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IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD

 
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IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/7/2011 8:24:12 PM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		Dont look if you dont want to know

OK anyone with any direct feedback on how Ironman (either side) is playing out please post here.

p.s. I will take feedback on any AI script but I am asking specifically for Ironman feedback
Post #: 1
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/7/2011 9:15:01 PM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		Playing Scen 10 as Allies against your evil mind.
I have no idea what the empire gets, havent looked at their side.
I have it on hard, reinforcements on +-60 days and 2 day turns(only brave men play this on PBEM!)

Only at the end of December
Lots of small CV TF's (CVL's?) roaming around the PI destroying my shipping fleeing Manila.
Lots of Betty & Zekes in the Malaya/DEI/Burma.
Late Dec the AI invaded Wuchow, never seen that in vanilla.
KB stayed 1 day and retreated via Wake Is which felll faster tha usual.
Seems a bit pushier and in NG, Rabaul etc a bit earlier.
I think China is developing for a push by the IJA.
I;m trying to sneak 18th Brit into Singapore, I've built a strongpoint at Kuala Lumpur (2 Divs+) I need the extra Division.
POW survved with 98flot pts of damage.
Lost 1 CA to KB and another to SS off Singapore but think I got an IJN CA off Batan is.



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Post #: 2
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/7/2011 9:16:56 PM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		please keep me in the loop the more I know the better v 4 will be

Thanks Jeff

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Post #: 3
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/7/2011 9:29:52 PM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		I forgot, An IJN TF of a DD and 3-4 TB tried to interdict a supply TF I was sending into Darwin.
Surface action in the Arafura Sea NE(map) of Gove.
Good move except for the CA and 2 CL I had withe convoy. (It was my attempt to get darwin on its feet for as long as possible)


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Post #: 4
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/8/2011 11:20:29 AM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		1st week of January 1942
Jan 1, IJN land on Midway, Tulagi & Ambon!!   -   The Midway attack needs CV support, a Vibrator Sqn has decimated the attacking fleet.
Pride of the Kriegsmarine,  the Orion happens upon one of the TF retreating from Batavia to Colombo (Why dont we use Trincomalee as our major base??)
Only problem was it was the Dutch Fleet and it wasnt a fair fight ahainst 3 CL & 7 DD.  Still did 36pts of sys damage to a DD.

Allies still hold KL & Temluloh in Malaya plus Manila & Clark Field on the PI.  No movement into Burma proper yet.
(All could fall tomorrow though)


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Post #: 5
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/9/2011 10:03:49 PM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		Through to Jan 18 42

At least 1, maybe 2 AMC on the lanes between SF & PH, must have moved on as I swept some CV through there on there way to PH.

Starting to see some CVL, CA & CL with names I dont recognise.

Lots of Betties, must have swapped out the Nells.

In the PI and Malaya my positions hold, just. (Really only KL is threatened)   3 IJA Engineer Rgts at KL make a mess of my forts but I scrape back to lvl1 each turn (2 days)

The "Bugger" moment of the week was 2 RN DD's which left Hong Kong for Pakhoi, scraped past Hainan Is and while heading past Hue met 2 CVL & escorts, no combat as they were out of ammo!!!!
(PS  Its very hard to hit these fast moving DD's!)

Now the KB should have retired and on its next task its gird the loins time.

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Post #: 6
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/10/2011 12:15:43 AM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		Thanks Jeff this is really usefull has the AI made a move south towards Rabaul or moved to flank you in Malaya ??

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Post #: 7
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/10/2011 3:20:00 AM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		I've only been mentioning things that are "odd"

Rabaul fell pretty easily, a large force took Lae and another group landed at Lunga. Canton Is was taken at the end of December.

In Malaya I have 2+ Divs at KL and 1+ Div at Temuloh.   IJA has been bashing against both at really poor odds but KL is a struggle, just sent my reserve bde from 18 Brit there.
No outflanking moves by land or sea.

