What's your Goblins on the Doorstep strategy? [SPOILERS]

[ltsmash]

I have played Goblins on the Doorstep several times and continue to be frustrated with it. I win about half the time. The other half of the time, the Revenge gets smoked by one of the Mayaks searching for it or a nearby Soviet attack sub. I have tried to group my surface ships and form a screen in front of the Revenge and escort her to the SSBN Patrol box. I have tried to setup patrol missions that lead to the SSBN Patrol box. I have tried to setup aggressive and conservative doctrines to let the computer control drive the Revenge to the patrol box. I have tried to manually control all units. I have tried to take the Revenge along the Irish coast, along the Scottish coast and through open water. Nothing works consistently and winning feels more like a crap shoot than good command.

Do you have a consistent strategy for winning this scenario?

[OldSarge]

I don't know if I have a great winning strategy, but I've been able to win Goblins once without losing any assets, but I usually lose one of the leading surface
vessels.

First, I divide up the available Nimrods into 3 patrols. Two of the patrols have rectangular patrol boxes and form a corridor between the SSBN box and the strait that
connects the Irish sea to roughly around Rathlin Island. I also place a single prosecution zone around the zones. The third patrol I set just to the north in a zone
that is close to the coastline and covers the northern approach to the strait.

I form up the helicopters into four ASW patrols that are placed around the Revenge. Each patrol will take a quadrant around the sub and they each share the same PZ.

At start, I hustle the surface ships to group around the sub, I leave one ship, in the rear to engage any pursuers, for my purposes doing enough damage to keep them
from chasing is enough. I use ship-borne helos to visually ID any unknowns in the area as required. I have used patrol boxes for reducing the micromanagement.

As for the sub, I manually plot a course that tries to use the deeper areas to make time while avoiding cavitation. I heavily micromanage this portion, if there is
a goblin ahead, I slow and change heading if required, if behind I speed up if able, got to watch for cavitation, hoping the goblin will enter a PZ and dealt with.

I won't guarantee that it works without flaw, but it has worked for me. The Nimrods are very good! The helos are less so, but the sub's sonar is excellent and it can
be helpful in triggering a helo to go on offensive.

[CV60]

Do you have a consistent strategy for winning this scenario?

SPOILER ALERT


I'm working on an AAR on this scenario right now. Hopefully, I'll have it posted in a week or so. Generally speaking, try the following:
1) Keep your SSBN and surface ships moving slow. Below cavitation speed at all times. You have plenty of time to make it to the SSBN patrol area even at 5 knots. If you cavitate, you give the position of your units away. Against the PAPA SSGN, that will prove to be fatal to your surface ships.

2) Get rid of the Mayak AGIs, especially the one that starts near the SSBN. The Mayaks will provide targeting information to the PAPA, so sink the Mayaks, at least those that can detect the SSBN or your surface units. Your WASP helos armed with missiles or the guns on your destroyers will do the job (although the 20mm guns take awhile)

3) Stay below cavitation speed

4) As OldSarge notes, your MPA and helos are your chief ASW asset. Sanitize the area in 10-15nm in front and side of the SSBN with your surface units. Sanitize the area 20 nm or so in front of your surface units with the helos. Sanitize the area 50-100 nm in front of the SSBN with your Nimrods. Always have 2 Nimrods and 2 Helos on station. Remember that the Soviet subs are armed with torpedoes, so keeping the Soviets outside of 15nm will keep your SSBN safe. Using the layered defense I advocate above should accomplish this.

5) Did I mention to stay below cavitation speed? [:)]

[PhyseterCatodon]

I surprisingly got this mission on my first try.
What I did was fairly straightforward. I just put an ASW area in front of my SSBN and I kept moving it up as my SSBN went along (slow speed, as was said above, avoid cavitation). The trick is, I think, to keep the ASW area small so your MPAs and helicopters will have enough time to scan it thoroughly. Remember that an enemy submarine has to get quite close to detect and fire at your SSBN, so there's no point in scanning areas dozens of miles away from your sub.
As was said already, killing the Mayaks is also key.

Nothing works consistently and winning feels more like a crap shoot than good command.

I know that feeling. Generally means you're missing a piece of the puzzle and the AI is punishing you for it. I hope these tips help.