Our defense after marines

[DeepO]

It is changed somewhere, as bombers were also mentioned to get a bonus in catt's case. If you take last save of GS, I don't really mind to test it on that one... otherwise I could send you one (or test it myself), but I'm not home anymore... I don't have access to the game.

Does it matter, actually? I'd mobilize anyway...

DeepO

[Cort Haus]

Well, I tested it on the GS save - and ALL units (including workers, settlers, arty and bombers) seemed to indicate the bonus. That doesn't seem right.

[vmxa1]

If GoW are gearing as they say they are, then we probably do not have to be too concerned with any increase in strength showing up, as in relation to them with will not be increasing that much.

I would imagine Lego is also majing a fair number of units at this point as well. So going to Mob shold not be a big deal.

[Cort Haus]

I hunted on the AU forum, but couldn't find a PTW save to test Mobilisation, so I can't confirm which units are unnafected. I doubt we'll know until after 1 turn of it.

[Aeson]

I think our defense starts with a fleet at Hurricane 6. This makes a Marine assault on Hurricane much more difficult, and cuts off the ability for Lego to place their fleet to split Blizzard, Hurricane, Tornado, and Sufu. The main body of our Bombers should be in Hurricane until Lego becomes a lesser threat and MI are available. Then mainly in Tempest/Arashi.

I think we have to accept that everything can't be covered, and identify expendibles ahead of time.

Elipolis, Inchon, Inchoff, and Santa Ana. It would hurt to lose these cities, but it extends us too much to make defense there a priority. Anti-Cavalry defense (2-3 Inf per city), early warning sea pickets, but nothing more. (specific threats could be responded to if nothing else was at risk of course)

WoC would be the focus in any northern split. Possibly to the point of disbanding other cities (Inchoff/Inchon so that Tanks couldn't be brought to bear on WoC) or pillaging our own roads (Inchoff 7,4,1 and Inchon 3,6).

Whirlwind. This is taking an OCN from WoC. It's size 6 and starving? It's the weak link on the West coast, giving too many cities to split defenders between and putting both Arashi and Tempest at risk against Tanks. I think we should sell off everything here, build/rush Settlers/Workers till it disbands. Just too little to gain from it for the defensive liability it brings to the table.

Dissidentville and Blizzard (and the Spinebreaker). The "north wall". If the north expendibles ever fall, this is where we make a stand. Stronger garrisons in Blizzard.

Blizzard 6 is a good placement for a fleet, as a split on Blizzard, Hurricane, and Tornado could be foiled in Hurricane (fleet), Blizzard (fleet... if Lego is placed right), and Tornado (most of our spare ground forces) to be no split at all. As mentioned before, the fleet at H6 doesn't allow Sufu to fall into the split.

If we have a 3rd fleet, I think it needs to be near Sufu. Gives us the ability to swing around to the W, or come up and hit the boats trying for a Sufu, Hurricane, Tornado split.

Counter-response force of Tanks and Artillery in Tempest and Arashi. Their defense will be best there, and we can respond to any area within the southern circle.

Mountains generally left open or just with a unit. Next to cities, or at split sites with an Infantry or two. A Marine capture of a city is far more threatening than a bloodless landing on a Mountain (until MI are available).

Tornado and Sufu will be partially defended by the fleet, but have strong garrisons.

All other cities get anti-Cavalry defenses. 2-3 Infantry.

[Aeson]

Sandstorm should stay on Workers for the rest of the Game I think. Radar Towers everywhere. It takes up an attack to move into a tile with a Radar Tower, and the defense is of course nice to have.

We should consider having a large force of Workers around to Forest tiles between cities (to hamper Cavalry, and later MA), and/or then have bombers/artillery to cut the roads, in the face of a threat splitting our cities. Sufa shouldn't need to threaten Cyclone, which then means Sufa doesn't threaten EoTS through Cyclone. Same thing with Typhoon and Bolderberg.

The general response to a massive split threat would be to identify less valuable holdings, disallow movement from those sites to interior cities, and pile in on the more important sites. How many targets to defend, and how many to abandon, would be determined by the threat faced.

[DeepO]

Wow.. there's a lot to think about here, Aeson, thanks for a refreshing view!

It's too late, and I'm too tired to comment in full, but I will certainly do so tomorrow. Just one quick thing: Whirlwind was only starving for one turn (but probably the one you've got pictures from), to time the market we needed there. Currently, it's a size 12 city, doing good, and normally on 4-turn tank duty (currently 3 because we could juggle a few tiles).

Cyclone on workers: I've been thinking, reading your comment in the GAUL thread, to shift it to settlers instead. It was taken of workers, as it's a drag to hit space over 20 times when all tiles have been forested already (to get the chop bonus), waiting for radio.

Would you build more radio towers then strictly necessary, e.g. trying to cover all tiles with 2 towers? In that case, we definately need more workers (we've got 35, if memory serves me well)

Oh, and the problem with fleet is that we do not have too many ships. Any estimate on what is needed would be welcome, however every destroyer costs us 1.5 tank or so. Currently, I'm aiming for some 20 destroyers, but this could be increased, if we would be willing to build less offensive units.

But Hurricane 6 can be taken by at least a few ships next turn. It puts us in view of Lego, IIRC, so I would prefer to keep at least a few of our ships hidden in cities, to avoid ticking them off.

Oh, and lastly: Elipolis is in itself of no importance, nor the few cities surrounding it (apart from WoC, of course), but the weakness is RP. They have been playing erradically, and in case GoW would invade Stormia, they would fall in less then a turn. That leaves Elipolis very vunerable, and as we can't spot invaders from that side, I reinforced the city. Other spots have at least 1-turn warning (except of the ND coast, where we don't have enough pickets to scout incoming transports)

Next turn, I'll be posting some better screenshots for you, but if you want to have the save in the mean time: just ask.

DeepO