Andy Mac v the Co-Op

[Andy Mac]

OK not going to do a full AAR of the Focus Pacific Mod this is mostly to show

a. My utter incompetence as a Japanese player
b. To answer any questions folks have from reading or watching the other side.

I haven't played japan in 10 years and I was never any good when I did.

But someone else did turn 1 and he seemed pretty damned good so I will be able to coast off of his efforts for a while !!!

So I took over on about turn 7

Sitreps to follow

[Jorge_Stanbury]

Just a word of advice: BEWARE THE DORNIERS!!!.

lol, just kidding, angry bees are more dangerous than those old beasts. Looking forward

Please add the game details (# of turns, PDU on/ off, etc), HRs

[Andy Mac]

Observations on the Mod

It looks like basically Ironman Tier3 plus some extra goodies like the Liz heavy bomber

Its total utter bonkers

On the allied side extremely more capable navy and air but not massive difference at start to land units other than the emergency reinforcements are off map at start - so the allies get c 10 Divs extra

BUT I counted I have 28 Unrestricted Divs at start and can take 2k (4 - 5 Divs) out of Manchuria so in 2 months I can offset all the reinforcements allies get and still have 28 unrestricted division (+15 or so Unrestricted Indepenndent Bdes !!)

The economy is hypercharged and I have a lot of extra Air and naval assets as well too many to count in all honesty

I remember reading an old Soviet Joke about 3 Soviet Tank Generals drinking champagne in Paris after WW3 - one says to the other by the way who won the air war ??

That's what it feels like I have soooo many LCU's its beyond belief

[Andy Mac]

PDU on, un realistic R&D, I took over after 7 turns a few HR's limiting altitude and night strategic bombing but nothing material

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Observations on the Mod

It looks like basically Ironman Tier3 plus some extra goodies like the Liz heavy bomber

Its total utter bonkers

On the allied side extremely more capable navy and air but not massive difference at start to land units other than the emergency reinforcements are off map at start - so the allies get c 10 Divs extra

BUT I counted I have 28 Unrestricted Divs at start and can take 2k (4 - 5 Divs) out of Manchuria so in 2 months I can offset all the reinforcements allies get and still have 28 unrestricted division (+15 or so Unrestricted Indepenndent Bdes !!)

The economy is hypercharged and I have a lot of extra Air and naval assets as well too many to count in all honesty

I remember reading an old Soviet Joke about 3 Soviet Tank Generals drinking champagne in Paris after WW3 - one says to the other by the way who won the air war ??

That's what it feels like I have soooo many LCU's its beyond belief

Well, you can get all those LCUs around CBI without getting their feet wet, but you need to be able to put some on ships to garrison the islands that are stepping stones to a strategic bombing campaign against Japan. The naval war is going to count for a lot too.
Although I am an AFB, I wish you lotsa luck so that the game goes the distance. [:)]

[Andy Mac]

Malaya

Turn 1 my predecessor invaded Kuantan as his main invasion point - which has really bad road networks - I suspect it was to wrongfoot the much stronger allied naval forces from disrupting the day one landing.

Since I took over using Paratroopers and Tanks I have cleared the rail line as far as malacca and am bringing in Army bombers and zeros and Oscars to clear Singapore and stop forts building

I think the allies are marginally stronger in this mod on the ground but not massively so in Malaya

[Andy Mac]

I am using the now open rail line to rail in 5 ish Divisions and a lot of air support etc to commence immediate campaign against Singapore

[Lowpe]

Have fun![:)]

[Andy Mac]

In the the Japanese landed 80,000 men at Iba off the main road network

Broadly 3 Divisions

I am bringing in another 3 now and repositioning back onto the road netwrk again also bringing in army air to begin suppressing central PI

No landings anywhere else although I have no landed a Regt in south since I took over

[Andy Mac]

This new French base is a pain and HK went really badly all industry is 0 totally disabled

Big forts and can only be invaded by sea when I have time going to neutralise from air for a bit before I decide to invade or not - could probably take it but don't want the damaged ships it will cost me

[Andy Mac]

In other news the Japanese invaded Kona on day 1

I have followed up with more land units and supply convoys en route also more air units

Have taken Jonstone Island and working out where to go next

Midway and Palmyra seem obvious next steps

Guam holds out and Wake wasn't attacked but I will pick them up in due course apart from landing on Kona and total wipeout of PH the Japanese are stable on this front

Supply and Fuel will be my main challenge

Has anyone managed to invade Pearl without ruinous losses if so how did they do it ??

Andy

[Andy Mac]

I hit north Borneo and North New Guinea taking most of th ebases for minimal losses so far Kendari and Sorong are mine and will become Netty bases soon

Not going massively fast through DEI really focussing on getting Malaya and PI locked down and out of the way ASAP

[Andy Mac]

Research had me confused as the previous Japanese player had built 20 A6M2 factories and was repairing them - I think I now understand going to upgrade them to research factories when they get size 30 - if I have understood correctly that will give me 1 month acceleration of A6M8 every 5 days.....err wow

He did the same with the Liz, Tojo and Oscar - my inclination is to leave this alone maximise the acceleration and then switch most of the factories to other aircraft

So if I am right and I will be accelerating Zero, Liz and Tojos by 6 months/per game month that means by May 42 I will have Ritas, by June I will have A6M8's and Tojo IId's and by July Oscar IV's …..errrr ok

and at that point probably 60 of the 80 factories can switch to researching something else.....hmmmm

[Andy Mac]

My worry in industry HI is VERY LOW and Supply and Fuel is not exactly plentifull about half of on map merchant marine has been sent to Toyohara, Fusan, Port Arthur, Shanghai, Cam Ran Bay to start resource and oil convoys going

[Andy Mac]

OK so the above gives you a flavour of my strategic position so what am I going to do well something another opponent (von Beanie) told me is relevant no one knows the allied weaknesses better than an allied player - and that's true

Because the mod doesn't buff at start allied LCU's I can run wild for a bit and take most of the historic perimeter easily.

But then what

Deffo PM that a no brainer, probably North Australia and Colombo, Fiji, New Cal why not they are there and it forces the allies to take them back I have the land units

Line Islands same plus probably Hawaii (excl PH)

Th difficult choices

are

East/West/South Australia
NZ
India
Pearl
Tahiti and SOPAC

Some of those I can probably take but not all even with 28 Divisions to do it !!

[Andy Mac]

Whichever I go for fuel will be my achilles heel

[Cheesesteak]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Whichever I go for fuel will be my achilles heel

take my noob advice with a grain of salt, but if fuel is a factor in this mod, consider going for a patchwork of cenpac bases rather than a nice clean border.

Flip side, those research trees sound like they were geared towards getting you an autovic rather than going the distance. Is that something you can shoot for in this mod?

[Andy Mac]

The problem I have is I don't know if fuel is a problem I have never used tracker don't even have it installed so flying by the seat of my pants at present on the economy

[Lowpe]

If I recall correctly, there is oil in Alaska...

Bombard that French base near Hong Kong to wipe out the nasty planes there.

Pearl has been taken, in a scenario 2 game by Olorin and others...

[jatzi]

So I know Pearl has really bad coastal guns but other than that why not try to take it? The last player I think was planning on invading the West Coast from what I can tell listening to the co-op side talk about his statements. Why not try to do the same thing? Even if it goes badly and you lost itd be very cool to see. Also though I've never gotten the tracker to work for me I've seen others use it and it looks crazy helpful. Might be worth it to install it and get it working?