PzB vs Wobbly - Clash of Steel

[Nemo121]

Aye, you are correct. My apologies PzB. I would suggest not fighting all of these little battles and just storing up for one major battle several months down the road. Sure it will allow Andy to accelerate his advance BUT far better to let him accelerate and then hit a brick wall ( when he may have accelerated enough to over-extend) than to merely oppose his juggernaught with a number of small wooden fences.

[Sneer]

i think that japan can't win or even draw major battle in this game any more
with combined strikes non-existent for LBA it is not possible and KB is out of game against allied main fleet body
i think that secondary assault axis should be used to inflict losses to allies
it is a mirror to allied 42 y strategy - to hit where KB is not present - just the opposite
be everywhere where allied effort is limited
keep objectived limited
saving planes doesn't make greater sense at this moment
to be honest after identiyfing main allied attack route fleet except from light forces should be moved out of area and concentrated somewhere else
there are 2 major attack routes
cenpac and PI
secondary in DEI - it would be too long to go for Dei and later north
so fleet operations in dei seem to have justification

[Honda]

A strong high-quality CAP on the path of an offensive out of allied LBA support can do wonders. If Andy goes for the Marianas, the goal should be to keep the invaders on the beaches and starve them out. I know I'm getting very much ahead here but strong force behind fort9 and well supllied is hard to dislodge. And that's the current situation od Jap forces in the Marianas - a strong force behind fort9 with plenty of suplly. So just CAP, CAP and CAP and then LRCAP if his bomberdment TFs threaten the base. Best fighters on CAP and everything else in the area on stand down. After a few strikes from US CV TFs the escort fighters should be cut down in large enough numbers to substantialy decrease the CAP over them to allow a successful series of LBA strikes combined with still operational remains of KB. Since Andy is a fan of picket AKs there will be no harm done if a few AKs should find themselves harbored in the bases with strong CAP...

[PzB74]

It's perfectly ok to vent some steam and discuss doctrines and game policies in this thread... [;)]
Here is another mail to Andy:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please don't feel that you have done anything wrong!
Operationally everything's quite perfect: Me on the other hand is basing the justification of the game on political doctrines.
Based on this view the Allies should always provide max coverage to their operations in order to minimize losses.

E.g Market Garden was a high risk operation - but Sulawesi makes this look like a kindergarden excercise
You did what?? Send carriers into a fjord close to a major Jap base? =-O

Of course you're probably not following the same guidelines - which means the game play is based on two different
strategies and doctrines. I guess you find many of my actions quite reckless - just like many of Japans late war operations were.

Me on the other hand doesn't really expect you to carry out high risk operations unless you absolutely have to.
Guess this is why I grumbled a bit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andy's reply:

Lol I am working on the assumption that I am getting messages from Churchill
every other day warning me about the risk of a soviet intervention (he
really doesn't trust them)so I am up against a clock here !!!

Sulawesi for me was very very low risk this Operation (codename Minotaur) is
considerably lower risk than any of the Hydra invasions that preceded it.

I was determined to try and sieze some real estate (not close enough to
activate the dreaded K) to strengthn my hold on the southern oil fields

I attacked 1 totally undefended base and one that was very lightly held
Market Garden was a lot higher risk than this about 2 Bn's of Paras landed
seized an airhead and then I sent in some reinforcements mostly by air to
tomini and by sea to makele.

I did take a risk with the carriers but I paid for it 2 have sank and I
doubt a 3rd will make it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think these different views should be discussed in order to make sure that
we understand each others point of view. Like the Nemo/Sneer discussion.
Both are right in a way, the game can be played in so many different ways...opponents just
have to agree on them. This is a bit difficult in this game since it includes strategies
made by 4 different Allied players [;)]

Wobbly is probably a bit gung ho like me, Dave is very consistent in everything he does, Ken
a mix of Dave and Al, while Andy is a methodical steam roller [:D]

Personally I think a coupe in India could have taken place and that Japan could have occupied at
least parts of the country. Much like France/Vichy France?

