New player here! Things are starting to make sense!

[Nezlezar]

I'm only in mid January as the Allies of the GC but things are starting to come together in a way that I feel like I can make it through. Many thanks to Kull for the Allies spreadsheet. For people like me, it has been invaluable as a tool to get started. I feel like I need the step by step walkthrough for December in order to understand why things are being done the way they are. I didn't realize until I was done clicking 24,398 times that it seems designed for play against a human opponent as many steps did not seem to be warranted against the AI. But hey, keep on building those forts Boise! And besides, it is because of the spreadsheet that I feel like I can even understand what is and what is not necessary. So, thanks again.

Thanks also to the forum squeeze and all the posters that have contributed to make it what it is. It is the perfect resource for once you understand a little of the game and want to dive deeper into understanding even MORE.

With that out of the way, I do have some questions. Actually, I have a ton but processing this turn just made me think of a couple that I'll ask now and continuing asking them as time goes on. Apologies in advance if it has been covered somewhere. Between the forum squeeze, manual, and everything else....it's hundreds of pages of reading to keep track of.

1) Why are so many bombers on ASW? I feel like I partially know what's going on here but could use some further understanding. The bombers have great range (something that ASW will reduce down heavily) and they aren't of any use elsewhere this early in the war. Makes sense so far...but am I supposed to keep them on ASW forever. I imagine some of the older bombers (especially from other nations) aren't ever going to be useful for the actual role of bombing so maybe ASW is just what's next best. Or is this just a temporary measure until I get real ASW aircraft? Along the same lines, there is a lot of ASW training going on using bomber crews. Is the idea that I need more ASW pilots and by the time I actually need bombers, I'll have zillions of them anyways? So like, ignore these pilots with their bombing skills and just re-train them as ASW pilots? I don't quite understand what all is going on here.

2) Speaking of pilots, if I move some of these pilots that are in restricted groups to the reserves...are they limited to only flying planes for their nation or can I just reassign them freely? For example...Dutch fighter pilots in the DEI. Some squadrons are restricted and will never be able to evacuate out. If those pilots go into reserves, are they only to come back as Dutch fighter pilots or will they be available anywhere?

3) This next question might help me understand base building better. Why is it that I am building up Dutch Harbor when Adak Island seems to have such a better potential? I feel like I am missing something here as the DH airfield is 0(0) and Adak is 0(4). I wouldn't think it is because DH starts as the better harbor but maybe that is the reason? Adak is 1(5) which seems better than DH at 3(3). Strategically, I don't think any of it matters...I'm just trying to understand something and perhaps learn something I might be not understanding fully.

Thank you for the responses. I hope to actively remain here and discuss things. (Is this the best location for these questions?)

[Kull]

Well, quickly:

1) Early war as allies your pilots are pretty bad at almost everything. Also, B-17s aside, most of your bomber airframes are obsolete. At the same time, your primary mission in the early game is to set the logistics train in motion that will allow you to respond to Japanese attacks beyond the "as-good-as-lost-already" perimeter and eventually go on the offensive. And Japanese subs are going to be trying to stop that. So boosting skills that will help your air crews see the subs that are hovering in wait is a good use of their time. Certainly better than riding off on death and glory missions to deliver pinpricks to the Japanese. Some here believe that you get as much or more "bang for your buck" by focusing on Naval Search training (the range is, after all, double that of ASW), but I like to do both.

2) No, pilots are restricted by national group and even service arm. So also no intermixing of marines, doggies and squids.

3) In the VERY early game, you are more likely to lose Adak than DH, so it's just a way to avoid handing over a large poorly defended, fully ready naval base to the Japanese. And having some air capability at DH is helpful regardless. It's a distant theatre and unlikely to matter much anyway.

[Nezlezar]

Well, quickly:

1) Early war as allies your pilots are pretty bad at almost everything. Also, B-17s aside, most of your bomber airframes are obsolete. At the same time, your primary mission in the early game is to set the logistics train in motion that will allow you to respond to Japanese attacks beyond the "as-good-as-lost-already" perimeter and eventually go on the offensive. And Japanese subs are going to be trying to stop that. So boosting skills that will help your air crews see the subs that are hovering in wait is a good use of their time. Certainly better than riding off on death and glory missions to deliver pinpricks to the Japanese. Some here believe that you get as much or more "bang for your buck" by focusing on Naval Search training (the range is, after all, double that of ASW), but I like to do both.

Understood. So you're saying to keep the old bombers on ASW for the entirety of the war? They act as the eyes to raise the DL of the subs and you have other "actual" ASW (ships/planes) do the dirty work?

