How about attacking they transports in the solomons and at the same time interdicting the returning jp task force when they rtb to truk, if they dare. That would mean staying at sea with the Americans, which could be risky if they fail to find the jps, and do some damage to them the next turn. just a thought.
You must be reading my mind ... attacking the Solomons is exactly what I "wargamed" last evening and is the likely US strategy for the next impulse. I plan to focus on the CV (5 VPs) and then the 2 transports. Because; without transports the Japanese land units aren't going anywhere!
Question: If I put US ships into all the sea areas between the IJN and its bases, what exactly happens when the Japanese player tries to return to port?
Edited later:
This is incorrect; it describes how a unit returns to port voluntarily. If a unit is returning to port because it got an A result or if it is returning during the return to base step, if it has to fight through an interception, it must do so from the zero box.
End edit.
If the Japanese want to return to port:
1) Do the stay at sea step.
2) In the return to base step, you probably want to move groups of ships, not single ships. Single ships sailing alone will often come down with a bad case of dead. Pick groups of ships by your favorite method; I like cntl-clicking on the stack, and using the select units form.
3) After you have selected a group of naval naval units to move, move it using cntl-click to the first area containing Allied units you want to move through. Do not try to move it straight to a port; the program will simply give you a big X for your cursor, and not tell you why.
4) The Allies will now be asked if they want to intercept. The Allies will have to look at the forces, and decide if they want to or not.
5) If they do try and intercept, then they will make an interception roll. If they succeed, the Japanese must fight through, probably from a low sea box. The Japanese must keep enough movement points to get back to port. (I do not know if the game implements fighting through correctly, or if it sticks you in the zero box. Does anyone know?)
6) After the interception attempt, and any naval abort and air return to base digressions, the surviving members of the Japanese group continue moving; if there are more Allied forces in their way, there will be more interception attempts.
Both the US and CW choose a naval option. Both factions are launching raids against weaker Japanese forces in hopes of scoring more victory points. The USN forms up a small; but powerful and fast task force, composed of 4 large carriers and 4 heavy cruisers. This force is sent on a raid into the Marianas in the hopes of finding and sinking the CV Hiyo and both transports. The CV is worth 5 VPs and the 2 transports represent 2/3 of the IJN transport capability.
Elsewhere, the USN (and CW not shown) send small patrols to control and protect the sea lanes to their critical bases; specifically Hawaii for the USN. These patrols are defensive, composed of the older / slower battleships and naval air. No attempt was made to interdict the large Japanese task force in the Aleutians.
The searches and possible naval battles in the Marians and South China Sea to be continued ...
Both the US and CW choose a naval option. Both factions are launching raids against weaker Japanese forces in hopes of scoring more victory points. The USN forms up a small; but powerful and fast task force, composed of 4 large carriers and 4 heavy cruisers.
As yours is a learning game, I wanted to make a comment here:
An eight ship task force has the wrong number of ships. If you take a look at the naval CRT, you will see that the break points for damage done to naval task forces are at 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, and 16 ships. Including an eighth ship in a task force increases the damage your opponent will do to you, and probably will not increase the damage you do to him. Either leave out one cruiser, or put two or (ideally) three more in.
Both the US and CW choose a naval option. Both factions are launching raids against weaker Japanese forces in hopes of scoring more victory points. The USN forms up a small; but powerful and fast task force, composed of 4 large carriers and 4 heavy cruisers.
As yours is a learning game, I wanted to make a comment here:
An eight ship task force has the wrong number of ships. If you take a look at the naval CRT, you will see that the break points for damage done to naval task forces are at 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, and 16 ships. Including an eighth ship in a task force increases the damage your opponent will do to you, and probably will not increase the damage you do to him. Either leave out one cruiser, or put two or (ideally) three more in.
Thanks for the feedback! That's a subtly that I was not even aware of. Truthfully, I selected 8 ships because I was sending 4 CVs and wanted 1 CA escort per / CV. Now I know better how to select the size of task forces.
I just realized that I made is mistake in my description of how to return to base through an enemy fleet. I said that you could fight through in a non-zero sea box if you had the movement points. This is true only if one is returning to base by voluntary movement during a naval movement step. If one is returning to base either because of an abort or abort damaged result, or if one is returning during an the return to base step, if your opponent successfully intercepts you, you must fight through in the zero box.
I just realized that I made is mistake in my description of how to return to base through an enemy fleet. I said that you could fight through in a non-zero sea box if you had the movement points. This is true only if one is returning to base by voluntary movement during a naval movement step. If one is returning to base either because of an abort or abort damaged result, or if one is returning during an the return to base step, if your opponent successfully intercepts you, you must fight through in the zero box.
My apologies for my mistake.
Courtenay, no apology necessary! I appreciate all your help and suggestions.
It turns out that the action was anticlimactic. The USN and IJN searches in the Marianas were unsuccessful as where the CW and IJN searches in the The Solomons. However; there was action in the South China Sea. And, while not decisive, did confuse me. I wonder if I did something wrong?
