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wdolson -> RE: most important location/base ? (5/26/2009 10:49:23 AM)
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Note, I'm thinking about bases here in AE terms which is closer to reality than stock.
The game represents a few different combat theaters, each one has it's own critical bases. Singapore is the gateway to the western side of the SRA and is critical for that reason. On the eastern side, there is no single must hold base, but Clark Field is pretty important to controlling the sea lanes.
In the Southwest Pacific, everything hinges on Rabaul, Port Morseby, and to some extent Noumea. The Japanese need to hold a number of supporting bases further north to hold onto Noumea, it's easy to cut off from behind, so it can turn into a Burmese monkey trap for the Japanese if they aren't careful. Port Morseby controls the approaches to the north coast of Australia and makes supplying Darwin very difficult if in Japanese hands. Rabaul is the gateway to the Central Pacific. With it neutralized, or in Allied hands, the Allies have a southern route into this sensitive area for the Japanese.
The Central Pacific largely lacks really great bases, so its hard to defend from a mobile enemy. Truk is the only base in this region that isn't fairly easy to invade and capture if the enemy brings enough carrier support. Truk, unfortunately has little flank support. The nearest decent bases are Rabaul and Guam which are a ways away and there are no great bases to the east, which is frequently where the Allied thrust is going to come from. As a result, Truk can be neutralized and then it becomes a liability rather than an asset.
In the South Pacific, Suva is probably the most important base for the Allies. There are a number of other bases that can be built up decently to the South, and Samoa is to the East.
To the North, Attu and Kiska can be a pain the Allied side if held by the Japanese, but they are fairly isolated and the Allies can take them back as soon as they want to commit the troops and lift to take them. Dutch Harbor is a key base for the Allies, but Unalaska is also imortant as an air base since DH has little in the way of air capacity.
Further west, Ceylon is important for the British. If in enemy hands, it gives the Japanese the ability to project power across much of the Indian Ocean. However, it would be difficult for the Japanese to hold and easy for the British to pound it into submission from the southern part of India. Calcutta is also an important British base in the region. It's generally going to be the administrative hub for the reconquest of Burma. For the Japanese, holding Rangoon is critical to holding Southeast Asia. With Rangoon in friendly hands and adequately supplied, a decent sized army can be kept in the field in Burma. Additionally, Rangoon is the gateway to Thailand and French Indochina for an army marching east.
For Japan, their control of the SRA also hinges on control of Formosa. If they were to lose that island, the SRA would effectively be shut down. It would also allow the western Allies to support China directly if they can capture a port on the mainland.
I know it doesn't answer the question, but it's sort of like asking if you could only have one airplane what would you take? There are bases that are keys to regions, but no one base is most critical for the whole game. That's one of the things I like about this game. It takes balancing your forces over a vast area to succeed. Too many eggs in one place and you invite disaster somewhere else.
Bill
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