Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: EUBanana

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We have both made mistakes, but if Allies can now do 1:1 with "inferior" equipment, numbers and pilots, what will it be like in 43?!? This game takes so long I would like to have some fun with it too.

I dunno - what have you conquered so far? Thats the bottom line, the boots on the ground.

Yamamoto said Japan would have six months, and I think thats more or less accurate in the game - up until summer 1942 there is almost nothing the Allies can do, they simply don't have the troops.

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ORIGINAL: Erkki
I feel like I have no forces to achieve much more. The 7th AUS Div was not in Malaya - I dont think I would have been able to get Singapore had it been there My troops have hands full with the small units the Allies have everywhere, and I dont have support troops to actually make proper use of the conquered bases. I used the Imperial Guards div against Singapore, which is possibly the main reason why I havent progressed at all in Burma.

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Playing Japs seems to be a losers choice. Especially if its your first PBEM and scenario 1. I didnt have the first 6 months planned like I feel like I should have...

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ORIGINAL: offenseman

I am not a big believer in altitude being king from the standpoint of higher is always better.  What I do believe about altitude is that altitude bands are important to make proper use of. The P40E is good against a Zero below 16k. A Hurri is good against an A6M2 at higher altitudes, etc.  The higher overall durability of Allied aircraft and lower overall gun value of Japanese aircraft have a big role as well.  If you fight at an altitude that favors the opponent, in a less durable crate that has less gun value; you will come out badly.  Add in pilot experience and if you also fight with near equal experience pilots, things are going to go poorly.  Try to make the Allies fight in the altitude band of YOUR choosing. For example, set those bombers at 16k if fighting the P40s and make them fly where the Zero outclasses them.  Make the enemy fly a lot which will eventually ground some of them and give you more numerical advantage.  and Read LoBaron's air coordination guide. :) 

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ORIGINAL: crsutton

Well, viperpol and I are about 700 turns into our scenario #2 and my other opponent and I are about 400 turns. These are my observations in our games so far.

P40 and zero are fairly even. Zero wins a few more air battles (initial pilot quality) but takes more op losses.
Zero owns the wildcat especially with better pilots.
Zero is better than the hurricane which is better than the oscar.
Tojo comes on line and Japan builds 100 million a month Tojo is king until mid 1943.
Lightning is better than all above but service rating of 3 and small replacment rate limits its use. It is not useful if flown from foward fields.
Early corsairs are as good as the lightning but still stuck with 3 service rating and you do not get enough
Jack and tony come on line in 43. Both are good and give Japan better ability to shoot down bombers. Corsairs and lightnings are better. All have service rating of 3.
Hellcat comes in mid 43 and is a great all around fighter. Tojo killer.
George comes on a little later and is a good fighter with great armament but not fast enough. Lightning and corsair are better.
P47 comes on around 7/43. "Nothing" beats a P47.

Viperpol can add his comments he might have some different views, but this is my experience.

Note, we have a 29,000 ft height CAP. If you do not have a height CAP, then the plane that can fly higher is going to do much better overall.

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ORIGINAL: Erkki

I have a 25,000 alt limit in my PBEM. It is February 42, and I feel like I have already lost the war in the air. Doesnt matter how bad I outnumber the Hurries and Hawks, my hordes of Hayabusas and Zeroes(I have hand picked the pilots, every single one flying Zeroes is 70+ EXP, Hayabusas 65+), cant get a shot in, cant destroy them, nothing. Last fight, I had Zeroes outnumber a lone, damaged hawk 6 on 1, that Hawk managed to damage one Zero and shoot one down. Zeroes just damaged it. I dont feel them any disadvantage for having liquid cooled engines, worse service rating or presumably worse pilots.

Now 8 days of constant air combat, Japanese(sweeping Rangoon/Moulmein) typically outnumber the British 2:1 up to 4:1, but they still suffer K/D below 1. What exactly can I do differently, apart from exploiting higher ceiling? I cycle the units so they all still have morale above 75 and average fatigue below 20. I know that in the long run I can attrit those aircraft types, but as the war progresses, this will only get worse. Cant wait to meet 4Es, P-38s and P-47s!

Funny to see 30 Hurricanes strafe my troops, kill 200 men and lose just 1 plane against 4 full divisions when my 60 Ki-48s bombing at 10,000 for 3 days fail to kill a single man. Those troops are stuck at Moulmein because they cant push the brits back. War lost in Feb 42. No wonder people play Scen 2?!?

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ORIGINAL: Puhis

Try use several squadrons sweeps, at different altitude at the same time. For exampe at 6000, 15000 and 25000 feet. Low flying planes might take the CAP lower, and then high flying squadron get the DIVE!

Also, if Zero or Oscar don't cope with Hurricanes at 25000 feet, try use them lower. At 10000 feet Zero and Oscar have notable manuever advantage.

BTW, are you using Ic -model Oscars? Ia and Ib models have lousy weapons, they won't kill anything...

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ORIGINAL: EUBanana

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Funny to see 30 Hurricanes strafe my troops, kill 200 men and lose just 1 plane against 4 full divisions when my 60 Ki-48s bombing at 10,000 for 3 days fail to kill a single man.

That might be a terrain thing, there's an enormous difference between clear terrain and everything else.

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ORIGINAL: seille

I have similar experiences like Erkki fighting the hurricane over southern India.

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ORIGINAL: seille

@EUBanana

I fight over southern India, all i grabbed is Burma except Akyab. And i did not complain about imbalance at all,
i just complained about the extreme bad performance of my Zero/Oscar against Hurricane. That´s all.

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Zero owns the wildcat especially with better pilots.

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ORIGINAL: offenseman

I am not a big believer in altitude being king from the standpoint of higher is always better.  What I do believe about altitude is that altitude bands are important to make proper use of. The P40E is good against a Zero below 16k. A Hurri is good against an A6M2 at higher altitudes, etc.  The higher overall durability of Allied aircraft and lower overall gun value of Japanese aircraft have a big role as well.  If you fight at an altitude that favors the opponent, in a less durable crate that has less gun value; you will come out badly.  Add in pilot experience and if you also fight with near equal experience pilots, things are going to go poorly.  Try to make the Allies fight in the altitude band of YOUR choosing. For example, set those bombers at 16k if fighting the P40s and make them fly where the Zero outclasses them.  Make the enemy fly a lot which will eventually ground some of them and give you more numerical advantage.  and Read LoBaron's air coordination guide. :) 

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ORIGINAL: Puhis

Try use several squadrons sweeps, at different altitude at the same time. For exampe at 6000, 15000 and 25000 feet. Low flying planes might take the CAP lower, and then high flying squadron get the DIVE!

Also, if Zero or Oscar don't cope with Hurricanes at 25000 feet, try use them lower. At 10000 feet Zero and Oscar have notable manuever advantage.

BTW, are you using Ic -model Oscars? Ia and Ib models have lousy weapons, they won't kill anything...