I remember when I played UV and invaded Noumea. Thought I had it but it generated supplies and
new units teleported in. Same discussion as now. Think Matrix made it this way to make such places
extremely difficult to capture. Personally I feel it could have been solved differently [8|]

In 'Hangover' I managed to capture Karachi because half the Allied Army was cut of in Dehli, thus
I avoided the super garrison problem. Still, any invasion of India is a big risk... But I also think
it shouldn't be launched unless both players agree that Japan is allowed to try.

Sneer; I'm going to show you just how Japan can win a major battle in 1944! [:D]
Behold the power of the Empire and tremble! [&o]

[PzB74]

I agree Honda! I will use carriers and the Palaus/Bonins as staging ground for my fighters/bombers and
rotate them in and out. I will threaten Andy's supply train and launch small bomber strikes but hold back the
main force until the enemy becomes vulnerable. Subs will sow mines and finish cripplies! This should be fun,
I'm almost looking forward to it [;)]

[BLurking]

I'd like to chime in as a Japanese player at almost the identical date in a PBEM.
It's 6/2/44 in my game, and I'm getting stomped at every corner. I avoid the major battles, and try to pick on the fringes. The Allies had the capacity at this stage of the war to avoid every concentration of Japanese forces, and did so whenever they wanted. Only strategically important bases were assaulted, everything else was bypassed. MacArthur is not given enough credit (IMHO) for the bypassing operations he did throughout New Guinea. Airborne assaults and resupply were his forte - and the Allies should have massive capabilities in this area.
My two cents, but at this stage I'm not really fighting my opponent - I'm fighting the calendar. If I can delay against the historical timeline - given the game mechanics - I'll be happy.
So far I'm beating that schedule. Day to day combat sucks, but I'm happy with the strategic position.

Now if I can just make it another 14 days 'till reinforcements arrive in the Phillipines...

[PzB74]

Sounds like the right strategy Blurking! It will be a slow slogging match through the SRA/PI when
the substantial IJA reinforcements arrive in mid June. I know Andy can't get there before this date,
so I'm quite relaxed about the situation too. The Makassar Strait will be closed when Tomali and Makale
are expanded to size 3-4 airfields. Have to move in reinforcements and get as many resources and oil
out as possible before this date.

My new defensive line stretches from Java-Borneo-Mindanao-Palau-Marianas-Bonins
I still feel that one major battle will have to be fought: the one for the Marianas. If this chain falls
enemy carriers will make life very miserable and I prefer to fight a battle here and try to stop the enemy
for as long as possible.

[ny59giants]

I have read both of these AAR's and feel this long term game has been beneficial to other players and the development of strategies to counter the super-Japanese early in the war (Allied players countering your seizure of India and preparing Hawaii from other AAR's) and now for Japanese players when the Allied war machine is a steam roller. I feel that the game mechanics could be better, but I don't know of any other computer game of this complexity that has been done better. [&o]
Reading this and other AAR's has led me to switching over to CHS games on an extended map so the Japanese can take all of India realistically, but the Allies have the Middle East to base their forces and counter-attack, eventually. That front would never have been completed closed down. That is why some like Nemo have a legitimate beef about how hard it is to take Karachi. I feel that base was not designed to be captured and now has been moved to the Middle East in CHS.
I think it is human nature to push the limits, in real life as in this game. The "game mechanics" allow players to do certain things - withstand combat odds of over 100:1 for months at end in open country. [&:][&:]
I will continue to follow these two AAR's and see how the USA alone will seem to win the war after almost a disasterous start. [&o]

[timtom]

Seeing as John has given the go-ahead, I'll respond here - a response I feel is in order as Nemo has questioned my moral courage.

Nemo, I appreciate that you must feel badly burned by some of the adverse reactions to your AAR. I understand that you might feel raw, and hence the angry reaction to my little quip. We might not see eye-to-eye on certain issues, but be assured that I bear you no ill-will. If you feel that I have offended you unduely in the two posts I've written in your AAR that could possibly be construed as offensive, my apologies.

