Sardaukar's Newbie Tutorial AAR for Newbies (vs. IJ AI)

[Sardaukar]

ORIGINAL: janbak

Hi Sardaukar,
thank you for yr AAR [&o] It is very useful for a real noob like me
I start with my questions from the beginning ...
... in yr third post you say

How do you identify:
- outer limits of maximum theoretical allowed Japanese expansion?
- places I should start reinforcing IMMEDIATELY?
- my major routes?

I'm sorry if my questions sound stupid but I'm very noob [8|]

No problem. [8D]


Outer limits of enemy expansion is just a perception how far you can let enemy advance and still be in good fighting position.

Everything else comes from above. Once you have decided how far you can let enemy to advance, you will notice the bases you have to keep to achieve that. Major supply routes, same thing.

[Houtje]

I am now about 10 days into the GC, and your ideas have helped me enormously. I've shipped the two AUS INF brigades out of Singapore, and am wondering what to do with other units there. Most of my Malayan forces are gathering in Singers, and are bracing for a last stand. But there's some quality stuff in there, such as a high EXP brigade of the III Indian Corps: are these worth trying to get them to safety?

[Sardaukar]

ORIGINAL: Houtje

I am now about 10 days into the GC, and your ideas have helped me enormously. I've shipped the two AUS INF brigades out of Singapore, and am wondering what to do with other units there. Most of my Malayan forces are gathering in Singers, and are bracing for a last stand. But there's some quality stuff in there, such as a high EXP brigade of the III Indian Corps: are these worth trying to get them to safety?

If you have available shipping and willing to risk it, why not. But you'll have to balance it with risk that Singapore will fall earlier than expected and that will free IJA units to use on DEI & Burma. So it may be advisable to leave at least some better units in Singapore to buy some extra time.

[Chuske]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar


There has been some database changes after this tutorial was made, so B-17 situation on PH seems to be bit different (going from patch g to i and beyond). So that part might not be totally relevant to current game situation.

Yes, you need to load fighters to ships, xAKs will do just fine, since you will be always short of AKV. Use the latter for really important transfers, since unit will then become operational faster. If wanting to be really safe, make TF like 1 DD (or any ship with ASW capability) and 2 xAK. Load squadron into it and send to destination. This way unit is divided between 2 ships and less likely to be lost if IJN sub torpedoes one ship.

Using PP to get WC air units out, well, don't do it of unit has P after it's name, because it will be permanently withdrawn/disbanded in future. Use those as "training squadrons". Australia is pretty safe for first 3 months, so I'd suggest to get some fighter cover into places like Suva & Noumea.

B-17s in Philippines, I put them on Naval Search, they are reasonably effective in that and even get lot more bomb hit s on enemy ships than when on dedicated Naval Attack. When they get low on numbers, either Withdraw them or fly them to Australia, which is that time really short of Patrol/Search assets.

Thanks for the help.

Any thoughts on what Engineer units I could look at moving out of WC early on? In particular I'm short of construction engineers and aviation support everywhere outside the US but as a newb I'm unsure what I need to leave and where. Obviously I need naval support and AF support on my main hubs such as SF, LA etc but should I look at shipping out other USAAF base forces and engineers?

How much defence do I need in Canada and Alaska? As if not much maybe I can strip out base forces from here or am I better off waiting for engineer reinforcements later in 42. I'm mid Jan 42 right now and struggling to get my ships out of Java now the KB (or part of it at least) has turned up there also BB led SC TF raided Port Moresby and sank CL Adelaide.

My priorities now are getting both main fuel routes going to Oz both from WC and Cape Town and trying to build up Noumea, Suva and Christmas I as out posts I can use as patrol plane bases and fuel dumps to refuel.

In terms of the SoPac bases like Suva etc how heavily should I look at defending them in terms of INF AVs and Airgroups? I'm guessing if a massive invasion TF supported by KB turned up there is not much I could do to hold them if Jap AI really wants to take them but I guess I need to make it hard to take them too easily?

[Sardaukar]

You can ship out some base forces and infantry units, if you can afford Political Points and/or have available transportation. I'd advice against stripping Alaska & Canada during this phase. You'll get soon more troops that are unrestrcted or easier to transport.
 
You have some Separate Inf Rgts that make very good garrison troops, same with Marine Def Bns. I tried to get Noumea, Suva & Port Moresby to have approx. 1 division worth of troops. It might not stop AI getting the bases, but it'll stop it getting them quickly. That way you well have time to react and reinforce with troops you have available later.
 
