Matrix Games Forums

Hi all,

Is there any use of capturing enemy "dots" behind your lines (i.e. enemy
places that are not bases)?

Or this is purely aesthetical irritation (I hate to see all those dots in
my rear when I advance)?


Please note that I am not talking about places that are worth to use - I am
talking about "insignificant" places with poor base potential.


Leo "Apollo11"

Yes, there is a purpose to capturing them. If they are controlled by the enemy, he can use them as destinations for retiring task forces. The more "dots" he has, the greater choice he will have when deciding where to send TF's after completing their missions. (And the less choice you will have.) This is no trivial matter as it can determine how much fuel is consumed in high speed withdrawls and whether a TF can be covered by LR CAP.

Until specific open sea hexes are allowed for TF retirement (nice future patch item), these "dots" can be crucial.

Hope this helps.

Originally posted by Toast Master
Yes, there is a purpose to capturing them. If they are controlled by the enemy, he can use them as destinations for retiring task forces

Geez, Louise, I never thought of that. Great idea!

Chris P.

Originally posted by Toast Master
Yes, there is a purpose to capturing them. If they are controlled by the enemy, he can use them as destinations for retiring task forces. The more "dots" he has, the greater choice he will have when deciding where to send TF's after completing their missions. (And the less choice you will have.) This is no trivial matter as it can determine how much fuel is consumed in high speed withdrawls and whether a TF can be covered by LR CAP.

Until specific open sea hexes are allowed for TF retirement (nice future patch item), these "dots" can be crucial.

Hope this helps.

Toast Master,

By this, do you mean you can set a friendly beach hex as the "Home Base" for a TF? I always assumed the "Home Base" had to be an actual base! VERY useful, if I understand you correctly!

Originally posted by NorthStar


Toast Master,

By this, do you mean you can set a friendly beach hex as the "Home Base" for a TF? I always assumed the "Home Base" had to be an actual base! VERY useful, if I understand you correctly!

Yes, a beach hex can be set as a "Home Base" and the TF will retire to it. I believe in this particular case the word "base" is used very liberally to include any friendly-controlled location where ships can drop anchor.

Hi all,

Originally posted by Toast Master
Yes, there is a purpose to capturing them. If they are controlled by the enemy, he can use them as destinations for retiring task forces. The more "dots" he has, the greater choice he will have when deciding where to send TF's after completing their missions. (And the less choice you will have.) This is no trivial matter as it can determine how much fuel is consumed in high speed withdrawls and whether a TF can be covered by LR CAP.

Until specific open sea hexes are allowed for TF retirement (nice future patch item), these "dots" can be crucial.

Hope this helps.

WOW!!!

I never thought of that...

Thanks for sharing this with us!


Leo "Apollo11"

I like to capture every base I can. I suggest a small fast Transpot TF that goes Island hopping. Land a small group of men, attack the hex, win the base, re-embark and head to the next destination. Your opponent will a have to waste valuable asset to retake them or fly intell flights to see just what's up. It'll drive you PBEM buds mad!

Hi all,

Originally posted by Mark Ezra
I like to capture every base I can. I suggest a small fast Transpot TF that goes Island hopping. Land a small group of men, attack the hex, win the base, re-embark and head to the next destination. Your opponent will a have to waste valuable asset to retake them or fly intell flights to see just what's up. It'll drive you PBEM buds mad!

Hehehe... I was doing exactly the same thing... but I wondered
whether this had any sense and therefore I asked this question
here...

And then "Toast Master" gives us all great idea here - WOW!!!


BTW, how do you make your TF to stay at such "dot"?

My TFs retreat after they disembark my troops and I have to
move them back again after I take the "dot".

Is there some special settings (I think I tried them all) you use?


Leo "Apollo11"

Easy, Apollo 11, just make the dot base your new home port, and it stays put.

BTW, using dot bases like this is how you make those far away islands into sea plane bases.

Place an AV on Fast Transport, load supplies.

Bring along some APs or another AV or two to carry some invaders.

When they land, they take the place, and you got a new dot base.

Set your AV to have a new home base, the dot base, and you suddenly have an new search sector in your favor.