I think it safe to say that we all understand your frustrations with the game mechanics - I've certainly been there myself. But, to be honest, my sympathies stretch a little longer with players complaining they're loosing because of bugs and/or oddities in the mechanics rather than those complaining that they aren't winning fast enough because of same. All the more so if that player is clearly very deft, and, no disrespect, superior to his opponent.

I'm not going to answer your three points other than wonder whether your own might I say, for better or worse, unsurpased opening moves didn't belong in the world of quantum physics rather than those of Newton.

As to the two points you wish me to defend, I must desist. You make certain assumptions about me that I feel are unwarrented. I have no wish to defend the undefendable and indeed perfectly agree with you in your critique. It might be argued that the designers had to draw the line somewhere - by your criteria I garther metropolitan Britain would strictly have to be included.

However my point is a wider one: Rather that, to my mind, there are numerous issues with the game as stands, and, that if one wishes to start unpicking it, one has to be willing to look at the whole. Among those that would impinge presumably negatively on your current situation I might suggest the effect of naval bombardment on ground troops, the ability of naval bombardment to target everything within a hex regardless of actual distance from the sea, the complete absence of barrel wear, the overly generous allowance for concentrating ground- and air forces as well as the equally generous serviceability of aircraft, the insta-rolling stock railway system and indeed the whole logistical system or lack thereof that underpins the game. You lament the absence of any attempt to reflect the political situation in India: Presumably that would cut both ways, and incidentally the British garrison troops aren't included in the game. I take it from your post that we agree if not in the detail, then in the spirit of this.

Is maith an scáthán súil charad.

Respectfully,

Tom

[ChezDaJez]

Hi PzB,

Let me add a few words in regards to your situation. I know you are frustrated with the uber effectiveness of allied CAP

I do not believe that Andy's Sulawesi operation was wrong. The Allies IRL tried a few daring operations during WWII that failed miserably. Dieppe and market Graden come to mind. My feeling is that grabbing a place like Sulawesi could be a good move for Andy or it could end in disaster. You are exacting atoll for his daring.

There is one area of the game (anyone's game including my own) that I do not agree with and that is the deliberate overstacking of airfields with the intent to use them to launch massive bombing raids or CAP. I have a PBEM going at the moment where my opponent has over 400 heavies and 300+ fighters at Pomala, a level 3 airfield. The entire area within B-17 normal range (10 hexes) is now off limits to any IJ naval vessels and all airfields have been closed. My opponent hasn't had to support an invasion with his major naval units or carriers in several months. My view is that he will move against the PI next and be bombing Japan within 6-8 months and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Most of my carriers and battleships are in drydock due to the massive B-17 raids. In one attack alone he scored over 100 bomb hits against 4 batteships from 300 B-17s. I won't even mention how many aircraft I have lost but my loss rates are close to yours and his best fighter is the P-38! Our game is only in 11/42! Unfortunately we don't have any house rules regarding overstacking airfields.

Anyways, I'm sure you two will work it out and come to a mutual agreement. I am currently playing Andy in another PBEM though we are still very early (Feb 42) and I'm gaining a lot of intel from your AAR!

Chez

[pauk]

Chez, i couldn't agree more with you...

Overstacking is the main issue there, i think - Makale AF level 1 have 100 planes. I'm not sure about Namlea and Wasile but one thing is for sure - without overstacking Andy wouldn't be able lift so much supply and men in just few days and it would take a little more until he could attack next target.

I did it to Andy in our game. My paras took Lanchow i think because he left only BF in that base, and latter airlifted bde (have to pay PP...etc).. His mistake. Leaving such important base without cover isn't same as leaving some minor malaria bases in the sulavesi (don't forget that PzB simply doesn't have enough units to cover all the bases). Someone will probably disagree here but A is not equal with B.

