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I have a bunch of carrier TFs, a bunch of combat TFs, and a massive number of merchant TFs. John may have some difficulty with efficient targeting due to distance. Too, eventually Allied airfields will confuse the picture and make things that much more hazy. I hope.

One big difference between this game and Greyjoy's is AA. Allied (and presumably Japanese) ships pack a much stiffer wallop now. If KB closes, John may lose a lot of strike aircraft to flak alone.

It's a complicated picture with risks, but I like my force composition. And I'd be much more afraid if John had big airfields at Iloilo, Roxas and Cebu. He left a big hole in his donut.

John is running the next turn now. We'll know more fairly soon, I think. I'll watch the forum to see if he begins posting fast and furious. If so, he's excited. If not, he's not excited. That, in turn, will warm my heart.

4/6/44

John didn't post much, correctly reflecting that the day was (mostly) quiet - and that's very, very good at this point.

Fun House: But, oh my, did the Allies flex their logistical muscles. 100,000 men landed at Legaspi, joining 18,000 that landed on D-Day.

2,000 AV is ashore. Must of this will rumble up the road to Naga, shoving aside whatever John has there. Then they'll probably make for Atimonan, unless by then John has reinforced significantly. Five American divisions and one Australian brigade are ashore on Luzon.

Just as important, a lot of support troops and supply came ashore. In particular, naval support, aviation support, engineers and flak will mean a lot as the days go on. I'll probably concentrate on airfield building for awhile. But Naga has a level 3 airfield, so that will help a lot.

My experience is that good airfields with fighters between my ships and enemy airfields is like clutter on a radar screen. It makes it hard for enemy LBA to target effectively. So getting Naga up and running, and Legaspi growing, is vital.

While the situation at Legaspi is encouraging, I'm far, far, far from being secure. If I lose a carrier battle, supply would immediately become an issue. Low supply and susceptibility to enemy bombardment TFs would make quick work of my army. So temporarily and until further notice, it's more important for me to maintain status quo than to take risks by striking even vulnerable looking enemy shipping.

Allied landing at Catanduanes unopposed. This is a good base with big airfield potential. It proximity to Legaspi will further confuse John's LBA, once I get the field operational (it starts at "0").

Death Star Helldiver sortied in modest numbers vs. rag-tag shipping at Manila, sinking three or four xAKL. The escort handled modest CAP consisting of 20 Georges. But I don't want this kind of little fry to siphon off sorties and good aircraft.

I think I'm going to move Death Star and the Herd away from Legaspi temporarily, a bit to the SW and further from Manila. That'll put me closer to the Mindanao fields, but not close enough to make me ill at ease.

Enemy combat ships (CL/DD TF and a CA/DD TF) came through the straits and hit shipping near Samar, sinking five LCI (I tried to get them disbanded - they only had two hexes to go, darn it) and an SC.

Allied subs sank an AK west of Borneo and damaged an AO north of Luzon (a bunch of AOs in that TF; ordinarily I'd say, "Ah ha!" but KB shouldn't need oilers really this close to the Home Islands. But I'll watch to see what happens.

CenPac: A strong enemy combat TF sighted at Ponape. I think, but I'm not sure, that John was anticipating a move here, too. His patrols sighted the amphibious TF that left Taobali a few days back, but I think it's too close to Hawaii for him to chase.

DEI: John is reconning Sansapor and showing increased interest in Sorong. SigInt reports an enemy brigade prepping for that base. I have 350 AV 100% prepped behind five forts in jungle terrain with a tremendous amount of supply and a big air force. So, let him try. If he can afford to send two divisions into the DEI, or if he thinks a division and his BBs (to bombard) can better serve here than in the Philippines...well, okay.

John has shows a penchant for chasing ephemera while I'm stabbing his guts. During Big Tent, he kept KB down in the Solomon Sea for months. I don't think he'll make that mistake again - I think he'll react strongly in the Philippines - but I'll watch. If he makes big moves in the DEI and keeps combat ships in the Marshalls, that'll limit him somewhat.

Burma: The front lines are static, but this is no sitskrieg. Lots of bombing and troop maneuvering going on.

In five days, the Allies have landed 195,000 troops at seven major bases (Taulad-Eilanden, Guiuan, Dinagat, Catbalogan, Legaspi, Naga and Catanduanes) and two minor bases Burias and Masbate. They've take all of those bases except Naga (and barring something really weird, that base will fall in two or three days).

Eight divisions and four RCT have landed. I think that's the bulk of the infantry (and most of the tanks and artillery are ashore also).

I prefer to target undefended bases during "deep" invasions because then I don't have to use my combat ships to bombard. Bombarding creates immediate ammo issues and weakens the fleet against enemy surface ships. Thus, bombardments are dangerous on these deep invasions and must be used cautiously and advisedly.

As you can see, at this point time and supply are the two things I need. Time to build base infrastructure. Supply for...well, you know.

This probably isn't worth posting since the Marshalls are largely irrelevant, but the appearance of an enemy combat TF at Ponape and the sudden detection level on my retreating amphibious TF are interesting.

A closer look at the Fun House map.

And you criticize Frank Jack Fletcher for pulling the navy out at Guadalcanal... I see both troops and loads of supply in the TF you have running away from Taongi. [:'(]

Brad, you are going to love the reason for this....

...the unit that invaded Taongi is due to withdraw in 50 days. There's not need to supply it and no need to retrieve it. It took the base. It's job is done. It will soon disappear.

So Scotty is going to beam them to the land of R&R? Tricky...