In the PI I left 3 PA Divs and a Tk Bn at Lingayen, beat back 2 assaults by Tank Rgts but fell when Infantry turned up. I split my defence between Manila and Clark, IJA strength isnt enough to take out either. We'll see if AI supports them or I may be holding on here for a while.

Java is due for invasion soon, IJN CV TF are circling the island smashing any ships left behind.

PoW made it to Colombo, I think QEII will be in power before she leaves the docks.

I THINK, moves into the Solomons and Fijis are about to start and maybe something in southern Malaya or Sumatra, my airpower in the area is decimated though the subs are doing an OK job, possibles on a CA and a CVL.

I'm taking thisngs carefully, in fear of Scen 10, 2 day turns and trying to do it properly (lazy antiAI player sometimes)

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Post #: 8
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/13/2011 7:17:26 AM   
SBD

 

Posts: 65
Joined: 2/18/2010
Status: offline 		Hi Andy. 1st, thanks for your work on this. The AE AI is a quantum leap from the original WitP.

I have one ironman game that reached 4-'43. In this, the AI captured Geroldton & started heading south towards Perth. This seemed to be coordinated with a seaborn invasion of Perth. The invasion failed & my newly arriving armor managed to cut off the LOC of the advancing units, resulting ultimately in their demise & the recapture of Geroldton. After this the AI paid semi-regular visits to Perth for a while, damaging some ships, but not causing any serious problems. Sorry, I don't remember the timeframe for this.

Otherwise not that much out of the ordinary happened in this game. The AI made what I guess are the usual CV raids off eastern Australia. I had the 6 US CVs + 3 Brits in the area with predictable results. Any chance the AI could skip these raids or maybe send the whole KB when it decides to head south?

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Post #: 9
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/13/2011 7:56:02 AM   
SBD

 

Posts: 65
Joined: 2/18/2010
Status: offline 		Also have started a new ironman which has only reached 12-19-'41. I don't know if this is normal now or if I got a script that concentrates on China but there are numerous very large stacks of Japanese units (3+ divisions) causing mayhem in China. One is heading for the Kweilin area, possibly 4-5 divisions are adjacent to Changsha, a stack of 57K has taken Chengchow & Loyang, & there are 2 large stacks in the north, one of which is already across the river from Yenan. Fortunately, I managed to stop the units in the Ichang area.

Also I see the AI has learned the Mersing gambit I had the place mined & my torpedo bombers ready. Nevertheless I didn't really see this coming & had the Aussie 22nd Bde in strategic mode, ready to head to Singers & ship out. So the AI (1 division?) captured the place & is headed for Johore Bahru. The 22nd Bde has made it to Singers- in somewhat weakened condition.

The AI has bombed Rabaul heavily but not taken it yet. Atimonan, Davao, & San Fernando have fallen; landings at Jolo & probably Kuching; there appears to be a lot of ships north of Ambon.

< Message edited by SBD -- 10/13/2011 8:05:15 AM >

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Post #: 10
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/13/2011 12:06:24 PM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		:) is that the new version of Ironman SBD ??


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Post #: 11
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/13/2011 6:06:37 PM   
SBD

 

Posts: 65
Joined: 2/18/2010
Status: offline 		It's v2 I think. I have 1106i + the latest beta installed so it's whatever version came with that. The 1st game was started quite a while ago so I assume it was v1.

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Post #: 12
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/14/2011 2:58:15 AM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		I've made it to February

Kuala Lumpur fell, despte IJA shock attacks at 1-19 I thought I was safish, but my losses each turn were horrendous, a couple of brigades were basically down to 0.
I have now got those men running for Singers, Temuloh holds and with only a rail line to evac down will dig in and hold up a Div+ force, a weakened Bde will try to cut IJA LOC north of KL.

The PI are quietish, apart from a couple of hundred Betty sorties each day, the IJA is too weak to take manila and Clark, and I'm too weak to do much about it.