You don't initially need that much air units, but it's always good to have 1 fighter (or 2), one med bomber and 1 patrol unit in base to have  some of both defensive and offensive coverage. For Port Moresby, I bought out 5th AUS Div brigades and shipped them there, so that I could use 6th & 7th in other areas. If you got 8th AUS brigades out of Singapore, you can use them to reinforce Noumea. You can ship Separate Inf Rgt from USA or PH and Marine Def Bn to Suva to reinforce defence there. That way you'll have quite strong forces securing SW/Sopac. You can also selectively buy out some smaller NZ units to be used in Noumea/Suva too. 

[traskott]

I suggest select just one or two main "strongpoints". I mean: Deploying 1 RCT at Suva, one Bgde at Noumea and 3 CD Marine units at PagoPago is a waste. The japanese can storm them easily. Put AT LEAST one division with a couple of CD units and as much engineers as u can in the place u choose.

 I use to deploy first the islands between PH and PagoPago, specially Christmas Island (unlimited amount of troops+atoll), here u can have a firm shoulder to secure all the zone south of Hawai. Then Pago Pago ( perhaps 2 Marine regiments, and as much artillery as u can ). When both are ready and forti3/4, began with Suva, and so. Don't put units where they can't be supported by another base.

[Sardaukar]

One can easily reinforce Noumea, Suva & PM all to 1 div+ level with troops available, especially if having 2 brigades of 8 AUS. 6 & 7 AUS are coming soon and I often also reroute 18th UK Div either to Oz or to Burma.

[traskott]

Well, against IA is posible, but good luck against an human [:)]

[Sardaukar]

ORIGINAL: traskott

Well, against IA is posible, but good luck against an human [:)]

True, human usually moves lot faster than AI, especially in SW/SoPac, being able to use historical hindsight. Especially Port Moresby is difficult, if not impossible to keep against determined human opponent.

[traskott]

Against IA, the SLOC can be hold with one CD por base, and some seebees building up fortress like the hell...

[Chuske]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

You can ship out some base forces and infantry units, if you can afford Political Points and/or have available transportation. I'd advice against stripping Alaska & Canada during this phase. You'll get soon more troops that are unrestrcted or easier to transport.

You have some Separate Inf Rgts that make very good garrison troops, same with Marine Def Bns. I tried to get Noumea, Suva & Port Moresby to have approx. 1 division worth of troops. It might not stop AI getting the bases, but it'll stop it getting them quickly. That way you well have time to react and reinforce with troops you have available later.

You don't initially need that much air units, but it's always good to have 1 fighter (or 2), one med bomber and 1 patrol unit in base to have  some of both defensive and offensive coverage. For Port Moresby, I bought out 5th AUS Div brigades and shipped them there, so that I could use 6th & 7th in other areas. If you got 8th AUS brigades out of Singapore, you can use them to reinforce Noumea. You can ship Separate Inf Rgt from USA or PH and Marine Def Bn to Suva to reinforce defence there. That way you'll have quite strong forces securing SW/Sopac. You can also selectively buy out some smaller NZ units to be used in Noumea/Suva too. 

Thanks Sardaukar. Just been reading Andy Macs AAR vs PZB. He has a different approach to you in that he seems to think that the AUS militia divisions need time to get to full strength and instead he uses 18 Brit Div + 3 Aus Mot Bde and 30 Aus Bde in Port Moresby and then adds AA guns and CD unit. As his AAR started ages ago, wondered if his advice was more applicable to previous patches? I've certainly found his advice to disband Aus MG Bns to reinforce the Aus Militia divisions no longer works as you can no longer disband units that are due to be withdrawn.

In my first AI game I basically followed your AAR till Jan and then have kept on reinforcing Aus, Burma border and Port Moresby and now have the Americal Div in Noumea with fighter and BF support.



My top tips after 4 game months of play are:-

- Get at least some fighters and Bombers moving to Oz quickly, you'll need them around Port Moresby quite quickly as you'll have to defend against large air raids on any supply/reinforcement convoys you send there, if you don't have enough fighters you'll lose ships, men and supplies to Bettys. I used the ADBA P40s and then RAAF 75 squadron until reinforcements arrived from US.

- Also handy to get AA guns in as many bases as possible early on. Anything you can do to add to KB pilot attrition helps, and AA guns allow you to wear down KB attacks without losing as many of your own fighters.

- Getting supply, fuel and troop convoy system that works and is safe can be tricky. You'll face raids by BBs, DDs and cruisers and in my game the Ai targetted Baker and Canton Island as early captures forcing me to dogleg via Pago Pago and Christmas I to avoid attacks.

