Turn 244: 1270 AD

[vmxa1]

I tested the spy bit. I found that in C3C if you lose the CIA you lose your spy. I also found the units in the city stayed after I abandoned the city.

So I planted a spy and then abandoned the city and no longer had a spy.

[DeepO]

Great, vmxa! So, in case we're sure GoW will be going for Legopolis (I think we've got to convince them a little, but the gain simply is too big, they can't leave it), we don't need to spend the 300 gold on exposure. That's another 7 inf to MI upgrades...

DeepO

[DeepO]

Quanto is empty! (well, there is a wounded BB there (the last one, makes sense it would be there), but no defenders.

I'm not really sure what the explorer is doing at Quanto 3. It makes sense to put it outside a city, but still... on RR it could have been everywhere. Maybe just coincidence.

DeepO

[DeepO]

Chaining arts to Lego
- loaded 8 arts into Transport.
- we can't scout for subs to Hub 1, the DD we just build can't reach it (maybe next turn). So I had to risk it...
- arts reloaded
- from hub 1 to hub 2, we've got the same problem. We can't leave hub 1 undefended. So again risking it.
- hub 2: arts reloaded.
- now we can scout. Moving one DD to hub 3.
- we encounter a sub! sub sunk. DD promoted, now 3/5.
- Lego has a way of putting its subs right in the way of where the ships automove, maybe I should change my behaviour. This is not the first time that when there are multiple paths possible, and I just let the game decide (by moving the mouse to the destination tile), we encounter a sub. Would they plan this?
- anyway, transport reloaded, and follows the trail of the DD, gets to Hub3.
- didn't establish our city yet, so I'm doing it now. Named New Inchon. Set to barracks.
- reload arts, and move them into New Inchon. unload.

Now, I'll study Aeson's notes on how to hit those ships.

DeepO

[DeepO]

Oh, and because I otherwise forget:
Battle report part 1
DD stumbles into sub at Abilene 4444788 (name unknown). DD promotes to 3/5.

I'm starting to understand why our tiny Belgian navy calls its destroyers minesweepers, and why they would be known for their efficiency...

DeepO

[vmxa1]

So it seems Lego knew we did not have any 2 or 3 move units in that marine stack. I can see how they know we do not have an MI there, how do they know we do not have an explorer?

Sure would be nice to have a calvs in the inventory to force them to defend more cities.

[OPD]

Sure would be nice to have a boat load of conquistadors to unlesh, might be worth considering holding back some naval support for the RP transports as a back up plan.

[DeepO]

vmxa, what do you mean? They knew perfectly what we landed, by right clicking on a stack you can see all the names, and the stats. They knew just as good as we did that there were 8 marines there, nothing more, nothing less...

OPD: we can't protect RP, there simply is no way possible. We can't stack with them... and by surrounding them, they can't move anymore. They have to make the crossing on their own, nothing to prevent that. The best we can do is to scout for subs, and deal with those along the line they are supposed to sail, but we simply don't have the troops to do it. Besides, our chain is also quite weak.

DeepO

[vulture]

vmxa1: the stack isn't in a city, so Lego can see everything in the stack, so they know it's all marines.

[vulture]

Doh! Messed up the earlier calculations re BB killing; I didn't see that there were 3 BBs.

So, with 8 arty, 2 fighters, 2 2/4 DDs and 11 Trannies vs 5/5 4/5 and 4/4 BBs, we have a 23% chance of getting through them, with bombarding them to 1hp if possible before attack,

If we are willing to throw the other 7 trannies into the fray, we can muster 18 in total, giving us 49% of killing all BBs. But I've assumed that all trannies are vets at full health: I'm not sure whether that is actually the case or not.

[DeepO]

Originally posted by Aeson
To get through the blockade I think our best bet is to make sure we kill all the BB HP's we can with our 2/4 DD. Sending it up against a 1/4 BB may end up with us with 2 DD HPs just wasting and not helping the assault. So I think if we can get a shot at the 4/4 BB with our 2/4 DD that would be good, or hit it when/if it's 3/4 and uncovered. The drawback is if we lose, the 4/4 BB will end up having 5 HP overall almost for sure, so it's close either way. We increase the risk of a promotion for Lego, but increase our chances of doing enough damage to get through.

Hmmm... Aeson, when you get back, I do see your point. However I hesitate. And for one thing: counterbombardment. when we attack with the 2/4 DD, we have 50% chance of losing a hp (if I understand bombardment right, BBs have 8 bombard, DD have 8 defense. Maybe you need to take into account the defense bonus of DDs (10%), which leads to 47.6%). We can't help this, we will always run into counterbombardment with our 2/4 DD, if we want to go for the vet BB (no matter how damaged it is). I'm not sure on the numbers, but my intuition tells me that promoting the vet is harder on the ships than the bombardment option.

Wouldn't it be an idea to try to get 3 counterbombardments off with the transports, before using arts and the 2/4 DD?
Hmmm... that wouldn't work either. We need those arts to get the BBs to (nearly) 1/5.

I'm going to trust you here. it will be close, and something tells me the other way around might be better, but let's see what happens.

So chain across the 8 Artillery. Bombard the 5/5 BB and uncover the 4/4 BB (should defend before the 4/5 BB). If we have 7 Artillery left to fire at that point, bombard the 4/4 BB with Fighters trying to take off 1 HP. If we are at 6 or fewer Artillery left to fire, attack with the 2/4 DD.

I'll follow this plan, however, you're not getting the second fighter. We need the carrier to protect hub 2: if we destroy the 3 BBs, and with one less sub, there is a very good chance it can survive. But then it needs more than one defender. So, I'll move one carrier into New Inchon, but the other one stays put. I don't think it will hit anyway, only a 1 in 7 chance.

Then finish bombarding with the Artillery. If we uncover the 4/4 BB at 2/4 and still have our 2/4 DD we would definitely need to hit at that point. Once we only have Transports left, if Lego's blockade is down to 2-5 BB HPs left (including the upgrade for the 4/4 BB) then try to break through with our Transports. (Follow the path the DD took.)

If Lego's blockade has 6+ HPs left, or at any time we fall behind being able to possibly get them down to that level with our Artillery, Fighters, and DD, call it off.

We'll see how it goes. I'll start on it right now.

DeepO

[DeepO]

Originally posted by vulture
Doh! Messed up the earlier calculations re BB killing; I didn't see that there were 3 BBs.

So, with 8 arty, 2 fighters, 2 2/4 DDs and 11 Trannies vs 5/5 4/5 and 4/4 BBs, we have a 23% chance of getting through them, with bombarding them to 1hp if possible before attack,

If we are willing to throw the other 7 trannies into the fray, we can muster 18 in total, giving us 49% of killing all BBs. But I've assumed that all trannies are vets at full health: I'm not sure whether that is actually the case or not.

vulture, are you sure of this? How come Aeson's calculations were a lot better for us?

DeepO

[Cort Haus]

to MZ (copy in log, and by email as MZ's PM box was full)

Do you have any Cavalry on Bob? We're thinking if you have enough tanks left from your landing, you might be able to take Fort Stanwix after bomber and artillery barrage. Then you could build your gateway city and using Settler-hopping and 8 Cav might be able to take 8 empty cities including Legopolis - basically all the north except Jackson and Dye Fields.

Also, do you have any Marines on Bob?

[DeepO]

erhm... forgot about GoW. But first of let's get this Quanto thing out of the way, before responding to them in detail.

DeepO

[Cort Haus]

These new numbers are not encouraging. Why does Lego always have one more ship than we can handle?