Ok guys, here comes the re-match between me (Raver-the-wonderful) and him (Luskan-the-liar). So far they have only been 2 moves, and as most of you would know this is the boring stage of the game. Scen# 15 is what were are playing, and in my view one of the more interesting ones of the game. The Allied player gets a good number of ground units from the get-go, but is out numbered in every department.
I have played this SCEN a few times already as allied, and have tried some interesting things early in the game....such as a sneak invasion on PM.....caught the IJN player with his pants down:D. Luskan however is a bit too sharp for a trick like that, so I think that I am going to siomply aim for spoiling attacks against expected 'invasion" of Australia, while trying to maintain my force.
Should ba a good one!
An Aussie Affair: Re-Match!
An Aussie Affair: Re-Match!
Never argue with an idiot, he will only drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Hrm, new AAr
Oh well, 4000 views wasn't bad for the last one.
As for my long term strategy - it breaks down into several parts.
1. Niggle at the loose ends. Every time Raver drops his guard there will be bombers or battleships jumping his unescorted transports.
2. The decisive battle doctrine just got scrapped as far as air bases go - I am going to have lots of little airbases, rather than 1 big one (so the allied level bombers can't shut me down in one go). Works better with the IJ longer ranged planes anyway.
3. We're a bit spread out at the moment, so I am going to try to condense my forces somewhat for a "defence in depth" plan, with Irau being an initial objective, followed by Nevea. Controlling these little islands will give me a wide fighter cover range with which to support my cvs - and Irau and Nevea will serve excellently to keep Raver's forces at arms length from Lunga.
If I threaten the Eastern flank enough Raver will move his fleet to Brisbane (he already has moved his CVs there in fact) and island snatching operations can proceed . . .
As for my long term strategy - it breaks down into several parts.
1. Niggle at the loose ends. Every time Raver drops his guard there will be bombers or battleships jumping his unescorted transports.
2. The decisive battle doctrine just got scrapped as far as air bases go - I am going to have lots of little airbases, rather than 1 big one (so the allied level bombers can't shut me down in one go). Works better with the IJ longer ranged planes anyway.
3. We're a bit spread out at the moment, so I am going to try to condense my forces somewhat for a "defence in depth" plan, with Irau being an initial objective, followed by Nevea. Controlling these little islands will give me a wide fighter cover range with which to support my cvs - and Irau and Nevea will serve excellently to keep Raver's forces at arms length from Lunga.
If I threaten the Eastern flank enough Raver will move his fleet to Brisbane (he already has moved his CVs there in fact) and island snatching operations can proceed . . .
With dancing Bananas and Storm Troopers who needs BBs?
A TF containing a CV was spotted on the bottom row of hexes on the map mid way between Noumea and Brisbane - on the 2nd! turn. Only a warship could move that far in just two turns - and with a CV identified . . .
I tried a couple of fighter sweeps over aussie soil but Raver's fighters weren't allowed to come out and play. Not surprising considering what those sweeps did to my p39 squadrons last game.
Also Raver and I must have pissed off the rain god because we've had 3 turns of thunderstorms (usually I like to keep my fleet docked during thunderstorms to avoid the incidental sys damage but I can't afford to during the first 4 turns of the game!).
Will have to go and sacrifice a goat or something (haven't got any allied prisoners to substitute for goats just yet . . .)
I tried a couple of fighter sweeps over aussie soil but Raver's fighters weren't allowed to come out and play. Not surprising considering what those sweeps did to my p39 squadrons last game.
Also Raver and I must have pissed off the rain god because we've had 3 turns of thunderstorms (usually I like to keep my fleet docked during thunderstorms to avoid the incidental sys damage but I can't afford to during the first 4 turns of the game!).
Will have to go and sacrifice a goat or something (haven't got any allied prisoners to substitute for goats just yet . . .)
With dancing Bananas and Storm Troopers who needs BBs?
Ah good to see that you fell for the ol' fake CV TF trick ! Love the thunderstorms! Amazing what you can hide in them!
