Oops! Taking Iwo Jima was bad idea!

[Misconduct]

I took my knowledge of my 43-46 campaign I ran for 3 months and started 42B-46 campaign (right after Coral Sea). So far I took Lea and pretty much dominate all of Rubaul area with B17's and B24's. Basically I took it right off bat after having my carriers supress Rubaul and Port Moresby planes keep it at bay. Secondly I took wake and instead of messing in Alaska I used those troops to meet up with my Pearl Harbor Task Force and went all way to Iwo Jima and took it!

Lets just say Japanese were really pissed off and contributed just about everything to retake it, they lost 3 fleet carriers 2 CVL's 4 battleships and I lost the Hornet to repairs. Quite a few AK's were sunk which I don't care much for, and lost 2 AP's.

Basically all my subs around japan were road-blocking Iwo's path which gave me advance warning. So far I think the trip was worth it, How I got aircraft on the island so fast I pretty much moved all airpower from Pearl to Iwo by AK's. Now pretty much every ship that can be attacked in 10 or so Hex are getting attacked Date is 6/15/42

[anarchyintheuk]

The ai doesn't so much think within a box as a it does inside a very small cube. If you're executing plans outside that cube you break the game.

[John Lansford]

Yeah, I took both Wake and Marcus Island early on in my 1942 campaign, and it freaked out the AI throughout the Central Pacific islands.  Now my navalized B-24's can bomb Iwo Jima and my subs get resupplied at both islands instead of going all the way to Pearl Harbor.  Unfortunately I can't go after Iwo right now since it's jam packed with refugees from Tinian and Guam, so I'm going after the Philippines next...

[Shark7]

The allied AI goes nuts if you take Pearl Harbor too. It's part of its 'must defend or retake' algorithms that tell it certain bases must be held I think.

Now taking Iwo that early against a player like me will cost you in the end. I'll just put G4Ms in range and kill off any resupply efforts, let you build up the base for fighters or light bombers, then retake it again. I wouldn't advise and early war taking of Iwo against a live player.

[Misconduct]

I agree shark, I am simply playing the AI with a "what if" Scenario and so far I am learning a lot being this is my 2nd campaign all together. I can see a human player being extremely hard being you can't predict and simply have to react to his moves. My opening move was taking southland and Lea to cut off rubaul and moved to Wake and Jima just to get my bombers in range of the shipping around japan. First 3 bomber squadrons moved there I sank over 20 ships so far however the japanese retaliated and wiped out one carrier, I sank two and have a 3rd damaged.

Given either way, Iwo Jima was a bad move in the long run being late 42 I am having bad time keeping it stocked and losing bombers quite a bit to damage and supply issues.

[JeffroK]

Go for it Misconduct, all those forces being assembled by the japanese to erase the ulcer on their supply lines are not operating elsewhere. This gives you a chance to operate in other regions without the threat from these units.