The Guards mixed Bde attacked Midway, I think I sank the supply TF so nothing happened for a few days. then my resup and mining TFs arrived on the same day as an IJN resup TF. 2 CA's beats some motley DM & old DD's anyday (though I sank a DD)   So Midway is living off Gooney birds until the next attempt (with 3 CV in support) due to arrive in a day or 4 (2 day turns)

Its quiet from Hawaii to Lunga, basic early advances only.

I thought a major attack was coming on PM, 2 TFs came south of Milne Bay and within 2 hexex of PM and sailed home???

Maybe good because I had a SCTF with 3 CA, 3 CL and some DD plotting to hit PM if they went 1 more day.

I sent the Bird Forces and MG Bn to Koepang, silly sending bits everywhere. The IJA attack was originally held, up to 11,000 men reported attacking. I sent in 4 DD (USN Asiatic Fleet remnants) and sank 2 AK but their support which again included CA's sank 2.    Finally Koepang fell, its just so hard to get forces into this area in this timescale.

My Burma forces fell back to Pegu and dug in, IJA sent 55 Recce Bn across but we smashed it back, 2 days later it plus 55 Infantry Bde(Rgt) tried and it also suffered heavily from the auto assault.

China is a mess, I'm pulling back to the Changsha-Nanning rail, IJA everywhere and Nanning will fall soon.

My intel is claiming a CVL & CA sunk by subs, both with unfamiliar names, looks like the IJN got a generous helping hand, where's my goodies!!

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Post #: 13
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/14/2011 3:14:58 PM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		PM may have been a feint.....

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Post #: 14
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/14/2011 4:57:57 PM   
PaxMondo


Posts: 9750
Joined: 6/6/2008
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

PM may have been a feint.....

Oh, come on now. You've coded up feints as well now!!!! How are us poor, unsuspecting, limited IQ, AI players supposed to win now????



Great job Andy!!!




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Post #: 15
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/14/2011 11:01:22 PM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		He's probably right, I found another SCTF slipping aound the tail of NG and got my SCTF in place, only 2 CA, 2L and 6 DD to fight my similar force.
I lost Houston & 2 DD and think I sank 3 DD, Boise suffered medium damage. The IJN rules in this type of battle in Feb 42.

There is an IJA force marching over the Owen Stanleys BUT the direction mark is aiming back at Buna??

Why does the Sumatra arrive at Soerbaja????  Half a dozen CV/CVL circling the island!!
So it did 3 raids on Bandjermasin sinking 5-6 AP/AK before heading back towards Perth, should make it for repairs on its forward guns.

Malaya Army is just about "safe" in Singapore, my hope is to survive past an IRL date, 6 days to go. ( I get the feeling that having Engineer squads sees a lot more enemy squads destroyed rather than disrupted, the IJA force in Malaya has at least 4 Engineer Rgts)

Burma is falling, Pegu fell to a Div sized force so it run for the hills.

The PI are looking shaky, couple of 1-1 in Manila but not sustained, Clark is solid.   Cebu was attacked, my USN PTBoats vailantly defended and sank a couple of AK but now are relying on their 50cals.

Koepang fell, Lautern was invaded and I could only get 2 DD there without torps but they severly damaged the SC and AK .

In China Nanning fell, Kweilin is under attack.

Midway holds, I'm scraping up some Marine Raiders/Paratroopers to reinforce, problem is these guys are good garrisons on atolls.

Great Mod, takes away some of the certainty that you get with the basic games, recommended on hard, and dont peek at the other side of the hill (I want to!!!)



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Post #: 16
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/15/2011 7:08:50 AM   
inqistor


Posts: 1813
Joined: 5/12/2010
Status: offline 		I am speaking of original IRONMAN under latest official patch (no idea what number it would be), and this is not specifically AI problem, but more initial deployment:


There are two Japanese CVEs around Kwajalein, but they are actually no match to even single US CV (heck, I accidentaly sunk one of them becuse they attacked my CV), so either there should be additional CVL/CV, or they should not begin game in this area.