The IJN search is successful but the CW isn't and resulting in 2 (or maybe 3) surprise points for the IJN. So the IJN is given the choice of what sea boxes to include; but for the IJN only their 2 CAs and not their air is shown. The IJN chooses sea box 3 in the hopes of avoiding the 2 CW BBs and forcing a surface battles against 2 CW CAs and CVs. However; the result was a naval air battle and the IJN was not given the chance to force a surface battle. The IJN uses their surprise points to increase their AA fire by 1 column. The carrier planes from both CW carriers got through with 1 point in the reduction of bombs. The two CAs were damaged and force to abort. Both sides decided to stay for round 2 but neither side found the other so the battle for this impulse ends.
My question is why didn't the two IJN planes get to participate in the battle? Did I do something wrong?
The Japanese planes are not CVPs or NAV, so their search number was 1. The Japanese search roll seems to have been a two, so the Japanese cruisers found the British, but not their planes. The CW roll seems to have been a 6 or a 7.
You did nothing wrong in your manipulation of the game controls; what happened was what was supposed to happen, according to the rules. Tactically, though, you would have been better off putting the fighter as air cover over the CPs in the zero box; that way, if the CPs were found, they would be sure of having air cover. Given the CW CVP air-to-air values, as the CW player, if I found the Japanese and not vice-versa, I would not engage the zero box unless I could pick a surface action. As the Japanese, it would have been better to have some SCSs in the zero box, and it would have been nice, if possible, to have cruisers in the four box, rather than the two box.
The Japanese planes are not CVPs or NAV, so their search number was 1. The Japanese search roll seems to have been a two, so the Japanese cruisers found the British, but not their planes. The CW roll seems to have been a 6 or a 7.
You did nothing wrong in your manipulation of the game controls; what happened was what was supposed to happen, according to the rules. Tactically, though, you would have been better off putting the fighter as air cover over the CPs in the zero box; that way, if the CPs were found, they would be sure of having air cover. Given the CW CVP air-to-air values, as the CW player, if I found the Japanese and not vice-versa, I would not engage the zero box unless I could pick a surface action. As the Japanese, it would have been better to have some SCSs in the zero box, and it would have been nice, if possible, to have cruisers in the four box, rather than the two box.
Thanks. More game / tactics subtitles. I'm starting my own "strategy checklist" from the answers you (all) are giving me.
Talking of which, whatcha going to do with that nice cruiser force in truk? If they stay, the Americanos could port attack them next impulse with their carrier force. Lots of choices.
Generally I like to place the cruisers in higher priority areas, cycling them in the different sea boxes to avoid surprises, basically a defensive role. In this situation though you could reinforce or even try to attack or clear a path for your carrier force to return so they don't get surprised.
Generally I like to place the cruisers in higher priority areas, cycling them in the different sea boxes to avoid surprises, basically a defensive role. In this situation though you could reinforce or even try to attack or clear a path for your carrier force to return so they don't get surprised.
Since they don't have any air support I think I'm going to use them for just that and possibly use 2 or 3 of them to bolster other sea areas where the IJN and CW just have surface ships (and not air). Though to do that I'll make sure that I bolster to the "magic" ship numbers of 2, 4, 7, etc.
What amazes me is the number of times I can surprise or even trap myself when playing games like MWiF solo. This impulse was such a time. The IJN not only had 4 CA's at Truk that hadn't moved this turn; but had 4 CVL's in Manila. Since CV losses don't count toward victory, the Marianas appeared to be the perfect trap laid to bag the USN large carriers. The IJN would gladly trade their entire task forces in the Marianas for those 4 USN carriers. That would be a trade of 5 VPs for the US to 20 VPs for the Japanese and would turn this game around. Though, I'm getting ahead of myself.
The IJN had apparently laid the perfect trap; but for the weather!!!! It's storm in the Marianas. No matter, the IJN must move forward and try to take advantage of the situation. Otherwise, the USN will flee next impulse. That's one downside of solo. That is, once one side becomes aware of the chance to trap the other, the other side does too.
Of the three sea areas where action could occur, the weather in two (The Marianas and the South China Sea) were storms and fine in the other (The Solomons). As fate would have it, the two in storms saw action and the one in fine didn't. Because of the storms, the action in both sea areas were surface combats.
In the Solomons the IJN did find and surprise the USN. In the ensuring surface action, the USN lost 1 CA and 2 other CAs were damaged. The IJN also lost a CA. At the end of the first round of combat the USN ships still remaining, and afloat, retreated to Pearl. The IJN stayed, now control the Marianas and now have their critical base at Truk fully defended.
In the South China Sea the IJN declined to initiate combat but the CW didn't. The CW got lucky finding and surprising the IJN. As a result the CW chose to engage the IJN sea box 0, which only contained the convoys. 2 of the 5 convoy points were sunk and a 3rd was force to abort. This was a very good result for the allies.
In round 2 both sides failed to find the other so combat ended.
I've learned a valuable lesson and that is put escorts in sea box 0 to better protect the convoys!
