Need advice/links for noob playing allies.. please

[jzardos]

Just wondering if anybody could help me with a few short and long term action items to do as allies after the Dec 7th, 1941 nightmare turn.

Some of my questions are around
- best way to defend Singapore
- bets way to defend Philippines
- what to do with CV fleets in action and CV in west coast.
- do I get more supply in west coast? Surprise to low supply levels there to start scenario.
- what to do with ships in PH (damaged and non-damaged), Japan makes a 2nd strike?

Any and all advice and or links to what I'm guessing has been asked before is much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Canoerebel]

Hugely broad questions that would require volumes to respond, and then the responses wouldn't be tailored to your circumstances! Specific advice given now will be out of date tomorrow - because circumstances will change. So I encourage you to search for readable Allied AARs (Q-Ball vs. GreyJoy; GreyJoy vs. Kane) and pick up some ideas. Also, just trying things and getting your butt kicked is a good way to learn.

Those caveats in mind, here are a few short answers:

1. Singapore needs supply and ground troops. See if you can load up a bunch of xAK at places like Batavia, Soerabaja, Palembang and Balikpapan and send them poste haste. Your window won't be open long, but you might be able to ram in 25k, 50k, 100k, and that would be as good as gold. Your troops "up the Malaysia Peninsula" mostly need to bug out and get back to Singers (don't forget to prep them!). You might leave some behind to slow down the Japs in favorable terrain and to keep them from steamrolling right down to Singers.

2. Luzon is tough to defend in a meaningful way. Get most of your decent troops to Clark Field and, if possible, try to ram in some supply via xAK. Those will be suicide runs, but even ounce will help. If your opponent/AI is negligent, you might have some chances to do some spoiling attacks, but mainly Luzon is a passive theater - your troops just button up at Clark and take a licking until they die.

3. You're chomping at the bit to use your carriers. Every Allied player is. And most of us go and lose them post haste, weep bitter tears, and are tempted to quit. So first rule is: Don't lose your carriers! That means don't take snazzy chances unless you know exactly what you're doing (which generally means you know where the KB is - far away) and why. Oftentimes, hiding your carriers so that an opponent doesn't know where they are and has to allow for them to pop up everywhere is effective. Experienced player can make big use of carrriers early and often, but for a newbie, you mainly just want to keep them out of danger until around June 1943.

4. Yes, you'll get lots of supply at your West Coast bases. It comes from East Coast automatically.

5. Generally just hunker down, maximize your CAP, and don't move heavily damaged and vulnerable ships. They're better in port than risking getting whacked out of port. Now, you might consider "fleeing the coop" with lightly damaged ships that can still make good speed. Send them south or southeast or even send them sprinting to nearby ports in the chain (set to disband) so that all your eggs aren't in a single nest. But, often, I leave damaged ships in Pearl for months, until I'm sure the "coast is clear" and until damage is repaired enough to make a journey back to West Coast acceptably risky.

[denisonh]

+1
Read CR's AARs for some detailed insight to his sage advice.....

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Hugely broad questions that would require volumes to respond, and then the responses wouldn't be tailored to your circumstances! Specific advice given now will be out of date tomorrow - because circumstances will change. So I encourage you to search for readable Allied AARs (Q-Ball vs. GreyJoy; GreyJoy vs. Kane) and pick up some ideas. Also, just trying things and getting your butt kicked is a good way to learn.

Those caveats in mind, here are a few short answers:

1. Singapore needs supply and ground troops. See if you can load up a bunch of xAK at places like Batavia, Soerabaja, Palembang and Balikpapan and send them poste haste. Your window won't be open long, but you might be able to ram in 25k, 50k, 100k, and that would be as good as gold. Your troops "up the Malaysia Peninsula" mostly need to bug out and get back to Singers (don't forget to prep them!). You might leave some behind to slow down the Japs in favorable terrain and to keep them from steamrolling right down to Singers.

2. Luzon is tough to defend in a meaningful way. Get most of your decent troops to Clark Field and, if possible, try to ram in some supply via xAK. Those will be suicide runs, but even ounce will help. If your opponent/AI is negligent, you might have some chances to do some spoiling attacks, but mainly Luzon is a passive theater - your troops just button up at Clark and take a licking until they die.

3. You're chomping at the bit to use your carriers. Every Allied player is. And most of us go and lose them post haste, weep bitter tears, and are tempted to quit. So first rule is: Don't lose your carriers! That means don't take snazzy chances unless you know exactly what you're doing (which generally means you know where the KB is - far away) and why. Oftentimes, hiding your carriers so that an opponent doesn't know where they are and has to allow for them to pop up everywhere is effective. Experienced player can make big use of carrriers early and often, but for a newbie, you mainly just want to keep them out of danger until around June 1943.

