Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Thanks. I plan on working the leader changes hard...

+1.
A lot of players rush to buy out units, but I figure that ignoring leaders amounts to writing off the in-situ units at game start so that they are destroyed without a decent chance to inflict pain on the enemy. I spend a lot on captains for DDs, CAs and big CLs, which really seems to help with their accuracy, damage control and torpedo avoidance. High aggression DD captains seem to search longer for subs and that often means more attacks.

Once the old BBs get repairs and upgraded AA, I change the leaders if I am about to use the BB in an operation. CVs of course get good leaders from the get-go.

Small fry patrol and ASW vessels can normally get better leaders at no PP cost.

Shallow pools of good fighters...

lack of recon...

Heavy Bombers. Can't wait to use AB! I think most AFBs use these bad boys very poorly. We shall see if I can use them better. I have lots of ideas....

I am going to have to figure out how to use the Airacobra and P39. How to structure them to stop Zero and then George Sweeps. A challenge no doubt.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Thanks. I plan on working the leader changes hard...

+1.
A lot of players rush to buy out units, but I figure that ignoring leaders amounts to writing off the in-situ units at game start so that they are destroyed without a decent chance to inflict pain on the enemy. I spend a lot on captains for DDs, CAs and big CLs, which really seems to help with their accuracy, damage control and torpedo avoidance. High aggression DD captains seem to search longer for subs and that often means more attacks.

Once the old BBs get repairs and upgraded AA, I change the leaders if I am about to use the BB in an operation. CVs of course get good leaders from the get-go.

Small fry patrol and ASW vessels can normally get better leaders at no PP cost.

I don't think anyone really knows what exactly leaders do. I keep finding new and unexpected ways they impact the game in meaningful directions.

I am about as far away from selecting leaders based on one or two traits (naval or air and aggression). Other traits can be more important, and I have been a fan of low aggression leaders for IJN warships for a long, long time. High aggression has its place...but it is dangerous.

Generally speaking, I think leader changes are some of the most efficient uses of PP.

The USN! Wow, this is the threat to the Empire. JFB's who fritter away their strength running roughshod over the Commonwealth and US Army while neglecting the USN are in for a shock. In all of my games, it is the USN that was always first and foremost in my mind.

The Allies are generally never more than 3 invasions away from bombing Honshu...and as long as you don't screw the USN up, there is hope for stunning turnarounds and when it happens, it happens so fast and the pace of advance so startling.

I recall the first Corsair is land based only.

I am looking forward to wielding this great club to bludgeon the Empire left, right and center. So many great tools, but patience required.[:)]

If the Buffaloes and the P-39s have a height advantage, they do seem to work okay against the Zero when defending. I did see P-26s at 10 or 11 thousand feet drop to 4750 feet when a Zero sweep went over so having them low could be an option. The P-39s down low would also work great against torpedo bombers.

You can turn them in ONE day early and still get the points.

To a certain degree, I thought you got more points if you turned them in earlier.

I wonder if I can sneak elements of Cavite into Pakhoi.

Any flying boats? These could get out some of the 'lighter' devices. Once the base unit is destroyed these then become the base unit and may rebuild, if devices aren't a problem.

Definitely going to attempt to get the III Indian HQ out of Malaya....by hook or by crook.

Or again, by flying boats.[:D] Unless they're are all motorized support devices.

I have only found two squadrons I can remove for PP a few days into the war

There're a total of six units that I know of, the gorn produced a list sometime back.

19/32 Bg, S.F. 26pts. Needs to have a detachment recombine to withdraw.

7/22 Bg, S.F. 68pts.

Beaufort recon in Kuantan. 12pts.

Walrus. 22pts. Have a note that its in HK. Needs to move to remove. Note says Kweilin will do.

Vildebeast in HK. Note says, 'drop tanks, move to Clark' to withdraw. 17pts.

Walrus det. in HK. No note on moving? 17pts.

If my math is correct, that's 162 PP's.

One PBY aircraft to fly out a supply clerk, a personnel clerk, a cook, a corporal to supervise, and an Ensign to give the orders and the unit can be rebuilt.

For the III Indian Corps, switch the Ensign to a lieutenant.

All that you have to do is move just a part to another base, wait for the parent unit to be destroyed, then buy out the fragment which becomes the parent unit. Then remove said unit to a place of safety to get rebuilt.

RJ beat me to it.[:'(]

I kind of know all those tactics. For the most part I couldn't even bring myself to use them against the AI, let alone against a player.

