Climb Mt. Niitaka - Xargun vs Mr Kane

[Lowpe]

First thoughts:

AV: you want more, find the one that can handle 9 planes. Husemi I think is 4 planes. Very useful for escorting convoys or flying search from dot bases.

AKE: You will want more.

AG: Incredibly useful for re-arming SC/E/PB at small ports where you need ASW coverage. Japanese Island chain, along the coast, etc.

AD: Very useful for adding to the pierside repair, plus repairing minor damage on destroyers etc. Can also rearm torps on destroyers.

AR: Seems like a lot you want to build. Still useful. AD come quicker and are almost as versatile.

Convert Std A and B cargo ships to tankers.

PM, AMc, CMc, AMC (you need a lot or your minefields will atrophy)

AS pretty useful for subs. Don't leave home without them.

Just quick and dirty thoughts.

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

First thoughts:

AV: you want more, find the one that can handle 9 planes. Husemi I think is 4 planes. Very useful for escorting convoys or flying search from dot bases.

I am using Tracker to base most of my info on - as I can have tracker up at work but not the game itself. Tracker shows capacity on ship class but not support. How do I find that information ?

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
AKE: You will want more.

I built like 10 in my last game and can only remember using two of them up through late '43.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
AG: Incredibly useful for re-arming SC/E/PB at small ports where you need ASW coverage. Japanese Island chain, along the coast, etc.

Exactly what I plan to do. They rearm the small ships (including DC which is the best part) and they provide repair for them as well.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Convert Std A and B cargo ships to tankers.

I have only looked at conversions for ships that start the game. Conversions to Tankers will happen once I start receiving those ships.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
PM, AMc, CMc, AMC (you need a lot or your minefields will atrophy)

Only ACM maintain minefields right ?

[Lowpe]

ACM, right. Dyslexia moment.[:D]

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ACM, right. Dyslexia moment.[:D]

I'm fine with that. I do it a lot thats why I was making sure I didn't miss / forget something... Not an old fart yet, but knocking on the door.

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

First thoughts:

AV: you want more, find the one that can handle 9 planes. Husemi I think is 4 planes. Very useful for escorting convoys or flying search from dot bases.

I am using Tracker to base most of my info on - as I can have tracker up at work but not the game itself. Tracker shows capacity on ship class but not support. How do I find that information ?

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
AKE: You will want more.

I built like 10 in my last game and can only remember using two of them up through late '43.

It would suggest that you are not using AKE's as effectively as you could. Using AKE's saves you building up port sizes AND/OR keeps you from wasting fuel sending ship for rearm so far. So this saves you either supply or fuel, in either case SAVING.

I like Husimi, although it can't service too many while steaming, it has decent AV so that you can create dot-base FP recon/patrol bases. With Jake ok, with Norm better.

[Encircled]

Bit useless me saying it now, but I always wait on the Wake Invasion, and move Zeros into the Marshalls.

I think in four out of my five games as a Jap (none which got past the end of '42) the Allies moved their CVs there early.

They are so short of fighters early so it can really calm down the Allied players aggressive moves

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo
It would suggest that you are not using AKE's as effectively as you could. Using AKE's saves you building up port sizes AND/OR keeps you from wasting fuel sending ship for rearm so far. So this saves you either supply or fuel, in either case SAVING.

I like Husimi, although it can't service too many while steaming, it has decent AV so that you can create dot-base FP recon/patrol bases. With Jake ok, with Norm better.

You are probably correct. I tend to build up large ports all over the place to rearm / repair ships. This is probably a bad thing once the allies start taking them - gives them repair depots everywhere instead of a few far away. I will change my plans and allocate more AKEs.

I like the Husimi as is small and cheap and I don't feel bad if I lose one or two. I completely plan on basing them at dot bases along my convoy route and flying float planes from them for ASW.

I have also converted several of the larger Kyushu-class xAK to AV. In all, I have added 4 large AVs, 2 more AKEs and switched my xAKL To'su conversions from 22 PB and 15 ACM to 22 ACM and 15 PBs.