4. Yes, you'll get lots of supply at your West Coast bases. It comes from East Coast automatically.

5. Generally just hunker down, maximize your CAP, and don't move heavily damaged and vulnerable ships. They're better in port than risking getting whacked out of port. Now, you might consider "fleeing the coop" with lightly damaged ships that can still make good speed. Send them south or southeast or even send them sprinting to nearby ports in the chain (set to disband) so that all your eggs aren't in a single nest. But, often, I leave damaged ships in Pearl for months, until I'm sure the "coast is clear" and until damage is repaired enough to make a journey back to West Coast acceptably risky.

[topeverest]

Welcome to the madness!

Some good advice here. In general, remember that The Philippines generally can be quarantined by the empire so quickly you cannot reinforce. Think carefully about trying to reinforce that.

[geofflambert]

Another good Allied source for you is Bullwinkle. He keeps a lot of those threads you're interested in on his Roladex. Let's call him.

[Feltan]

Perhaps I am the only one, but I try to evacuate as much as I can.

If you are lucky: you can get one to three base forces out of the Philippines, and a ton of units out of Singapore. You can't keep them in supply, and they are doomed anyway. Everything you get out gives you some options for a second defense line (Australia for the Philippine units, and Port Blair, Calcutta, various islands for the Singapore evacuees).

Other than that, run away. Run your carriers south/southeast and keep them out of harms way. Losing the two CV TF's early is foolish, and you'll pay for it for over a couple of years. Keep Saratoga in port --- there are subs waiting for you!

Regards,
Feltan

[Mac Linehan]

Geoff -

I love your posts and out of the box thinking!

You are my favorite Gorn, and have never let me down...

Yes, the Moose is a good point of reference, and will have excellent advice for jzardos.

CR - I always learn from your posts, a good overview concisely put, Sir. I would expect nothing less from a Gentleman Lawyer of the South!

Feltan - I tend to evacuate what I can and fight with the restricted units that must stay. Good Stuff, Sir.

My appreciation to you all,

Mac

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Another good Allied source for you is Bullwinkle. He keeps a lot of those threads you're interested in on his Roladex. Let's call him.

It's Rolodex. Two points off for spelling. [:)]

At least you had the skysign facing left. Makes Chickenboy happy. [:'(]

[bruin]

ORIGINAL: jzardos

Just wondering if anybody could help me with a few short and long term action items to do as allies after the Dec 7th, 1941 nightmare turn.

Some of my questions are around
- best way to defend Singapore
- bets way to defend Philippines
- what to do with CV fleets in action and CV in west coast.
- do I get more supply in west coast? Surprise to low supply levels there to start scenario.
- what to do with ships in PH (damaged and non-damaged), Japan makes a 2nd strike?

Any and all advice and or links to what I'm guessing has been asked before is much appreciated.

Thanks!

Excellent initial AAR/walkthrough here:

tm.asp?m=2564541&mpage=1&key=

My thoughts based on playing as Allies vs AI IJ (Against human this might not work):

- best way to defend Singapore
Don't - evac your forces out as quickly as you can. Wherever the Japanese are advancing, pick a defensive perimeter and hold it. No point holding singapore because you can't get supplies or reinforcements in. So fall back to where you can. My main holding line in the DEI is Timor (Koepang/Lautem). I also throw a lot of forces in Java (mainly Batavia since it is not a Malaria zone). Java is meant to be a speedbump (albeit a major one) in the Japanese advance to buy you some time to build up elsewhere. You could really hold Java forever against AI (but that makes things too easy). Evac Malay/Singapore forces and planes to Java, send troops moving into the area to Timor. You'll also want to send some supplies in early as it will be much harder to later.

- bets way to defend Philippines
I say defend Manila. I think it's better than Clark Field since Manila is heavy urban giving much higher defensive bonuses but not sure. I hold both Clark & Manila until all Phillipine forces have shown up, then concentrate in Manila and make sure to set all units objectives as manila. Supplies will be a massive problem. Best way to get them are 1. Hold a small force in Naga and send single ship transports with supplies into Naga to reinforce. 2. Japanese will land in several outskirt areas with minor forces, attacked them and you'll gain their supplies.

- what to do with CV fleets in action and CV in west coast.
I use them to defend bases against where the Japanese fleets will be landing. But make sure to KEEP out of KBs way!

- do I get more supply in west coast? Surprise to low supply levels there to start scenario.
They'll get there quickly.

- what to do with ships in PH (damaged and non-damaged), Japan makes a 2nd strike?
Put all your fighters on cap and pray. Another option I've done before, put together a task force or two of like 10 DDs, send them to attack the Japanese fleet. Once or twice I've scored a torpedo hit on a carrier. But what this does do is - instead of a 50% chance they attack Pearl again, it's now close to a 100% chance they attack your DD task force instead and you lose most of them.

