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eskuche wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 10:09 pm Seconded. DEI air force sinks BC/BB/CV on average in a game for me.

Let me guess around the beaches of Bandar Lampung. We won't have any fighter coverage around here on turn one.
CVL or CV are too far away.

No, the only possibility is to have Japanese fighters in Malaya. Reducing the DEI fighter unit while escorting bombers trying to destroy the Repulse and the Prince of Wales. This way, DEI fighter will lose strength and effectiveness.

Japan has a Air Superiority unit in the Deployment queue arriving January 7th, 1942. Why not putting this 10th Air Div directly on the map on turn one?

Just to add on here, I am so tired of going through the turns 1-3 slog when games can be decided by oil on turn 4-6. ~10 games in the past week.

You are also one of the best WPP player out there.

Alvaro said he will reduce the DEI fighter range. Putting it Interceptors instead of Fighter Bombers will also reduce its ability to sink a Japanese ship group each game.

Few things I am reading:
1. Bandar Lampung must be taken on turn one. And this is very possible. With three Japanese land units, I can now have a 8:1 attack every game. This is not a problem. I have the 4th Mixed Bde unit or the 21st Mixed Bde unit performing a landing (red) and opening the path for a secured landing (green) of the two SNLF units in range. This is the "secret".

2. Heavy Rain and the Dutch unit in Cape Carot are the remaining annoying problems. So first, I am now putting, each game, a three ships Japanese naval stack to perform a port blockade of Cape Carot. If this is not enough, I will bring a fourth Japanese land unit at Bandar Lampung to reduce Cape Carot with three units.

But since you can't act on Heavy Rain, the luck factor, adding 40 to 45 oil points in the stockpile of Japan is perhaps a good idea to gain one more turn (45 is the upkeep I am having in general). Reducing the unit in Cape Carot to a strength of 8/10 is also a possible solution.

But, honestly, the problem is not the strength of DEI. The problem is the strength of Japanese oil stockpile at start.

And, also, newbie like me will have to learn the hard way to progress. But I can understand this is boring for top players.

Since the DEI campaign was historically finished March 9, 1942, I would give 100 more oil points to Japan in their oil stockpile at the start of the game. This is giving an oil stockpile a little above 50% at 260 oil points.

Based on an upkeep of 45 oil points per turn, this would allow Japan two more turns before running out of oil and two more turns then to reduce the Dutch unit in Cape Carot.

This is a limited change that won't break the game balance imo.
At last, could you please put a supply depot or a port level 1 in Medan to avoid the Dutch unit there to be out of supply right after game start?

Something else that could work is to have this unit not garrisoned at game start. This way, due to port blockade, the Allies player won't be able to change it. It will be much easier to destroy it under heavy rain.

Also @eskuche, do you have an opening move of yourself to succeed to unlock Cape Carot?

ncc1701e wrote: Tue Mar 22, 2022 7:37 am Something else that could work is to have this unit not garrisoned at game start. This way, due to port blockade, the Allies player won't be able to change it. It will be much easier to destroy it under heavy rain.

Also @eskuche, do you have an opening move of yourself to succeed to unlock Cape Carot?

Cape Carot.JPG

No, I ignore the unit and just take Batavia. Too hard with almost guaranteed rain and a river to boot.

@sveint with whom I am playing, as Japanese, made me laugh. He send me this message in game:

Well you are burning oil all over the place. You don't NEED to blockade all those islands, nor use air in China, etc etc


But, he is completely right. I am sending ALL my ships outside on turn one. I am burning like crazy. I must review my opening.

ncc1701e wrote: Tue Mar 22, 2022 12:00 pm @sveint with whom I am playing, as Japanese, made me laugh. He send me this message in game:

Well you are burning oil all over the place. You don't NEED to blockade all those islands, nor use air in China, etc etc


But, he is completely right. I am sending ALL my ships outside on turn one. I am burning like crazy. I must review my opening.

There are certain steps to take turn 1-2 that pay enormous dividends in later turns. Using air in China to try to wedge the Changsha army south of the city and hitting ships are most likely non-negotiable, as are blockading PHI and Moresby.