Third Person AAR- Mogami v. Brady

[roberto5352]

I'm going to be recapping this match between Brady and Mogami. I'll have the full benefit of Mogami (hereinafter Admiral YamaMogami)'s strategic insight, and access to the replays and the Japanese turns. In this thread, I'll be discussing both current events and future planned operations, so this must be a BRADY-FREE ZONE. If you absolutely must be Mr. Brady, please, do it elsewhere.

I'm still working on a format for this AAR, so if there are any reader suggestions as to what you'd like to see, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Grand strategy and Turn 1 as soon as I get up the effort to take some screenshots...

[kaleun]

Present it as a Tokyo Rose kind of report?
You should also let us know what kind of music, (swing of course) plays in the background.

[pasternakski]

Brady's going to play the Allies? Must be a fig newton of my imagination...

I'd like to see a nice, snappy journalistic style. You know, sort of a written Edward R. Murrow thing. The Tokyo Rose thing would be a gas, too, if you can pull it off ... "You poor doomed GIs, Marines, and Filipino Army troops on Bataan should know that your comrades across the bay at Manila are now all the Emperor's prisoners. The criminal MacArthur will be captured any moment now ..."

[mogami]

Hi, Gee I was sort of hoping for a clear easy to understand explantion of what is going on from a disinterested party. Exact movements and why, supply situation, pilot training and all that. As detailed as could be done without resorting to just cut and paste of combat.txt
(The combat txt is not very important except for that is allows players to post AAR's sooner. ) I think Robert has taken on a massive task. As Joe Friday always said "Just the facts"
I'm going to explain everything I do.

[Mike Scholl]

This should be facinating. Is there going to be an alternative "Brady's-Eye-View" thread
where we can listen to him whine about how tough he and his buddies have made it to
play the Allies? I'm really looking forward to keeping up with this...

[mogami]

Hi, Brady already has several current games as Japan. He wanted to play the Allies as well. (I had expected to play Allied versus him but due to my being off line for a while he filled the spot)

[kaleun]

However is done, periodic map screenies, showing upcoming plans and strategy would be appreciated.
The map is too large for me to lug about; (besides, someone at work might figure out what i'm really doing[;)])

[dtravel]

Format suggestion: Try to think like a historian when writing. You have access to the "source documents" (i.e., the Japanese side's turn) as well as the journals of high ranking officers and post-war interviews (i.e., whatever Mogami is willing to tell you). From that you are trying to put together a coherent overview of the course of the war.

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: Mogami

Hi, Brady already has several current games as Japan. He wanted to play the Allies as well. (I had expected to play Allied versus him but due to my being off line for a while he filled the spot)

I'm glad he's wanting to give it a try. I just meant it will be fun to see his reactions
when he has to play against all the "let's make life easier for the Japanese" tweeks
he and his buddies have passionately championed for so long. Hope you can make
his existance very exciting for a while. And looking forward to hearing the details.

[mogami]

Hi, We are moving right along. Game settings
Scenario 15
1 day turns
non historic turn 1
Dec 7 surprise on
very variable reinforcements (+-60 days)
Allied DC on
Auto sub off
Japanese sub doc off
Allied sub doc off

Japanese only port attack PH turns 1
Allies allowed orders turn 1 except PH
Only landings that take place in historic turn 1 allowed on turn 1 (but Japanese can cancell or alter these landings)
No Japanese TF within 4 hexes of non historic landing hex.
Japanese must remain in air cover (CV can provide)
Japanese must have surface TF within "react range" of any landing
Japanese must pay PP to change HQ before moving LCU from one HQ area of control to another.
All hexes of Japanese Home Islands must always have fighter cover. (Although it only takes 4 or 5 Nate groups to meet this (few if A6M2 used)
All bases in China required to be garrisioned at all times after 30 days from start (to give time for units to move )
All hexes bordering with Soviet Union must be under Japanese air range at all times.

[kaleun]

[:D]Sounds fascinating. Thread suscribed to.

3:1 for Mog.

[Mike Scholl]

Three to One on Mogami Winning as the Japanese? I might put a bottle on ol'
Brady at those odds. Of course we'd have to make it a good liquor or wine..,
as it will be very well aged by the time they get to 1946. One of the two must
have a life...