[Canoerebel]

I think Manila was heavy urban in WitP but is light urban in AE? If I'm wrong, chalk it up to my ability to get fuzzy.

As for Singapore, that's a place with great potentional to stymie or at least slow Japan; and it's one where you can do so at relativley little risk to your key assets. I think the number of successful stands there has increased greatly in the past six months, so conventional wisdom may now be shifting from the old "don't defend" to "defend, but do so smartly!"

[denisonh]

A big thing as the Allies is that the Japanese set the tempo of the game for the first few months and you have to prepare, position, read and react.

First is to get a good network of naval search set up to help get a read on IJN movement. Absolutely critical to get good overlapping naval search in the South China Sea, around the Philippines and approaches to the DEI. Also approaches to Rabaul early on and eventually the Line Islands once the PBY fleet recovers fro the PH attack.

Focus on setting up strong points to defend. To defend everywhere is to defend nowhere to paraphrase Sun Tzu. Like CR said Singapore is good for that and Clark Field is another. DEI is more challenging but pick your spots. Consider options for key islands such as Diego Garcia, Cocos Islands and Port Blair.

Stash supply and fuel at places to enable air and sea ops. Especially forward locations early. The game as Allies is as much logistics as anything else. Get your logistics network set up early (using west coast and Capetown) Lots of options and threads on that.

Focus on where the KB and the IJN are not in force and be aggressive there. An small Allied TF with a CL or two and a couple of DDs can make a mess of an unescorted amphibious force. Set up small 1-2 CA/CL TFs with 2-3 three DDs and place in forward areas to catch any unescorted amphibious invasions. It will give an aggressive Japanese player fits to meet surface TFs of Allied CLs and DDs with PBs. If the IJN shows with CAs, then fall back. Make him think through offensive operations with the idea you will not give him any "freebies".

Keep the CVs as a force in being and strike where the KB is not. CV on CV battles before finishing your CV conversions to Wildcats is foolish IMHO. Fight battles in locations where you have LBA support with covered retreats. early on if you have to give battle (Coral Sea is better than the Gilberts early on for example).

Just a few thoughts and hope they help.

[denisonh]

And nice avatar jazardos. Use to have that picture on the inside of the door for my section when I was deployed to Iraq at the MNF-I Strategy, Plans and Assessments

[geofflambert]

What the heck is that thing? A giant red squirrel? Did you know red squirrels can't penetrate acorns? A small amount of armor on your nuts should be sufficient.[:'(]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Hugely broad questions that would require volumes to respond, and then the responses wouldn't be tailored to your circumstances! Specific advice given now will be out of date tomorrow - because circumstances will change. So I encourage you to search for readable Allied AARs (Q-Ball vs. GreyJoy; GreyJoy vs. Kane) and pick up some ideas. Also, just trying things and getting your butt kicked is a good way to learn.

Those caveats in mind, here are a few short answers:

1. Singapore needs supply and ground troops. See if you can load up a bunch of xAK at places like Batavia, Soerabaja, Palembang and Balikpapan and send them poste haste. Your window won't be open long, but you might be able to ram in 25k, 50k, 100k, and that would be as good as gold. Your troops "up the Malaysia Peninsula" mostly need to bug out and get back to Singers (don't forget to prep them!). You might leave some behind to slow down the Japs in favorable terrain and to keep them from steamrolling right down to Singers.

As a JFB, I can vouch for some of these approaches. Getting supply into Singapore is a worthwhile endeavor. You could easily bring in a few xAKs laden with supplies. A little will go a long way to help.

Defending early war upper Malay peninsula against the Japanese juggernaut is a tricky proposition. Japanese can bypass some isolated pockets (e.g., Alor Star) and liquidate them in turn. If you do elect to defend away from Singapore, select some location (in good defensive terrain as CR suggests) astride the railroad.

Forts, forts forts and more forts. Build only forts on the Malay peninsula.

2. Luzon is tough to defend in a meaningful way. Get most of your decent troops to Clark Field and, if possible, try to ram in some supply via xAK. Those will be suicide runs, but even ounce will help. If your opponent/AI is negligent, you might have some chances to do some spoiling attacks, but mainly Luzon is a passive theater - your troops just button up at Clark and take a licking until they die.

Concur again. Clark (not Manila, not Bataan) should be your fallback position of choice for defense on Luzon. Consider bugging out of Manila with a few select units if you can on the first or second day of the war. For ships that you wish to extricate-consider sailing East to Midway or Pearl if you can. West of Manila will be a sea of enemy ships looking to deal with stragglers.

3. You're chomping at the bit to use your carriers. Every Allied player is. And most of us go and lose them post haste, weep bitter tears, and are tempted to quit. So first rule is: Don't lose your carriers! That means don't take snazzy chances unless you know exactly what you're doing (which generally means you know where the KB is - far away) and why. Oftentimes, hiding your carriers so that an opponent doesn't know where they are and has to allow for them to pop up everywhere is effective. Experienced player can make big use of carrriers early and often, but for a newbie, you mainly just want to keep them out of danger until around June 1943.

