eskuche (Axis) vs. YueJin v1.01 (Done)

[eskuche]

Thanks for the comments! Wasn't sure if I was monologuing to an empty theatre...

ORIGINAL: CrackingShow
By the way, you only need Batavia to capitulate DEI.

Yeah I learned this recently. Would have allowed many more smaller naval landings with the extra 20 landing ships saved.

ORIGINAL: CrackingShow
Are you going to go after Australia and or New Zealand? New Zealand are an easier target, you can bomb the trade route from the northern port, and there is only 1 VP in Australia, same as in New Zealand.

I'm not sure yet, to be honest. Once America gets transports, do convoys even matter that much? I'm on the side of maybe not.

ORIGINAL: CrackingShow
Is it possible to invade India if he just garrisons all the ports?

ORIGINAL: EwaldvonKleist
Wow amazing advance. Did the allied side make unusual mistakes or are you the greatest wargamer of all time or is the game unbalanced?

The landing forces (immediately embarking after Sumatra, I think) were hidden in very low rec hexes NW of Diego Garcia, while the standard number of ground forces were heading towards the Burma road. If I had the same intel I probably would have done the same. See my other AAR where I even had pre-warning of invasion and moved stuff off western India ports!. I think in the future India has to keep units on Bombay at the very least (Mangalore small size 1 port so can't support too much) regardless of scouting.

[sveint]

Honestly looks like you're trying to do too much and you'll wear down the IJN.

[eskuche]

ORIGINAL: sveint

Honestly looks like you're trying to do too much and you'll wear down the IJN.

It’s entirely possible but I’m taking every precaution not to risk CV or keep taking chip damage. I believe it was Mahan who said “only use doomstacks in naval combat” (translated to modernspeak). The problem for the IJN is that they don’t have the luxury of time to do so, so instead I have to divide and conquer while the Allies are stuck being forced to bunch up.

The ideal is to have zero Allied land holdings in the Solomons and Indian Ocean, so that they are forced to only move with entirety of naval support. With no recon, they can’t effectively punch back or determine where to go all in for a fight, especially if IJN is holding back some CV reserves in an unscouted location. For the game state here, the combined Allied fleet just left Ceylon, which suggests they’re hanging around (unlikely unless they made a tanker on turn 1) or are back to Australia. I can either split my forces into smaller chunks of ~5 squadrons (what I did) which are enough to blockade or relieve a blockade or I can gamble on the Allies bringing their whole force to bear on Noumea, for example, which is entirely possible. But with 3-5 air assets in the Solomons, that will (hopefully) be pretty expensive for them.

[CrackingShow]

It's to stop the US trading with AUS, & GBR. If the US can't send stuff to GBR they are quite weak, also India is weak because the British can't send much stuff to India.

[CrackingShow]

It's to stop the US trading with AUS, & GBR. If the US can't send stuff to GBR they are quite weak, also India is weak because the British can't send much stuff to India.

Sorry for double post, I don't see how to delete.

[eskuche]

ORIGINAL: CrackingShow

It's to stop the US trading with AUS, & GBR. If the US can't send stuff to GBR they are quite weak, also India is weak because the British can't send much stuff to India.

Sorry for double post, I don't see how to delete.

The thing is that the US can spend all of its production itself. Once it has transports (starting March-June '42), whether the money goes to them, GB, or India doesn't really, really matter. Only case is to prop up India divisions in case they get hit really hard IMO.

[eskuche]

Testing new format. Sorry for the white space.

The India Campaign continues:
March 1: Chinese interference is cut off and promptly destroyed. Calcutta needs to be taken in order to increase the supply lines. Bombay, Mangalore, and Madras afford only 140 supply, which, when including their necessary garrisons (in case of Allied counterattack from Australia), is down to 110 supply points vs. about that much of defenders.
March 15: Calcutta is being threatened to be cut off (even though it is main supply so a garrison could technically sit on it). Cavalry shipped in from the steppes to claim territory more quickly.
March 29: Some Indian maneuvering to try to cut off a brigade-size scouting force. Lucknow will get us 5 * 1.5 * 1.05 more production! Whoo! The attack on Ceylon begins as well. Having been quiet for a few turns, we expect little Allied naval intervention. Just in case, 3 CV are sitting in Rangoon. Calcutta is deemed indefensible, and the supply train opens to the eastern India force.
April 12: Conversion onto Delhi. The southern reaches are heavy jungle, so a pincer movement (while maintaing supply lines) will be necessary. 11/12 NLF engage in a cross-strait maneuver to surprise the Jattna garrison and demolish it. Only Colombo remains.