Had the first ground casualties today, some yank soldiers from the 162nd RCT clashed with troops of the 3rd Division in a huge street brawl in Brisbane.....reports indicate that the fight started when a Yank soldier, known only by his nick name "Doggie", started sledging an Anzac (Lance-jack Muzrub) about his girlfriend and her apparant lack of taste. Eyewitnesses claimed that the girl, only refered to as Lisa, was bundled away by soldiers of "B" Company, before the enraged troopers turned on the smirking Americans. Mac's staff have gone to some lengths to cover-up the incident, but it is understood that money, alcohol and the inability of the American soldiers to hold their booze is a leading cause of the fight. Most of the injured were released in the morning with only two remaining in hospitol, one with a broken jaw, and the other nursing a broken arm.
Had the first ground casualties today, some yank soldiers from the 162nd RCT clashed with troops of the 3rd Division in a huge street brawl in Brisbane.....reports indicate that the fight started when a Yank soldier, known only by his nick name "Doggie", started sledging an Anzac (Lance-jack Muzrub) about his girlfriend and her apparant lack of taste. Eyewitnesses claimed that the girl, only refered to as Lisa, was bundled away by soldiers of "B" Company, before the enraged troopers turned on the smirking Americans. Mac's staff have gone to some lengths to cover-up the incident, but it is understood that money, alcohol and the inability of the American soldiers to hold their booze is a leading cause of the fight. Most of the injured were released in the morning with only two remaining in hospitol, one with a broken jaw, and the other nursing a broken arm.
Never argue with an idiot, he will only drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Dissent in Raver's ranks (there have actually been six operational losses in the campaign too) is the reason that the benevolent emperor has decided to graciously include Australia, America and the imbetween places (excluding Tasmania and New Zealand) in his glorious peaceful empire.
My troops come to quell such petty conflicts by providing enlightenment to the soul via the Haiku, raw fish, socks with toe partitions (so you can wear thongs as well !!!! ) and most importantly, a more advanced form of cutlery known as the uncutlery. Use of such uncutlery (called chopsticks although they don't chop anything, or have anything to do with lamb) will be mandatory throughout the empire. As such, only the fittest, most dextrous and agile will survive the test of dinner time. It is expected that possibly half the US continent will starve to death as a result, which should get rid of the genetic "dead-wood" and allow for the Americans to evolve at a more rapid pace, perhaps someday equalling the Darwinian heights of the Darwinians in Oz.
Australia will be allowed to keep koala bears and hats with dangling corks - all other forms of national identity will be upgraded to represent the transition to the more advanced, enlightened Imperial Japanese province of : Lusaka (in honor of one Admiral Luskan, the soon to be conqueror/reformer/etc.
Long live the emperor, and partitioned-toe socks! (Anyone know the real name?)
My troops come to quell such petty conflicts by providing enlightenment to the soul via the Haiku, raw fish, socks with toe partitions (so you can wear thongs as well !!!!
) and most importantly, a more advanced form of cutlery known as the uncutlery. Use of such uncutlery (called chopsticks although they don't chop anything, or have anything to do with lamb) will be mandatory throughout the empire. As such, only the fittest, most dextrous and agile will survive the test of dinner time. It is expected that possibly half the US continent will starve to death as a result, which should get rid of the genetic "dead-wood" and allow for the Americans to evolve at a more rapid pace, perhaps someday equalling the Darwinian heights of the Darwinians in Oz.Australia will be allowed to keep koala bears and hats with dangling corks - all other forms of national identity will be upgraded to represent the transition to the more advanced, enlightened Imperial Japanese province of : Lusaka (in honor of one Admiral Luskan, the soon to be conqueror/reformer/etc.
Long live the emperor, and partitioned-toe socks! (Anyone know the real name?)
With dancing Bananas and Storm Troopers who needs BBs?
-
HawaiiFive-O
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2002 10:21 pm
- Location: USA
Not a lot of action yet, a week into the scenario, no one is bombing anyone - we're both still scrambling to rush troops to the front sort of thing, reorganise the supply lines etc.
We're both a bit more cautious - since we remember our early mistakes in our last game (I didn't move fast enough to cover my bases/get fighters into position so when Raver arrived he had me on the back foot instantly. Raver kept me on the back foot without proper supply preparation, and had to pull his forces back for almost a month while he straightened it all out. Without that month Raver might have kept Nevea, taken Wupenko and would have gone after Luganville instead of Townsville and the game would have ended very differently . . . ).