Market Garden, Crete were big airborne operations - but i don't think that even German paratroopers&transports carried concrete and all stuff needed for building a big airfield. But each to his own.


btw, i think you should discuss about stacking limit with Andy - he likes that, very much, i can assure you[:)]... didn't proposed this house rule at the start of the game because i didn't thought that there is so many people which uses overstacking. But this is one of my favourite HR for the next games...

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: ChezDaJez

There is one area of the game (anyone's game including my own) that I do not agree with and that is the deliberate overstacking of airfields with the intent to use them to launch massive bombing raids or CAP. I have a PBEM going at the moment where my opponent has over 400 heavies and 300+ fighters at Pomala, a level 3 airfield. The entire area within B-17 normal range (10 hexes) is now off limits to any IJ naval vessels and all airfields have been closed. My opponent hasn't had to support an invasion with his major naval units or carriers in several months. My view is that he will move against the PI next and be bombing Japan within 6-8 months and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Most of my carriers and battleships are in drydock due to the massive B-17 raids. In one attack alone he scored over 100 bomb hits against 4 batteships from 300 B-17s. I won't even mention how many aircraft I have lost but my loss rates are close to yours and his best fighter is the P-38! Our game is only in 11/42! Unfortunately we don't have any house rules regarding overstacking airfields.
Chez

I´ve got three PBEMs going at the moment. If the two American opponents would do something like that then I would ask them if they would agree that this is a bit weird (I don´t put 500 Nells and Betties anywhere - and we have a stacking rule) and to stop it. I don´t know if I would want to continue the game if I would see 100+ 4E bombers on 6000 feet bombing my ships and scoring 100 hits. [8|][8|]

If my third opponent - a friend of mine - would do that, then I would drive to his place and would kick him in his balls! [;)]

[AmiralLaurent]

The problem with overstacking is that the penalities for it that are in the manual didn't exist in the game...

When I read the manual, it seems to me that for each batch 50 AC above AF capacity, 25% won't fly. That is 130 AC on a size 1 AF means 50% AC grounded = 65 available, no Air HQ probably again 25% AC grounded = 48 available, and 82 waiting to be bombed on the ground... While 50 AC on the AF would be 36 available and 14 grounded, so almost as efficient and with no overstacking.

Also according to the manual B-17 shouldn't fly from size 3 AF, and B-29 from size 6 AF

But it is not working like that. And it is a pity.

The problem then is that the biggest AF will only have 500 AC, and so be unable to do anything to death star that may have 1000-2000 AC... Then that is another problem.

By the way these formidable concentrations are also possible because once an AF has 250 air support squads, it may support an infinite number of AC... I have never understood the logic of this one, as the game will track support squads for ground troops in far greater number, as it should be.

My own opinion is that no raid should be more than 200 AC strong (but this will depend of where they come...), and that CAP should be limited to 200 too, but also to 3 times the number of attacking AC, so enabling small raids to sneak in sometimes as they did. Then we will see AC attacking in waves (as they always did in every Pacific battle) and the uber-CAP may be no more a problem. So CVs will be less immune to LBA and less daring in their sailing.

Of course then the US heavy bombers should be less numerous, far worst in hitting ships and far more serviceable....

And in the end you finish by change the whole air model.

My opinion is that the air model was tested with small to medium air battles and is working well... The game just achieved silly results when players concentrated units that were scattered in RL everywhere (for example, when a CV TF was attacked, only 4 CV max were providing CAP, not 12-16, and a raid with 50 heavy bombers was huge, and needed a week of preparation, you can have 300 000 men battling for an atoll). But the real problem is that nothing in the game is hindering such concentration, and achieveing concentration faster than your enemy at the critical point is the key in any military operation, so we all do that. The pity is that in WITP this concentration is unlimited, and so once a side has an edge (Japan until summer 42, Allied after summer 43), it has no more need to think about manoeuver, all he had to do it to gather and then advance as a steam roller...

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: AmiralLaurent

The problem with overstacking is that the penalities for it that are in the manual didn't exist in the game...