[sajm0n]

To be honest Allies can surrender now. Its what, 40 production for free? China comes inevitably next with another ~60, thats almost on US level.

US can probably prevent it by moving PH fleet to Sydney and control India hex from there, but maybe you need some house rules for this really.

[incbob]

So do you think the Japanese are over powered?

[kennonlightfoot]

How is Oil holding up?
Especially production levels. I have been seeing some unexplainable jumps and slumps in Oil production even when everything is controlled by Japan. I have had it drop as low as 9 per turn grounding all air and ships.

[sajm0n]

ORIGINAL: incbob

So do you think the Japanese are over powered?

I wouldnt go as far as that just yet. Although it looks kinda doomed for India, if Japan decides to launch early proper invasions there, im sure Ally players can come up with something to prevent it

Maybe leaving garrisons in Bombay, Madras and Mangalore would work, while in the east you try to form defensive line at Dacca or Calcutta. Probably you need PH fleet too if Japan really commits to this. In the meantime you could be sending production to UK or India directly, so they can build 1 or 2 Corps (with transports if UK) - that should be ready around late March or April i think.

[incbob]

In order to get India to have single small corp around turn 7 takes India spending nothing on reinforcement, every single US MM, every single UK PP available to convoy. You can then on turn 2 build your corp.

If Japan wants to move into India will that one corp stop it? What is the disadvantage to Japan for doing this? The Australia is stranded without US oil and PP. New Zealand in the same shoes. US cannot move to take advantage of Japan in India.

[eskuche]

I would invite others to try an invasion against defended (with replacements over starting strength) ports. I suspect it’ll be much more difficult if you can’t take out defenders in one shot because of effectiveness decay and reliance on beachhead.

[CrackingShow]

I don't mean to be rude, but the Allies player didn't even garrison Bombay!!! Like hello??? you are giving the Axis 100 strength of units that they can just drop in India.

If you garrison that port, and put a unit in the level 1 port, its VERY hard to invade.

In my Jap PBEMs, I've gone for Madras and taken it by hitting it from multiple sides and blockading it, so its still possible to invade India, but its a LOT slower, which of course gives the Allies more time, more time = more units.

I really think this is just the Allies making a BIG mistake by not garrisoning Bombay, we don't need to panic about balance.

[eskuche]

ORIGINAL: CrackingShow

I don't mean to be rude, but the Allies player didn't even garrison Bombay!!! Like hello??? you are giving the Axis 100 strength of units that they can just drop in India.

If you garrison that port, and put a unit in the level 1 port, its VERY hard to invade.

In my Jap PBEMs, I've gone for Madras and taken it by hitting it from multiple sides and blockading it, so its still possible to invade India, but its a LOT slower, which of course gives the Allies more time, more time = more units.

I really think this is just the Allies making a BIG mistake by not garrisoning Bombay, we don't need to panic about balance.

You’ll see I made the same mistake in my other AAR! The port defense bonus as well as their gateway to invasion was not obvious to a new player like me.

[eskuche]

Teaser for upcoming posts...

[CrackingShow]

ORIGINAL: eskuche

Teaser for upcoming posts...

Nice job dude, looking forward to it!

[eskuche]

The siege of Delhi starts in earnest. As soon as the capital falls, India will surrender the next turn. Air assets start hammering II Corps, but, as you can tell from the ground attack values, the logistical network can't quite support full dedication to air. Additionally, the terrain and ZOC rules for Indian corps make it hard to get enough units in place. As soon as Delhi falls, 4 armies and 7 divisions as well as 2 air divisions can transition to China.

The weather *finally* lets up for offensives to proceed in China. Unfortunately, a triple partisan attack (another on Shanghai) cripples supply lines. Shown in light red are the 10 hex demarcations for ports, past which supply efficiency drops to 2:1 We will need a few turns to rebuild our effectiveness for the northern Chinese front. As can be seen from the overlapping supply points, the most efficacious advance would be actually from the south. The dotted yellow arrow indicates a possible advance that would catch the Nationalists off guard. If only there were some way to bypass the Communist forces...

[eskuche]

Meanwhile, in the reaches of Gondor – er Auckland.

[CrackingShow]

I hadn't thought of ignoring partisans. I've been using divisions to suppress them, I guess your just crossing your fingers and hoping partisans/saboteurs don't ruin your day.