Turn 1

Turn 2

Turn 3

Turn 4

Turn 5

Turn 6

Turn 7

Turn 1

IJN Report: It doesn't get much worse than this for the USN.  I don't think I've ever seen so many sinkings during the first two rounds of air raids.  Six ships are sunk.  Two more follow during the single night action in rounds three and four.  The 7th AF is also shot down.  The two "survivors" are both in the mud.

The British ships get away but not the 5th AF.  The USN plays it safe with its raiders.  The Saratoga arrives early to join Enterprise and Lexington in Australia.

IJN gains the NT1 standard 3 PoC.

Turn 2

IJN Report: With only two Allied LBA, I know I'll be hitting at least two Allied Home Areas this turn no matter what defense Jim mounts.  I patrol the U.S. Mandate more heavily than normal -- with ships looking for a fight.

The Allied LBA go into offense placement in the Marianas and Aleutians.  While the Marianas will force me to send my NLF there (instead of going after Dutch Harbor), it leaves the Home Areas wide open.  I'll hit all three.  This offensive set also has the advantage of letting me garrison Indonesia with just three LBA -- counting on the Home Area pressure to draw off USN carriers.

I speed roll Junyo to the Hawaiians.  Shoho fails the attempt and sits in Truk as bait -- knowing that the USN can't take a major battle and go after her too.

The USN takes that bait in the SPO and relies on a suicide CV in the Coral Sea to take out the NLF (and keep me from posing a KO threat that I can back up effectively next turn).  It's a reasonable USN response -- particularly given Jim's surface ship weakness.

In the battles, I sink Prince of Wales in Indonesia, Australia in the Marshalls, and both mud-dwellers at Pearl Harbor.  I escape from the Central Pacific and Aleutians.  In the Marianas I win a night action to invade the Philippines and end that particularly nasty threat!  In the South Pacific, I manage a whopping one damage on Hornet for the loss of my LBA.  The I-Boat whiffs.  The Shoho is obliterated.  In the Coral Sea, it's daylight (darn it).  I easily sink Yorktown.  However, Yorktown fulfills its mission by disabling the Yokosuka NLF with 1 damage.  That should enable Jim to save one of either Pearl Harbor or Samoa next turn.

The base situation is one really huge plus going for the USN (as is his low CV attrition).  The PoC score will mean real trouble for the USN in an NT1 game with a low bid.  More than that, however, all those flags in the home areas means that USN movement options will be fairly restricted next turn.  I'll try to concoct a strategy that takes advantage of that!

IJN converts the Philippines by invasion and Singapore by isolation.

IJN gains 12 PoC to increase the over-all IJN lead to 15 PoC.

Turn 3

IJN Report: I'm going for the knockout this turn.  Very few ships will be used for anything else.  This is a chance I can afford because the USN has to stop me and because, even if I fail, I'll still easily convert one of the two of Samoa or Pearl Harbor.  I'll still have cruisers everywhere, of course, since I want to pick up anything the USN lets me have.

Because I have no forward base in either the Mandate or the Hawaiians, my LBA are free to keep a decent perimeter intact and ensure that Indonesia stays firmly in IJN control.

Despite a 3-1 edge, I win the Marianas and inflict nasty attrition on the Allied fleet.  I myself prefer at least 4-1 when going against IJN CA for this very reason.  I'll often stand and fight when the odds are only 3-1 as the IJN.  In SPO my LBA and I-Boat combine to take one USN CV down before being shot down.  Night in the Aleutians save Dutch Harbor for the Allies. my CA gets away.  I'm disabled quickly in the Marshalls.

I easily win in the Hawaiians to convert Pearl Harbor and sink two of the new, shiny BB there in air raids.

I sink the USN CV in the U.S. Mandate.  However, in two rounds I down only two LBA while losing almost all of my CV to disable and four sunk results.  I still have seven CV, so I'm in reasonable shape.  I run away.  Jim was wise to use one LBA in the Hawaiians -- since it forced me to send three CV (albeit small) there.  Those three probably would have been worth more than one LBA if they'd all been in the Mandate.

IJN converts New Hebrides by invasion and Pearl Harbor and Johnston Island by isolation.

IJN gains 7 PoC to increase the over-all IJN lead to 22 PoC.

Turn 4

IJN Report: I deploy aggressively in almost every sea zone in order to take advantage of what the USN leaves exposed.  I'm very worried about the bases, so I hope to flag some key areas and use my NLF to take Lae and secure Indonesia.

My most unusual patrol is the Hermes in the Marianas.  With a flag, I hope to get many days in a row there if needed -- but don't think I'll get to back her up with much.  My hope is that she can cause some surface or carrier attrition as well as scare away USN patrollers.

