Groundhog Day! - No NJP

[Mike McCreery]

Southwest Australia

NJP has conquered all of this area. It will be some time before I can amass enough forces to attempt to take any of it back.

[Mike McCreery]

Northeast Australia

NJP has taken almost complete control of this area as well. He is taking towns I didnt realize even existed until this game like Birdville in the upper left corner.

Finishing up the last game and transitioning into this game is like moving from the highway into heavy urban traffic. I want to DO something but it is only February of 1942 and my ships, planes and combat troops are inferior to the Japanese.

[Crackaces]

Just to say .. there is also a AAR Greyjoy vs. Radier (IJ) Basically this is Greyjoy's first game and it's a scenario #2 ..
The map looks much worse than this .. then Grey Joy lands on Hokkaido ... with the IJ all spread out in India
and Australia ...

The game ended and Radier not seen in these parts for a long time

[ny59giants]

India - If you don't have them there yet, I would plan to send 3 or 4 DBs groups from Eastern USA to CT. Eventually to India as you will need them to counter his shipping going to and from Ceylon at some point. I use the long range LBs in NavS role here (and use Hudson III LR in OZ and NZ) to supplement my Cat and PBY groups. Right now its more important IMO to know whats out there than it is to hit them with something.

Subs - after their 4/42 upgrades (need that radar), its time to find his supply shipping lanes to these new conquest. I would be very aggressive with my sub forces right now.

[Lowpe]

I would have to say that Wargamer has got the situation under control. [:D] I remember Greyjoy vs Radar...he dumped like 5 divisions and 1 million supplies on Hokkaido.[X(] Talk about reversal of fortunes.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

Just to say .. there is also a AAR Greyjoy vs. Radier (IJ) Basically this is Greyjoy's first game and it's a scenario #2 ..
The map looks much worse than this .. then Grey Joy lands on Hokkaido ... with the IJ all spread out in India
and Australia ...

The game ended and Radier not seen in these parts for a long time

Yea, but Rader didn't use the Mr. Kane demonstrated gambit for exploiting the lack of fighter air cover in Oz at game start to run up 5k VPs from strategic bombing the defenseless industry in OZ in February of '42.

Jockemeister threw in the towel after Mr. Kane demonstrated how "easy mode" for an auto victory for Japan is possible.

The game will likely hit an AV for the Japanese long before the Allies are in a position to exploit the Japanese overexpansion.

This is extremely painful to watch.

[Mike McCreery]

Just got a message from NJP.

Apparently he thinks he set off Australian reinforcements due to some base going over to the Japanese side. I am assuming he means the dot base south of Brisbane.

To my knowledge, I havent gotten any "emergency" reinforcements and reading the manual it says they activate if units "move" to certain locations.

Therefore, I think he is misunderstanding the rule.

What reinforcements would I receive in Australia if he crossed the line?

[Crackaces]

http://witp-ae.wikia.com/wiki/Emergency_Reinforcements

Of note are the spitfires if you can get them in country ...

I had a game with NJP that unfortunately could not continue due to my current occupational demands
but he activated the reinforcements for India .. his goal was to keep the reinforcements from arriving ...
it did not happened and I could not continue the game ..

The fact these forces are at Cape Town and have to transition to Australia makes it a challenge ..

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

http://witp-ae.wikia.com/wiki/Emergency_Reinforcements

Of note are the spitfires if you can get them in country ...

I had a game with NJP that unfortunately could not continue due to my current occupational demands
but he activated the reinforcements for India .. his goal was to keep the reinforcements from arriving ...
it did not happened and I could not continue the game ..

The fact these forces are at Cape Town and have to transition to Australia makes it a challenge ..

Having a base change sides is not the same thing as moving troops. We will see what happens but I do not envision the replacements he assumes are coming. Unfortunately, it goes 100% against my plans in Australia for him to compensate for troops that will not arrive.

It could also be a ruse to cover his troop movements which has a low probability because he can move troops without my observations anyway.

[Mike McCreery]

Nevermind, he has troops moving south. Reinforcements have arrived.

[Mike McCreery]

February 28, 1942

NJP is on the move in Australia. My assumption right now is that he intends to take over the whole continent.

[Lowpe]

Does that mean he will stop bombing the industry? Can you hold? Are you scared?

I never liked the line of death, it is metagaming...so I am really looking forward to what happens here.

[Crackaces]

This is obvious .. but build every base up in the Americas .. it does not seem like much but every point you build
up in the denominator means 3 more points needed in the numerator for AV.

Also .. although The Prime Minister of Aussie land is insisting on moving the spare troops there [:D].. India or even
staging them in the US for deployment where the IJ are weaker might be a thought ..[8D]

The KB might be waiting in Australia for the convoy ...while troops arrive at a much different location .. just stave
off AV

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Does that mean he will stop bombing the industry? Can you hold? Are you scared?

I never liked the line of death, it is metagaming...so I am really looking forward to what happens here.

If he captures the industry rather than bombing it he loses out on the VP's. However, Sydney is a boatload of VP's by itself.

