Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe


...Having them (Lowpe is referring to keeping the divisional sub units separated - Alfred) fight only bothers me on big river crossing and big battles with nasty terrain modifiers...

This is a very valid concern based on how the game engine handles river crossings, which highlights one of the most eggregious errors which the cult of spreadsheet supporters always make.

The devs (and JWE/Symon was usually the dev who most often made this point) alwaysw pointed out that posters who categorically stated that one must play AE in a particular manner, seriously misrepresent the game. There simply is no single way to play AE, irrespective of what flawed spreadsheets suggest. The degree of nuance in the game far exceeds the understanding of most players. It is the stronger players who tend to understand this.

Alfred

[T Rav]

Lowpe, Hijack for three sentences.

RJ, I watched Winged Hussars for a third time, better each time.

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

T Rav

[Ambassador]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

I have gone to not always recombining sub units...although my preference to do so is still there. One, to reduce the number of units on the map as I suffer greatly from click fatigue, and two because with some of the ENG units the TOE changes and that might carry over to some of the other units...

These are perfectly valid reasons to support combining divisions. They are however only preferences which other players might not share. Being preferences is the main reason why I haven't waded in to this debate over the years. Much as I don't wade into the interminable arguments over which aircraft Japan should research/produce which ultimately is a debate over preferences and opinions, not over objective game mechanics issues.

I have no doubt that there will be readers who only superficially read the 2015 Symon thread. Those people will miss the basic reason (discerned from other Symon posts in the thread which I did not draw specific attention to) why Symon carried out the testing.

The testing was part of the development of the small scale DaBabes scenarios which were designed around small unit combat. Accordingly those scenarios had broken down divisional structures with divisional artillery separated into its own subunits, not dispersed amongst the infantry. It was therefore important to establish whether in combat the game engine would penalise small units compared to aggregated units. The tests allayed any concerns Symon might have had.

Alfred

Keeping divisions combined also allows to use better leaders on average. Instead of having to assign, say, 36 good leaders on so many regiments/brigades, you can focus on 12 divisions, and so the 12 best leaders.

[Encircled]

ORIGINAL: Ambassador

You had only four corps and one fort level in Hengyang ?

Got to remember how early this is, and that Hengyang being in the clear is not a valid defensive hex for the Chinese

Soon as the Japanese turn up outside it, then its time to either turn Changsha into a Kessel or withdraw into the x3 terrain to the north.

He took a risk, based on no bombing at all, and it didn't come off.

(I'd have done the same thing btw!)

[Ambassador]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

ORIGINAL: Ambassador

You had only four corps and one fort level in Hengyang ?

Got to remember how early this is, and that Hengyang being in the clear is not a valid defensive hex for the Chinese

Soon as the Japanese turn up outside it, then its time to either turn Changsha into a Kessel or withdraw into the x3 terrain to the north.

He took a risk, based on no bombing at all, and it didn't come off.

(I'd have done the same thing btw!)

Lowpe had mentioned earlier a crossing into 1600AV in half-decent terrain, I thought it was this one.

But it IS early, and NJP concentrated a strong force there. Two full divisions plus six regiments/brigades is a lot more than what he’s used in the other theaters of the war, I wonder why he didn’t include any tanks or artillery there.

[Encircled]

ORIGINAL: Ambassador

ORIGINAL: Encircled

ORIGINAL: Ambassador

You had only four corps and one fort level in Hengyang ?

Got to remember how early this is, and that Hengyang being in the clear is not a valid defensive hex for the Chinese

Soon as the Japanese turn up outside it, then its time to either turn Changsha into a Kessel or withdraw into the x3 terrain to the north.

He took a risk, based on no bombing at all, and it didn't come off.

(I'd have done the same thing btw!)

Lowpe had mentioned earlier a crossing into 1600AV in half-decent terrain, I thought it was this one.

But it IS early, and NJP concentrated a strong force there. Two full divisions plus six regiments/brigades is a lot more than what he’s used in the other theaters of the war, I wonder why he didn’t include any tanks or artillery there.

Its not his main thrust?

He's doing lots of attacks all over the map so maybe he's seeing how far he can go before he hits a brick wall?

He must have minimal troops covering Singapore and the Phillipines

[Ambassador]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

ORIGINAL: Ambassador

ORIGINAL: Encircled




Got to remember how early this is, and that Hengyang being in the clear is not a valid defensive hex for the Chinese

Soon as the Japanese turn up outside it, then its time to either turn Changsha into a Kessel or withdraw into the x3 terrain to the north.

He took a risk, based on no bombing at all, and it didn't come off.

(I'd have done the same thing btw!)

Lowpe had mentioned earlier a crossing into 1600AV in half-decent terrain, I thought it was this one.

But it IS early, and NJP concentrated a strong force there. Two full divisions plus six regiments/brigades is a lot more than what he’s used in the other theaters of the war, I wonder why he didn’t include any tanks or artillery there.

Its not his main thrust?

He's doing lots of attacks all over the map so maybe he's seeing how far he can go before he hits a brick wall?

