Reaction moves

[Erik Burriss]

How do you get them?

I had a US surface group and MTB group at Rabaul, the surface group intercepted one Jap group about 4 hexes away, then the MTBs forced a couple of Jap transport groups to abort their mission. So that one seemed to work.

However, they don't in the East Indies. I've gor a couple of mixed US/Dutch/UK/Aussie surface groups in Kendari set for a range of 7, and a PBY group based there. Willis and Doorman are the commanders, the Asiatic fleet is the higher HQ and based on Willis's TF with the target set for Kendari.

Willis's group attacked a some transports returning from dropping off troops at at that base to the east, but lately Jap transport goups go sailing right by and have taken Flores and Timor. My Kendari air groups attack, but not the ships. There's no Jap patrol zone indicated.

Similarly, the Eastern Fleet is based at Palembang with the HQ on the TF with the 2nd most agressive Brit after Willis in charge of the TF, (HQ target, base and destination all Palembang, range 7). An MTB group is at the off-shore island. Then last turn, three carrier groups, two surface groups and several transport groups showed up to invade with no reaction, despite numerous detections by PBY and B-17 groups in the area.

What am I not understanding?

[Rich Dionne]

Erik,

There has been a fair amount of discussion on this in this forum. Check out the following thread and search for other threads with the keyword "reaction" or "standoff".

http://www.matrixgames.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000166

I have never been able to get MTB TF's to react very well, probably because I never assign a leader to them.

Regards,

Rich Dionne

[Warpup]

I think the strength of enemy air zones deters ability to react. In the Indonesia area, the Japanese air zones should get so strong that even Doorman does not react.

[Erik Burriss]

Well, there weren't any air zones to speak of when I looked at the map, but I split my surface group at Palemebang, based one at Palembang and one at Osthaven, sent one of them to Osthaven and then started switching their bases (i.e. the Osthaven group had Osthaven for a destination and Palembang for base) every turn.

That set up the patrol mentioned in the other thread, and two turns later they attacked a surface group. Granted Yamato shot the shit out my two battleships since I had one in each group, but my crusiers and destroyers sort of held their own and dinged up the other BB pretty good.

Thanks for pointing me to that other thread Rich.