Originally posted by Wilhammer
BTW, using dot bases like this is how you make those far away islands into sea plane bases.

Place an AV on Fast Transport, load supplies.

Bring along some APs or another AV or two to carry some invaders.

When they land, they take the place, and you got a new dot base.

Set your AV to have a new home base, the dot base, and you suddenly have an new search sector in your favor.

And a wonderful new target for enemy subs

Originally posted by Spooky


And a wonderful new target for enemy subs

And ships ... and planes

Seriously, there is also a VP gain (slight it is true, but in some games -- like Crocky & Kid's --- it looks like they could use all of them they can get :p).

Originally posted by Apollo11
Hi all,



WOW!!!

I never thought of that...

Thanks for sharing this with us!


Leo "Apollo11"

I never thought of it either.

But then, I'm to guy who took three weeks to realize APs can carry cargo :rolleyes:

Hey you guys win the "Most Positive Thread Award" congratulations.


And yes I need every point I can get.

I have noticed a reduction in the replay coast watcher reports for the allies when you take more of the beach positions. I have found that two 150-200 man units of an SNLF infantry unit and one APD on Fast Transport works well. While A unit attacks B unit is embarked. Then drop B unit and retire to A unit. And reverse the process. I rapidly gobble up beach hexes and reduce US inteligence.

Hi all,

Originally posted by Wilhammer
Easy, Apollo 11, just make the dot base your new home port, and it stays put.

No... that's not possible...

It is because the home port can only be place that is under your
control and if I disembark my troops in enemy "dot" this can't be
it.

If I understood correctly the original poster "Toast Master" - he
was able to keep his ships to stay on enemy "dot"and this is why
I asked...


Leo "Apollo11"

Originally posted by Apollo11
Hi all,

If I understood correctly the original poster "Toast Master" - he
was able to keep his ships to stay on enemy "dot"and this is why
I asked...


Leo "Apollo11"

If you are referring to the initial drop by a fast transport TF, then no, you can't keep them there (at least not to my knowledge). Fast transport TF's automatically hustle back to their home base after dropping off their cargo.

So, it's basically a two/three turn process. On the first turn, the fast transport TF drops the troops off and retires to its home base (preferably the nearest friendly base/beach hex).

On the second turn, with the task force stationed at its home base, change its mission to surface combat (if a DD, CL or CA), mine warfare (if a ML), or transport (if an AV). Be sure you also change to "Patrol/Do Not Retire", and send it back to where you dropped off the troops. During this turn, also be sure to have your ground troops secure the (unoccupied) "dot" with a ground attack.

When the third turn starts, your task force should be waiting in the hex you just secured. Change the mission type back to fast transport, embark the ground troops and select another enemy "dot" to go change the color of.

I just use subs. They are there, you have them, and they
carry enough to be usefull for this purpose and yet
they have more than enough endurance to loiter.

Hi all,

Originally posted by Toast Master


If you are referring to the initial drop by a fast transport TF, then no, you can't keep them there (at least not to my knowledge). Fast transport TF's automatically hustle back to their home base after dropping off their cargo.

So, it's basically a two/three turn process. On the first turn, the fast transport TF drops the troops off and retires to its home base (preferably the nearest friendly base/beach hex).

On the second turn, with the task force stationed at its home base, change its mission to surface combat (if a DD, CL or CA), mine warfare (if a ML), or transport (if an AV). Be sure you also change to "Patrol/Do Not Retire", and send it back to where you dropped off the troops. During this turn, also be sure to have your ground troops secure the (unoccupied) "dot" with a ground attack.

When the third turn starts, your task force should be waiting in the hex you just secured. Change the mission type back to fast transport, embark the ground troops and select another enemy "dot" to go change the color of.

I see... then you use basically the same method I was using
(except I never changed TF type - I always used slow transports
for this)...


Leo "Apollo11"

Yes, I suppose you could do the same thing with regular transport task forces, but they take so darned long to unload! While they're unloading, they're basically target practice for any enemy attack aircraft or subs in the vicinity. Also, they move very slowly compared to fast transport task forces. After all is taken into account, fast transports will get the total job done in about one third the time and at a greatly reduced risk.