He must have minimal troops covering Singapore and the Phillipines

Given the number of divisions there, I would have thought that this is his main thrust, but if so, why no artillery or tanks ?

And yes, the attacks all around have proved to be a bit light at least twice now. He has apparently been clear with Lowpe that he aims for an auto-victory in ‘43, I’m not sure his way is the best way to do it. Hitting the brick wall that way hurts, looks better to shatter the wall with overwhelming force.

Once the Allies are repelled to Bataan and Singapore, you don’t need many troops to keep them locked in. I don’t remember if Singers fell (I don’t think so anyway), but if it hasn’t yet, it means any capital ship damaged in the Indian Ocean has to go much further back to reach some decently sized repair yard, maybe Hong Kong. And if he’s been treating his navy like he has cared for his Air Force, given the number of ops losses, he must have system damage starting to accumulate due to high speed runs.

[RangerJoe]

I think that Lowpe has B-17s at Singapore. I don't think that the Japanese air support people are working on them.

[Lowpe]

Caledon is pretty heavily damaged...but alive for now. The Sims class destroyer Russell is up to a whopping 59 night crew experience.[:)]

[Lowpe]

Two IJA units catch the retreat from Tuang Gyi...but at least one of them is really small paratroop unit. 1/3rd of the Burma 1st Division is 44 miles on its retreat...nothing else can get out this turn.

[Lowpe]

From a raw 112 AV to 144 AV...in one day.[;)]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Caledon is pretty heavily damaged...but alive for now. The Sims class destroyer Russell is up to a whopping 59 night crew experience.[:)]

No targets for Enterprise and Hobart? What are those red TF icons at Chittagong then? Riff raff?

[Lowpe]

Wasn't the end of the world in China...did some solid disruption to the IJA. The real attack is north above Changsha. I am sure he is emboldened now. Terrain is woods, only x2, but forts are 3.

I don't think he has enough force to exploit the first river crossing, but if he does win this next river crossing it won't be great.

At Paoshan you can see the British tanks racing east.

IJA Armor is somewhere around Nanyang or south of it. It might be resting, since they suffered quite a lot of disablements, but I doubt that. My guess is they are headed for Changteh.

The Ankang road has forts three in their blocking position, and it seems more IJA artillery is pulling out.

[Lowpe]

Forts 3 79% at Singers, 45K supplies.

Marblehead and 3 destroyers still looking to do damage...Marblehead was spotted yesterday if Japan is paying attention.

[Lowpe]

Please remind me:

Matilda goes to Australia only.?

Stuart I can go to Australia/British/Indian? I believe I will start stockpiling the Stuarts to get them hopefully to China...Australia is touch and go, but at least they will get Matildas.

I have got 10 Matilda's in Aus now, and have to wait for the next convoy before I get more.

[Lowpe]

Butcher's bill in the air today over China.

[Ambassador]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Butcher's bill in the air today over China.

Over four-to-one, congrats !

I see he has limited his ops losses, now, compared to what they used to be.

[RangerJoe]

Stockpile the Grant/Lee. That is what the Matildas upgrade to and I don't know if you really get enough of them. I know that the Australians were still using the Matilda at the end of the war.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Please remind me:

Matilda goes to Australia only.?

Stuart I can go to Australia/British/Indian? I believe I will start stockpiling the Stuarts to get them hopefully to China...Australia is touch and go, but at least they will get Matildas.

I have got 10 Matilda's in Aus now, and have to wait for the next convoy before I get more.

I opened a Scenario 1 game and looked at the AFV arrivals in 1942 in Industry/Troops report by country for the three + NZ:

British, NZ, India: Stuart 1s, Valentine IIIs, Humber I, General Lee.
In addition the British can get M4 Sherman, M5 Stuart (same tank, thicker frontal armour). These are available starting 12/42, but usually go to the US units first. You would have to stockpile and forbid US upgrades to get them to the Brits.

Australia: Stuart I, Matilda II, Humber I, Marmon Harrington Armoured Car, M3A1 AC, M3 Grant/Lee.

[Ambassador]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Please remind me:

Matilda goes to Australia only.?

Stuart I can go to Australia/British/Indian? I believe I will start stockpiling the Stuarts to get them hopefully to China...Australia is touch and go, but at least they will get Matildas.

I have got 10 Matilda's in Aus now, and have to wait for the next convoy before I get more.

I opened a Scenario 1 game and looked at the AFV arrivals in 1942 in Industry/Troops report by country for the three + NZ:

British, NZ, India: Stuart 1s, Valentine IIIs, Humber I, General Lee.
In addition the British can get M4 Sherman, M5 Stuart (same tank, thicker frontal armour). These are available starting 12/42, but usually go to the US units first. You would have to stockpile and forbid US upgrades to get them to the Brits.

Australia: Stuart I, Matilda II, Humber I, Marmon Harrington Armoured Car, M3A1 AC, M3 Grant/Lee.

Lowpe plays DaIronBabes, I don’t know if it’s the same. In stock, managing the Commonwealth’s tanks may be tricky, and really requires to do it step by step and to monitor the replacements and upgrades of all units to avoid being stuck.