- I also realised any important or large convoys need cruiser escorts as well and anti-sub, even a lone Japanese DD can do damage otherwise! Also your escorts have quite short ranges, so watch out that you don't run out of fuel. I gather ships with fuel to spare can refuel shorter range ships but I'm always wary of some miscalculation creeping in so I try to get fuel stocks on intermediate bases to refuel convoys on route.

- Hub and spoke suuply network is not really possible in early 42 as ports are generally small, escorts in short supply and bases poorly defended. My early strategy is to use Pearl as main hub and route everything via there either for refuel or as staging post to unload supply, fuel and troops until I can form further convoys from Pearl westwards. I also get fuel/troops running from East Coast to Cape Town and from there to Perth and Bombay. Aden is mainly troops which nearly all have gone to Bombay and Abadan is fuel for India via Karachi.

- Use small ships on supply runs locally to smaller ports and big ships on long distance routes between big ports like LA, PH and Sydney.




I'm still not decided on best approach to Darwin. Seems very hard to defend so not clear to me how much I should reinforce it in what strength.

I also decided to take troops from Ceylon as don't think it's possible to defend it early against determind attack, in my opinion, so I leave a brigade, some AA guns and torpedo bombers and get everything else to India to reinforce Madras, Viza and Chittagong

[Sardaukar]

Bump!

I am planning another one soon..maybe starting tomorrow. [8D]

[dorjun driver]

I'm in.[&o]

[Sardaukar]

Bump for being more detailed and to compare to other (Community Effort).

[Sardaukar]

*bump*

(since there seems to be some interest still) [8D]

[VMF 214]

Sardaukar....thank you for this AAR. It push's me in the right direction when getting started. I would like, if you could a run down of how you handle the damaged ships at Pearl. After trying to figure out how to get started, all these damaged ships at Pearl is my next headache. I just don't know what to start tending to first. A brief rundown of what you did with your damaged ships after the attack on Pearl would be very insightful.

Thanks again [&o]

[xnavytc56]

great tutorial Sardaukar, great way to start a GC, been on and off a lot over the years, finally getting a good start on one

[Knucles2]

Man,  this tutorial is a life saver.
The other tutorials were fine for teaching the mechanics of the pieces on the board but your tutorial helped me finally wrap my brain around the BIG PICTURE.
I always thought of myself as a decent student of military history but with all the lcu's broken down to reg, batt and even Co units AND  all the different air commands and and the different nationalities to boot... I just got lost
Thanx for putting all your hard work into this. I'm well on my way to mastering this gr8 game

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: VMF 214

Sardaukar....thank you for this AAR. It push's me in the right direction when getting started. I would like, if you could a run down of how you handle the damaged ships at Pearl. After trying to figure out how to get started, all these damaged ships at Pearl is my next headache. I just don't know what to start tending to first. A brief rundown of what you did with your damaged ships after the attack on Pearl would be very insightful.

Thanks again [&o]

VMF 214,

As it seems that Sardaukar might not have noticed your request, I'll partly step in and direct you to the following link which deals with ship repairs.

tm.asp?m=2990845&mpage=1&key=ship%2Crepair?

Alfred

[Sardaukar]

Alfred, as usual, has good advice. [:)]

Few thoughts:

- don't overcrowd your PH shipyard. Until 1943 PH should be considered as "frontline base" and it's shipyard should be reserved to repair immediate operational combat damage. Heavily damaged ships should be sent to West Coast yards. (CAVEAT as following)
- use repair facilities in PH (like Pierside) to get rid of minor sys/flt/eng damage. Remember that sys damage also affects ship's damage control and it will greatly increase chance that ship with major flotation damage will sink during trip to West Coast because of damage control failure. Repair all or at least most minor damage before sending ships to West Coast.
- send all those ships that you deem fit to trip to WC, remember to provide ASW escort. I consider every ship over CL worth at least 4 DDs in TF. Damaged BBs/CAs are sitting ducks to IJN subs. You can usually afford ships like CLs to be repaired in PH.
- When sending damaged capiital ships to WC, use Cruise speed, this helps greatly to prevent extra damage to accumulate during trip.

So, basically use PH shipyard for 2 purposes:
- ships that you can repair relatively quickly and efficiently
- ships that you deem too risky to send to WC in fear of sinking (very high major flotation damage etc.).

PH shipyard can fit in couple of BBs just fine and leave some extra space for operational damage repair for lighter units. Rest of heavily damaged units should be sent to WC as per guidelines above.