(Very) Early War Japan Questions (Full Version)

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walkerd -> (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/24/2005 5:50:52 PM)

Have just started my first game as Japan and have a few questions.

• How quickly do people upgrade Claude units to Zero’s? I would assume as soon as you can. Rather then add replacements to existing units you disband current units into your depleted units, or just swap them around.

• Battleships. Do people task their Battleships for specific roles? I would assume some class of Battleships are better at different tasks then others. I currently use speed as the crucial factor. Fast Battleships with carriers for AA and to absorb hits. Next speed down will eventually go to SAG’s with the intent of defending other fleets or locations, possibly as Hunter Killers under the umbrella of LBA to disrupt careless Allies. Slow will be Bombardment groups.

• Cruisers. Silly me has not looked into them but I was of the understanding most Cruisers were decent ships and on par between classes. With the exception of LCA’s which I use as DD leaders. Any suggestions?

• I assume the most important aircraft to speed production on is the Ki-43-IIa Oscar. The quicker pilots are out of Nates the better. How much is to much extra productions?

• I have noticed that it is easy to fatigue your starting air units (after 2 whole turns….lol). I have started rotating the air units between stand down and active missions. About 50% / 50%, at least for the moment. Hope to go 66% active / 33% stand down. What are other people doing?

• I am attempting to stay away from “cheesy” actions. The desire to go crazy with invasions and have KB stay and bombard PH into the dark ages is hard to resist. Out of curiosity how do other people prefer to play?

Thanks



AmiralLaurent -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/24/2005 6:23:31 PM)


I like better having 5 units of 20 Zeroes than 4 of 27, so I have all my air units set at 'no replacement' (except the KB units) and I upgrade all Claude units (as soon as I have enough planes) one by one.

I keep the BBs that start with KB with the CVs. The other BBs are used for bombardment but also to cover invasion convoys until Force Z has been defeated. The two first BB (Yamashiro and Fuso) upgrade in March 1942 so won't sail too far away from Japan usually.

CA are the best Japanese ships. CVs are the kings in 1941-1942 but latter CAs will be the best Japanese weapons. I always use them in groups and with good escort of DD.
I use most Japanese CLs like large DDs. The training CLs have a speed of 18 and are just large APD that I use in rear areas.

Dec 1941 is probably too easrly to start extensive research of the Oscar II. A too quick expansion of the Japanese industry will let Japan dry of supplies. Each increase of factory is taking away 1100 supplies (100 for the order and 1000 for the repair).

Air units are getting tired fast when flying at long ranges, like Zeroes and Betties/Nells do. I like better planning offensive missions every two days. Mission 1, one day rest, then offensive missions planned that will be flown on the first good weather day. That is for base bombings. Naval attacks may be flown several times in a row. Having at least two Daitais of Zeroes to escort your raids greatly reduces the bomber losses.
Naval search and recon fly all the time, as fighters flying defensive CAP (mostly Army fighters).

I don't know what you mean by 'cheesy actions'. My style of play is to not attack everywhere but to use the Japanese superior mobility in the first months to crush Allieds bases one by one with overwhelming numbers.



jwilkerson -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/24/2005 7:04:07 PM)

One tiny tid-bit to be aware of ... the game considers CLs to be "non-escorts" if they are included in Bombardment task forces ... hence if you send in some BB, some CL and some DD with "no escort bombardment" selected ... the CL will bombard ... and hence will take damage ... which they might not be as good at as BB ... so when forming bombardment TF ... think before including CL ( especially on IJN side ).




walkerd -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/24/2005 8:54:18 PM)

Thanks guys

I also have my air units at no replacements. So will do something similar. I suspect, depending on how intense operations are, that I will let my units fall to 15 – 20 aircraft before stopping operations and replacing.

I have sent all BB’s off on turn 1, so will send Yamashiro and Fuso back to Japan as soon as their mission is done.

Was not aware that range had a direct affect on fatigue levels, but it makes sense. I was intending to rest one unit and fly the other, then alternate. I guess it depends on how many units I have. Was intending (dreaming of) having spare units at important locations for fail safe and to allow fatigued units, or units with low morale (eg run into heavy AtA or AA) to recover.