When I read the manual, it seems to me that for each batch 50 AC above AF capacity, 25% won't fly. That is 130 AC on a size 1 AF means 50% AC grounded = 65 available, no Air HQ probably again 25% AC grounded = 48 available, and 82 waiting to be bombed on the ground... While 50 AC on the AF would be 36 available and 14 grounded, so almost as efficient and with no overstacking.

Also according to the manual B-17 shouldn't fly from size 3 AF, and B-29 from size 6 AF

But it is not working like that. And it is a pity.

The problem then is that the biggest AF will only have 500 AC, and so be unable to do anything to death star that may have 1000-2000 AC... Then that is another problem.

By the way these formidable concentrations are also possible because once an AF has 250 air support squads, it may support an infinite number of AC... I have never understood the logic of this one, as the game will track support squads for ground troops in far greater number, as it should be.

My own opinion is that no raid should be more than 200 AC strong (but this will depend of where they come...), and that CAP should be limited to 200 too, but also to 3 times the number of attacking AC, so enabling small raids to sneak in sometimes as they did. Then we will see AC attacking in waves (as they always did in every Pacific battle) and the uber-CAP may be no more a problem. So CVs will be less immune to LBA and less daring in their sailing.

Of course then the US heavy bombers should be less numerous, far worst in hitting ships and far more serviceable....

And in the end you finish by change the whole air model.

My opinion is that the air model was tested with small to medium air battles and is working well... The game just achieved silly results when players concentrated units that were scattered in RL everywhere (for example, when a CV TF was attacked, only 4 CV max were providing CAP, not 12-16, and a raid with 50 heavy bombers was huge, and needed a week of preparation, you can have 300 000 men battling for an atoll). But the real problem is that nothing in the game is hindering such concentration, and achieveing concentration faster than your enemy at the critical point is the key in any military operation, so we all do that. The pity is that in WITP this concentration is unlimited, and so once a side has an edge (Japan until summer 42, Allied after summer 43), it has no more need to think about manoeuver, all he had to do it to gather and then advance as a steam roller...

totally agree here!

[duckenf]

ORIGINAL: PzB

In 'Hangover' I managed to capture Karachi because half the Allied Army was cut of in Dehli, thus
I avoided the super garrison problem. Still, any invasion of India is a big risk... But I also think
it shouldn't be launched unless both players agree that Japan is allowed to try.

I think the "super-garrison" of Karachi is an anomaly of the map/edge -- if Japan knocks out India, it is foolish to think that they can leave fairly meagre defensive forces there when the brunt of an allied re-invasion could have occurred by way of Iran/Suez/Eastern Africa. As it is, the allies are forced to make any moves from Australia. So getting the Japanese bogged down in a seige of Karachi is probably as good a way as any to model off-board allied activity. The only alternative would be a special uninvadable allied supply hex representing the rest of the British Empire.

I'm pretty sure PzB was airlifting units into combat in 1942 in India--airlifting units was instrumental in the taking of Dimapur and turning the allied line in Burma. That takes nothing away from Hangover which was a model combined arms operation.

As far as Andy's airborne attacks, I think he has been pretty modest with them and has suffered some setbacks doing so. In any event, it is worth thinking where he got the idea; from reading your thread, I have been impressed with how you have used the full range of forces at your disposal; and usually quite cleverly, too. The problem is that by 1944, the things the Japanese can do, the Allies can do in a major way. You've been using transports to reinforce outposts and as the centrepiece of your attmepts to counter-attack on islands Andy invades. Now he's turned the tables and actually been pretty limited in his efforts compared to what you did earlier -- add to that that you've punished him somewhat on his recent series of operations, I don't really see that you have grounds to complain. You didn't complain earlier about unrealistic transport ability when the following occurred:

Original: PzB
I flew in some reinforcements and Kai Island repulsed the first attack!
Sending in my only 2 PT boats in case Andy tries to move more troops in unescorted

Original:PzB
Advantage: We got large bases within transport ac range of all Northern NG bases.
Some 300 transports can bring in a lot of reinforcements in no time. This is were we put
the foot down!