Overall I have not touched the AMc conversions yet and may wait a bit in case I lose my DMS ships.

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Bit useless me saying it now, but I always wait on the Wake Invasion, and move Zeros into the Marshalls.

I think in four out of my five games as a Jap (none which got past the end of '42) the Allies moved their CVs there early.

They are so short of fighters early so it can really calm down the Allied players aggressive moves

I have only played a couple PBeMs in the past and never had that happen to me before. Oh well. I expect Mr Kane will teach me a lot in this game and look forward to it. It will definitely help me 'up' my game.

[Xargun]

I am starting to take Chinese bases with LI, HI and Resources. Most of them are damaged to some degree or another and I'm wondering if I should repair any of it or not?

[Mike McCreery]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

I am starting to take Chinese bases with LI, HI and Resources. Most of them are damaged to some degree or another and I'm wondering if I should repair any of it or not?

Most people will tell you no. It takes 1000 supply to repair 1 point of industry which yields you 1 point of supply. Unless you are going to hold the base for about 3 years you will not receive a net gain. If you were going to repair/expand industry it is best to do it in areas where you are going to still be holding such as mainland Japan.

[Xargun]

More slow turns - very little allied activity at sea or in the air. Some land combat in China but not much else.


Philippines

My troops are marching slowly in this theater - it seems to take forever to move between bases. I have taken Atimonan in southern Luzon via paratroopers and moving men up from Naga via rail. I am reconing more bases in southern Luzon and plan on using paratroopers to ease my movement to Manila as it does not seem that Mr Kane has any troops south of Manila.


China

The Chinese forces have pushed me out of Ichang and I am retreating back to rest the beat up units while I continue to move units around to cover garrison requirements more efficiently and hunt down loose Chinese units in the wilderness.


South Pacific

I landed more troops on Kavieng and took the base. I am debating whether to build up Kavieng or just use Rabaul as my major base in the area - once I take it.



I have noticed I have a severe shortage of Merchant Shipyard Points and wondering what to halt - other than CVEs.

[adarbrauner]

ORIGINAL: Xargun



I completely plan on basing them at dot bases along my convoy route and flying float planes from them for ASW

when, and if, you'll find the way to obtain and produce the floatplanes to equip and meet the needs, please don't forget to advise!

ORIGINAL: Xargun

I landed more troops on Kavieng and took the base. I am debating whether to build up Kavieng or just use Rabaul as my major base in the area - once I take it.

what the problem in building?

[PaxMondo]

ORIGINAL: adarbrauner

ORIGINAL: Xargun

I landed more troops on Kavieng and took the base. I am debating whether to build up Kavieng or just use Rabaul as my major base in the area - once I take it.

what the problem in building?

supply burn ...

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo
supply burn ...

I want to say someone posted the exact supply costs to increase each level of Port, Airfield, Fort. But I cannot find it. Anyone have that information ?

[Xargun]

Someone correct me if I am wrong - trying to remember...

Replacement Pool is for newly graduated pilots and they will have random skill levels and experience at (or near) the national level for the year.

Group Reserve is pilots with the air group but not flying active duty - you can activate them without having to wait the delay for pulling other pilots into the group.

TRACOM is where I stick 80+ exp pilots to speed up pilots graduating into the Replacement pool.

Reserve is for everyone else and is split into Fighter, Bomber, Patrol, Transport and Recon pools.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo
supply burn ...

I want to say someone posted the exact supply costs to increase each level of Port, Airfield, Fort. But I cannot find it. Anyone have that information ?

I downloaded this from someone's post once:

[Xargun]

ORIGINAL: witpqs
I downloaded this from someone's post once:

I knew I saw it somewhere.. Thank you

[Aurorus]

ORIGINAL: Xargun

Someone correct me if I am wrong - trying to remember...

Replacement Pool is for newly graduated pilots and they will have random skill levels and experience at (or near) the national level for the year.

Group Reserve is pilots with the air group but not flying active duty - you can activate them without having to wait the delay for pulling other pilots into the group.