For Cavite

Against the AI, I don't do much of anything unusual, its the AI, it'll lose all on its own.

But against a human with an unrestricted unit such as at Cavite I don't think it'd be a problem. What's III Indian? Check with Scout, see what he says.

Maybe leave MacArthur instead.[:D]

edit: Now where did I put my glasses?
Oh wait, they are on top of my head!

Hey, that's very insensitive toward some of us here.

Especially those of us that have done that, and that includes phones too. Oh... Its in my hand.[:D]

You have to wait a long time before anything remotely interesting appears with respect to British planes.

The DC3 is of course interesting, but a pitiful build rate.

Ah, the pitfalls of being at the end of a long and depleted supply chain.[;)]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

I have only found two squadrons I can remove for PP a few days into the war

There're a total of six units that I know of, the gorn produced a list sometime back.

19/32 Bg, S.F. 26pts. Needs to have a detachment recombine to withdraw.

7/22 Bg, S.F. 68pts.

Beaufort recon in Kuantan. 12pts.

Walrus. 22pts. Have a note that its in HK. Needs to move to remove. Note says Kweilin will do.

Vildebeast in HK. Note says, 'drop tanks, move to Clark' to withdraw. 17pts.

Walrus det. in HK. No note on moving? 17pts.

If my math is correct, that's 162 PP's.

Thanks, that a big help.[&o]

Well, heard from the Empire, and it seems like I am back to facing a very early Sam.

Well, the Empire wants to be spotted 10-15 points, not sure what more I can give him....30+ ships and the potential for Sam super early, plus he informs me he has worked out merging magic move task forces with I guess normal task forces....

I have no clue when Japan gets all their 30+ ships, but if the Sam arrives in 1943 it may very well be difficult to avoid AV.

Should be interesting.

Some of them early, some in June, some at the very end. Some nice surprises for that dark and stormy night . . .

Oh wait, I am not Snoopy writing a book . . .

Shades of another AAR . . .

ORIGINAL: rustysi

edit: Now where did I put my glasses?
Oh wait, they are on top of my head!

Hey, that's very insensitive toward some of us here.

Especially those of us that have done that, and that includes phones too. Oh... Its in my hand.[:D]

That is NOT insensitive because I have done that!

However, I have never looked for my cell phone in a dark car using the light of the cell phone in my hand . . .

Yes, I read about a man who was looking for his cell phone using the light from the lost cell phone that was in his hand . . .

ORIGINAL: rustysi

You can turn them in ONE day early and still get the points.

To a certain degree, I thought you got more points if you turned them in earlier.

I think that only applies to certain ships returned to Britain early.

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
A better choice is the Dutch Naval HQ in Batavia; it's unrestricted, and can be safely moved. Perth seems like a good destination......

Thanks, I will check it out...haven't looked too much at the Dutch other than some funny ships, AA and their armored units.

Dutch base forces are handy to save, to Oz or even India. They are cheap, with nice TOE, and take common replacements. Everything else is crap, except maybe some aviation support units

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Well, heard from the Empire, and it seems like I am back to facing a very early Sam.

Where do you get this "early Sam" idea from? It does not have upgrade chains, so research should be done honestly. First research factories will come online late 43, and then there is research to be accumulated.

I am going to have to figure out how to use the Airacobra and P39. How to structure them to stop Zero and then George Sweeps. A challenge no doubt.

I'm generating really good results against P-38s with Oscars and Nicks on ultra-low CAP against high altitude sweeps. Don't think I've went higher than 5k yet. The first group that gets jumped tends to take a fair battering from the dive bonus, but it tends to even out as the other squadrons feed in.

It's been effective enough that I'm happy with it - much better than fighting stratosweep with stratoCAP.

The USN! Wow, this is the threat to the Empire. JFB's who fritter away their strength running roughshod over the Commonwealth and US Army while neglecting the USN are in for a shock. In all of my games, it is the USN that was always first and foremost in my mind.

The Allies are generally never more than 3 invasions away from bombing Honshu...and as long as you don't screw the USN up, there is hope for stunning turnarounds and when it happens, it happens so fast and the pace of advance so startling.

I think it was Bullwinkle that said that AE is primarily a naval game, and he's right!

Airplanes are all well and good, but I think there is a lot to be said for leveraging the Allied fleet train properly. There's not quite the flexibility of the IJN in terms of conversions from merchantmen, but there's plenty of depth to use them to turn dot bases in the Pacific into rearming points for just about anything.