Turn 1

Turn 2

Turn 3

Turn 4

Turn 1

IJN Comments: This is my first game in the current Top Ten tourney and I get to face the Alan. We will be playing with options 1 and 2 with a bid of 4.5. The IJN have superior airraids that sink 7 BB’s and a CA. They also crippled PA(4d) and NO(1d). Group W rolls into Hawaii and Enterprise is based in Aust. POC at normal IJN +7.

Turn 2

USN Comment: I am -22 against Andy Gardner after Turn 2 (!!!)

IJN Comments: I decide to press the action since Alan is a bit short of surface material which includes only 2 functioning BB’s. So I decide to patrol as follows: 

JI/AI/Mari’s-Single CA’s

CPO-2x118’s

Indo-3xLBA

CS-2x118’s

USM-4x127’s, 2x444’s (Both fail their SR’s)

HI-4x127’s, 4x436’s (Only one fails the SR)

This allows me the flexibility to do almost anything that I wish to morph into depending on what Alan’s LBA decide to do. This is a bit more than normal and might induce Alan to place all 3 of his LBA in the USM. If this occurs, I might pull back the attack on the USM and go elsewhere. It also allows the IJN to convert the Phil’s without using the Sasebo NLF in the Mari’s. It can then go forward to try and capture a forward base, usually either Midway or Dutch Harbor.

Alan patrols fairly normally in NPO, Indo, IO, BoB. He places 3xAussies in the Marshalls to threaten the block. He also repairs the crippled PA to 3d in Aust.. Alan surprises me and and spreads out his LBA in the CS, USM and Mari’s. To me, this is an invitation to go 3 area since I can get cracks at his depleted surface fleet and remove an LBA or 2. This would make the T3 conversion of a home port a little easier.

My final LBA and raiders:

SPO-LBA

Marsh-2xLBA 

AI-Shoho

CPO-Junyo

NPO-Kita

CS-Shok, Ryujo

USM-2x554, Kumano, Hyuga, Kaga, Akagi, Hosho

HI-Fuso, Furu, Kako, Kinu, Zuik, Hiryu, Soryu, Zuiho, Yoko

Mari’s-Sasebo

I follow up on a modified 3 area attack with most of my guys in HI. My CS carriers are there to cost him if he comes in, or cost him an LBA and the repairing PA(3d) (I hope) if he doesn’t. Likewise with the USM. HI is there to sink CV’s and surface ships.

Alan raider move is simple: Everything to Hawaii!

Alan is a strong favorite to win the area but that is OK with me. I should be able to convert  just about every base around the board, get an LBA kill or 2, sink misc. CA’s in the NPO/Marshalls and sink 2-4 USN CV’s. That is, of course, if the pref rolls come out fairly normally. Alan hopes to save the USN’s main port, sink Yoko, sink 3-4 IJN carriers. Alan’s margin for error is thin as his surface wrap is only 3 but outgunned 7 to 2 in BB’s alone.

With only 2xBB’s and a CA to wrap me with, I elect to call for a night action in HI in order to land Yoko. I could very well come out of it with 2 carriers and a surface wrap on Alan for the second round. However, even a day is not the worst thing that could happen to me as all 4 carriers get to fire! With the I-Boat hoping to clean up afterward. Alan will need to have at least one carrier left, preferably two, in order to avoid a punishing surface battle that could follow. All in all, a bold move from the USN!

The pref rolls mainly favor the USN but I do win the Mari’s roll (so I can land Sasebo on Phil’s). The USN get night in the Marshalls (so Alan’s CA’s escape), a night in the USM (so Alan’s LBA escapes)  and a big pure day action in HI for Alan. We agree to fight a day action in a fairly equal CS fight as Alan wishes to save the POC and the repairing BB.

Battle results:

NPO-I sink Indi

CS-I whiff against the 11^th AF, Alan then whiffs and retreats. I gain the POC and sink the repairing BB!

HI-I sink Hornet and Yorktown. Damage  is done to Lex(1d) and Sara(2d). Alan sinks Soryu, Hiryu, Zuiho and Yoko while disabling Zuik. Just about as good as Alan could have wanted. The I-Boat dampens the USN celebration by sinking the listing Saratoga. Facing 2 USN CV, the IJN then withdraw without any USN pursuit.

IJN Flags-JI, AI, CPO, Mari’s, Indo, SPO, Marsh, CS, USM

USN Flags-BoB, IO

The IJN view the turn as a victory as just about every goal is achieved!  A massive POC gain of 15 takes the POC up to 22. The IJN have sunk 3 CV, a CA and a BB while losing 4 carriers and no surface. I also wrap up Singapore, Lae, Midway and Attu due to isolation. Phil’s to invasion. I also have an intact perimeter for T3 which should permit me to max out the POC in the coming turns. Guad., NH and Samoa are all threatened by the IJN as well. Turn 2 can often spell disaster for the USN if things go horribly wrong. While it would appear to me that Alan is in bad shape, I just can’t help but feel he has a long term plan in mind as the turn went fairly straight forward. His CV should have expected to take 4 hits (on 13 bonus shots) with an average sink rate of 3. And this is with his preferred pref roll. He has saved Hawaii but will it prove to be enough. Only time will tell…

Turn 3

USN Comment: I am -29 to Andy Gardner after 3 turns.

