Subject: [consim-l] VitP From: Scott Holmgren Victory in the Pacific March 13, 2001 Victory in the Pacific (AH) Allies: Jeff & Andrew Japanese: Jim & Scott Commentary: Scott Hats off to Jeff for again hosting another game nite, especially with so many home remodeling projects going on! He's a true definition of hospitality. Since Jim had not played last session, I decided that I'd pair up with him to help him along with the rules and flow of the game. With that we sorted and set up. Turn 1 The Imperial Japanese Navy launched her airstrikes on Pearl. After the smoke cleared, battleship row was a shambles: Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Tennessee all gone for good; California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada all resting on the bottom. Feeling like the dice were falling our way, Jim and I decided to stick around and see who else we could push around. But as American carrier groups began to pop up, we began to wonder if we had made the wrong choice. Enterprise and her cruisers (Group W) set sail from San Francisco, but Groups X, Y, and Z all dropped from the sky into the Hawaiian sea zone. After a non-effective sub shot, Jeff and Andrew decided to make a stand then and there. In the ensuing battle both sides took hits to their carrier forces: we lost Zuikaku, Soryu, Hiryu, and Ryujo; they lost Lexington, Yorktown, and Hornet. Both fleets limped away. In the Indonesian zone, Japanese Land Based Air units and the Zuiho pounded the Allied presence there; the Prince of Whales, Repulse, Exeter, and DeRuyter all went down. Jim and I felt pretty good about our play, although we would have preferred not to have lost a heavy carrier so soon. Japanese +6 POCs Turn 2 We decided to expand the perimeter this turn and sent sizable forces into Indonesia and the Coral Sea. Jeff and Andrew showed force in the Marshalls and the Central Pacific and sent the Royal Navy in to contest Indonesia. The fight in the Coral Sea sent eight US CAs to the bottom and secured Japanese control. We held off their advance in the Marshalls, where they we forced to pull back. The IJN sank all three British carriers and a BB and CA in Indonesia. And the Yokosuka marines landed on Guadalcanal. The perimeter held securely, and the Coral Sea became a wedge in the Allied line. Japanese +12 POCs Turn 3 Jim and I looked over the board and contemplated whether to strike again or to sit tight. We opted for the more aggressive strategy and pushed into the US Mandate and Central Pacific with a sizable patroller force. We then sat stunned as the Allies did nothing. No LBA placed. No raiders. Zippo. We scratched our heads. My best guess is that they were conserving, not wanting to lose any more until their BBs and CVs began to show up. With little opposition, the Sasebo marines took the New Hebrides and the Kure troops waded ashore at Midway. Jim and I had hoped that we had provoked them last turn, but nothing came of it. We wondered what they would do next turn. Did we have them on their heels? Japanese +24 POCs Turn 4 We decided this turn to really play it safe, even conceding a zone or two if necessary to conserve our forces. Japanese LBA fanned out to cover the inner perimeter as did the surface fleet. The Allied LBA had built itself back up to full strength (8 units), which they sent into the US Mandate and Coral Sea. They take the Marshalls and land Marines on Maleolap and Kwajalein. A heated battle in the Coral results in a shot-up US fleet, but the wrest control from us. But although we lose three zones, the POC total is even, so we counted the turn a draw from our perspective. Japanese +24 POCs Turn 5 At this point, Jim and I decided to take our biggest gamble and go for control of the Hawaiian Islands. We figured next turn the US carriers would arrive, and if we could take the zone that would bottle their fleet up there for a whole turn. We decided to throw everything we could, knowing that they'd hit back with the majority of their LBA. We sent our own LBA and sacrificial cruisers into the Coral Sea and the US Mandate just to be thorns in their side. They sailed out their fleets of BBs with the Wasp and Victorious to do battle with the mighty IJN carriers. The Japanese airmen proved their mettle by sinking both Allied carriers, destroying two LBA units, damaging a third, and sinking the Massachusetts and a cruiser. We lost the Yamoto, 2 BCs, 2 CAs, and most importantly the Hiyo and Junyo. These were fairly heavy losses, but we took the zone and effectively bottled up the forthcoming US reinforcements for a turn. Japanese +29 POCs Turn 6 As expected the three Essex carriers and 5 CVLs didn't do much. We gave back the Hawaiian zone without a fight and sat and hunkered down. There was no real combat. Things looked grim for the Allies at that point, for time was definitely on our side. Japanese +29 POCs Turn 7 The US fleet poured out of Pearl. We decided to make a stand in the Marianas, but they didn't push the envelope. Instead they gobbled up zones we left empty. But our iron curtain held as we only lost 3 POCs. But we all saw the inevitable bloodbath coming next turn in the waters around Japan... Japanese +24 POCs Turn 8 The ships and planes lined up impressively across the northern end of the mapboard as the American fleet prepared for its day of decision. The battle began, and after two rounds of combat, all the Japanese carriers had been sunk except for the Ryuho, and all the Essex carriers had been sunk or disabled. So the fighting came down to our LBAs versus their CVLs, but the homeland airpower was too strong for the light flattops. We emerged with a damaged LBA and the Ryuho then rolled successfully for a couple of day actions where we hunted down US battleships one at a time. They eventually got their night action roll, and the heavies began to slug it out. Boats went down left and right, but the Japanese persevered and managed to hold on. Jeff and Andrew grimaced at the results and counted up POCs. We were still ahead, and at 2:10 AM we called the game. Japanese +19 POCs Comments The more I play VitP, the more apparent it becomes that the game really hinges on Turns 3 and 4. Unless you have a solid gameplan and are able to put it into play, your chances of winning slowly slip away with each passing turn. I think Jim and I won due to two decisive decisions: Jeff and Andrew's decision to hold on Turn 3, and our decision to take the Hawaiians on Turn 5. I doubt if the second could have happened had the first not occurred. Also, and I may be wrong (and I'd be very interested in what their comments would be), I felt like we did a good job of keeping them off balance through judicious use of our LBA and heavier cruisers. Last game I indicated that the LBA factor became more understandable for me. This time I'd have to admit that the role of the Japanese cruiser force was where my thoughts dwelt most of the game. As a final note, the game also provided an interesting show of tactical considerations. Jeff and Andrew tended to "gang up" on their attacks in an attempt to ensure elimination. Jim and I, on the other hand, usually spread our attacks along the line in an effort to hit as much as possible. I'm not sure an argument could be made one way or that other that one approach was more effective. Although I believe the final battle off Japan was won due to the high number of American ships disabled and knocked out of combat even though they weren't sunk outright. Perhaps one tactic lends itself more to one side than the other. We'll have to see. My thoughts for next time would be to switch sides and give Jeff and Andrew a chance to have some fun early on with the IJN. NOTE: I did discover that we misplayed one rule, but did so consistently for both sides. Ships with circled factors that take a hit lose their bonus on GUNNERY factors ONLY for the next round of combat. Carriers that take a hit DO NOT lose the bonus to their AIRSTRIKE factor in subsequent rounds. Carriers remain deadly until they go under. Oops. Scott -------------------------------------------------------------- sholmgren@solagroup.org Scott Holmgren Current Gaming: Bulge (SPI) Last Three: Victory in the Pacific , For the People 2, War at Sea --------------------------------------------------------------