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Post #: 17
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/15/2011 7:28:00 PM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		You may be surprised in V3 as to their ability to stand up to a single CV

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Post #: 18
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/16/2011 3:09:31 AM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		Moved into early March

Singapore fell 25 Feb and Bataan on 2 March, took a lot of the IJA with them and hopefully caused some delays.

Burma is odd, Pegu fell about 20 days back but no move as yet on Rangoon. Last turn Magwe came under attack. I'm slowly trickly forces back to Akyab and Mandalay.

The DEI is falling as per normal.

That "dummy" around Pt Moresby semms to have been an early raid on PM as a bit later an Invasion with more than 20k troops arrived, my SCTF which hit the dummy sortied from Cairns, Boise & 3DD all with 30 sys caught them a day out of PM and roughed up some TF's, however my heavier SCTF with 3 CA was 2 days behind and only found the IJN after the landings, sank a few AK, PB etc but too little , too late. Only minor damage but PM fell.

The IJN put in 2 raids on Christmas Is & Johnston Is, only a little damage. Christmas is now secure with 2 RCT, Arty and now a L4 airbase. Johnston is on the hind teat as I plan to use a few Bn sized forces to clear Midway.  I might break down an Inf Rgt to get a Bn there though.

I've moved my CV around to Perth, having no dea of where Andy has sent the AI, I might try to catch a couple of those CV TF swanning around Java and even up the odds.




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Post #: 19
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/16/2011 12:18:46 PM   
SgtSwanson


Posts: 212
Joined: 5/15/2005
From: Long Branch, NJ
Status: offline
quote:

The Midway attack needs CV support, a Vibrator Sqn has decimated the attacking fleet.


Sorry but I have to ask: Did you add female pilots to this one Andy?

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93-95 2/502 Inf. 101st Airborne Div.
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Post #: 20
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/17/2011 7:31:56 AM   
CaptBeefheart


Posts: 2301
Joined: 7/4/2003
From: Seoul, Korea
Status: offline 		I'm playing the latest Ironman with latest beta patch at Hard, and it's currently early April 1942. I let the two sides duke it out until mid-Fed (I let it go longer twice, but both times in March, as I recall, the USN lost three or four flattops off Saipan--I didn't want that much of a handicap so I started at an earlier save).

Sing and Bataan were still IJA-free in mid-February, but only just. They each fell within a month. It took longer for Sing as there were a lot of piecemeal shock attacks. At that time, Moulmein also held for quite a while. Also, I inherited a good chunk of the Aussie army, much of it restricted, floundering on PNG at Milne Bay and near Moresby. I lost both stacks eventually. Not so good for the Aussie pools. In compensation, I have 3 Inf Div at Suva, 41 Inf Div at Brisbane and even 7 Mot Div at Noumea. All of those are permantly restricted. There are a few other smaller restricted units posted overseas. Obviously the AI did that before I took over. Most of the DEI has been taken except Sumatra less Sabang. Only minor mop up for the empire in the PI as well.

In terms of raids and such, I just got raided at Perth by a mid-sized KB formation and sigint now says an IJA div is on boats heading for Geraldton. I hope to have a decent reception committee waiting there. Something called the "Timber Wolf," an ACM or CM (i.e. the commerce raider type) sank a few merchies between Pearl and Frisco. Bad raider, bad! I assume it's German with a name like that. Looks like I'll have to escort my merchies a bit better. That's the only non-Japanese sounding ship I've noticed so far. I have noticed a few dud torpedos launched at CVEs Kizen and/or Hizen or somesuch. Also, I've noticed a few CAs and CLs I don't recognize from my history books. I assume I'll be meeting a lot of those.

A couple of things the AI could possibly do better (not a complaint, just observation):

1) Not sure how uberman the IJN CV pilots are, but maybe those smallish roving bands of IJN CVs should have more flattops included. Anyway, I'll be spoiling for a fight off OZ if possible in the next month or so.

