War period.
Do not let it fall below 5.
Keep Nimitz in Pearl
Unless you are playing with the “No Midway” variant, keep Nimitz here during Early war. Events in the Early War will see him advance continuously. Drive him back! Nimitz must be here or else it will be very difficult to deploy the Solomons fortification early on and secure the Empire’s southeastern flank.
Next Focus on Prestige
Steadily advance Prestige until Bushido Spirit is acquired. Keep it there.
Do not be shy about using it to maintain the Empire’s advances.
Do not be shy about using it to bolster failed Knock-out Blows. It will typically be the decisive factor in Military Victory.
You will lose it after the Midway/Solomon’s debacle. Again, steady effort is needed to reacquire it.
India and Australia
The key military effort is a dual drive against the British and MacArthur to get them into positions whereby Knock-out Blows can be launched.
Every turn should see advances against one of these enemy fronts.
The objective is to retreat them as quickly as possible and, ideally, get free Knock-out Blows via the Event cards. The “Fall of Singapore" event grants you a free retreat of the British front. There are two for MacArthur — "I Shall Return" in Early War and "Battle of Bismarck Sea" in the Mid War.
As soon as you are in a position, start launching Knock-out Blows. Do NOT wait.
Don’t Sweat ABDA
The effort against the Dutch is tertiary.
This effort needs to be completed by the end of the Early War period.
Do not be alarmed or discouraged if the Empire runs out of oil early on. Select your single attack and use the action points to maximize your resources. The Event Deck will replenish your stocks soon enough.
Oil is NOT a Priority
Keep just enough on-hand to launch Knock-out Blows and maintain your advances.
If the event cards are fortuitous, exert effort to acquire the Oil Production DRM. Do NOT go out of your way to acquire it or maintain it. If you have no other attacks to make or other resource tracks to replenish, roll for Oil.
Once Mid War starts, anticipate the U.S. submarine campaign kicking in. This will see you lose two Oil points. Be ready.
China
Maintain steady pressure against China during the Early War.
Early in the game Chiang Kai-Shek is very aggressive with advances. You must match these. Ideally, he will be driven to his Yunan redoubt by the time Early War ends.
Once the British and MacArthur are knocked out, the strategic focus shifts to this front. Be ready. You are fighting the clock at this point.
Midway
After the Midway debacle, you will need to shift focus to establish the Solomon’s fortification.
This is also a good time to recover Prestige and Oil.
Mid War
Do not lose heart during Mid War. This is the surest route to defeat.
Military Victory in the Early War is very unlikely. Do not let the Midway debacle permanently distract you.
Military Victory is possible as long as you maintain position to launch Knock-out Blows.
Remember, the “Battle of the Bismarck Sea” is an excellent opportunity to knock-out MacArthur on the cheap.
If the Solomons fortification falls, do not panic. Assess the situation and determine if victory is still possible. It doesn’t matter if Nimitz is threatening the Home Islands and the other fronts are knocked out. This will take nerves of steel.
If an enemy front returns, do not despair. Ready another Knock-out Blow.
The Tide Turns
When do you go over to the strategic defensive?
U.S. Submarine Campaign has been revealed a second time.
Your position makes it impossible to launch Knock-out Blows or it is unlikely you’ll be able to recover such positions. Think this through very carefully. Remember, the anatomy of defeat is a failure of nerve. I cannot emphasize this enough.
Oil and Army/Navy tracks are both exhausted.
The Late War approaches.
The end game sees the Japanese Empire assailed by massive enemy offensives which result in heavy losses. The Army/Navy track must be significantly bolstered or the Empire will be quickly crushed. At some point, you must shift gears and accumulate sufficient resources, particularly Army/Navy strength to fight and Oil to battle. Defeat usually comes through the Resource Tracks being depleted.