Original:pzB
Noemfoor next!
I didn't think Andy was ready to jump again that soon. There are two options:
Noemfoor, the obvious one - or Manokwari just to the NW if the first is a ruse!
Too much hardware being used to be a ruse, good thing I put the transports in action
yesterday. 20+ were lost but several reinforcements were airlifted in including a
heavy AA unit from Truk and a Heavy Artillery unit from Morotai.

Heavy artillery on transport aircraft?

Original: PzB
Noemfoor Invaded
Don't misunderstand me, Andy
will be back, but this buys us valuable time and he can't keep his carriers around
forever. Give me a window and 10k more troops will stalemate the place permanently!

To remove any doubt -- this is time to airlift in 10,000 troops which duly stalemated an allied objective. If regular invasion/combat had occurred without aerial reinforcement, Noemfoor would have fallen.

Original:PzB
I got an Independent Brigade nearby that can be airlifted in. This will cost me a lot of transports
though - but there are no other options if I want to halt Andy here. In the meanwhile I'm reinforcing
the rest of the bases in Northern New Guinea. Only 3 bases left here now.
My goal is to cast him of schedule and enforce a sitzkrieg for
a while so I can strengthen my position and bring in more reinforcements

.

Gentlemen, I need your help to finish a cunning plan to destroy the enemy fleet
New development indicates an enemy landing at Morotai or Wasile! The enemy fleet has moved
closer and while the heavies hit both Morotai and Wasile, a huge carrier strike force hit
Wasile which is a size 1(3) base with 264 assault points and 5 forts. An obvious target just
like Kai Island. Morotai is a super fortress...

So I've ordered transport ac to fly in reinforcements to Wasile and stacked Menando with Zekes,
Jills and Judy while Davao got all my long range A6M2s, Oscar IIs, Army and Navy bombers.

There's even a map of the cunning plan with transport aircraft locations/targets indicated (there are also 460 aircraft at Manando and 520 at Davao, I'm guessing more than 50Xairfield):



PzB did pay an overstacking price, though:

Guess this is a penalty for overstacking, but it is as I told Andy - a wet dream to get coordinated strikes these days.
Both my bases had 250+ AS and an Air HQ. Morotai managed to launch a biggie, guess it should have been the other way around.

Bad weather covered Noemfoor in the AM phase and a large part of the 32 Independent
Brigade was airlifted in. In the PM phase Allied fighters cut down 20 transports, but
I'm satisfied for now.

And in India:

The fall of Imphal was also satisfactory, supplies will be flown in - then a base force and some fighters.
In Dimapur I've moved a partial base force in, but an enemy unit appeared today. A naval garrison unit will be airlifted in
tonight - I hope I can hold. Need a few days to secure my new bases - but at least I'm forcing Al to disperse his units.

The first Allied attempt to recapture Dimapur failed, and I'm continuing to airlift reinforcements. As we captured a huge stockpile of supplies, this is not a worry. Matters are different at Imphal though, but that base is much closer to my other bases.

[PzB74]

There are many issues with WitP that are quite invisible when you first start
playing. 1942-43 are quite innocent really, when 44-45 arrives the age of innocence is truly over.

The use of air transports to ferry in base force and garrison units was quite ok in 42.
No one complained even though it was a bit strange that heavy artillery could be transported in small flimsy ac.

When my invasion of a small atoll was halted by an air transport effort near Tarawa, the stage
was set for a massive escalation. During the invasion of central and northern PNG large numbers of troops
were airlifted to reinforce threatened bases. These bases were relatively large though, size 4-6 AF.

In the next stage several bases on Sulawesi were captured by paras. No complaints really.
This time the escalation included massive overstacking the af at Wasile. I tried to counter Andys attack by
overstacking Menando and Morotai. Andy did so and ferried in huge amounts of supplies and troops first to Wasile,
and then to Tomino and Makale - size 1 airfields.