[Kull]

Understood. So you're saying to keep the old bombers on ASW for the entirety of the war? They act as the eyes to raise the DL of the subs and you have other "actual" ASW (ships/planes) do the dirty work?

It's been said many times and it's very true: "A seen sub is an ineffective sub". And in the early stages of the game, that's about the best you can hope for. Most of the players here are much better than me when it comes to the Air Game, but I've found that it's never a bad idea to train the heck out of my pilots, and then to put them to work where they can start building experience. And for the older airframes they are never going to be good for much besides training or "safe" missions like ASW.

The main thing with the spreadsheet is to learn how to do things. How you put those skills to work will vary depending on your strategy, current objectives, loss rates, and tolerance for minutiae.

[RangerJoe]

The a-29 and the a-29a, also known as the Hudson and the LR Hudson are excellent bombers for asw purposes. The B-17D has no rear weapon, there aren't that many of them after losses, their range is good even on ASW. So I keep some of those units around to use the B-17Ds for ASW and the LB-30 is also useful for ASW.

[Kull]

The a-29 and the a-29a, also known as the Hudson and the LR Hudson are excellent bombers for asw purposes. The B-17D has no rear weapon, there aren't that many of them after losses, their range is good even on ASW. So I keep some of those units around to use the B-17Ds for ASW and the LB-30 is also useful for ASW.

Oh yeah, love Hudsons in the ASW role. In a related note, you'll find that bombers of that sort are the best you'll get for the Aussies, NZ, Dutch, to some extent even the Brits (at least up through the mid point of the war). That allows the US side to focus on the pointy stick missions while leaving ASW to the Allies. And there's a host of US Naval floatplane units. Those are great (eventually) for guarding the close approaches to your main logistics ports.

[Nezlezar]

The main thing with the spreadsheet is to learn how to do things. How you put those skills to work will vary depending on your strategy, current objectives, loss rates, and tolerance for minutiae.

That's how I took it. And thanks again for creating that resource in the first place. I likely wouldn't have even gotten started had it not existed.

[Leandros]

The Kingfishers are handy for ASW purposes and its range is right at the most efficient - 5 hexes.

Fred

[Platoonist]

This next question might help me understand base building better. Why is it that I am building up Dutch Harbor when Adak Island seems to have such a better potential? I feel like I am missing something here as the DH airfield is 0(0) and Adak is 0(4). I wouldn't think it is because DH starts as the better harbor but maybe that is the reason? Adak is 1(5) which seems better than DH at 3(3). Strategically, I don't think any of it matters...I'm just trying to understand something and perhaps learn something I might be not understanding fully.

Adak Island eventually makes a fabulous air, patrol and submarine base. Just keep in mind that base construction in cold zones during winter takes twice as long so putting it off until spring won't hurt much. I've yet to see the Japanese AI grab Adak but then I haven't seen every AI script either.

[Bella]

3) In the VERY early game, you are more likely to lose Adak than DH, so it's just a way to avoid handing over a large poorly defended, fully ready naval base to the Japanese. And having some air capability at DH is helpful regardless. It's a distant theatre and unlikely to matter much anyway.



Agree about Adak. Good point. I was pondering moving the whole DH franchise to Adak for a bit, but it's lots of transport, and time.

DH is a lovely trap, though. I sank an entire, weakly defended IJN invasion force going to there in Jan. '42, purely by chance by exercising a carrier group near there as it happened (SNLF. A few of them landed and lasted a bit but the rest drowned). Left a very small cruiser group there in case it happened again, and it did in March, and a CA,CL and a DD were all that was needed. 18,000 poor IJA soldiers in the water.

Obviously, the Aleutians script has been activated in this game. My point is that it is worth devoting these minor assets to possible targets like this when facing the AI. Facing a human with the tendency to build Death Star fleets, not so much.

[Bella]

It's been said many times and it's very true: "A seen sub is an ineffective sub".

How far should they move when spotted? Is one hex enough?

[Platoonist]

It's been said many times and it's very true: "A seen sub is an ineffective sub".

How far should they move when spotted? Is one hex enough?

Subs have an intrinsic advantage over other ships in that their maximum detection level gets cut in half (rounded down) every 12 hours. So, a plane might spot them one day and miss them the next even if they don't move. Variables of range and weather probably play their part too. However, if I spot a Japanese sub in the Santa Barbara ship channel, I gonna assume it's still lurking there even if I can't spot it later.

[RangerJoe]

It's been said many times and it's very true: "A seen sub is an ineffective sub".

How far should they move when spotted? Is one hex enough?

Dance with them. Move them in and out so they go into a target rich but dangerous environment and then out farther away from the ASW forces.