Strategy for the Philippines
VERY IMPRESSIVE! And I am most curious how you achieved that since the obstacles for the Philippines are immense as it requires amphibious operations over a hostile sea and manpower to build enough divisions. But the PH has so little IC, a tiny Navy and very limited manpower. Yes, please do post your AAR so we can learn the details of this amazing conquest.
I will definitely post a Philippines AAR, but probably a different game and not this one, as this one has already concluded. I could probably write an AAR from reading the Event History, but I don't feel like doing that. Somehow it wouldn't feel the same. :laugh:
Getting this kind of result, as I said, is highly dependent on luck because your success as a small country depends on how good your larger AI-controlled allies are.
The short version of the strategy that I used - refined over several games playing the Philippines - is this:
1. From 1936 on, research nothing but infantry, industry, agriculture, land doctrines, supply, computers, and cryptography. No air force or navy, you don't have the resources for that anyway. You could also research cavalry and artillery, but only if you've researched the above first. Happily, the US will give you blueprints, allowing you to research these easily despite only having one research slot. The best part is the Philippines' research teams are well adapted to industrial research, particularly Elizalde and Manila Electric Company (called Meralco today). :rofl:
MacArthur is skill 7 and is the Philippines' strongest research team. Use him for land doctrine research. However, he will disappear in 1942 no matter what you do. (Think of it as him being recalled to the US.) The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) has the same skill set as MacArthur, but is only skill 3. This isn't such a bad thing since they're cheaper as well.
2. To maximize efficiency, do not create any units or reinforce the Philippine Constabulary (PC) until 1939 at the earliest. Instead, use the first few years to increase the Philippines' cash and supplies stockpiles. Since you are a colony of the US, all Energy, Metal, Rares and Oil that you have over 1000 will be sent to them. Keep this in mind and don't bother getting those resources over 1000. The Philippines has a surplus of Metal - better to trade it to the US for something rather than end up giving it to them for free. :rofl:
Only train units when you've researched 1939 infantry. This is so that you don't have units uselessly eating up your supplies during peacetime, and also so you don't have to upgrade them again and again. The Philippines starts with
zero manpower anyway, so the first few years will build up your manpower as well. You could even wait until 1941 infantry, but that is risky.
3. To be even more efficient, put logistics wizards in charge of all your units during peacetime. These are MacArthur, Wainwright, and Lim, and possibly others as well.
4. Watch events going on in the rest of the world. The key event to watch out for is Japan's annexation of French Indochina, which will lead the US to embargo them. This embargo guarantees that Japan will launch Pearl Harbor, usually a few months after.
5. Now, deploy your troops so that every coastal province in the Philippines is defended by at least one unit. Abandon Mindoro and Palawan since they don't have a connection to the rest of the archipelago. The US "Philippine Division" is locked to Manila - you can have them defend Manila while you defend everywhere else. Your units should be Infantry, but Garrisons and Militia are cheaper and you should train those as well. The problem is Garrisons surrender when defeated and Militia are very weak.
6. When the war begins, you must fend off every Japanese assault. It's best to stop them on the beaches where the amphibious penalty is significant for them. But if they do manage to land, it is
critical to push them off as fast as possible, before they can reinforce the beachhead. If you defeat the Japanese after they have landed, you can help the Allied war effort by lessening the number of divisions the Japanese have.
7. Keep training infantry. Later in the war, the Japanese will get better at mounting amphibious assaults. One division per province will not be enough to stop them. You need one division on each coastal province and some larger armies to react to any landings.
8. Now, wait for the tide of the war to turn against the Japanese. Watch as the US whittles down the Japanese Navy. When you feel the Japanese navy has been reduced to insignificance, begin to produce convoys and transports. Any ships you build are under threat from Japanese naval bombers on Taiwan, so you may have to move them to Australia as soon as they appear. Research and train marines as well.
9. If the Japanese captured the Netherlands East Indies and Malaya earlier in the war, check how well those conquests are defended. If they are lightly defended as they should be at this stage of the war, take one division and a transport and start claiming those islands for the Philippines. Java, Sumatra, the Malay peninsula and Borneo especially are absurdly rich in resources. These resources shall now be appropriated for the Philippines.
10. If you sense that the Japanese are getting very close to collapse, then it's time. Capture all VP islands in the Pacific (Truk, etc.) Then prepare to land on the Home Islands. You may need to devote several of your best divisions for this. You can take military control of your allies (such as Australia) if you want to use their troops and transports. Make sure the territory is yours, however.
Most of Japan's army is on the mainland, so the Philippines cannot deal with them there. I got lucky because the US also landed in Manchuria while I was in Japan. I was also lucky that for some reason, the surrender event where Japan becomes a US puppet did not fire, so I was able to annex Japan as soon as the last VP was taken. Because seriously, why should the US get the credit when it was the Philippines that took the entire Home Islands? :wacko:
11. For ministers: Aguinaldo is best IMO for Foreign Minister since he is an Ideological Crusader. In 1939, Mabini will become available for Security Minister. He increases manpower growth, which you really need. Tan is good for Chief of the Army as he reduces supply consumption. For Minister of Intelligence, I get Wheeler for his research boost. It can be tempting to get Winant for Intelligence and Fausto or David for Armament Minister because they all increase IC. Unfortunately, the Philippines doesn't have the resources to support all that IC and while the Japanese Navy is still active, trade with the US will be very inefficient.
12. For slider moves, try going full Free Market first. Then move to Hawk Lobby and Standing Army. The Philippines' initial slider positions are really bad for a war...
Also, exactly what version of HoI2 are you playing? I would love to get a copy and try playing the Philippines to see what I might achieve. I once played Poland and annexed Germany - which I thought was impressive - until somebody else played Poland and took all of Asia. Maybe I should try playing Mexico and attack USA? Definitely, your screen shot is the most impressive I've ever seen.
Thank you! That is truly high praise.
This is just vanilla HoI2, version 1.3. I really want to find ARMA or Doomsday since they have many features that the original doesn't have. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you're aware, it's very difficult to find a copy of those in the Philippines. :sad:
By the way, I Canadian am living in Angeles City. Let's meet sometine! Maybe we can figure out how to save the Spratlys!
Very best wishes for you and your family at this time of crisis in Manila. You can text me at 0947-736-2690
Thank you again. I live in Manila. How was it over in Angeles? And to think that wasn't even a typhoon! Thankfully, the worst of it is over, although given recent trends, I believe it's only a matter of time until the next big one.
Yes, we need to do something about the Spratlys. The Chinese are going too far for their own good.
