obvert
Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011 From: PDX (and now) London, UK Status: offline
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Opening Moves So I've had the first turn for a few days and I've been re-discovering the Allied side. I haven't played this scenario before, and although its based on Scen 1, the DBB version is definitely different. I love how many little ships of all types there are. My thinking has revealed around three basic ideas to start off. 1. SRA: While I want to slow the Japanese progress here, I also want to avoid losing half the RN cruisers here. Last time around I was a bit cavalier. I thin there will be opportunities if I'm patient, so I'll try not to jump on the first shot I have. I' not going to do anything too unorthodox, and no festungs. I do want to take some time also to watch Lowpe's air patterns. Having not played him before it'll take a while to start seeing what he likes (and doesn't like) to do. 2. CHINA: This theatre is a pain for most Allied players, but I still believe that even with good IJ play, the Chinese can be a pain in the rear. If he's done his research he'll know I will run to x3 ground and get stuck in. I've decided this time around to sacrifice more of the smaller Corps to block rails and generally create some chaos while also preparing to die and leave more supply for the bigger units to use. I'll not do much with the Chinese AF soon, but the AVG should make and appearance or two here. I will supply China through the air via Ledo ASAP. I'll move all free transports here to start. 3. Post SRA; invasion Bonus: Where will he go after the SRA is secured? This is the burning question for me. He's seen the results of a passive, inept opening and an aggressive, organised game in his last. I would doubt he'd give the West Coast another shot, but who knows? Maybe he's got it solved now? Odds; 20-1 - Soviets (I can't imagine he'll go for the ultimate goal here, but you never know. A solid China defence will make it harder, so my goals there are to hold firm). 10-1 - West Coast Full (It would take some real guts to do it again so soon. I've got the message at least, and forts have started everywhere. Just saw that Salt Lake is worth something like 25k VPs!! That will get a regiment if he does come). 8-1 - India Full (Crossing the LOD here and going for Karachi would be epic. May other Allied game faced an India invasion, so I know how tense it could be. I don't think he'll risk it knowing that my guard will be up, and I have new ideas of how to slow this down). 7-1 - West Coast Partial (He could come to harvest VPs but avoid triggering reinforcements. I still doubt this will be part of the plan). 6-1 - Australia Full (Crossing the LOD here and harvesting lots of industry and resources could be a productive 42 for the IJ. There isn't much to slow them down, but reinforcements are good, and it's almost impossible to completely blockade OZ). 5-1 - Historic Perimeter plus (This is more likely, with an addition of West OZ and further Pacific conquests plus some more of the Aleutians. This would not be an AV threat, but could conserve the fuel and supply his economy needs to be effective late). 4-1 - India Partial (Just taking Calcutta, Madras and the mountains could help his economy and kill a lot of Allied troops, also reducing the Commonwealth pools. A good option, and he does have experience there in his last game). 3-1 - Australia Partial (This is a concern and one of the best openings for Japan as I see it. Take the West, the NE, and bomb the crap out of the resource centres, industry and any shipping found in the ports. Very low risk. Good payout. Not to expensive). Will he go for AV? I doubt it. Lowpe seems too concerned with the healthy running of the economy and he has PDU-ON plus Symon's air fixes to the Jack, George and Ki-100. So if the Allies don't do something in late 42 into early 43, it could get painful in the air.
< Message edited by obvert -- 9/24/2017 7:55:17 AM >
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"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
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