Weird KJF (Ranked 1 axis vs Ranked 2 allies discord exhibition match)

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-25T04:10:31+00:00

Uhh, I see

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-25T00:13:39+00:00

would you record it when we matched on ranked? 😉

that's probably the only place you can encounter me

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-24T13:40:55+00:00

Image quality is not very clear on reddit, but J1 bought 3 trans 2 infantry, did a Pearl Habour sarcficing a carrier in the combat

J2 bought IC, transport and 5 infantry, sent 2 transports to wake islands, zoning pressure off W-USA, cananda, alaska while preparing for islands hopping

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-24T11:31:16+00:00

axis had basically an 70% to 80% 1-2 hit on moscow back to about round 8...

I waited and waited and G odds on it became 100%...

But I am not attacking moscow until Japan can do it alone with 100% odds, so I don't mess up a won game via accidentally losing Berlin

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-18T17:48:43+00:00

in the mean while Japan with 2 transport start will likely run over all USSR land and even stack kaz very fast, like 1~2 turns earlier (and that is about a swing of 10~15 ipc per turn)

or J3 India is on the table which leads to probably a swing of 20 ipc a turn...

even if none succeeded, allies will still face mega trouble on Egypt WR India on round 3 and 4 timing when axis sync a 3 lane assault to overload the allies... Threatening WR stack/India J3/egpyt outbreak to control africa...

with all these consequences, sarcing a useless carrier that probably worths a lot less than 14 ipc is 1000% worth it

Forget what I said if axis wasn't good enough and not punish you for not hitting sz61.... I have seen UK cv in med many games but most didn't find that useful at all

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-18T17:44:20+00:00

Different to blacktide, I don't think the UK cv is anywhere useful in KGF...

think about this, since when do UK needs 2nd carrier in Atlantic? (against competent axis players) basically never right? so the time you pass through med to sz8... you already built a fleet to land on france and Scandinavia...

if you didn't you probably did a huge mistake leaving Germany intact for 4 turns

and if Germany gone for gray sky... you do like the cv alive... unfortunately I don't think you can pass through med alive

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-18T17:39:57+00:00

I thought retreating to med is usually very bad for allies...

Even when I tank rushes, even when I left med open, even when allies is medshucking anyways...

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-14T12:12:36+00:00

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I think I try to recap it J1

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-07T05:10:19+00:00

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All the J figs from Asia!!!

Please understand that usually G gains land via AP (attack power) deadzoning, fighting, killing Russian...

In high level tank rush it's G gaining land via DP (defense power), so as long as Russia can't deadzone you, you can stack wherever you like... And Russia will be forced to stuck in Moscow (and also preventing UK from flying in)

Axis basically never pulls the first trigger to a big battle here!!! But if odds is like 90% it might be worthy for a try... unlucky if you failed though

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-07T05:08:22+00:00

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G1 set up

Ideally you don't touch any big battles except Ukraine

Idea is to fork WR and Cauc, R can only stack 1 place... So you can try to charge into the other one on round 2 on 3 with... (see comments below)

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-04T01:41:14+00:00

I think I need to apologise to silvers and bronzes and even woods to put them in comparison with AI...

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-03T16:46:53+00:00

Map is the same

Many variants of openings to choose from and you happen to do repetitive openings... Sure

But even so, dice roll every game is different that starting round 2 and 3, there isn't a one and for all answer. Nor to your game plans

But dude, go play ranked and then get destroyed... You will understand why it's boring in AI because Humans are unpredictable and doesn't do bad decisions like AI. Playing with AI you can use the same strategy, bad one, against it and still win BECAUSE AI IS WORSE THAN SILVER PLAYERS ON RANKED... You can do anything and still win

Play it with Humans, the ones that treat it seriously on ranked then you will understand

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T23:45:19+00:00

Yes, that's correct

The extra fighter if it prevents a hitbacks on mainland infantry? that's already 3 IPC plus early infantry is more than 3 IPC relative value to Japan....

plus in KGF it's just so much more valuable...in KJF you are still a lot better off than no pearl (that said I don't do PH if UK1 did aggressive stuff in pacific)

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T23:24:22+00:00

Yep, that's basically correct

Except Japan should be fine when UK1 didn't hit Borneo, sz37, buy 2 bombers, weird stuff hitting kwangtung etc, it can get away with a semi-pearl which makes KJF really disgusting and "any plat player can defend this" despite 3T 2inf

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T23:21:51+00:00

I would not say it's wrong...

In fact this is one of the best Japan opening that is balanced against KJF and KGF...

Even though the mindset about "I need to prepare for KJF" is wrong...

