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First defense in Philippines.
Is it better to defend Lingayen jungle terrain (x2 defense bonus) no fortification over Clark Field clear terrain fortification 4?

Remember that the Clark Field hex produces resources and supply, so it will be the lynchpin of your Luzon defense. If troops that were defeated elsewhere retreat into that fortification, they will be less effective than if they were originally set to defend Clark (and have suffered no defeats as of yet).

As far as the original point of your question is concerned, I think that the defensive bonuses balance out (but am willing to be proven wrong).

The biggest rule in regards to defending at Clark is if you do, you'll have to cede Manila or fight in Manila itself.

Remember too that making a last stand in Manila will dock you 1000 PP's a turn. This is due to the "MacArthur rule" that docs players for making decisions that he would frown upon. Fighting in and destroying his precious PI capital is definately frowned on.,

[:'(] (ok.......seriously....to prevent your units from being retreated possibly in the wrong direction, you have to leave Manila open and allow it to be captured (open city)

.to prevent your units from being retreated possibly in the wrong direction, you have to leave Manila open

I actually think making one's last stand in Manilla is _better_ than in Bataan or elsewhere in the PI. If you start fortifying Manilla from the first day of the war, and if you keep the Mac-in-the-PI HQ there to draw in supplies, the combination of a city hex and the fortification let you hold out for quite a long time (and tie up a lot of Japanese troops for a long time).

Mac would not approve though. You dont want to upset Mac. [:-]

I think the idea is to let Mac die. [;)]

Australia command LCU's might obtain a morale bonus if that happens....... [:D]

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

I think the idea is to let Mac die. [;)]

I think it's hard to kill the guy off in the game since there are two of him - one at USAFFE and one at SWPAC. I am not sure about it, but i THINK you have to kill both "copies" of him to get him to be gone. Damn cloners![:'(]

just remember, the farther away from resources you fight, the longer they will be producing for you ... once japanese troops enter the hex, no more free supply.

You should always hang on to Clark Field over Lingayen. If you pour a lot of troops into Lingayen but not Clark Field, and the Japanese take Clark then you're cut off, and Manilla and Bataan are in a lot of trouble...

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

I think the idea is to let Mac die. [;)]

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LOL [:D]

I think the idea is to let Mac die.

Yeah. My basic plan (it has worked well in several games vs the AI) is to load each Mac HQ on a separate small tf (the allies have lots of shipping, and can afford it) then send the ships to Tokyo and invade (just the HQ, no troops or anything).

This does cause an enormous morale improvement (for me _and_ for the Aussies).

I caution that it may not work against a PBEM opponent, though. He might evacuate Tokyo just to keep Mac alive and absorbing resources (and newspaper headlines).

[:D]

If Mac disapears....is it a leader bug......or a blessing?

[:D]

The leader bug can work to your advantage.

I was lucky enough to get Mao and Chaing to dissapear. I also put those 3 or 4 crappy British commanders in charge of rebuilding LCU's in the hopes that they'd dissapear by the time the LCU was back to full capacity. (didn't work, though)

I was lucky enough to get Mao and Chaing to dissapear

Maybe we should start a contest. The first allied player to get rid of Mac, Mao, Chaing and Perceval wins a case of beer?

Lingayen has resources as well. Any Northern attack that uses the road net must come from Lingayen before Clark.

Yes, there are resource centers, but 125 supply points per turn is not going to matter one way or the other; these are very large armies you are talking about here. Of course, don't just walk away from them, but I wouldn't base my deployment decisions on this paltry level of free supply, that anyway evaporates when the enemy enters the hex.

So ultimately is it best to amass all one's forces in Manila, to take advantage of the urban terrain there (and lack of malaria)? Or Bataan? I assume it's not tenable to divide one's forces among all three -- Clark, Bataan, Manila.

So ultimately is it best to amass all one's forces in Manila, to take advantage of the urban terrain there (and lack of malaria)? Or Bataan?

From my position of limited knowledge and strongly held belief:

Manilla (for the reasons you stated). And don't divide your forces. Withdraw everything to Manilla.

THe problem with trying a forward defense of Lingayen is that you have no real combat troops based there at the beginning. I would be loathe to change troops that have preperation points for Clark to Lingayen. You might try moving the filipino division at San Marcelino (sp?) forward to Lingayen to provide a roadblock there, but it would be a waste to send troops forward from CLark, IMO.

In my future games as allies, I plan to withdrwaw troops from Bataan into Manila and Clark and fight there. Once the Clark situation looks precarious (like the fortifications have been reduced to zero) then I'll try to pull the troops back into Manila before they are forced to retreat. We'll see how well that works.