Command Decisions: Samurai vs. Yeomen RA 6.4

[John 3rd]

Greetings all.

I've taken some time off since my game ended with Capt. Sherwood and have been working to release RA 6.4. This was accomplished last night and so I am starting a new game. In a very interesting twist I have accepted the challenge to play two players who have been playing RA for some time. Playing the Allies in a 2x1 will be Larry Fulkerson and Jim Moore. The two of them have followed RA for some time, played it, and helped in the development process with their ideas and comments. Since time is precious to me with commitments to my Subway, the wife, and my boys, this 2x1 should be slow and steady without taking too much time while still providing an opportunity for some seriously fun play.

We are playing Reluctant Admiral 6.4 and are hammering out the HR right now. I'm hoping for a less is more approach to the House Rules.

This AAR and game pulls in all sorts of elements from Da Babes and John's new work with 'tweaking' the ATA model. Additionally we are working with the Extended Map, stacking limits, and a slowed movement system in the CBI arena.

Since I was unable to get the chance to stretch RA to the absolute limit in my earlier game against Sherwood, this should be a wild-and-crazy campaign. As normal the Japanese will try to do something that hasn't been done in my playing history. Fresh is BETTER!

Am going to give my noble opponents a chance to hop on and contribute before I start with THE PLAN.

As usual lets us please begin with the TRADITIONAL cry of BANZAI!

[larryfulkerson]

Jim Moore and I are going to play the Allied side and Jim is in charge of the USN, USA, and USMarines, with the group including all the LCU's, planes, and ships. I'll handle all the non-American stuff so that's the Chinese, Australian, British, Indian, etc. stuff with all their LCU's, ships, and planes. Jim and I have been practicing doing this before this game started by playing against the Japanese AI and it's clumsy at first w/ miscommunications and misunderstandings but we've largely worked all that out and it's going smoothly now. Well, smoother. I'm retired and play WITP-AE for a living and can usually return turns the same day I get them. Most of the time within 24 hours......so I'm hoping this game won't be so slow we all lose interest. Jim and I are going to open an AAR for the Allied side of this conflict and Jim is waiting for me to start it and I'm waiting for him to start it so it might be a while before it gets started or else I would have posted a link to it in this post. I'm helpful that way. Anyway, this should be a different game, with two heads on the Allied side handling things.

[John 3rd]

TWO for the chopping block!

[CaptBeefheart]

I look forward to this, gentlemen. Should be quite interesting.

Cheers,
CC

[ny59giants]

I think I know what some parts of "The Plan" will be. [;)]

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

I think I know what some parts of "The Plan" will be. [;)]

You'll be under double-secret academic probation if ANYTHING is revealed prior to this being sealed off from my future opponents.

Repeat after me: "I KNOW nothing. NOTHING!"

[:D]

[moore4807]

First a nod to my opponent - John was VERY gracious in accepting my proposal, as I had two games playing already and didn't feel I could give a third my full attention. Now combining the second with the third game is a bit unorthodox, but John3rd is more than capable of handing our Yeoman butts to us if were not vigilant!

*** The Allies advantage in this game is I've been an avid reader of John's previous games, soooo.... [8D]***

Larry and I have played the RA mod since 4.1 and had a great time with it. This should be a blast... Just like Larry, I too am retired and have hours to devote to this game and what I view is the bonus is if either of us falls up a tree or something, the other player can quickly step in and keep the game going. [:'(]

I'm heading over to make the Allied AAR now, we'll both using the same tag "Command Decisions", except for us the Yeomen will be first!

[John 3rd]

OK. You boys have had a chance to say your peace so this Thread is now CLOSED to the Allied Players!

Much get ready to describe all evil and fiendish thinking that is about to happen!

[zuluhour]

John, I can't help it, I'm going to read Allies. That crack about playing WITP-AE for a living perked my comical side. Best of luck to you! I hope for two good opposing AARs to read before work. It should be very interesting to have someone really focused in southeast Asia and China, a very challenging situation for you.

[Cribtop]

Good Luck!

Now, what is THE PLAN? [:D]

[John 3rd]

Did you guys see that my opponents are already on PAGE THREE of their AAR. Holy CATS! Guess they were pretty serious about that whole 'we're retired and have time to play' stuff.

GREAT!

It is BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR freezing in my part of the world right now. I look at the Temp number on my computer and it registers at a balmy 7*. YIKES!

