Minimum carrier requirment?

[Nikademus]

Currently playing a 'as Japan' game vs the computer AI and i'm noticing a disturbing trend. Whenever i form a light carrier TF of one or more CVL's (or CVE's) i'm finding that they never attack the target (or react to enemy forces from their base)

I've tested this under several different conditions and locations (and chking to ensure adequate levels of PP's) and no matter what i do, the carriers do not operate their aircraft unless they are part of a TF containing CV's.

anyone else running into this problem? Granted, its not always a very smart idea to dangle out a lone CVL or two unsupported but then again when the computer AI is blithly running unescorted convoys past my outer bases (of which my surface TF's continually dont react too!!!!) one can only knash their teeth at such golden opportunities being passed by.

[Rich Dionne]

Nickademus,

Here are a few ideas that may help:

1) Make sure you have patrol group coverage of the area you want to react into. If the enemy TF's are not entering your patrol radius, your air and surface TF's won't react.

2) Your TF should have a good leader assigned; and the more aggressive he is, the more likely the TF will react.

3) If you leave your TF intact from turn to turn, it can become unresponsive to enemy movement unless you reset the home and destination ports each turn. You don't need to disband and reform the TF, just reset the home and destination ports. This will keep the TF reactive.

4) Set the home and destination ports the same, and give your TF a long reaction range, or:

5) Set different home and destination ports and give your TF a long standoff range. It will still react. I do this often with a nearby destination port. I set the standoff range longer than the distance to the destination port, and my TF will remain at the home port, ready to react. If the destination port is your HQ target, then your TF will have max preparation, which can give you great reactions. I have even gotten multiple reactions from the same TF this way.

6) No matter how well you set up your reaction TF's, it doesn't work all the time.

I don't know of any restrictions with CVL or CVE TF's, so try the above, and hopefully you'll see more reaction.

Regards,

Rich Dionne

[JECrossNav]

Rich,

In the previous post you wrote the following.

"5) Set different home and destination ports and give your TF a long standoff range. It will still react. I do this often with a nearby destination port. I set the standoff range longer than the distance to the destination port, and my TF will remain at the home port, ready to react. If the destination port is your HQ target, then your TF will have max preparation, which can give you great reactions. I have even gotten multiple reactions from the same TF this way."

Wow! I did not know this. I had never even THOUGHT of doing anything like that. I think I will give it a try. And you have seen "better" reactions when your TF's are set up like this; even with the destination of the TF DIFFERENT than the base?

When doing this does the TF need to START in the BASE location, or can it start in a different base location other than the one set? Does this method work better if the destination location is closer or further away from the target BASE location? (meaning, does it work better if the target/destination is closer while the "Stand-off" range is set HIGHER; say 15)?

Anymore information about this would be appreciated; and thanks for this useful tid-bit of info.

[Rich Dionne]

John,

Although the rulebook is unclear on this point, you do not need to have both home and destination set to same location to get a reaction strike.

My best reactions have occurred where my TF has a well built up home base, a target base the same as the HQ target, and a stand-off range greater than my TF's actual distance from the target. The closer I am to the target base, the better.

As for TF leader orders, 'Leaders Choice' or 'Remain on Station' tend to do better than 'return to home port'.

I have actually had 2 and 3!? reaction strikes from the same TF using this method. It'll blow you away when you see your TF go on one of these rampages!

For example:

If a TF is set to standoff a set distance (say 2 hexes) from another base (enemy or friendly). It will move to that position on first turn it has those orders. If left unchanged it will then have a chance to react to any enemy TF moving within 2 hexes of that TF. On next turn the standoff can be changed. If the standoff range is increased then the TF won't move. It will still 2 hexes off the base but now capable of reacting to any move inside that increased standoff range; so the new standoff range becomes a reaction range although listed as standoff in the TF orders.

You can actually set this up with your TF never leaving its home port if the target base is fairly close and the standoff range is a greater distance.

This method can be really effective if the destination base is the HQ target. This pumps up the TF prep points much higher than can be achieved with a simple reaction (same home and port).

Hopefully this is clear enough. Give it a try!

Regards,

Rich