Basic Allied Strategy

[SGT Swanson]

test for avitar

[Tankerace]

Well, my Allied strategy at the beginning is typically an anti-merchant campaign. It helped in UV, and in WiTP it is even more effective. The more APs and AKs you sink, then the Japanese AI/player has to make a choice: Commit them to invasions, or use them to gather resources. No matter what choice he makes, he either cripples himself in the long run, or gives you some breathing room and time to regroup.

So, what I typically do is during the first phase of the war, use the US Asiatic Fleet, Force Z, the Dutch fleet, and anything you can spare from Colombo to destroy as many merchies as you can. When you have to, fall back to India and Australia.

If you use the Lady Lex and Big E off Wake, you can net several APs, plus sink some CLs and DDs. During the first part of the war, Kwajelein is a FEEDING GROUND of transports, and its so early that the Japanese can't put a lot of bombers there. In my current gme (Mar. 42) I have done 2 Carrier raids on it, the first with Lexington, Saratoga and Enterprise. On this raid, I netted about 8-10 transports and a few smaller craft, all for one torpedo hit on the Sara. On my last raid, using Lexington, Enterprise, and Yorktown, I netted about 4 transports, a sub tender, 2 minelayers, a few patrol craft, and a CL, plus badly damaged Kwajelein's port facilities, for the loss of about 12 Wildcats and 5 SBDs.

Acting in this way will not only begin limiting Japanese offensive actions, but also let your carriers start gaining valuable experience. If you send your carriers up against the Japanese carriers without any, then the war is going to get a lot harder.

However, this strategy does not mean retreat from warships. Force Z, in one of the opening days of the war, sank 1 CA and put 3 others out of commission for about 6 months.

Just because you are on the defensive early in the war doesn't mean you can't fight. If you pinprick the Japanese enough, you can cause him to bleed.

[SunDevil_MatrixForum]

bump

[mogami]

Hi, In PBEM first go out and buy "Time is on my side" By the Stones and mail it to your opponent. Then make a wave file "I'll be around when your gone" and include it every time you send back your turn.

Now settle down.

Step one is to access what you have on the map and what enemy forces are deployed nearby.
Find where enemy air zones of control exist and avoid them.

Don't panic but don't be "The Pokey Little Puppy" Find where the enemy is commiting the error of over reaching. (Where is he sending those little unescorted TF's to grab what he considers vital but unguarded airfields and ports that he will expand later)

Extract a price for every Japanese gain. This means keep your air units where they can hit enemy forces moving out of air cover. (Batavia is good for the Dutch sending the PI B-17 to Singapore can make the Japanese go beserk if they grab Palembang early-early is while you still have B-17 in Singapore. )

Take the time to understand the enemy plan. Guage the rate of advance and forces deployed in any area. Keep track of those CV and stay well away from them. If you lose contact with them assume they are everywhere that can hurt you. Once you know where they are and with what find where you can bring a larger force and inflict damage and get away before they have time toi react. (It only takes 1 day for Japan to redeploy those long range bombers. Keep your eye on enemy size 4+ airfields and understand he is lusting after any of these that you possess in any area.


Consider it your duty to yield only what the Japanese are going to overwhelm. Don't run from weak efforts don't stand infront of Bulldozers. Defend what you can't afford to lose before trying to fight for what contributes nothing to YOUR conduct of the war. Insure PH is secure. Then work on bases nearby. Don't worry about Japan grabing places you can take back once the situation has stablized and you know the complete picture.

There is no "Do this or Don't do that" Make every move part of a thought out plan. Consider what the enemy will do in response to your actions but don't fail to act from fear if the chance of your inflicting more damage then you suffer is good. Don't worry if something bad happens. You'll fix everything in time. You know better then the enemy what you can do. Where you can do it and when you will do it. Keep him quessing as long as possible. (The Cat only gets totally out of the bag when the next target you have is the Saipan airfield complex)

I know this is nothing knew or earth shattering. Mainly just stay calm and use your brain. Your playing for the time when you switch from the Japanese driving to where you take the wheel. Letting the Japanese over reach is sound strategy. If you let them, they will come. When they get there beat the snot out of them and then lock on and never let go.
The Japanese are the ones with the rough road. They only have a few miles of smooth sailing. (I studied my cliches)

[BruceAZ_MatrixForum]

ORIGINAL: SGT Swanson

Well BruceAZ when your ready for your first PBEM game, just let me know.

sgt.swanson@leswanson.org

I may do that as soon as I get this tiger figured out. It is not like UV and in some ways just like it. The IJN is plastering my subs so I got to get a handle on this first. Thanks for the invitation but I don't want to be the boring player because I haven't a clue what I am doing. Give me some time to get my feet wet.

Recon
Semper Fi