I don't feel to bad about it. I've had that unit prepped for Taongi for months. Four times it's sailed from Pearl, only to be recalled due to the sudden appearance of enemy carriers or combat ships in the Marshalls. I was determined to allow those good men to do the job they had trained so long and hard for.

Yeah... if the game made us take the ground units to one of the same ports as ships are required to use for being withdrawn from the game they would have to give us a lot more PP due to all the units we would be overlooking on a regular basis.


And I commend you on your appreciation for all that hard training your men have been doing.

ORIGINAL: Dirtnap86

I'm recalling something that I read about in an earlier AAR, Greyjoy against someone. In that he had an issue at the end of the AAR: A big enough strike will always get through. I think he lost something like the majority of his CVs and CVEs because the air combat algorithm just couldn't handle all the planes that were in combat (If I recall correctly it was something like 600-800 planes, per side).

I don't know if this ever got fixed or not, but I'd be cautious.

It was fixed. Investigation showed that the AI was only allowing 30 interceptions per air combat which was far too little for the huge strikes and CAP that were fighting. The programmers upped the interception count considerably but I don't know the number.
Canoerebel's DS CAP did well during the DEI landings so I expect it will do even better now with the CV upgrades and more experienced pilots.

It has been fixed. Late Allied CAP is like a buzz-saw....I doubt that John will tempt fate by trying to take on the entire Allied Death Star.

It makes more sense for him, at this point, to nibble around the edges or try to get Canoe to split his forces to try for a more even fight. But we all know that "an even fight" is exactly the opposite of what we want to see.

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Dirtnap86

I'm recalling something that I read about in an earlier AAR, Greyjoy against someone. In that he had an issue at the end of the AAR: A big enough strike will always get through. I think he lost something like the majority of his CVs and CVEs because the air combat algorithm just couldn't handle all the planes that were in combat (If I recall correctly it was something like 600-800 planes, per side).

I don't know if this ever got fixed or not, but I'd be cautious.

It was fixed. Investigation showed that the AI was only allowing 30 interceptions per air combat which was far too little for the huge strikes and CAP that were fighting. The programmers upped the interception count considerably but I don't know the number.
Canoerebel's DS CAP did well during the DEI landings so I expect it will do even better now with the CV upgrades and more experienced pilots.

I thought it was originally limited to 200 interceptor passes which was woefully inadequate in battles with over 300 bombers.

Anything over 200 bombers automatically got through unscathed.

Not sure what the limit is now, but I'm sure some players will find a way to exceed it.

Hopefully, three is no longer any limit at all.

You guys 'r makin' me nervous with all this glitch talk. I'd forgotten all about Greyjoy's situation, and didn't understand most of it back then.

I'll keep doing what seems right - keeping DS and the Herd close together while trying to avoid close proximity to big airfields and KB at the same time.

John cannot afford to lose (or tie, I think) a big carrier battle. If he does, nothing stands between Death Star and the Home Islands, and DS can impose a tight blockade between the South China Sea and the Home Islands.

I cannot afford to lose a big carrier battle. If I do, I'll probably lose a 200,000 man army.

But time is on my side. John will be reinforcing his Luzon army quickly. And he'll make trouble in the middle islands and channels. But if he doesn't act decisively in the short term, things may erode for him in the medium term. I bet Legaspi will be a level two or three airfield inside ten days, giving me two good airfields...with a likelihood of further progress. And I have 30 carriers (mostly, but not all, CVEs) in the Pacific. They can, if necessary, join Fun House. I'd have to make sure the LOC was open though. If KB is confirmed in the South China Sea, the LOC would be open. If KB is roaming in the Pacific, then the LOC isn't open (though I could bring them in through the DEI, if necessary).

No matter how I look at this it seems to me that, short term, I have to be extremely cautious with DS while concentrating on building Legaspi and Naga very strong. There won't be any blitzkrieg charge to Manila nor any rapid expansion west, island-hopping towards the South China Sea. Until KB is neutralized or my bases built large, I'll be playing defense (mostly).

I just finished a game against the AI with all the latest patches and Death Star type task forces fared well against waves and waves of attacks including kamikazes whilst sailing near the Home Islands. CAP got most and AAA got most of the rest. Maybe if a single strike package had 300 or more planes but strikes are usually not that coordinated. Think I had 1 Essex eat a torp and 1 kamikaze hit in 4 days of strikes. Strikes got through and then the flak would chew then up. What was left was to disorganized to hit anything. Accept the fact that some planes are going to get through, just as in real life. Look CVL Princeton get taken out by a single Judy

John cannot afford to lose (or tie, I think) a big carrier battle. If he does, nothing stands between Death Star and the Home Islands, and DS can impose a tight blockade between the South China Sea and the Home Islands.

Neither one of you can afford to lose. Difference is you can afford not to have such a battle. Not so sure the same is true for your opponent

And I have 30 carriers (mostly, but not all, CVEs) in the Pacific. They can, if necessary, join Fun House. I'd have to make sure the LOC was open though. If KB is confirmed in the South China Sea, the LOC would be open. If KB is roaming in the Pacific, then the LOC isn't open (though I could bring them in through the DEI, if necessary).

I've been wondering (worrying, really) about this issue for some time. Eventually you have to clear this LOC so you have secure transit, say between Hawaii and Luzon. Right? [&:]

I don't have to clear a CenPac LOC, at least anytime soon. Australia/DEI is a viable route (btw, that's how Fun House - all of it - got here!). But eventually I'll want to clear that LOC - once KB is neutralized or confirmed out of position.