2) I took out numerous xAKs with a CA group at Milne Bay that went there to bombard (just after I lost the base there). Maybe 20-30 totally unescorted xAKs went down. Such a waste of fine infantry, I mean merchies (well, about 10,000 troops did go down too).

3) Akyab is also getting trickles of merchies and my CA group in region is taking out 4-8 a week. They could probably use more escorts, or else an SCTF should be based in the area.

4) I found the Guards Mixed Brigade and an air flotilla camping on Midway with my Mar Def Bn and USAAF base force (that must be some crowded real estate). They've been there since before February and I assume they are supply-free as I've shore bombarded them a few times and they don't bombard themselves. Probably Midway needs more resources devoted to the initial invasion. I plan to land an RCT there soon and be done with them.

I'll try to post more as time progresses.

Cheers,
CC

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Post #: 21
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/17/2011 10:53:32 PM   
Andy Mac

 

Posts: 15222
Joined: 5/12/2004
From: Alexandria, Scotland
Status: offline 		please do its interesrting

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Post #: 22
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/18/2011 1:45:02 AM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		Similar to Cdr Cody,

I read above about an invasion of West Aust and given the number of IJN CV spinning around Java thought it a possibility or just a chance to snipe a few CV.

Sent my 4 USN CV to a point about 300 miles south of Soerbaja and succesfully fought off about 200 sorties for only 2 bomb hits, 4-5 sys damage, I then hit a CVL TF and put 4-5 bombs into 3 CVL, 2 day turns makes this a nail biting exercise, and ran for home. Next day found a TF heading towards Pt Hedland area and sank a PB & AK, I wonder if tomorrows turn brings out an Invasion??

I have the Gds Mixed Bde on Midway as well, the Vibrators are hitting them now and scaring away the Gooney Birds so they must be hungry, in about 4 days my Marine Raider & Parachuters will land and hopefully send them to a POW camp.

In Burma the IJA has taken an empty Rangoon, I'm still holding Magwe against 17k with a Burma Rifle Bn, I think the IJA is using a Thai Division here.

Temuloh in Malaya is still holding, intel says 50k IJA attacking

I now have Bde+ sized forces at Noumea, Nadi, Suva, PagoPago and Christmas Is and will start filling back towards Japan.

Quiet in the North, I've got RCT equiv at Dutch Harbor & Unmak and sending a RCT equiv to Adak soon.

(I peeked, only at the ships available listing, about 25 CA for the IJN, some which carry a useful airgroup as well!!)

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Post #: 23
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/18/2011 3:19:53 AM   
CaptBeefheart


Posts: 2301
Joined: 7/4/2003
From: Seoul, Korea
Status: offline 		Holy perpetual cruise, Batman! That CV group got bigger and did a a complete west-east run under Oz in mid-late April in two distinct groups (one about 300 a/c, the other about 150). I managed to get some ships out and some survived in port, but it was certainly ugly (3 cruisers upgrading in Sydney managed to survive). Unfortunately, my USN CVs were still parked in Pearl and San Dog awaiting upgrading escorting cruisers.

Depending on what IJ forces are parked at Geraldton, which I have no recon on, I expect to roll up the IJN's West Australia invasion shortly. I only had a two-day warning (2-day turns) and thus no time to reinforce Geraldton before it fell. Perth is awash in AVs by now, however.

Also, the Orion commerce raider is doing a bit of mischief in the waters between Sydney, Noumea and Wellington.

Sigint: An interesting tidbit says a JAAF engineering unit is prepping for Pago Pago--no ship carrying intel, though. I have a nice reception committee there.

JeffK: What's the timeframe in your game?

Cheers,
CC

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Post #: 24
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/18/2011 5:12:55 AM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		Mid march 42

Looks like I've got an interesting April to come.  (I tripped over the Orion with the Dutch fleet, it s gone to join Kormoran.)

I have 2 Bns at Geraldton, 6 Bdes at Perth, 6th Aussie just made it in from Aden.  7th Aussie is at Aden waiting for shipping.
6th might hang on a bit, maybe at Kalgoorlie ready to move.