As I admitted in my earlier posts it is difficult to ask for new house rules without incriminating oneself.
I've not tried to blame Andy for using these tactics, but it has been hard to hide my annoyance over their
effectiveness [:'(] Personally I'm willing to halt my use of transports to reinforce threatened bases. This
would deprieve me of a very effective way to reinforce e.g. the Marianas. In return I want Andy to use his
massive resources a bit more traditionally.

A give and take proposition in other words. After discussing overstacking with Andy he may be willing to limit
the amount of ac to 100 pr af size up to size 6. That's as much as he's willing to give, so I will concur.
Hopefully we can agree on only air lifting in moderate amounts of troops (except from paras) the next time
we wish to reinforce a base. I'm thinking of something like this: 50 transports can airlift into a size 1 af. 250
for a size 5 base. BUT the number of friendly ac based in the target AF has to be deducted from the number
of transports. What do you think?

Another thing I may ask of Andy is to limit the use of heavy bombers in a naval attack role. Japan doesn't have
any heavy bombers, so I don't feel I'm out on a limb here He got so many mediumes and strike ac that I don't
see why he should use B-29's to attack my remaining fleet assets anyway. If Andy wants concessions from me in
return, that's ok.

Always nice with a good discussion, and I think these topics are fairly 'hot' despite of old age.... [:D]

[PzB74]

Not a lot to report, barge and LCU busting and massive bombing raids
on bases throughout PNG and the Central Pacific.

The good news is that Strike Force I is evading the enemy carriers!
Think all the destroyers and carriers will make it at least.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 05/20/44

[pauk]

greetings....

i think that you shouldn't ask for another house rule. What is done is done and there is no turning back.... Introducing new house rules have a high chance to provide another mess. When my worthy opponent asked me about my intentions in China and expressed his fear that i would/could conquer the whole China i was generous and offer that Chungking and Chengtu can not be attacked.... now i have situation that Chengtu is only lightly defended with two units....knowing i wont attack this base...

I do not blame him, cause if i were him i probably wont look at the things like i view that from Japs side - i just wanted to point how difficult is to introduce new HR...which will need another one, etc, etc....

In the end, i lost initiative in China and messed things - i can not blame anyone than me mistakes are made by me. But once when you lost initiative you can't regain it - if you are Japanese.

I guess this was a good lesson for all of us.... arrange all house rules (and notice your opponent if you want to use some "special" tactics like picket ships, overstacking, landing on non dot /non bases hexes, bombing Chinese resources, etc, before you even start a game)...[:)]

[AmiralLaurent]

As a return gift if Andy is stopping to use heavy bombers in naval attacks, you can propose to use torpedo bombers only from place where there is a big IJNAF BF (Special Force, or 'Base Name' Force (Palau Base Force for example)), not a tiny IJNAF BF with 200 mechanics, or an Army BF that had nothing to do with torpedoes.

In late games I should admit that almost all my successes were when Allied bombers tried to attack heavy surface ships a long range. With an efficient CAP, air losses were in Japanese favor (outside P-38 range) and even the surviving bombers won't do much damage on BB. After some costly defeats like that, my opponent switched the heavy bombers to permanent AF/port pounding, and that allowed me to sneak again some convoys and FT TF in advanced bases (outside Avenger/Dauntless/Helldiver range). By the way I never went so far to have B-29 attacking my ships at 4000 feet.

[PzB74]

Partly agree with you Pauk, but there have been so few 44-45 AAR games that new ground is ploughed
constantly. I think we should be brave enough to raise these issues and discuss them. Think I halted
all offensive actions in China voluentarily when I found that ground combat was biased towards Japan.

So I feel that I have the integrity that's needed to bring up issues that I think threatens playability.
Concerning stacking and air transport I feel that both sides have now gained benefits from its use and
that it's time to refine its use.

Andy has agreed on certain limitations on the amount of ac in a base and my air transport suggestion.
This does not apply for supply lifting though. He can also use 4E bombers in naval attacks, but no B-29s.

That is a good suggestion Admiral! I don't operate torpedo bombers from anything smaller than size 3 bases.
Must admit that I don't have controll over Army/Navy Base Force deployment. Will look into it.