End game

[LGKMAS]

I have survived the beginning and am now embroiled in the middle game, so my thoughts are turning to the endgame.
I am playing against the computer, I am allied and the scenario is nr 6.

I am doing quite well, at least by my standards and in a number of cases have been ahead of the real life timetable. Now I am getting curious about how other players approach the endgame.

I note that a number of Japanese bases have very high VPs ie Rabaul is, I think 500 when fully developed for the Japanese while only barely double figures for the Allies. Similarly Tarawa is a high Japanese VP base but a small VP base for the Allies. Flipping them would mean a substantial decrease in Japanese VPs although not a real increase in Allied VPs. But the differential is the key.

These look like difficult and costly bases to invade and a number of posters have suggested bypassing them and let them wither away. perhaps to be invaded late in the game when they have suffered no supplies for over 12 months and have been subject to passing bombing raids and bombardments all the while.

So how many of you out there play for VPs and invade simply because the VP differential is so large? The loss of a few thousand troops to gain 400VPs? Is it thought worth it?

And how many bypass and press on to the Home Islands by invading poorly held or undefended areas?

If so, in both cases, why?

[GetAssista]

Depends on what goals you set for the game. The "win" goal by itself is pretty meaningless if you play AI. You can win by a deep invasion into Hokkaido practically at any point in the game except initial months. So you need additional goals for yourself to make things interesting. One of those goals can be clearing out all high VP bases to maximize VP ratio.

Tough bases are relatively easy to crack as long as AI is on Hard or lower, base not have excessive supply generation, and you have plan and time (a month or 2). You bypass them, leave a bombardment force coming in from the nearest dot with AKEs and wait for the Jap supplies to be burned away.

[RogerJNeilson]

Have a look at the end of my AAR when I took Tokyo.... lots of Japanese bases remained in some areas, they were just glorified self governing prison camps with very poor dining menus. Its not just the cost of taking some of these versus the points gain, but its also the time wasted.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4741688 esp post 127

also https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=5048488 post 6

Happy to answer any queries

Roger

[BBfanboy]

Don't forget you can deny the enemy VPs for his bases simply by destroying all of his supplies. Invasion is not the only option.

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

Don't forget you can deny the enemy VPs for his bases simply by destroying all of his supplies. Invasion is not the only option.

Good point. I know this, but it often slips my mind.

[LGKMAS]

Yeah, I have noticed that sometimes when I take a base, his base VPs barely change while mine go up a point or two. Then as I repair the base, I get more points. So he must have been on minimal points due to supply shortage.
Blocking supplies really has to come with inflicting damage on ports and airfields and the like, to make him expend precious supplies on repairs.
mind you, I have had 6 Japanese divisions plus other hangers-on outside Akyab cut off from supplies for nearly 6 months now, subject to daily bombardments and they still seem rather strong in AV, according to the Combat reports. it is Monsoon season so I am going to keep bombarding and Air bombing them all through the Monsoon and then hit them with deliberate attacks about a week from the end of the Monsoon. I have LCUs to their north West, Their North, their South and soon to their NE and SE. SW is the sea. They should be surrounded so I am waiting to see what happens.
I did hit one group of forces near Rangoon. They "retreated towards Chiang Mai" by moving North from Bassein!!! I had to chase them all over the Rangoon Delta country to finally kill them.
I have Rabaul now at 80 AF hits and 60 Port hits but I am not stupid enough to invade that base (Yet!). Even a 40K troops garrison with minimal supplies still can inflict serious casualties and I am not yet so flush with LCUs that I can recklessly throw them at supposed poorly supplied but well dug in enemy.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: LGKMAS

Yeah, I have noticed that sometimes when I take a base, his base VPs barely change while mine go up a point or two. Then as I repair the base, I get more points. So he must have been on minimal points due to supply shortage.
Blocking supplies really has to come with inflicting damage on ports and airfields and the like, to make him expend precious supplies on repairs.
mind you, I have had 6 Japanese divisions plus other hangers-on outside Akyab cut off from supplies for nearly 6 months now, subject to daily bombardments and they still seem rather strong in AV, according to the Combat reports. it is Monsoon season so I am going to keep bombarding and Air bombing them all through the Monsoon and then hit them with deliberate attacks about a week from the end of the Monsoon. I have LCUs to their north West, Their North, their South and soon to their NE and SE. SW is the sea. They should be surrounded so I am waiting to see what happens.
I did hit one group of forces near Rangoon. They "retreated towards Chiang Mai" by moving North from Bassein!!! I had to chase them all over the Rangoon Delta country to finally kill them.
I have Rabaul now at 80 AF hits and 60 Port hits but I am not stupid enough to invade that base (Yet!). Even a 40K troops garrison with minimal supplies still can inflict serious casualties and I am not yet so flush with LCUs that I can recklessly throw them at supposed poorly supplied but well dug in enemy.

Just leave those units at Rabaul as targets for your air units and naval units.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: LGKMAS

Yeah, I have noticed that sometimes when I take a base, his base VPs barely change while mine go up a point or two. Then as I repair the base, I get more points. So he must have been on minimal points due to supply shortage.
Blocking supplies really has to come with inflicting damage on ports and airfields and the like, to make him expend precious supplies on repairs.

No supplies are used to repair damage to bases. Attacking AF and Port has a chance of destroying some of their supply dumps or warehouses - expressed in the Combat Report as "Supply Hits - x". The amount of supply destroyed is a die roll with modifiers for effect of the shell/bomb hit and amount of supply present. As supply dwindles, supply hits destroy fewer supplies.

And feeding the troops is a constant supply drain so if you can isolate the base from resupply, it will eventually arrive at 0 supply and lose its VP value. The troops will also fight at only 25% of their normal AV and disabled devices will take much longer to recover. So will fatigue and depressed morale. Even starving troops will be glad to get Spam! [:D]