Grotius -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/24/2005 10:41:19 PM)

Yep, range has a dramatic effect on fatigue.

On upgrading Claudes: one thing to be careful about is ensuring that your little CVL air groups get Zeroes. If you upgrade the land-based Claudes first, you may run out of replacement planes for your CVL-based Claudes.

On research and production: as has already been said, be conservative at first, because expanding production and expending resources on research costs you supply. Most Japanese players find themselves in a supply shortage by February or March 1942. Once you've taken a chunk of the Southern Resource Area, your newly-liberated resources and oil will pump up your supply output.



Grotius -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/24/2005 10:47:18 PM)

Oh, on your question about "cheesy" tactics: when I play the AI, I impose a lot of house rules on myself. As the Allies, I try to fight a more-or-less historical battle. I have less experience as Japan, but again I try to cut the AI a break now and then.

E.g., in my one and only game as Japan vs the AI, the AI ordered the USS Lexington to blithely sail from somewhere in the Central Pacific to somewhere in the South Pacific, on a route that took it within one hex of my Nells at Kwajelein. Well, I let the Nells put holes in it, but I stood them down the next turn.

The game is much more challenging and, I think, interesting against a human via PBEM. In that setting, it can also be helpful to agree on a small number of house rules. Practice on this varies widely, from almost none to long lists of rules.



doktorblood -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/25/2005 9:27:14 AM)

1. I like to upgrade to zero as soon as enough become available ... starting with the 2 CVLs and then the the rest of the frontline Claude units one by one.

2. As for the battleships. I like to use the 4 faster BC type ships with carrier groups or to add some punch to cruiser SAG and bombardment groups. I like to keep the 6 big battleships together as the main battle fleet and sortie from time to time when the Allies require some punishment ... but mainly keep them in Japan as a threat because they are real gas hawgs to just go driving around with. The 2 super BBs that come as reinforcements are pretty handy in any of these roles.

3. The CAs are pretty much the workhorses of the navy and you will never have enough of them ... you only have 18 of them and I don't think you get any more. The CLs aren't near as good as their Allied counterparts and are really just big destroyers ... the good part is that you don't feel too bad when you lose them. However, there are 2 CLs that you will want to put with your carrier TFs since they are the only 2 ships in the entire IJN that are equipped with radar for quite some time ... they are Kitakami and Oi.

4. I don't really do anything with Ki 43 II production.

5. I don't like to operate air units when they get over 20 fatigue if it can be helped. They seem to crash a lot more if they get more fatigue than that.

6. I don't get to involved with a lot of small landings right off, I just don't have enough ships to cover them all. As for Pearl ... I would only consider a second day of strikes if I thought the 12/7 strike was a whiff. I'd rather take a guess and try my luck at catching one or both of the American carriers at sea.




Culiacan Mexico -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/25/2005 10:03:27 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: walkerd

Have just started my first game as Japan and have a few questions.

• How quickly do people upgrade Claude units to Zero’s

• Battleships. Do people task their Battleships for specific roles

• Cruisers.

• I assume the most important aircraft to speed production on is the Ki-43-IIa Oscar

• I have noticed that it is easy to fatigue your starting air

• I am attempting to stay away from “cheesy” actions. The desire to go crazy with invasions and have KB stay and bombard PH into the dark ages is hard to resist. Out of curiosity how do other people prefer to play?

Thanks

I upgrade Claude to Zero in this order: Carrier Based Units, Front Line Units, and then those based in Japan. Zeros are given a early war advantage making them very effective… might as well us them.

I use Battleships and Cruisers in bombardment task forces to soften bases that have oil or resource centers. I find (or at least I think I do) that Allied land units that are heavily disrupted cause little to no damage to the centers in the hex when you take control.

I don’t worry about speeding up Ki-43-IIa Oscar production, and consider Tony/Tojo to be the best Army fighters available late 1942.

I constantly monitor air unit fatigue. I find losing irreplaceable pilots to fatigue related crashes… painful.