My airpower is a bit low in the west, a Hudson Sqn and a Wirraway Sqn and a Kittyhawk Sqn due in 2-3 days.

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Post #: 25
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/18/2011 11:45:35 PM   
JeffroK


Posts: 6391
Joined: 1/26/2005
Status: offline 		Up to 19 March, the IJA is still clearing the DEI and back filling in PNG & Solomons.

It was 2KOYLI holding back 6 Thai Div at Magwe, 55 Cav Rgt and a Tank Rgt came and pushed them out.

Temuloh is still holding, plus a very weak Bde across the N-S Rail.  2 Divs and 7 Rgts or 40-50k IJA trying to clear them out.

The quiet time, loins being girded for next phase.

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Post #: 26
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/20/2011 6:24:44 PM   
HansBolter


Posts: 7704
Joined: 7/6/2006
From: United States
Status: offline 		Sorry it's taken me so long to respond but work has been hectic lately.

I'm in my 6th or 7th or 8th Ironman game (can't really remember how many times I have restarted it).

I'm using the most current beta patches and update fairly promptly as they are released.

So far, I have refused to play on any setting other than historical since the idea of a surrounded force having unlimited supply sticks in my craw. I now realize that it may be necesary to accept that "cheat" in order to make the AI viable. My nex game will likely be on 'hard'.

My current game is at February 27th, 1943. Until recently I had thought the AI ws still resilient enogh to make the extended game viable but I am beginning to have my doubts as there seems to be no opposition whatsoever to my advances in New Guinea and the Solomons. The AI has almost no air cover in the region.

To back up a little. Having trashed the AI too early in previous games I took a conservative approach in '42. Unlike prior games where I trashed the AI at Canton, I let the AI have it without a fight this game. However, I still can't bring myself to the point of not fighting over Midway. Midway was an interesting battle. When the AI came to Midway I had only two CVs at Pearl and another two at Palmyra. I did have a battleship force under Norm Scott stationed at Midway since the previous weeks had seen some tit-for-tat surface actions there. The AI started raiding my supply convoys at Midway with DDs, so I upped the ante with a CL/DD force. The AI responded with a CA force so I upped the ante again.

I got an early warning of the AIs approach to Midway when a Japan bound sub ran into them about 20 hexes NE of Midway and put a fish into the Akagi. Forwarned I started racing to Midway with the two carrier groups. A couple of turns later Midway's PBYs spotted up the KB and a smaller advance screen force inbound. While the KB was still about 11-12 hexes out the first of my two carrier groups arrived on station 6 hexes SW of Midway to cover Norm Scott's SAG which positioned itself for a night run on Midway hoping to catch the advance screen force and get away before teh KB could pounce. The KB was reported as having 144 fighters (don't know if this still included the Akagi). This was far too strong a force for my four carriers with 27 fighters each to stand up to. I had two Marine fighter squads on Midway (F3F and Buffalo) with green pilots.

I was only looking to strike with the surface force if I could and planning to stand off with the carriers and await developments expecting to lose Midway. This is the first IM game that I had seen the AI bring such a formidable force to Midway. Norm made his run the next night and lo and behold the advance screen force consisted of 3 CVLs with only CL escort. Norm sunk two CVLs in the night encounter and the third one on the way out the next morning while getting away Scott free (hehe). Fully expecting to lose Midway when the KB arrived with the invasion force, I pulled the carriers and SAG back and staged out the operational fighters.

Even though there was no way I could have prevented the invasion, I guess the heavy losses suffered by the screen force caused the AI to turn tail and sail for home. A KB has returned to Midway several times since and with me heavily engaged in the south I made no effort to respond, but all subsequent visits have been by the KB alone with no invasion force. Presumably intended to draw my carriers out for a fight.

