Capturing a base without ground combat

[Chris21wen]

It does happen.

In my AI game as the Allies I isolated Myitkyina and bombed the ground unit constantly for about three months. I aslo moved two Bde sized units to Warazuo which is adjacent to Myitkyina. This last turn I capture the base, the japanese
unit(s) melted away or moved away I don't no which.

The Jap LCU wasn't very big, probably a construction unit. If it took two months the reduced it how long to reduce 3 or 4 Div using the same method. Anybodies quess.

[d0mbo]

Yes it does, it even happens with small islands adjacent to  a base where you have a unit with some AV.
 
Anecdotical evidence suggests to me it happens to one base per turn and is linked to AV you have close to the base you take. Apart from that, the enemy must not have units at the base you take.
 

[topeverest]

Yes, this is WAD, when friendly forces are adjacent to an unoccupied enemy base / dot, this can occur, even across water barriers.

[DeriKuk]

One guy, a rowboat and a flag. That's all it takes. [:D]

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: Chris H

It does happen.

In my AI game as the Allies I isolated Myitkyina and bombed the ground unit constantly for about three months. I aslo moved two Bde sized units to Warazuo which is adjacent to Myitkyina. This last turn I capture the base, the japanese
unit(s) melted away or moved away I don't no which.

The Jap LCU wasn't very big, probably a construction unit. If it took two months the reduced it how long to reduce 3 or 4 Div using the same method. Anybodies quess.

Having flown some troops in I've found the Jap unit one hex to the south of Myitkyina.

[Alpha77]

Units can be wiped by by attrition, you can read it in one of the reports (guess ops report)....this happens usually if a small unit is isolated on some island with much stronger force nearby (which also bombards and/or attacks sometimes). When you isolate a unit completly on the mainland I guess the same can happen (I have not seen it yet however).

[HansBolter]

I have had several incidents in scenario #10 where Allied units have taken BASE hexes without attacking.

I'm not talking about dot hexes adjacent to controlled bases that convert without being occuppied, which happpens quite frequently.

In China the AI has a very bad habit of abandoning base hexes after taking them allowing the Chinese former occuppants to reenter the hex and retake the base. Twice this has resulted in the Chinese regaining control without having to attack.

One thing I have always wondered about is how the AI lands amphibious forces and attacks and takes an Island all in one turn. When I land an amphibious force they do not attack on the turn of landing. I have to wait till the next turn to assign an attack order to the troops ashore. Is there some way to assign an attack order to troops landing amphibiously that I have missed?

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: hjalmar99

One guy, a rowboat and a flag. That's all it takes. [:D]

Yup, I call it the Rowboat Corps. [:D]

[oldman45]

When I was fighting to retake the PI I saw it happen a couple of times.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: oldman45

When I was fighting to retake the PI I saw it happen a couple of times.

It's happened multiple times to me in all those dots around Milne Bay. Those IJN boys are hellacious rowers.

[Rainer]

One thing I have always wondered about is how the AI lands amphibious forces and attacks and takes an Island all in one turn. When I land an amphibious force they do not attack on the turn of landing. I have to wait till the next turn to assign an attack order to the troops ashore. Is there some way to assign an attack order to troops landing amphibiously that I have missed?

AI Bonus.
Has already been that way in Witp.

[Nomad]

ORIGINAL: Rainer

One thing I have always wondered about is how the AI lands amphibious forces and attacks and takes an Island all in one turn. When I land an amphibious force they do not attack on the turn of landing. I have to wait till the next turn to assign an attack order to the troops ashore. Is there some way to assign an attack order to troops landing amphibiously that I have missed?

AI Bonus.
Has already been that way in Witp.

Not really, if it is an atoll( or very small island ), it is working right, it can even happen for the human player.

[Rainer]

Atoll is different. Automatic shock attack applies to both Human player and AI when assaulting an atoll.

AI gets a bonus by attacking the very same turn when landing anywhere, even non-atoll beaches/bases.
Human players have to wait for the next turn to give attack orders.

[Djordje]

One thing worth mentioning is that when takeover from adjacent hex takes place you get to keep fortifications already built by enemy. If you attack empty base with actual unit fortifications get destroyed.
I am pretty sure this was just a small oversight by devs.

[John Lansford]

ORIGINAL: Djordje

One thing worth mentioning is that when takeover from adjacent hex takes place you get to keep fortifications already built by enemy. If you attack empty base with actual unit fortifications get destroyed.
I am pretty sure this was just a small oversight by devs.

Not sure why you'd think that. If the base was abandoned and no fighting to capture it took place, why should anything be destroyed? If you conduct a bombardment and assault to capture an empty base, then installations and fortifications will be damaged/destroyed.

[Djordje]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

ORIGINAL: Djordje

One thing worth mentioning is that when takeover from adjacent hex takes place you get to keep fortifications already built by enemy. If you attack empty base with actual unit fortifications get destroyed.
I am pretty sure this was just a small oversight by devs.

Not sure why you'd think that. If the base was abandoned and no fighting to capture it took place, why should anything be destroyed? If you conduct a bombardment and assault to capture an empty base, then installations and fortifications will be damaged/destroyed.

If the base was abandoned then it should not matter in which way it was captured - taking it by unit in that hex or by the unit in the hex next to it should give the same result. Attacking the abandoned hex means that no shots would be fired anyway, same as "nearby hex takeover".

Not to mention that fortifications are not medieval castles which protect from all sides but instead complex of defensive positions facing the side where enemy is expected to come from. Let's say current hex has level 6 fortifications and enemy is in the east, "nearby hex takeover" happens and suddenly enemy has level 6 fortifications facing west...

[traskott]

Yeah, I have taken Clark Field at 1944 in a PBEM cause the jap had left it undefended to face my attack. The gift came with a nice fort8 bonus.....

[Ebusitanus]

ORIGINAL: Djordje

If the base was abandoned then it should not matter in which way it was captured - taking it by unit in that hex or by the unit in the hex next to it should give the same result. Attacking the abandoned hex means that no shots would be fired anyway, same as "nearby hex takeover".

Maybe it would reflect that while taking it from the enemy hands might preserve important instalations, allowing the enemy to vacate on it own terms would mean they get to destroy significant parts of the defensive system.

Not to mention that fortifications are not medieval castles which protect from all sides but instead complex of defensive positions facing the side where enemy is expected to come from. Let's say current hex has level 6 fortifications and enemy is in the east, "nearby hex takeover" happens and suddenly enemy has level 6 fortifications facing west...

Given the size of each hex and the amount of real terrain contained, defensive fortifications would be placed at key areas. I like to see it as local defenses around crests, river fords, ridges, etc. Pacific warfare did not look much like the european theatre with more solid lines.