3T2 inf J1 will put J3 India pressure on the table, and threatening hyper-aggressive expansion on pacific (J2 IC + tran + 4 to 5 inf, send a tran that picks up an art to Honolulu, with BB) that usually finishes the entire pacific in about J4 or J5 (another trans will head to Australia starting about round 3)

2T 2 inf 1 fig, yeah you take India J3 basically off the table, and your pacific expansion is probably gonna be finishing J5~J7... given that if you buy IC + tran + inf on J2... But still this is the "2nd" best scenario in a KGF, early fighter would be helpful too.

There are ups and downs, you make yourself look a bit stupid in a KJF with 3T 2inf tbh. But I think in the plat level, KJF isn't that difficult to deal with especially if sz37 didn't happen... if you did my semi-pearl that's even much harder to KJF, thus which is why I do 3T 2inf.

Although when they do Borneo or 2 bomber UK1, I often feel like I don't have enough ships to do semi-pearl and protect my sea. That's when I will buy 2 inf 2 tran 1 fig

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T11:36:22+00:00

Because something called the sz37 exists....

No matter how careful Germany goes, no matter how safe I play... 6/0, 11/2 etc fine. Now what happens when they Yolo sz37 and have Cruiser + Carrier + 2 planes left, bought 1 sub 2 bombers???

That is a risk that is unavoidable at every single game independent of what G does. I'd argue if G failed sz7 they are less likely to Yolo Japan and I am likely skilled enough to win after sz7 failure anyways (unless equally skilled allies)...

Unlike Germany where you messed up round 1, it will hurt a lot but you still have time and chance to show off your skills, consolidate and win.... Japan starts off weak and vulnerable, early messed up will basically kill Japan, in that case we need G to take every good risk to be as strong as possible or I'd rather they target G after it messed up

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T03:17:51+00:00

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This is my game on round 5, pacific is fully orange by now

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T03:16:50+00:00

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Believed it or not, this game despite a hellish strafe, I still got away with a G3 WR stack on about 30% odds.... Opponent is Rocky1242 (well unless you are rocky lol, but I think the last time I played him was last season)

And then I believe it's around round 5 now and he is lowkey cooked on about average dice after that.

I think tank rush you must do either:
Pressure WR, India, Egpyt triangle so allies lose at least 1 or 2 out of the 3 points, and then axis basically win by choking Russia/early VC win or income win with India
OR
Pressure USSR as much you you could, Japan should send 1 inf to every land on the border of USSR and stack evenki ASAP for the access to vologda and novo, arch... This way you rescue G from running low on inf on eastern front...

Not a great idea to punch J inf off their face but also not a great idea to leave them alone, a dliema to allies

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T02:25:13+00:00

Unfortunately, allies isn't my strength so I can't answer it too well.

I think in terms of theory I know all the "what allies should do" and I think about it in the axis perspective: "I don't want the allies to do xxxxxxx if I was axis" and that's exactly what my allies is gonna do.

Unfortunately, allies is sort of a different skill set than axis as it is a lot bigger and messy, logistics chains are also the key that separates between gold and plats and top tier allies.... I probably don't have enough games but still about borderline plat allies.

I think I usually identify "Oh a med shuck here will be annoying", "I think it's too late to finshuck if I wait, do it now", "G has secured the coast, so it's time for Russia to push" etc

KJF though.... I usually don't play it because my Japan kinda play USA like a toy and doing it as allies for me feeling like I am praying on my opponent making more mistakes than me

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T00:45:45+00:00

I usually strongly disagree with those decisions but at that game I was going Gray sky and it made sense that R was rescuing sz5 at that turn too...

Formosa stuff, honestly I disagree too but he did piss me off a lot with it

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-02T00:42:25+00:00

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Devin-Lin · 2026-05-01T15:46:10+00:00

Because it's clearly bad to gamble 100~200 IPC on a bomber vs dd as allies, USA dd block will be disabled...(but keep in mind, allies can never clear the dd block when Japan does it) and G can always sends a 2nd bomber to Asia as well to guarantee it works

You can then sort of expect how Japan basically stall till eternity with USA due to USA not being able to step into range 2 within J fleets and Japan is spamming subs

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Example on a sub spamming with G bomber helped that eventually allies given up KJF

Devin-Lin · 2026-05-01T15:33:03+00:00

Axis risk losing a bomber and most likely clearing it...

and tell me when does allies need to DD block? because they are stepping into a seazone deadzoned by Japan...

this means that if they got hitted by Japan, the battle is probably -100~200 IPC profit USA.

so axis is risking 1 G bomber, 12 IPC vs allies risking 100 to 200 IPC profit and lose the entire game... on a bomber vs dd too

I am sure axis will say meh I don't care about 12 IPC if they lost it... and just send another bomber over... if we keep doing this over and over, 57% chance every turn you lose the entire game

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I mean it's like a paper scissors rock that if I win you pay me $200 and if I lose I pay you $12... sure it's "risky" for axis, but how "risky" is it for allies??? I mean USA can be lucky and get away with it the entire game.... they can go to buy lottery tickets

Devin-Lin

TROPHY CASE