Deployment of Italian East Africa Navel units

[taffjones]

Playing as both Axis and Allied side's against PBEM opponents

The Italian East Africa destroyer unit is a useless unit at the moment.

Every Allied player will move the Australian navel units and position then 2 hexes away from the deployment port out of sight of the destroyer unit, and bring a aircraft carrier to the area.

As soon as it moves it will be surprised by a Allied navel unit losing 3 or 4 strength points taking it down to 1 or 2 strength. The next turn it is hit by the A/Carrier and killed even if it has made it back to port.

Possible solutions to this in my opinion would be to either change its deployment port to a 50/50% of ether of the Italian East African ports. Which means the Allies have to divert more Navel units from the Med/Atlantic to cover both ports and weaken them there.

Or to make it a Sub unit as it's highly unlikely that the Allies will have developed anti sub warfare by the time of its deployment. So it increases its ability to survive and damage Allied units/Convoys.

What are your opinions as other players?

[Platoonist]

ORIGINAL: taffjones


Or to make it a Sub unit as it's highly unlikely that the Allies will have developed anti sub warfare by the time of its deployment. So it increases its ability to survive and damage Allied units/Convoys.

You could make that argument as the Red Sea Flotilla did have eight submarines attached to it, some of which eventually escaped to German occupied France.

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: taffjones

Playing as both Axis and Allied side's against PBEM opponents

The Italian East Africa destroyer unit is a useless unit at the moment.

Every Allied player will move the Australian navel units and position then 2 hexes away from the deployment port out of sight of the destroyer unit, and bring a aircraft carrier to the area.

As soon as it moves it will be surprised by a Allied navel unit losing 3 or 4 strength points taking it down to 1 or 2 strength. The next turn it is hit by the A/Carrier and killed even if it has made it back to port.

Possible solutions to this in my opinion would be to either change its deployment port to a 50/50% of ether of the Italian East African ports. Which means the Allies have to divert more Navel units from the Med/Atlantic to cover both ports and weaken them there.

Or to make it a Sub unit as it's highly unlikely that the Allies will have developed anti sub warfare by the time of its deployment. So it increases its ability to survive and damage Allied units/Convoys.

What are your opinions as other players?

Yeah the destroyers pretty much get destroyed the same turn they are deployed. I think the fleet was historically based in Massawa and yes there was a sub squadron.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4853642

[boudi]

By the way i saw a german strategy. he put subs and battleships close to Leningrad port a turn before Barbarossa, so the soviet baltic fleet appears behind the german naval units and is easily destroyed in a single turn. It's a little bit the same problem than the italian DD in Somalia.

[Platoonist]

ORIGINAL: boudi

By the way i saw a german strategy. he put subs and battleships close to Leningrad port a turn before Barbarossa, so the soviet baltic fleet appears behind the german naval units and is easily destroyed in a single turn. It's a little bit the same problem than the italian DD in Somalia.

Yeah, that is pretty gamey. Unfortunately the game's one unit per hex stacking limits in combination with areas of constricted geography creates some of these opportunities to claim hexes before your opponent can deploy. Maybe the Soviet Union needs something similar to the Pan-American Security Zone....or some deadly minefields in the Gulf of Finland.

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: boudi

By the way i saw a german strategy. he put subs and battleships close to Leningrad port a turn before Barbarossa, so the soviet baltic fleet appears behind the german naval units and is easily destroyed in a single turn. It's a little bit the same problem than the italian DD in Somalia.

Oh dang what a dirty nasty gamey play haha wonder if there is any way to fix this? Maybe newly deployed units should not be allowed to be attacked until the next turn? They cannot move when deployed anyway. And yeah would be cool if the other games were updated with mine warfare as well...

[ElvisJJonesRambo]

Yep, plenty of gamey moves. Well, its a game. On the flip side, if you know that's allegedly gonna happen every time, then adjust for it I've never used the Austrialian Naval to bother with a strength 5, Destroyer. What's the Destroyer gonna do? I typically have better things to do then park outside East Africa.

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: ElvisJJonesRambo

Yep, plenty of gamey moves. Well, its a game. On the flip side, if you know that's allegedly gonna happen every time, then adjust for it I've never used the Austrialian Naval to bother with a strength 5, Destroyer. What's the Destroyer gonna do? I typically have better things to do then park outside East Africa.

You can't adjust automatic deployments unfortunately. This is the same issue that killed the DAK deploying in N. Africa. Allied players would just lie in wait to destroy.

[ElvisJJonesRambo]

ORIGINAL: Tanaka

ORIGINAL: ElvisJJonesRambo

Yep, plenty of gamey moves. Well, its a game. On the flip side, if you know that's allegedly gonna happen every time, then adjust for it I've never used the Austrialian Naval to bother with a strength 5, Destroyer. What's the Destroyer gonna do? I typically have better things to do then park outside East Africa.

You can't adjust automatic deployments unfortunately. This is the same issue that killed the DAK deploying in N. Africa. Allied players would just lie in wait to destroy.

Correct, you cannot change auto deployments. But if you know your opponent will use two or more Aussie ships for the ambush, then send a German ship to Australia and cutoff his ports there & New Zealand. (an example)

[amandkm]

Elvis makes a good point. The cumulative loss of MPP from the Aussies and/or Kiwis will outweigh the impact of the Italian DD's.

[ElvisJJonesRambo]

Here we good a good solution, keep the game historical.

1) For whatever reason, a Destroyer strength 5 will appear in port. Fact. Guessing it was programmed based on history.
2) When it comes "deployment" time. Allow Italy a choice. Pop-Up says, "Destroyer name <fill-in-blank>" is now supporting East Africa
3) User can choose the following: a) Would you like this ship to sail (appear in port)? b) Would you like the ship to be patrolling Indian Ocean? (if so, ship will appear away from ambush).


different subject:

One could also, argue, when a neutral is invaded, the defender can configure the defense. Historical people may not like this. But when it comes to Poland, Yugo, Russia, Low Countries, we know the default setup. Neutrals may have at least made an adjustment.

[Hubert Cater]

Some good ideas here JJR, thanks and it has given us something to think about for sure [:)]