[Mike Scholl]

Question to Mogami? What about the portion of the PH airstrike that hit the airfields? Have you agreed to leave all of Pearl's air strength untouched. This is in reference to the agreed apon "only port attack on" on PH turn one? Or did you mean to say that the
only port attack allowed on turn one is against PH?

[mogami]

Hi, Sorry I meant only port that could be attacked was PH but I didn't touch KB from starting set up so it was the exact attack you get when you play historic turn 1. What I really like about doing non historic turn 1 is getting the Japanese moved between bases. (Not making invasions) Also since I do not always intend on following a plan that uses turn 1 landings I don't like the historic turn 1.

[Mike Scholl]

Just wanted to be sure. I may have a bottle of something riding on this. Can't
wait for the first few AAR's to be posted. I'm hoping you will pound Brady silly
in the opening just to convince him that pulling ALL the slugs from Allied bullets
wasn't a good idea; and that maybe the "Allied fanboys" knew what they were
talking about. Though I'm betting on Brady cause I liked the odds.

[kaleun]

Mike: How about a bottle of Glenfidinch? on Mog?

[mogami]

Hi, Well I have 8 PBEM going currently and the Allies are not being steamed rolled in any of them. Prehaps I should bet on Brady as well but I only drink Beer or Wine. I prefer German white wines and they don't need to age.

While I realize it is possible to move at a faster pace simply by loading and unloading LCU and moving from one attack to the next I can't get myself to play the game that way.
I set unit objectives and let them prepare a bit before dumping them into the next attack. I worry about losses. I have no intent on trying to win the war in China or overrun the Soviets. I simply want to keep Japanese heavy industry producing supply. I don't try to build more aircraft then Ford builds cars. I place garrisons on bases I capture. I only use full size units to block retreats.
In short as Japan my entire plan is basicly to kill what I can while I can and then make one massive effort to defend a base and in the process cause enough damage that the Allied offensive stalls long enough to prevent Japan from being forced into surrender. (Make it so that the Allied player could eventually score his required point ratio except he has run out of time)

[kellyc]

Any chance to be given some input on your production, ship construction programs, and whatnot setup for the Japanese? (newbie on the lookout for better setups).


Thanks
Kelly

[mogami]

Hi, I don't really mess with ship construction. I start a few AR conversions on turn 1. I don't do all that much to aircraft except turn off factories producing types I have enough in the pool. I do build a few arms factories (the ones that start at 0 I gradually increase to 16) I build repair yards. My simple production system is to increase facilities that begin smaller then 10 points to over 10 points but i don't try to do it all at once. I move oil and resource. Thats really what I do and most of my operations are designed to allow me to move more oil and resource with less interference from the Allied player.
My entire war effort is to move oil and resource as long as possible. I commit my forces based on this. Of course I see real or imagined threats and deal with them as best I can.
When I sink a CV in the Coral Sea I'm really protecting Palembang. I draw a circle around my resource and oil facilities and then defend it best I can. I have no interest in enemy bases that are not in range except for that they are where the forces will gather to break my circle. Because of that and only because of that I go outside my circle. (But I go home when I am done)
I don't desire unlimited oil and resource , I only want what I can use. I can only use what I can get home safely and inexpensively.
So as Japan the war has three parts (I call them stranglely enough Phase I, Phase II and Phase III)
Phase I aquire oil and set up transportation net.
Phase II inflict as much damage to delay enemy offensives
Phase III DEFENSE

Phase II is the least important because I either have the force or I don't. Phase II ends when the risk of losing more material then I inflict loss on the enemy. I need material for Phase III where I throw it all away in great quanity in exchange for time.

My great plan is prehaps the most boring of all devised by persons who play Japan. I have no great design. Everything I do early is to aquire resource and oil as cheap as I can. I apply my material advantage where I think it can achive more then it risks and then I trade space and material for time.

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: kaleun

Mike: How about a bottle of Glenfidinch? on Mog?

That sounds a lot like a single malt scotch..., which I don't care for. But if you
want to put it against 3 bottles of Jamisons Very Old Irish, then you are on.
Now that's sippin whiskey. But all bets are off if one of us dies before the game
is over!