All my airbases are a bit small - but there are lots of them and that means Raver's level bombers will not be able to ground my airforce in one go. Have sighted a couple of Raver's subs north of the Solomons, hanging around the thick transport lanes (he hasn't got the line and length quite right just yet, but those convoys from Truk are all the same speed so he could be a deep sea threat once he figures it out).
Nice to see my predecessor has provded me with many pre existing fortifications, and carefully spread unit types to each base. Base forces, Inf, CD, Art and Eng units are all being sent forward as fast as possible. Not sure whether to use all the Eng units at one base until it is perfect and then move on, or to spread them around and have them all up to speed.
Tempted to do the former, considering Raver tends to concentrate his effort on one spot (Of course, if I guess the wrong spot I'm up the creek etc.).
We're both a bit more cautious - since we remember our early mistakes in our last game (I didn't move fast enough to cover my bases/get fighters into position so when Raver arrived he had me on the back foot instantly. Raver kept me on the back foot without proper supply preparation, and had to pull his forces back for almost a month while he straightened it all out. Without that month Raver might have kept Nevea, taken Wupenko and would have gone after Luganville instead of Townsville and the game would have ended very differently . . . ).
All my airbases are a bit small - but there are lots of them and that means Raver's level bombers will not be able to ground my airforce in one go. Have sighted a couple of Raver's subs north of the Solomons, hanging around the thick transport lanes (he hasn't got the line and length quite right just yet, but those convoys from Truk are all the same speed so he could be a deep sea threat once he figures it out).
Nice to see my predecessor has provded me with many pre existing fortifications, and carefully spread unit types to each base. Base forces, Inf, CD, Art and Eng units are all being sent forward as fast as possible. Not sure whether to use all the Eng units at one base until it is perfect and then move on, or to spread them around and have them all up to speed.
Tempted to do the former, considering Raver tends to concentrate his effort on one spot (Of course, if I guess the wrong spot I'm up the creek etc.).
With dancing Bananas and Storm Troopers who needs BBs?
-
SoulBlazer
- Posts: 766
- Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2002 5:28 am
- Location: Providence RI
The Hunt Begins!
Funny you sohuld mention that SoulBlazer because last turn kicked off my hunt for Raver's CVs. My supply lines are in place (not too predictable), I've got plenty of fuel at Rabaul and Shortlands and a lot more on the way - maybe a month's worth for my whole fleet etc.
A CV battle at this early stage of the game can only end in victory for me. His 4 CVs against a whole lot more of mine, and his two BBs against 7 of mine. I'm going to bait him, lure him out and then pounce - of course I expect to have to chase Raver around the ocean but as long as my CVs stay out of Wirraway range, I won't worry about the pathetic allied level bomber force (I used to command those guys against Raver's CVs - trust me, they aren't up to the job) I'll just find those CVs and do or die to sink them.
Hopefully Raver has left them somewhere careless (in port somewhere nice and close). In my game against Doomed, he caught my early CVs up against the barrier reed from due East - I couldn't escape and he drilled 3 of my 4 CVs for one of his own (consolation prize only). Put me on the back foot for most of that game.
Raver the thoughtless will not be able to resist sending his CVs out to beat my initial attacks off.
A CV battle at this early stage of the game can only end in victory for me. His 4 CVs against a whole lot more of mine, and his two BBs against 7 of mine. I'm going to bait him, lure him out and then pounce - of course I expect to have to chase Raver around the ocean but as long as my CVs stay out of Wirraway range, I won't worry about the pathetic allied level bomber force (I used to command those guys against Raver's CVs - trust me, they aren't up to the job) I'll just find those CVs and do or die to sink them.
Hopefully Raver has left them somewhere careless (in port somewhere nice and close). In my game against Doomed, he caught my early CVs up against the barrier reed from due East - I couldn't escape and he drilled 3 of my 4 CVs for one of his own (consolation prize only). Put me on the back foot for most of that game.
Raver the thoughtless will not be able to resist sending his CVs out to beat my initial attacks off.
With dancing Bananas and Storm Troopers who needs BBs?
Luskan has just made this crazed dash across half of the Pacific ocean to drop a few shells on Luganville
I would have thought that it would be more effective to use bombers....but that Luskan is a crazy guy ! Caught a few soldiers....well base personel infact...napping, mainly the Gomer Pyle sort, so no great loss.
