From: Lee Forester <forester@smaug.cs.hope.edu>
Subject:      Re: Port Arthur

Dave writes:
>
> It's been too long for me to spell it out exactly (sorry!), but naval
> movement *is* the key.  Someone else alluded to blocking the rail lines
> to prevent much in the way of reinforcement of Port Arthur.  Getting
> the cavalry (8MPs?) around the peninsula as quick as possible also
> puts a lot of pressure on the Russian line in the north, since getting
> around their flanks forces them back if they want to maintain a
> continous line (which they need to do to prevent the Japanese from
> Strat Moving right up to Mukden).
>
Hmmm.  I played the Russians by getting some stuff back to Port Arthur,
first a good stack at the narrow point on the peninsula to hold it for
a while, then back up to Port Arthur after the Japanese have worn down
the stack.  Leave enough stuff to hold it for the rest of the game (i.e.
move/leave the units there), and with the rest of the army make a pocket
around Mukden and  that other VP town south of it. Trying to hold a line
to PA seemed really pointless, so I didn't bother. The Japanese couldn't
really bash through to Port Arthur in time, even with their best units,
and instead needed to try to crush the Russian troops to the north, but
that wasn't always possible, and I seem to remember there being some
Russian reinforcements that came into play. The games I played were pretty
close. I was just wondering if I missed some easy way for the Japanese to cut
the railline before the Russians even moved, or something like that.

When the Russians are in a pocket along the railline, the Japanese strat
moving isn't all that much of a problem, because they can't move adjacent,
and that gives the Russians a turn of tactical movement to adjust to the
threat. Interior lines and all that. And if the Japanese split up to
surround, that leaves them vulnerable to counterattacks if they get too
weakened.

Am I missing something pretty big and obvious I wonder?

Lee

From: Markus Stumptner <mst@DBAI.TUWIEN.AC.AT>
Subject:      Re: Port Arthur

>When the Russians are in a pocket along the railline, the Japanese strat
>moving isn't all that much of a problem, because they can't move
>adjacent,
>and that gives the Russians a turn of tactical movement to adjust to the
>threat. Interior lines and all that. And if the Japanese split up to
>surround,
>that leaves them vulnerable to counterattacks if they get too weakened.

>Am I missing something pretty big and obvious I wonder?

Seems to fit my experience back then (what I remember of it).
The Japanese will inevitably accumulate losses over time, and
the Russians can counter the strategic movement due to careful
distribution of forces.  I do remember now, though that I found
the mapedge effects near Mukden to be quite gamey (apparently
they were needed to limit the unlimited movement).

        Markus