Matrix Games Forums

Ok, I have read the manual and I know how to make barges but I have several questions that I don't think the manual really addresses.

1)What are barges exactly and how do they fit in the context of UV?

2)What situations would I use them in?

3)What advantages do barges offer?

Thanks.

Barges are like very little AP (if sunken they worth no points), the bigger ones can carry up to 70 points of cargo!!
They are quite fast, but have a very low endurance (about 12 hex).
That means you should use barges only for small routes.
They can replace in this way AP, wich can be so used for big distance (from Truk,Brisbane or Noumea to the barges base).

For examples as Japanese commander I used AP to carry Fuel and supplies to Shortland, then using barges I resupplied Lunga and Tulagi, that is also a far more dangerous route than Truk-Shortland one.

Hope this can help you

Originally posted by Deep Breakfast

1)What are barges exactly and how do they fit in the context of UV?

2)What situations would I use them in?

3)What advantages do barges offer?

For short range cargo hauling in contested waters. Set a base to be a barge hub, create barges from supply on AP/AK etc from either Noumea or Brisbane only, put them under computer control. They'll then shuttle supply to the neediest bases in range of the barge hub.

Their cheap, they do it automatically and die easily

Use them in places where there is enemy activity and make sure the barge hub has adequate levels of supply and fuel as you'll notice they take fuel with them as part of the total cargo lift for their own use.

Also the large Japanese barges haul up to 100 cargo... not bad for supplying small outposts (Buka), or to mass and supply places like Tulagi.

It also seems like barges are tough to find. I have had very little success in hunting them with Level Bombers (which take out any real AKs and APs all the time). Most of the time, the bombers don't appear to even TRY to attack them, and when they do, they seem to miss more often than not. Nor do they appear to try bombing them -- rather they stafe them only. With cannon armed aircraft this can be effective (when they hit, that is) by I suspect MG's do little damage, even to these small ships.

I am playing scenario 17 and it is Oct 17 (42). I still have no barges available. Will I ever get any??

Begin to arrive around Mar 43.

Thanks. Do this info apply to all scenarios or only to 17?

I think all of them.