TRACOM is where I stick 80+ exp pilots to speed up pilots graduating into the Replacement pool.

Reserve is for everyone else and is split into Fighter, Bomber, Patrol, Transport and Recon pools.

You have the gist. I don't recommend putting your 80+ pilots in TRACOM, at least not at the moment. You want to set all of your resticted Kwangtung air units and Home Islands air units to training missions. Put one 80+ exp pilot in as many as possible. This will quicken their training and (I believe) increases the possibility that they will gain exp with each skill increase.

Use many of your Pete squadons as trainers as well... especially those 6 and 12 sized squadrons on the CSs and AVs. Unload them at a friendly port, get them near to an Air HQ and set them to train. Eventually, when you have a few extra Political points, transfer them to the command of the local air HQ. This also seems to improve training rates. You can use them either to train bomber pilots in naval search, freeing up bomber training squadrons to train only for bombing. You will also want to use a good number of them to train fighter pilots. Petes can fly escort and sweep missions.

Basically, I try to train all of my pilots to 70 defense as Japan: both bomber and fighter. Japanese aircraft are more manueverable than allied, and you will depend on this manueverability if you conduct the air-war properly. See Lowpe's AAR against Tiemanj for very good tips on fighting the airwar as Japan correctly. Training above 70 defense is nigh impossible and you will almost never gain defense after training. So if you want high defense, you have to train for it. Like experience, defense has a chance to increase every time another skill is increased. So cross-train your pilots. Train fighter pilots in air, strafe, and lowN. Train your bombers in more than just land bombing. I like low land bombing, because at very low altitudes, you can often slip right by high-flying allied cap. This will draw down the CAP to lower altitudes that better suit the Jap airframes. You will also want some trained in ASW and naval search.

Use a few of your fighter squadrons in back-line rolls, flying cap over places like Saigon and Takao. Put fighter pilots who have trained up to about 65 air and 70 defense in these units to fly cap. They will slowly gain experience. Once they hit 65 exp. or so. They will be ready for front-line duty.

As the war wears on, you will probably find your training standards dropping as more and more pilots are needed. Use your pilots carefully and guard this asset. The future of the empire depends on it. The quicker you begin to rush your training and send pilots with less than 65 air-exp and 70 defense into combat, the quicker the empire will fall.

[Encircled]

One thing to remember with the Japanese is the effectiveness of fast transport TFs.

Great way of delivering troops quickly and to an allied player, they look like SCTFs

[Xargun]

More slow turns - very little allied activity at sea and a few night time bombers by Blenheims and B-17s from Singapore. I don't have airfields close enough to Singapore yet to start sweeping his fighters there so I have not been bombing the airfield - I have tried at night, but cannot hit anything.

Philippines

More paratroopers take empty bases in Southern Luzon and now my men are ready to move against Manila - don't think I have enough strength to take it, but will move into the city none-the-less. This will pin down the men he has there so I can take the bases to the north without fear or counterattack.


China

I finally took Hong Kong on the 27th netting a nice influx of VPs. I have rebuilt the Hong Kong Detachment and have DMS sweeping the mines from the harbor before I start using it. Majority of the troops are heading back to Canton.

Recon shows Chinese forces moving from the southern cities - which means I will capture them by default and instantly start losing VPs due to not meeting garrison requirements. I am trying to rush troops to the bases affected, but it will be a while to get there.


South Pacific

I took Ocean Island and now own both of the resources islands and have started the endless convoys from there to Truk hauling resources.


Malaya

Troops are still slowly moving south - have captured Georgetown which will be a good bomber base once I get some Aviation Support there. Then I can start sweeping and bombing Singapore - to soften them up and prevent additional forts.

General

Got my first group of ground reinforcements - a bunch of Base Forces for the Marshalls as well as other assorted places. I am still dealing with shortages of aircraft frames - takes forever to build them. My Rufe R&D is going good among the 5 Factories I have dedicated to it.

I have begun setting up my other R&D Factories, but haven't expanded them much beyond a few points yet. I do not believe the size affects how fast they repair so I'm trying to spread out the supply / HI drain.