I don’t know if it is “cheesy”, but I don’t attack Pearl Harbor: KB head for Manila and then in to the DEI to gain sea superiority and support amphibious invasions. Attacking Pearl Harbor is dispersion in assets and is not warranted.

Just my opinion. [;)]




DuckHunt -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (3/25/2005 3:29:46 PM)

Hi,

As for Zeros upgrade, I start with the mini-KB CVLs, then give priority to the units in the Kwajalein area (dont want to have my LBA making an attack run against a possible US CV intrusion without escort). Later on I upgrade the land based Chutais in Formosa to strengthen frontline daitais and start the training program asap. The A5M4 units in the Home Islands come last but considering the zero combat bonus during the early months, the sooner you upgrade, the better. Btw, nice thing about Lemurs scen15, the Zuiho fighter unit is already upgraded by game start.[:)]

I usually keep the fast modified Kongo-Class BCs with the KB and mini-KB, although they can be detached alongside CAs to do some surprise airfield-plastering on occasions. I put the Mutsu and Nagato in one strong surface TF, later strengthened by the Yamato and Musashi. As for the older BBs I first put them in squadrons of two with additional escorts and regroup them in a strong Bombardment TF of 4 when needs be.
As a rule of thumb, I tend to regroup my BB and CA units in squadrons based on class type whenever possible. I seldom send them isolated.
I use most CLs as destroyer squadrons leaders or as a close-support for invasion TF except when strong Coastal Defense is expected.A third alternative is to use them in fast transport TF but Im not a big fan of this.

Regarding Oscars even if theTBO does indeed matter I prefer to give priority to Tojo/Tony.

As for Cheesy, I use the first turn mvt rule mostly for reorganization and dont send invasion TF unescorted and/or without aircover. So no attack against far away targets in the DEI in the first turn, or bypassing Singapore and so on... .Regarding KB, I usually attack PH though on occasions I tried the Manilla variant but only with my opponent approval. Sinking numerous SS and concentrating CV and CVLs units prior to a complete reorganization is a nice thing though but keep an eye on strengthening the 4th Fleet area for you can be certain the USN is going to come to wreck havoc with all its might while you will be busy in the DEI.







riley555a -> RE: (Very) Early War Japan Questions (4/2/2005 11:45:55 PM)

I probably won't be a huge help as i'm only in 43 myself. But I found the following the best so far, just some advice...

1.Yes put in fast battleships with a carrier TF, Also have a large surface TF with descent speed and have the carrier TF follow it and your carriers will be much more protected (this makes up for Japan's weakeness in carriers compared America's stronger carriers). Make sure to give carrier TF's 5-10 Cruisers.

2.Any chance to get experience for your carrier airgroups take it. This includes using carriers to cover amphibious landings etc.

3.involve your carriers in at least 40% of your operations.


4.Use your Claudes on your carriers and upgrade them ASAP.

5.Be careful when bombing Pearl Harbor the flak can be very unforgiving. Make sure to bomb at 20,000 feet or above. I've found that at that altitude it isn't nearly as bad. Maybe it's just bad luck but anything below 20,000 feet murdered my bombers.

6. Capture Midway and Lihu in early game (Lihu is undefended early on :) then harass the outskirts of Pearl Harbor from 41 or 42 and on.

7. If you find yourself outnumbered in a carrier battle against the US send out a couple DD taskforces to act as antiaircraft beacons then immediatly after send in your carrier force. Just don't lose any carriers and lose the absolute minimal of cruisers and you'll do fine.

8. Don't bother capturing Port Moresby or Australia, just keep the southwestern area of the pacific neutralized to the point where they can't conduct any major advances and gains on you in the area. Just make sure to hold Rabaul and Truk. In early game concentrate all your carrier airpower on the major American ports. If you're gonna capture Pearl Harbor do it early or don't do it at all.

In the end, As long as you're smart and careful with your carriers and give the pilots plenty of experience and make the most of your cruisers you'll do good. I've found that making the most efficient but careful use of your carriers, even if you have to bail out of what seems like a great oppurtunity to destroy important allied ships and call it quits here and there is the best way to go. Sorry this post is "kind of" disorderly :)




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