IJN Report: This is my first game in this Top Ten. The last Top Ten result is a distant, but fond, memory...

 

A great start as the IJN forces pummel the American naval base at Pearl and the British forces in Indonesia! Pearl-After a great first pass in which we bottom 5xBB, the IJN forces will be able to target the 7th AF on rd 2! When the smoke cleared on rd 2, the USN is left with only the SF and the 7th. In Indo, the Repulse is sunk and the 5th is shot down.

 

POC at normal +7

IJN Report: I decide to go with fairly standard patrols as I really don't know Charlie's tactics. I know he is smart, real smart. I also know his game has reached new levels in order to qualify for this Top Ten. The scary part is that I have we may have played once, years ago, and I don't what he likes to do. The only thing that I can take comfort in is that I believe that I have a greater amount of experience, especially against top players, than he has. Given that, I decide to be a little cautious when it came time for raiders. Given the fact that I had a great Pearl, perhaps a little too cautious. I would let Charlie come to me.

 

Charlie comes alright, right into Indo (?), CS, Marshalls and CPO!

 

The Indo raid against 4xLBA was interesting. Vastly outmatched, he still wanted to limit my LBA for T3. If you look at it from the point that LBA disable things and not sink them, then he is getting extra shots in. Since most IJN players leave Indo to the Brits on T3, only to remove 2x027's anyway, I guess a case could be made for it. Some people would view this as a wasteful, short run, tactic. After all, the LBA come back right? However, it's implications can be for the long term as well! With one less LBA on T3, the IJN may not be able to build an SPO, Marsh, HI perimeter. The USN may get "free" holes in both Indo and the Marshalls. This would tend to keep the POC in check on both T3 and T4 due to raiding lanes as well as "save" USN CV on T3.  Very interesting Charlie!

 

The downfall is that if an 027 goes down, for no cost, in the long run the IJN will not have to worry so much about Indo. Perhaps that LBA is now "free" to be placed on the front lines later in the game against USN CV's...

 

Results-    Indo-I sink an 027 while an LBA takes 3d.    CS-Hosho sinks Yorktown! To make matters worse for Charlie, Hosho is disabled! With no planes overhead, I stay. My BB sinks the Aust and my forces get away.     CPO-Both IJN carriers gang up on Lex and sink her. In return, Ryujo is crippled and Junyo sunk. Ryujo escapes after being disabled.   Marshalls-My BB's prevent the block by sinking one CA while disabling the other. I lose Hiryu but the BB's are sent back to YNY. I-Boat misses.

 

A great turn for the IJN! I trade Junyo and Hiryu for York and Lex. I flip Saigon, Phil's, Lae, Attu, DH, and Johnston. POC runs up to 16.

IJN Report: My main goal will be HI but I will put token pressure on the CS and the USM in hopes of getting some more CV attrition. My secondary goals will be to flag the SPO and invade Midway.

 

HI-During the first round day action, I sink the 1st Marine and place 4d, dis on the 2nd Marine. To make matters worse, I only ding 2 LBA, for 1d and 2d, respectively. Ack! However, Charlie's LBA are horrid, disabling only the Kaga and Zuiho! With that result, coupled with Samoa under pressure, Charlie retreats. NC and CO are sunk while MS is disabled with 5d. Maya is sunk and Fuso takes 2d in return fire.

 

Marshalls-I sink the CA     Mari's-I disable 2xCA while Tone is disabled   CPO-Hiyo disables Hornet and is sunk in return. Kure takes 3d from Enterprise and invades Midway! The I-Boat misses.  Enterprise sinks Kitakami. I retreat in 2 groups leaving Hiei to the mercy of the USN. In a night action, Hiei sinks a CA and is disabled!    CS-Houston is sunk and SF disabled, Kuma is sunk in return. In a second night action, Yamash lines up Saratoga and sinks her!    NPO-Mogami holds the area after SCL is disabled.    USM-Soryu misses ID on rd 1 but sinks Deruyter on rd 2. I then retreat even though I have a decent chance at winning the area. I have a plan in mind for T4...

 

Overall, the turn is very good. I flip Pearl with no CV loss, take the POC up to 23, and invade Midway! On the CV front, I again trade CV's, this time Hiyo for Saratoga. I also win the surface attrition battle, 6 to 3. Wow! The downside is that Charlie will have a marine in which to work along with 8xLBA's for T4.

IJN Report: I decide to put big-time pressure on the CS and the USM after seeing Charlie's LBA placement. With a threat of flagging the USM, and limiting what I need to guard on T5, Charlie needed to react. I also went to the CS to give him basing problems and to sneak my NLF into Guad from the backdoor. Charlie needed to react to this as well. However, he could not do both, or either, without exposing his last 3 CV's. And I would be favored to get a day action in both....just an ugly position for the USN to be in. My I-Boat would go to Indo to try and remove the marine(4d) that was headed for Lae or Phil's.

 

The battle was very short. A night came up in the CS, sinking the Hornet, and landing the Sasebo on Guad. So I hold both the SPO and the CS. In the USM, it is day as well. Both Wasp and Enterprise are sunk. To cap off a perfect round of fire, the I-Boat comes through and sinks the marine(4d) in Indo. Charlie does not bother firing back and resigns.