I use my LBA to secure the ends of the Applebaum line in Indonesia and the Hawaiians -- using the Allied weakness in the air against them (and, I hope, ramping up the POC score).

When it comes time for raiders, I attack the Coral Sea to stop the Marines and the South Pacific.  I use a flag defense (without the flag) in the Marshalls.

I win the South Pacific when the USN runs after losing one LBA.  However, the USN LBA stop my NLF from reaching Lae by disabling her.  In the Coral Sea, I sink all four Allied pieces without loss.  In the Marshalls, I disable the USN Marines with damage but lose my own carrier.  In all the other areas, I lose one cruiser at most -- nonetheless, it hurts symbolically (since it's my very first surface loss of the game)!

Despite all the NLF and Marines, no bases change hands this turn!

IJN gains 5 PoC to increase the over-all IJN lead to 27 PoC.

Turn 5

IJN Report: I've got quite a challenge this turn.  There are five Allied bases inside the Applebaum line that have proven very resistant to conquest!  That will make setting up a solid perimeter very challenging if not impossible.  But I've got to try anyway.  8 Allied LBA will make all those bases very threatening -- I also have to try to conquer a few of those bases.  Thankfully, I have all three NLF to help me.  I also have a flag in the Aleutians I hope to exploit.

I patrol the Coral Sea and U.S. Mandate -- but it's mostly just to draw a USN response (or to take advantage of opportunities opened up by the Allied responses).  I particularly need to draw some of those LBA away from the forward areas (or trap the Turn 6 reinforcements in the Mandate).

I use my LBA in Indonesia and the Hawaiians again -- but only two each.  It's not really enough, but I hope that it's enough that (together with the I-Boat) the Allies won't seriously attack either area.  I use my other LBA in the U.S. Mandate -- again to draw Allied LBA away from the interior.  I use the other in the Marshalls to try and plug that hole.

My plan to draw Allied LBA to the edge works -- with five defending home areas.  My NLF head to SPO to secure both Lae and Guadalcanal.  The other heads from Pearl Harbor to the North Pacific to try and take Attu and Dutch Harbor in the same move.

My raiders hit the South Pacific strongly and back up the Aleutians (to make it impossible for the USN to stop me now that there's no LBA there).  I add one CV to the Marshalls (the sister of the Junyo who stopped the Marines last turn)!

In the Japanese Islands, the Musashi sinks the North Carolina but takes 6 damage in return and is disabled.  I send her to Japan for repairs.  In the North Pacific, a night action spells the end of my Dutch Harbor invasion, but at least my cruiser escapes.  In the Central Pacific, I lose my second surface ship in pursuit, but not before I sink an Allied CA too.  In the Marianas, I lose my third surface ship -- but sink two Allied CA over several rounds.

I escape without loss in the Coral Sea.  I lose my LBA in the U.S. Mandate before retreating.  In Indonesia, the Allies miss Hermes speed roll.  My LBA sink the British 027 but take two damage in return.

In the SPO, the first round is a day action.  I shoot down one LBA.  In return, the Allies sink one NLF and whiff on the other.  No longer able to disable the Allied LBA (and knowing that there's no way I can get Guadalcanal for next turn -- given the Marine in the Coral Sea), I decide to take Lae by isolation instead and save the NLF for next turn.  The next turn I shoot down the remaining Allied LBA, but -- surprisingly -- Jim sinks my remaining NLF.  Aak!  (Of course, as it turns out Jim thought he was saving Lae...  I thought he wouldn't bother to shoot at it.)

In the Marshalls, a first round night action sees the Hiyo lost for nothing and Kwajalein invaded.  The I-Boat disables Lexington back to Samoa (since I decided the most likely way to negate Kwajalein was to flag the area).  In the next round, my LBA takes a small hit and sinks Wasp.  That means no USN CV in the interior next turn!  The next round see my LBA disable Victorious, but my solid perimeter is not to be as Vicky finishes off my LBA.

In the end, the surface attrition goes my way yet again.  The CV attrition is one for one -- which is good for the IJN.  I barely move the POC upward, but at least it's upward.  My entire interior is shot, and I don't have a complete perimeter either.  However, I do have flags in some real key boarder areas.  The Allies have a ton of bases, but fortunately they have no forward based CV.  This turn looks really bad for the IJN, but I have some advantages (particularly my surface fleet) that can compensate for the base situation.  The fact that this is an NT1 game with a low bid also favors me strongly so close to the maximum score.

IJN converts Attu and Lae by isolation.
USN converts Kwajalein by invasion.

IJN gains 1 PoC to increase the over-all IJN lead to 28 PoC.