Oh yeah, the coastal defences worked well getting in a few hits:D
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/11/42
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Naval bombardment of Luganville, at 53,53
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Shell hits 2
CA Tone, Shell hits 2
DD Takanami, Shell hits 2
DD Oyashio, Shell hits 2, on fire
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 47
Guns lost 2
Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 47
Port hits 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would have thought that it would be more effective to use bombers....but that Luskan is a crazy guy ! Caught a few soldiers....well base personel infact...napping, mainly the Gomer Pyle sort, so no great loss.Oh yeah, the coastal defences worked well getting in a few hits:D
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/11/42
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Naval bombardment of Luganville, at 53,53
Japanese Ships
BB Nagato, Shell hits 2
CA Tone, Shell hits 2
DD Takanami, Shell hits 2
DD Oyashio, Shell hits 2, on fire
Allied ground losses:
Men lost 47
Guns lost 2
Airbase hits 12
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 47
Port hits 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never argue with an idiot, he will only drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Ok ok ! - so the initial attack didn't work out exactly as I expected. Raver's CD battery did quite well, although there was no serious sys damage inflicted (no ships over 5 yet). They did start a little fire in the Nagato's superstructure however.
I thought I had timed it right but I guess not - I was not so much intending to bombard, as intending to catch Raver's supply convoys (which I managed to do at the start of our last game at Lunga). They've probably already been and gone? Or maybe they hadn't arrived yet? No matter. Will be doing some recon later.
My betties and Nells will be used when I'm ready to use them. I do have a plan you know :rolleyes:
Raver conveniently neglected to include the other two bits of action in the last two turns.
1. SS S-41 launched a spread of torpedoes at a few of my DDs just south of Truk (extreme edge of her range - must have some Gatos and Petos along for milching) and missed. However one of my destroyers hit her with a depth charge and sent he on fire and heavy damage on her way.
2. SS S-39 was bombed and reported hit by an IJN floatplane in the same area, just south of Truk. Raver denies that it hit though (BIG grain of salt . . . maybe I believe him).
In other news intel thinks that the presence of APDs and MSWs at Townsville indicates preparation to begin nuisance operations that are the hallmark of Raver's strategy. I'll be waiting for the 50 base personel to be landed at Rabaul with orders to "recon in force, kill as many officers as you can and try to sabotage the runways!".
I can just imagine Raver sending 50 Gomer Pyles off in a rubber dingy (late night sub insertion - Raver is atop the conning tower s the dingy begins to row towards the enemy shore) . . . Raver waves to the "commandos" and says "I'll be right here when you get back!"
This of course is followed by the klaxon and "Dive Dive Dive!" etc.
I thought I had timed it right but I guess not - I was not so much intending to bombard, as intending to catch Raver's supply convoys (which I managed to do at the start of our last game at Lunga). They've probably already been and gone? Or maybe they hadn't arrived yet? No matter. Will be doing some recon later.
My betties and Nells will be used when I'm ready to use them. I do have a plan you know :rolleyes:
Raver conveniently neglected to include the other two bits of action in the last two turns.
1. SS S-41 launched a spread of torpedoes at a few of my DDs just south of Truk (extreme edge of her range - must have some Gatos and Petos along for milching) and missed. However one of my destroyers hit her with a depth charge and sent he on fire and heavy damage on her way.
2. SS S-39 was bombed and reported hit by an IJN floatplane in the same area, just south of Truk. Raver denies that it hit though (BIG grain of salt . . . maybe I believe him).
In other news intel thinks that the presence of APDs and MSWs at Townsville indicates preparation to begin nuisance operations that are the hallmark of Raver's strategy. I'll be waiting for the 50 base personel to be landed at Rabaul with orders to "recon in force, kill as many officers as you can and try to sabotage the runways!".
I can just imagine Raver sending 50 Gomer Pyles off in a rubber dingy (late night sub insertion - Raver is atop the conning tower s the dingy begins to row towards the enemy shore) . . . Raver waves to the "commandos" and says "I'll be right here when you get back!"
This of course is followed by the klaxon and "Dive Dive Dive!" etc.
With dancing Bananas and Storm Troopers who needs BBs?
