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Hi Game setup as follows:

Scenario 19
AI: Historical
IJN: 170%
Allies: 90%
Reinforcements: Variable

Sitrep:
It's mid to late June '42 and I've built Rabaul into a major fortress (400k+ fuel and supply). It's loaded with 100+ Zeroes and 100+ Betty's and Nell's and has thwarted allied attempts to reinforce Lunga, Gili and Port Moresby. IJN Carrier and surface TF's use this as their springboard for offensive operations.

Port Moresby has just been taken at minimal cost although I have allowed the Allies an escape route by not taking the beach hex adjacent to PM. Allied assault units remain in various states of depletion and are believed to be without supply. Mop up operations continue.

The USN has taken massive casualties to its fighting force totaling 4 carriers sunk, 1 returned to Pearl and numerous cruisers, destroyers and transport sunk or damaged. My naval losses have been negligible - the Shokaku sent back to Japan with serious damage being the most serious. IJN air units are relatively intact although my torpedo bombers have suffered somewhat but have been regrown to maximum strength - though with regrettable experience loss.

Lunga has the remains of the 1st Marine Regiment and unknown number of depleted engineer units. Their TF was decimated by air attack as they landed and it is believed that only what was offloaded during the night has survived.

Question:
Now what? I plan on getting the situation in PM stabilized by eliminating the remaining allied land units and re-supplying the base itself. I'm not sure if I want to move my air assets there from Rabaul - it seems like a logical next step but I don’t want to expose them.

I'm at a complete loss as to what my next operational target should be. If I'm cautious I'm going for Lunga, although I really pine for Luganville!

Any ideas from a more experienced commander would be hugely appreciated!

Gnome,

Two recommendations:
1. increase the difficulty next time. The AI isn't too bright, so playing 170-90 is overkill (that's why you're seeing heavy Allied loses vs you light ones).

2. BUT, in this game, keep pressing. Knock the Allies out of Guadal, then push for an early victory by capturing Luganville, or one of the lower island bases. Invade Australia. If you're this far ahead, don't stop. If you take L'ville, you'll control the Solomons (at least in your situation -- against a human player, things would probably be different). Note that the Allies are probably continuing to build up L'ville, so when you take it, you'll have a good forward base.

Also, start rotating your sys-damage ships into port for repair.

What Toro said.

Given your huge advantage in CV's right now, the decisive blow would be for you to go take Noumea, which would mean no more naval reinforcements for the Allies unless and until they get it back. You're at the peak of your power right now, but the Allies are going to start receiving massive materiel in a matter of 4-5 weeks so you have to act fast.

Play a human via email. You will get a whole different gaming experience and raise the enjoyment lever a notch or two.

Thanks for the replies but I don't play humans unfortunately. Outside of not enjoying it, my play time is very uneven and unpredictable and won't subject someone else to that. I might go 3 or 4 months without playing a turn and then pull an all nighter, so it's not a realistic option for me.

I know "play a human" is the mantra repeated ad nauseam here, and I'm sure it's quite fun for some but it doesn't work for me. Thanks though.

As to the other suggestions, I’ll tone down the replacement levels next time and see how that shakes out.

Gnome,

I understand your PBEM limitations, but if you tell someone up front that your schedule is uneven/unpredictable, you may well be able to still get someone who is interested, especially in one of the shorter scenarios like #8.

Id be going for Luganville.

Also I always take Lunga in the first week or so of battle, and use this as the springboard into the solomans if I go that way. From there I try to secure Irau, mainly so that the allies cant use it.