Can I hold what? Alfred is right, Continental warfare is maneuver warfare. Southeast Australia is not going to be a roll over. He didnt capture or kill any significant troops yet.

Am I scared? No. If he doesnt pull the VP win off then he wont be in any condition to conduct a prolonged war. I must have misunderstood his intentions when we were discussing starting this game.

This game is simply a copy of the first game on steroids. NJP lost the first game not due to supply or territory or VP's. He lost the first game because he overexpanded and left waaaaaay too many gaps for me to exploit, isolate and kill his troops. Once he lost naval superiority the game was over. He could have prolonged it by more efficiently moving his troops and not doing things like leaving 1000 tanks and 100K troops on Formosa just to rot. He also could have prolonged it if he had been more flexible in China and realized the true threat but he did not. By the time he did the game was already over.

Scenario 2 DBB-C gives NJP the naval assets to completely blockade Australia and/or India and maybe both, I cannot be certain. In the last game the tide began to turn after the naval battle SW of Australia in October or November 1942 I believe. With the increased naval assets it will take me time to build up enough naval forces to be a significant threat.

I just made a big mistake with a group of troops moving across a river hex into Sian in China. I believe that there is a really good chance that NJP can take China this go round. He is already inside the inner circle and it is just turning March.

My intentions for this game were stated previously. To work on things I hadnt and to focus on the smaller organizational things. I have made great progress. However, due to the misunderstanding of objectives, taking time training your troops, navy and air forces is pretty irrelevant given an enemy who is intent at ending the game in January of 1943. I guess that means that I have been out maneuvered in regards to the whole war. LOL!!!

What I am not going to do is start throwing stuff around in desperation. If I lose, I lose. However, there are still in the range of 300 turns and 10 months between now and 1943. At this point I give him a 70% chance of getting the VP win.

If he doesnt get the VP win I predict the same outcome as before. Early win for the Allies. Either way, this game isnt going into 1946.

[Mike McCreery]

Meanwhile, Back at the ranch...

Got a very interesting spotting of a fighter bomber over Sitka with a good ping on a small TF nearby. That almost couldnt have come from anything other than a carrier. If so, he is pretty deep in my coverage without me seeing him.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

I have made great progress. However, due to the misunderstanding of objectives, taking time training your troops, navy and air forces is pretty irrelevant given an enemy who is intent at ending the game in January of 1943. I guess that means that I have been out maneuvered in regards to the whole war. LOL!!!

Too true.[:D] But it can work both ways...the Japan that prepares for an endgame in 45 can be destroyed in 43.

Unlike Joc's game, you haven't thrown away your BBs and have had no CV clash, Mr. Kane was always one step ahead of Joc crushing ships right and left. You have done a good job of preserving your ships so I rate your chance to avoid AV higher although I fully expect a clash in late 42 might be decisive at either staving off AV or not.

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

Meanwhile, Back at the ranch...

Got a very interesting spotting of a fighter bomber over Sitka with a good ping on a small TF nearby. That almost couldnt have come from anything other than a carrier. If so, he is pretty deep in my coverage without me seeing him.

Technically, that is Alaskan waters.[X(] I just wanted to state I have no knowledge of any plans for or against in this theater although I always was intrigued by an Alaskan or Canadian gambit depending upon houserules, which I also don't recall for this game.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

Meanwhile, Back at the ranch...

Got a very interesting spotting of a fighter bomber over Sitka with a good ping on a small TF nearby. That almost couldnt have come from anything other than a carrier. If so, he is pretty deep in my coverage without me seeing him.

I bet the aircraft was actually just a Glen. Lots of FOW on aircraft IDs early on, especially on ships with inexperienced crews.

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

Meanwhile, Back at the ranch...

Got a very interesting spotting of a fighter bomber over Sitka with a good ping on a small TF nearby. That almost couldnt have come from anything other than a carrier. If so, he is pretty deep in my coverage without me seeing him.

I bet the aircraft was actually just a Glen. Lots of FOW on aircraft IDs early on, especially on ships with inexperienced crews.

The base reported it being a fighter bomber. You could of course be right. The coincidence part is that tomorrow is March 1, 1942 and that means no more winter penalties for attacking up in that area.

If he is going to come for this place, now would be the time.

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Wargmr

I have made great progress. However, due to the misunderstanding of objectives, taking time training your troops, navy and air forces is pretty irrelevant given an enemy who is intent at ending the game in January of 1943. I guess that means that I have been out maneuvered in regards to the whole war. LOL!!!

Too true.[:D] But it can work both ways...the Japan that prepares for an endgame in 45 can be destroyed in 43.

Unlike Joc's game, you haven't thrown away your BBs and have had no CV clash, Mr. Kane was always one step ahead of Joc crushing ships right and left. You have done a good job of preserving your ships so I rate your chance to avoid AV higher although I fully expect a clash in late 42 might be decisive at either staving off AV or not.

That is true too. However, show me a game where the Japanese went apeshit in 1942 yet didnt manage to get an AV win but then somehow managed to survive until 1946. I would like to see that AAR.