Luskan -
Why send the surface TF on "Bombard" if your main objective is to catch surface ships? If you have your TF go in on "Surface Attack", with react "on" and "return to home" set you'll catch any TFs in the hex, and not run into the shore batterys. Also, you will tend to "get the jump" as far as shots go too.
Dave Baranyi
Why send the surface TF on "Bombard" if your main objective is to catch surface ships? If you have your TF go in on "Surface Attack", with react "on" and "return to home" set you'll catch any TFs in the hex, and not run into the shore batterys. Also, you will tend to "get the jump" as far as shots go too.
Dave Baranyi
Those surface ships also tend to spend more time hammering tfs if they aren't set to bombard, but I've found surface combat tfs don't always plan their night-arrival as well as bombardment tfs do (Has gome wrong for me a couple of times - went wrong for Doomed catastrophically, with his surface fleet two hexes out of an unbombarded PM - my bombers took big revenge etc).
Besides - I didn't know there was a task force there, just some educated guesswork (which is only really possible at the start of the game).
Besides, Tanaka wouldn't want to have sailed all that way for nothing!
Besides - I didn't know there was a task force there, just some educated guesswork (which is only really possible at the start of the game).
Besides, Tanaka wouldn't want to have sailed all that way for nothing!
With dancing Bananas and Storm Troopers who needs BBs?
Originally posted by Luskan
Those surface ships also tend to spend more time hammering tfs if they aren't set to bombard, but I've found surface combat tfs don't always plan their night-arrival as well as bombardment tfs do (Has gome wrong for me a couple of times - went wrong for Doomed catastrophically, with his surface fleet two hexes out of an unbombarded PM - my bombers took big revenge etc).
Besides - I didn't know there was a task force there, just some educated guesswork (which is only really possible at the start of the game).
Besides, Tanaka wouldn't want to have sailed all that way for nothing!
What I like to do is set a surface combat TF to "remain on station", and send it out to a hex that I know will be "within the green line" of the my target. By the time the TF has reached that spot I've reconned the target and have a reasonable idea of if there are ships there or not. I then set the TF to "return to port", and reset it's objective to the target base. I can also reset the mission at that point to "Bombard" if I wish. Generally, if transports have been sent to a base, they will be there for a couple of days, so I usually have time to sneak in, shoot them up, and get away laughing.
This works best with bases that your opponent has recently acquired, but can also work on a developed base if you can suppress any local aircraft ahead of time.
Cheers -
Dave Baranyi
ADavidB ............. but does that not expose you to air attack? A good player would also be quick to work out that you are in bombardment range and take action accordingly. (This is something that I have just done with Crocky, I noticed a jap TF that was full of BBs CLs DDs....there was only on target in range, so I simply filled the target with my own surface TF...worked rather well).
Never argue with an idiot, he will only drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
He has a point though - sometimes air recon just doesn't pick up huge TFs that are very, very close and nasty (2 hexes of Lunga, 3 USN battleships and 22 CAs, CLs and DDs, 250+ jap aircraft at Lunga, no sighting. Doomed did have a nasty minefield waiting but still).
ADavidB's way can provide you with that satisfying evil chortle when all goes to plan.
ADavidB's way can provide you with that satisfying evil chortle when all goes to plan.
With dancing Bananas and Storm Troopers who needs BBs?
Originally posted by Raverdave
ADavidB ............. but does that not expose you to air attack? A good player would also be quick to work out that you are in bombardment range and take action accordingly. (This is something that I have just done with Crocky, I noticed a jap TF that was full of BBs CLs DDs....there was only on target in range, so I simply filled the target with my own surface TF...worked rather well).
True, but so does a bombardment attack if the TF is spotted. What I rely upon is that not all TFs are spotted all the time, and less so in bad weather. Then I decide at the last minute if I want to do a bombardment attack or a surface combat run.
As far as the opponent putting some ships in a surface TF in wait for mine, so much the better - next to wiping out transports I love to put my opponent's fighting ships out of action. And by coming in "guns ablazing" in surface combat mode, I get a better chance than if I'm surprised while in bombardment mode. My main concern is to not expose my surface TF to carrier air on the way out. Being scouted by Dauntless's or Judy's makes me very wary...
Sure, it's all a risk, but that's much of what makes this game so interesting.
Dave Baranyi