IJN Comments: My goals for this turn will be to gain POC (possibly max it), threaten HI and the USM (while possibly converting it) ports and threaten conversion of the Guad/NH bases.

My patrols/LBA/NLF’s:

AI/NPO/JI/CPO/Mari’s/SPO/CS-One CA each

USM and HI-5xCA each

Marsh-2xLBA

Indo-3xLBA

CPO-LBA, Kure

This should keep Alan guessing as far as the USM and HI are concerned. I also support Midway while going after my goals.

Alan’s patrols/LBA/Marines:

BoB-4xBrit BB’s

HI-3xLBA

USM-2xLBA

CS-LBA

NPO-2 x marines

This will allow Alan to raid just about anywhere he chooses, in force. The POC is unmanageable so the USN will just let it max and look for attrition possibilities.

With just 2xLBA in the USM, I decide to go all out for the conversion of Samoa. I also will send a couple of CVL’s into the CS in the hopes of converting Guad. and NH. My raiders:

CPO-Yamato, Hiyo

USM-4x444, 4x436, 2x554, 3x127, Kaga, Akagi, Shok, Zuik, Ryujo, Hosho

CS-Junyo and Shoho

Alan does go for attrition with his raiders:

AI-8xCA

NPO-8xCA, Enterprise

HI-5xBB’s, Lex(1d)

The results:

AI-We each sink a CA

NPO-Suzuya is sunk by Enterprise. I-Boat sinks Enterprise for its second kill!

HI-2x118’s are sunk by LBA

USM-I shoot down one LBA and place 2d on the other. Ryujo sunk by LBA. Alan retreats. Samoa has been converted.

CS-I whiff, Junyo sunk by LBA. Shoho downs LBA and Alan whiffs (this time on the IJN patroller), both Guad and NH flip to IJN by isolation

IJN Flags-JI, Mari’s, Indo, CPO, Marsh, USM, SPO, CS

USN Flags-IO, BoB, HI, NPO

POC maxes at 29. The CS battle was huge to both our fortunes. I decided to stay and slug in out with Alan’s LBA since the two bases were still at stake. Afterword, Alan and I talked about it. Alan had decided after my initial miss that he had to start working on my carriers and felt he had to get a little greedy. I had felt that the patroller (it would have been sunk by Alan’s 1^st rd. of fire) should have been the priority target and that his LBA could have then retreated. The masses can be the final judge of that one…

Turn 4

IJN Comments: My goal for T4 was simple, sink (or trade with) the USN marines. The logic is simple. The IJN has so many bases at this point that the USN can’t possibly hurt the IJN without key bases for future turns.

The final IJN layout for this turn is:

SPO-CA(P), Sasebo

Mari’s-CA(P)

AI-CA(P), Kure…Raiding-Hiyo, Yamato, 6x127, 4x436

CS-2xCA(P), Akagi, Kaga, Shok, Zuik, Shoho, 4x444, 2x554

CPO-CA, LBA, Yoko, Hosho

Indo-3xLBA

USM-LBA

Marsh-LBA

My goal is to trade an NLF with a marine over DH, while flagging AI (to prevent an Allied presence in Japan on T5). I also lap the available Allied surface fleet in the CS. So I should be able to sink the 2^nd Marine w/o a problem in either a day or night action. However, I send an NLF into the SPO to cover Guad. just in case.

The USN’s final layout:

Indo-Hermes, 5xBB

HI-3xLBA

CS-3xLBA, 2^nd Marine

NPO-1^st Marine, BB, 4xCA

CPO-Raiding-Wasp, 4xBB, 8xCA

IO-Raiding, 3xBB, 3xCA, Lex(1d)

The results:

CPO-LBA/Hosho cripple Wasp. Wasp misses the LBA and the USN retreats

AI/NPO-We swap marine units

CS-2^nd Marine is sunk by 30 surface shots. IJN retreats with its goal complete

Indo-3xLBA disable Hermes

IO-I-Boat cripples Lex

IJN Flags-Indo, AI, CPO, Mari’s, Marsh, USM, SPO

USN Flags-BoB, IO, CS, HI, NPO

Game ends at this point. With only one marine available for T5, Vicky and Hermes as operational carriers and a very poor board position, Alan retires.

USN Surrender: No mas.

I had a faint hope that you would stick around in CS and give me a chance to get lucky, but since you're not doing that and I have no US CVs next turn, I really have nothing going for me here.

I have learned my lesson re Turn 2.  Good luck in the rest of your games.

IJN Post-Game Comments: Thanks for the game! I always enjoy playing you as you are always a gentleman. I also thank you for playing the kind of speedy game that I like. I find it more enjoyable and exciting!

I was only after marines and CV's on this turn, as you know. The base situation was such that I felt I just needed to rid the board of the marines and I would be in good shape.  Best of luck in your future matches!