Probably good advice for new players. For experienced players, Allied carriers can be a most unpleasant surprise to an invasion TF. I would be tempted to use them if an excellent opportunity arose, but they are extremely vulnerable to a surprise Japanese arrival of KB.

5. Generally just hunker down, maximize your CAP, and don't move heavily damaged and vulnerable ships. They're better in port than risking getting whacked out of port. Now, you might consider "fleeing the coop" with lightly damaged ships that can still make good speed. Send them south or southeast or even send them sprinting to nearby ports in the chain (set to disband) so that all your eggs aren't in a single nest. But, often, I leave damaged ships in Pearl for months, until I'm sure the "coast is clear" and until damage is repaired enough to make a journey back to West Coast acceptably risky.

On land, my axiom is to try not to get too many of your troops trapped where they'll be forced to surrender. Islands (Java, Sumatra, Singapore, Luzon, Hong Kong, etc.) are deathtraps. Far better to defend where you can retreat or reinforce. Preferably by rail.

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

3. You're chomping at the bit to use your carriers. Every Allied player is. And most of us go and lose them post haste, weep bitter tears, and are tempted to quit. So first rule is: Don't lose your carriers! That means don't take snazzy chances unless you know exactly what you're doing (which generally means you know where the KB is - far away) and why. Oftentimes, hiding your carriers so that an opponent doesn't know where they are and has to allow for them to pop up everywhere is effective. Experienced player can make big use of carrriers early and often, but for a newbie, you mainly just want to keep them out of danger until around June 1943.

Probably good advice for new players. For experienced players, Allied carriers can be a most unpleasant surprise to an invasion TF. I would be tempted to use them if an excellent opportunity arose, but they are extremely vulnerable to a surprise Japanese arrival of KB.

American carriers are really good boats generally, especially considering damage control. I think Wildcats are underrated, especially considering that they are carrier planes and their role is a little different. Dauntlesses and Avengers need apologize to no one for anything. The problem initially is your carriers do not have full complements of planes or crews and their training is not up to Japanese standards. Take the time to train some air crews up to a high standard and by that time you can go to sea with 4 to 5 CVs and you shouldn't be unduly afraid of his carriers. Beware of those Bettys and Nells, though.

[Canoerebel]

Chickenboy, question five dealt narrowly with Pearl Harbor.

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

5. Generally just hunker down, maximize your CAP, and don't move heavily damaged and vulnerable ships. They're better in port than risking getting whacked out of port. Now, you might consider "fleeing the coop" with lightly damaged ships that can still make good speed. Send them south or southeast or even send them sprinting to nearby ports in the chain (set to disband) so that all your eggs aren't in a single nest. But, often, I leave damaged ships in Pearl for months, until I'm sure the "coast is clear" and until damage is repaired enough to make a journey back to West Coast acceptably risky.

Canoerebel, you fail to appreciate that Chickenboy has personal issues here. Give him a break. Uh, I didn't mean in terms of eggs.[8|]

[geofflambert]

For those of you unfamiliar with Chickenboy, here is a digitally enhanced pic of him:

[jzardos]

Great advice all! Still not sure if I should defend Singapore or not. Seems like if I can get a decent run of supply in early I might be able to hold it for a bit? Sorry I didn't mention it before, but I'm playing a human opponent and not AI.

Will I be in trouble later say in Australia, if I lose all the Malaya/Singapore troops eventually? How easy is it for Japan to invade Australia? Looks wide open atm.

Once again very impressed with all the great and prompt advice. Always felt the WitP community one of the helpful and friendliest there of all. Game does have a steep learning curve, but it's fun all the way learning it.

Last question (forgot in initial post)
What is best use of allied subs? Seems I have a decent amount, but their range is limited? Not long range like some Japanese subs? Will allies get more long range subs later? What base(s) can I use as sub refuel/re-arm?

Actually one more question:
Best way to train US/Allied pilots? CV especially? Is the training capped at 70 exp?

[Feltan]

WRT the sub game.

Early on take special care to deploy Dutch subs and the S boats -- in '42 they will be the kill leaders if you use them wisely. With dud torpedoes, deployment of fleet boats is up for debate. You can deploy them on the approaches to the Japanese homeland via Pearl, or eventually Midway and just ignore the fact that a lot (hmm... maybe 75%) of the hits will be duds. I often use them for emergency supply runs to Singers and Bataan to try and prolong things a tad more, but just a tad.

Set up your key sub bases and if they don't have a shipyard use AR/ARD at them to repair light damage. At first the AS situation isn't too good, but later you will get so many of them that they will be begging for work.

Regards,
Feltan