Had planned on starting Turn One this morning but got a distress call from the store saying that it was all of 39*. Not good. Call came in at 6:05am from my opener and I immediately called our HVAC Company. Though not open I left a message and to give them great credit they were there at 8:45am. Found three things wrong with my HVAC and, luckily, none were expensive. That was the good news. Bad news is that it blasted my morning for doing the Opening Turn of this match.

[John 3rd]

OK. WE always try something different in my games so here is the initial thought. I am going to Post the Battle Plan using the Strategic Map and not say anything to begin with:

[John 3rd]

We'll begin with all the 'normal' moves going after the DEI and opening positions.

Operational Areas:

North Pacific
Grab everything from Umnak west.

Central Pacific
Take Midway and use it as a staging base for SS and AMC Raiders.

South Pacific
A massed thrust that throws all conventional wisdom out the door. We move and grab Noumea, Suva, and Pago Pago. A DEEP BALL will be thrown with the capture of Tahiti and adjacent positions.

Australia
Grab PM, the island at the northern tip (SW of PM), the whole NW side of Australia and threaten Perth.

DEI
Normal moves with a goal of being free of this area no later then March 1st. Grab Cocos and, same as Midway, make it a staging base for Air Search, Raiders, and anything else pertinent.

Burma
All of Burma and along the coast through Akyab.

China
Some action to clear out the SE area and Central Plains. Michael suggests a 'Northern Offensive' going after the oil up there. Might be something to think about...

GOAL:
Going to make a serious attempt at massed Commerce Warfare using my SS, AMC (will convert over more), LBA, and some small STF.

Create a massive southern salient that forces the Allies to go after it so Convoys can reach Australia. The goal is to keep Australia from becoming a major thorn in the side and/or staging base for a counter-offensive. I've taken Australia. It can be done. This about interdiction and total conquest. The West will see a major base at Cocos and then strong positions at Noumea and Suva. Tahiti then serves the same role as Cocos. I want to force the Allies to fight FAR AWAY from the Center. Midway closes the door for assaulting the Perimeter from the East and North. The Marshalls and Wake will be heavily fortified and we'll dare the Americans to come this direction.

With my esteemed opponents splitting their jobs down the line between American and Allies, I will seek to exploit and try to force one to help the other and keep them off-balance.

Haven't done something this bold before in terms of distance. The initial moves will cost a CRAPLOAD of fuel; however, once Tahiti is mine I shall pull the KB back and have the enjoyment of PICKING where to raid. We'll see...

[morejeffs]

Any temptation to pick off NZ at some (mid 1942) point?

[kjnoel]

If isolating Australia is your key objective, what will you do to stop the Allies shipping everything East Coast > Cape Town > Aus? I think you might want to extend your plan to conquer Perth rather than just threaten it. Very hard to cut Perth off but if you take down Western Australia and keep the Eastern route shut then you will isolate Australia...... but, to what end?

[John 3rd]

New Zealand was my first thought for this game, however, those additional 'emergency' reinforcements are not desired. Would like to do this without having to face an additional 100,000 Allied troops!

Perth is a good bet to go after. Think we'll swing around the corner coming down from Exmouth and grab Geraldton and then think about things before committing.

In making the lunge going SE I intend to use three SNLF Assault Brigades, the Imperial Guards Brigade, and an Infantry Division taken out of the OOB for the DEI. Think the Sendai Division will move from Japan SE immediately. We'll miss those veterans at Java, Malaya, or the Philippines but a strong shock unit is needed to blast through Noumea, Suva, and Pago Pago.

[pws1225]

Well now, another interesting game to watch. Good luck John.

[janh]

Interesting plan with a few new twists. I hope this game will for once proceed to the bitter end. Since you good deep in the SoE-Pac, have you considered the Line Islands as well? I remember PzB's successes and the vast benefits that he gained from holding those. They can be a major obstacle to Allied convoys, a pretty good forward base, and they can even render Johnston and Pearl quite inconvenient for the Allies. With LR-recon you could spot any Allied naval attempts developing there in an early stage... I think they are a very important complement to a SO-PAC strategy.

[Cribtop]

Good point, Janh. Also, if John takes the Line Islands first, it screams Hawaii and could make a subsequent thrust into SOPAC easier as the Allies race to build up Pearl and surrounding bases.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Good point, Janh. Also, if John takes the Line Islands first, it screams Hawaii and could make a subsequent thrust into SOPAC easier as the Allies race to build up Pearl and surrounding bases.

LIKE it!