Marine Raiders...and their use

[dwesolick]

I've played UV a number of times and have never been quite able to figure out how to use the Raider bns properly. I've never had the guts to actually try to "raid" a defended Japanese base, as I feel this would simply result in a battle in which the outnumbered Raiders would be crushed.
I've always simply used them as additional infantry or to seize unoccupied spots. Has anyone actually tried to use the Marine Raiders as "raiders?" If so, what was the result?

[Feinder]

You don't really get a bonus because they're "Raider" btns. It conducts the combat, just as it would for any other land unit. So I wouldn't plan on "raiding" Lae with one, while Lae is defended by 4 divisions. They WON'T blow up a bunch of supplies and then get back on their transports (altho that would be a nice). It will resolve the attack normally (and it would die very quickly).

The "advantage" of the Raider Btns (and a few others), is that they carry all of their support with them. They not inherantly deficient in support points, and thus don't need to be stacked with an HQ to be at full effectiveness.

-F-

[Hartley]

'He’s got a weird accent, sort of Australian, sort of German. He checks out Shaftoe’s insignia in turn. "What’s a Marine Raider? Some kind of new outfit?"

Like a Marine, only more so," Shaftoe says. Which might sound like bravado. Indeed it partly is. But this comment is as heavy laden with irony as Shaftoe’s clothes are with sand, because at this particular moment in history, a Marine isn’t just a tough S.O.B. He is a tough S.O.B. stuck out in the middle of nowhere (Guadalcanal) with no food or weapons (owing, as every Marine can tell you, to a sinister conspiracy between General MacArthur and the Nips) totally making everything up as he goes along, improvising weapons from found objects, addled, half the time, by disease and the drugs supplied to keep diseases at bay. And in every one of those senses, a Marine Raider is (as Shaftoe says) like a Marine, only more so.'

- from Cryptonomicon

[denisonh]

They pack a good punch for their size (about a 1000 troop load out for a 30 point assault value) and as pointed out, have thier own support.

I have used the raider Bns inserted by Fast Transport, in conjuction with an airborne assault, to quickly take a lightly defended base.

Worked pretty good.

[petdoc]

Hey! Just finished that book. Loved it, not a quick read though. I like his loose and irreverent writing style, very generation xish. I felt he was just a little "too clever" at times though. At times it was hard to tell where the history stopped and the fiction started, especially concerning the codebreakers, very well done. The best though were the multi page dissertations on the proper way to eat captain crunch cereal and the science of masturb*****(had graphs etc). I highly recommend the book to anyone.

[Luskan]

Originally posted by petdoc
Hey! Just finished that book. Loved it, not a quick read though. I like his loose and irreverent writing style, very generation xish. I felt he was just a little "too clever" at times though. At times it was hard to tell where the history stopped and the fiction started, especially concerning the codebreakers, very well done. The best though were the multi page dissertations on the proper way to eat captain crunch cereal and the science of masturb*****(had graphs etc). I highly recommend the book to anyone.

My favourite book too!

[BaggyPantsDevil]

The Raider Battalions are great for taking undefended bases--why use a whole regiment and the transports to carry them when a battalion will do?--or to airland at a freshly seized airfield to reinforce the paratroops.

[mogami]

Hi (looks around to make sure no Japs are near by)
(In a low voice) What you do, is watch when the Japs are landing on bases. Keep track of the size force they land. When you see one that is small enough for the Raiders to send 2-1 you make 2 Fast Transport TF's. You load the Raiders on to one and send them off. After they kill the Japs you send the second TF to pick them up. (you can not order a FT TF at sea to pick up) (or you can have subs standing by to pick up ) Also if the enemy are in range of C-47 you can use the Para Marines and have a FT pick up.
Never refuse to kill the enemy when and where possible.
(just be carefull your FT do not encounter enemy surface TF)(send a escort surface TF to protect the FT)
Now keep that under your hat.

[estaban]

The raider battalions are just another useful little unit in the game, they have no special purpose.

It's kind of like all those recon regiments the Japanese divisions come with. They don't really recon, and provide no "intelligence bonus" however, a little extra firepower is nice to have around.

[mogami]

Originally posted by estaban
The raider battalions are just another useful little unit in the game, they have no special purpose.

It's kind of like all those recon regiments the Japanese divisions come with. They don't really recon, and provide no "intelligence bonus" however, a little extra firepower is nice to have around.

Hi, Place these "recon" rgts in the same hex as "regular" rgt.
Order them to move to the next hex by marching. Check which unit arrives first and the fatigue disruption they have. Then come back and post they are the same.

[estaban]

Maybe, Mogami. But how often do units, especially Japanese units, march from one place to another? The only place this happens is in selected parts of New Guinea.

Most of the units are placed on an individual island/base, and have nowhere to march to.

[mogami]

Originally posted by estaban
Maybe, Mogami. But how often do units, especially Japanese units, march from one place to another? The only place this happens is in selected parts of New Guinea.

Most of the units are placed on an individual island/base, and have nowhere to march to.

Hi, OK I'll buy that. But now as Japan when you need a unit that can march you know which one to select.

Really? no one has ever noticed that the tank units move down the roads in Austraila faster then the leg infantry?

[crsutton]

Originally posted by Feinder


The "advantage" of the Raider Btns (and a few others), is that they carry all of their support with them. They not inherantly deficient in support points, and thus don't need to be stacked with an HQ to be at full effectiveness.

-F- [/B]

Yes, this is the key here. They are self supporting as the SNLF forces and Japanese Naval Garrisons.

[crsutton]

Originally posted by Mogami
Hi (looks around to make sure no Japs are near by)
(In a low voice) What you do, is watch when the Japs are landing on bases. Keep track of the size force they land. When you see one that is small enough for the Raiders to send 2-1 you make 2 Fast Transport TF's. You load the Raiders on to one and send them off. After they kill the Japs you send the second TF to pick them up. (you can not order a FT TF at sea to pick up) (or you can have subs standing by to pick up ) Also if the enemy are in range of C-47 you can use the Para Marines and have a FT pick up.
Never refuse to kill the enemy when and where possible.
(just be carefull your FT do not encounter enemy surface TF)(send a escort surface TF to protect the FT)
Now keep that under your hat.

Your secret is in the vault. I won't tell a soul.

[Snigbert]

They pack a good punch for their size (about a 1000 troop load out for a 30 point assault value) and as pointed out, have thier own support.

That's a good point, if an Army RCT has around 4000 load and 80 assault, then pound for pound Raiders are a lot tougher...they would have 120 Assault if they were RCT sized (4 times bigger).

Plus they have leaders with cool names like 'Red' Mike Edson. I saw a plaque to him at the USS Intrepid Museum, and my friend asked me where he got the nick name. I said "I dont know, maybe he was a red-head". My friend looked disappointed so I told him Edson used to bathe in and drink Japanese blood, so the called him 'Red' Mike. He liked that a lot better, even though I made it up.

[mogami]

Hi, It was his beard that gave him his nickname. When the USMC was in Nicaragua in the 1920's.