Playing conservatively for the most part I avoided any CV vs CV fights for most of '42. The only carrier air battle I have had was at Guadalcanal. There the AI waited too long to respond to my invasion. It took 5 days to arrive and by that time I had strong LB fighter cover for my carriers and sunk 2 CVs and 2 CVLs. To date the AI has lost 2 CVs, 9 CVLs and 2 CVEs. I have not lost a carrier.

The AI seems to get a real hard on for certain objectives. My last 3 IM games have hit the script for Geraldton. Recall feedback some time ago about the full KB coming to Geraldton, chasing my fleeing ships eastward and then losing focus and meandering into a sheltered, mined and coastal gun coveerd bay on the southern coast and getting itself decimated.

This game it has come to Geraldton many, many times with no air cover at all. I defend western Australia. The 6th Aussie Div (the first to arrive from the Mideast) goes to Darwin while teh 7th goes to Perth/Geraldton with the rest of I Aussie Corps assets. I also almost always end up keeping the India bound American Army Fighter Group in Oz to defend the NW and SW areas. I also use teh Army dive bombers there since they don't have the legs to reach NG. I have sunk at least 6 different invasion forces that arrived with no air cover and no heavy escort. I also station the Dutch navy at Perth and they have had a field day on the invasion forces escorted by Es and PBs.

I have to get back to work now, but will try to follow up with more when I get home from work tonght.

< Message edited by HansBolter -- 10/20/2011 6:26:05 PM >

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Hans


(in reply to JeffroK)
Post #: 27
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/20/2011 11:51:53 PM   
HansBolter


Posts: 7704
Joined: 7/6/2006
From: United States
Status: offline 		Follow up:

This is the first IM game that I let the AI take Burma. It is very easy to keep the AI from ever taking Burma and I larned that it skews the game too heavily if a player does it. Last game the brits were two hexes from Bangkok in Nov '42 when I decided to restart because the AI had gone down the toilet. To prevent the AI from taking Burma all one has to do is evac the III Indian Corps from Singapore and transport it to Rangoon. Pegu is the key to Burma. Plcing a 1200-1400 AV stack in Pegu will cause the 2500 AV Japanese stack that arrives there to bog down. Then it's a simple matter of surrounding it and bombing it for 6 months while you increase your 1400 AV stack to 2500 AV and can start reducing the stack. After killing off 27 Japanese LCUs the flood gates are wide open.

This game I let Burma fall while eventually fighting a protracted battle over Akyab. I typically combine the AVG with the British to give a good air fight to the Japs. Whne the AVG withdraws I transfer the experienced pilots to the 51st Fighter Group that arrives in India through Aden. Pappy Boyington led the charge and is my leading ace with 37 kills. His squadron (former since he has been retired to TRACOM now) is my leading squadron with over 500 kills. The presence of teh Brithis navy in Chittagong and Diamond Harbor during the Burma fight guaranteed many attempts by the Japanes to get to them only to be slaughtered by my air concentration. The AI never came with Zeros and almost always came with Oscars. Many time unescorted bombers flew into heavy CAP becasue juicy naval targets were present. I didn't intentionally set out to bait the AI with naval targets, I needed the navy there to counter invasion attempts. I sunk many invasion runs on Akyab and eventually the AI overwhemed it by land route. The Brits took heavy naval losses but inflicted heavy losses as well. Thing went quiet on this front after Akyab fell as the AI has made no move on India.

The AI also has a penchant for sending unescorted Bettys to Chengtu apparently trying to bomb the supply I'm flying in over the hump. For a time I had three Chinese pilots in the top ten with 12, 11 and 10 kills in I-15s and I-16s!!!!!

The AI does a grat job of coming early into the Solomons and NG. In the historical campaigns it is very easy to screw with the AI at Rabaul. It brings a force just strong enough to overwhelm the at start garrison. All one has to do is fly in reinforcements starting on day two and the fall of Rabaul can be seriously delayed. In IM the AI drops a small unit there by fast transport on Dec. 7th. This prevents units from being airlifted in or out. The AI also comes to Port Morseby very early, way too early for the Allies to be able to put up a fight because they have nothing to fight with.