Turn 6

IJN Report: I quickly decide that POC is the major concern for the IJN from here on and that I can take advantage of the IJN flags on the board as well as the places where the USN can't get LBA or CV.  I control both  Japanese Islands and Indonesia with LBA alone -- just one for the former.  With only the Hermes to challenge Indonesia, two LBA would have been enough.  However, I add the third to bolster my ability to stop a Marine from reaching the Philippines.  I send the entire fleet to the Hawaiians (although I keep enough as raiders to keep the USN honest).  The Musashi repairs -- to push my surface advantage even further ahead for next turn.

The Allies can get a 4 CVL wrap on me in the Hawaiians, but would lose the game on a night or day/night action anywhere in the first three rounds.  As a result, the USN avoids combat and moves his fleet to advanced basing at Midway.

My LBA in Indonesia stop the Marines from taking the Philippines by sinking them.  The only other action is the I-Boat in SPO.  I decide I don't need Lae (since I'll have all three NLF next turn) and aim for Lexington.  I whiff anyway, so it wouldn't have mattered.

I actually score more PoC than last turn!  However, the score begins its long march downward.  It's slow enough that I have a good chance.

Despite losing Lae the turn after my original conquest, taking Indonesia this turn was absolutely vital.

My fleet returns to Japan -- unable to deal with 16 USN carriers.  However, I leave one CA, one BC, one CV, and two CVL behind in Pearl Harbor to threaten rear areas next turn.

USN converts Lae by invasion.

USN gains 2 PoC to decrease the over-all IJN lead to 26 PoC.

Turn 7

IJN Report: I use my lousy new CVL and all but 2 BB and 5 CA to patrol the Japanese Islands.  The USN will face the same uncomfortable choice here as they did in the Hawaiian Islands last turn.  My surface superiority is simply overwhelming despite new USN BB showing up every turn.  Three CA is still my total surface losses for the entire game at this point!  I use the CA in Pearl Harbor to patrol the North Pacific -- just in case.  My six CV can't match his nine -- but it's enough with the surface firepower so lopsided.

It's worth noting at this point that the total swing I need over this turn and the next is a mere 9 PoC.  I can win just be controlling the Japanese Islands this turn (6) and decontrolling them next turn (3).  The game is very close to over at this point.

With just five Allied patrollers in the Hawaiians, I decide to put all of my LBA and exterior ships in the Hawaiians to try for the 3 PoC swing there this turn (which I can get just by denying the Allies the area).  There's even a chance I'll win the area if the Allies hit poorly on the first round.

The Allies go all-out for the Hawaiians.

In the North Pacific Ocean, daylight allows my cruiser to escape.  At this point I have still only lost three CA from my surface fleet for the entire game!  My surface fleet has truly been invincible.

In the Hawaiians, I also win a day roll.  The Allies shoot down 5 LBA and damage the other!  The two CVL are sunk while the Kaga is disabled.  With just Kongo and one damaged LBA left after one round, I'm thinking my play into the Hawaiians is a bad idea.  However, luck graces me one more time.  Qunicy, Canberra II, and Bataan are sunk.  Quincy II and Cabot are disabled.  That's all of the patrollers and enough to win the game.  Whew!  I wouldn't have felt comfortable if even one patroller had still been around!

The big difference in my mind was the ability of my virtually untouched surface fleet to own any area where I had a flag.  Nonetheless, I'm glad that I don't have to roll those night actions next turn with no LBA overhead in the Japanese Islands!  Jim fought a tough game and almost got back in it!

IJN Endgame Comments: I miscounted the POC and see that after that round of combat that I've lost, even after I rolled really well that round. Assuming I kick you out of HI--nearly a certainty--I'll gain only 8 POC, leaving you 18 ahead with a bid of only 0.5. For form's sake I'll take Johnston Island.

After losing most of my surface fleet on turn 1 and three CVs on turn 3 I was way behind. You nursed the lead well and I just couldn't fight any big battles without a high likelihood of losing the game early. I hung around and had chances, but losing the 3 on 1 CA battle in the Marianas turn 3 cost me 2 POC and time after time your surface forces got away by winning D/N rolls or me missing them. Yet had you rolled poorly in HI this turn I'd still have had a chance on the last turn with Truk in my possession to get a big patrol into Japan. And I would have been able to afford to lose 2 POC, enough that I could put almost the whole fleet in Japan. I just didn't have enough ships to win the key areas. Even as late as turn 7 you could win two big battles.

USN converts Johnston Island by invasion; Maleolap, Saipan, Attu, and Truk by isolation.

USN gains 8 PoC to decrease the over-all IJN lead to 18 PoC.
Maximum gain next turn is 17 PoC, leaving the IJN with 0.5 PoC after the bid is applied.
The IJN, therefore, has a mathematical lock.

Congratulations, John!