However, I've discovered now that the AI did almost nothing to build up a defesne of what it took. Lunga and PM were cakewalks. I'm now moving on Buna and very strong in Shortlands. SoPac is obliterating Rabaul which has almost no fighter defense. There are 21 LCUs in Rabaul but no airforce to speak of.

While there is almost no air cover in the south seas the AI pounds China day in and day out with heavily escorted raids, sometimes up to 70 Oscars escorting unopposed bombing raids. The Chinese air force is hiding in the hinterland training and waiting patiently for decent planes.

A big failure on the part of the AI was not taking Tabiteuea. I only discovered this game what a real gem it is. One of the biggest challenges in running out to take a dot hex under enemy air cover is getting the supply in you need to build bases up. It is easy to FT a small fighting force in to take an enemy cot hex and just as easy to FT a seabee battalion in without it's bulldozers. Supply runs are what leave your APDs sitting exposed under enemy air cover. Unlike other dot hexes Tabiteuea has a ready stockpile of supply for base building.

With the lack of any real opposition in the south seas I am not so sure teh AI is still viable enough to play on. Ive implemented a two stand down on operations to see if the AI can get some air in to put up a fight before I completely obliterate the bases in the region. I'm only a few days away from expanding my Tabiteuea kingdom to Tarawa. The AI has lost over 5000 planes to air combat and 1100 destroyed on bases. I've lost 2600 to air combat and 400 on bases. I'm concerned the air losses may have overwhelmed the AI. Ihave resisted loading it up as the Japs to see how much resilience they have.

The place where the AI has shined is in sub ops. No matter how smug I become over one surface or air trouncing after another the AI always humbles me with the subs. They have hit a multitude of ports with midget subs. Just recently putting a fish in a Brit BB and a fat AP in Colombo. A fresh wolfpack of German subs just arrived off Colombo in Jan '43 and a fresh German SAG has been spotted roaming the Indian Ocean.

Was going to attach a save for your perusal but received a message that it's too large (3.32mb).

< Message edited by HansBolter -- 10/21/2011 12:02:03 AM >

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Hans


(in reply to HansBolter)
Post #: 28
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/24/2011 9:35:43 AM   
CaptBeefheart


Posts: 2301
Joined: 7/4/2003
From: Seoul, Korea
Status: offline 		I'll add a few more tidbits up to about mid-June 1942:

Geraldton/Perth: There have been several single rgt or single bde invasions of Perth since Geraldton, which have naturally been crushed. That seems a bit of a waste. I also had no trouble defeating the about 2 1/2 divs of the Geraldton force.

KB: Also, the KB, or parts thereof, did some more cicumnavigation of Oz. I managed to get my 5 CVs down to Melbourne in time to catch the counterclockwise component (the larger clockwise component got too much of a head start). I got the Skokaku, 1 CVL and the Haruna, plus three TBs. No losses to me except maybe 10-15% of my aircraft.

Commerce Raiders: The Timber Wolf is still active in EastPac, with the Sea Wolf confirmed residing in Davey Jones' locker. The Orion was damaged but probably still floating toward Rabaul. Indian Ocean quiet for now except the numerous visits to West Oz (touch wood).

Cheers,
CC

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Beer, because barley makes lousy bread.

(in reply to HansBolter)
Post #: 29
RE: IRONMAN - SPOILER THREAD - 10/28/2011 6:51:46 AM   
CaptBeefheart


Posts: 2301
Joined: 7/4/2003
From: Seoul, Korea
Status: offline 		Now up to August. Gearing up for counteroffensives. Stumbled on the CB Lutzow and its Arado floaties, which was hanging with the Yamato up around Chittagong. My Albacores put a couple of fish in it. Shows up as sunk but I doubt it.

Cheers,
CC

_____________________________

Beer, because barley makes lousy bread.

(in reply to CaptBeefheart)
Post #: 30
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