Problems using transports?

[P-Unit]

Is anyone else having a VERY hard time using transports in the Atlantic now that they don’t have any defense number? We’ve found that the only way to use transports is to have a HUGE fleet and move ALL your navy units together in one massive stack, otherwise they get killed easily by the German/Italian airforce.

While this seems fine, it certainly limits the number of amphibious assaults you can perform in a game, unlike previous editions. It also forces both the UK and the USA to EACH build a MASSIVE Atlantic naval force because they can no longer defend each other when they perform Amphibious Assaults. This is okay for the UK, but the USA has it’s hands full building a massive Pacific fleet to fight Japan.

The only Atlantic trick we’ve found is:

• USA builds ground units in East USA, moves them to Eastern Canada

• ALL UK and USA ships pile into sz8

• USA transporters move from sz8 to sz1, pickup ground units from Eastern Canada, then move back to sz8 and drop the units into the UK, all in the same turn

• USA ships are built in sz10 and moved to sz8. USA prays Germany never gets long range aircraft

• Amphibious Assaults start out of sz10, with the entire stack of ships moving to the same location every turn

If Germany or Italy has any reasonably sized airforce, we’ve found no way to separate Ally ships without getting all of your transports sunk. Gone are the days of moving transports around with a few other defensive units. You now have to move a massive fleet or send your transports on one way missions (something we’ve done and consider a calculated loss).

[TG Moses VI]

The problem is that Cruisers cost 12 and Fighters cost 10, but for all purposes (disregarding shore bombardment) Fighters are superior.  So the defender is always at a disadvantage economically on a 1-to-1 basis.

Three things can happen:

a)  Cruisers cost 10 IPCs
-OR-
b) Fighters cost 12 IPCs
-OR-
c) Invest in a Carrier + 2 ftrs

Of those three I like c) the best because you’re not changing the game.  Though yes, you have to invest 34 IPCs on defense.

[Imperious Leader]

yes i prefer C but remember planes wont hit subs if they attack unless you buy a destroyer

But i prefer CV with fighters because a 3-4 unit that can move 4 spaces and attack land targets is really a good deal, while a cruiser may be less so.

I prefer a carrier but with DD for asw duty. If the cruiser was a ASW unit i would buy it instead due to the SB

[Perry]

Why, this surely was an intended change by the designers.
And I think it is fair - those BMB-killing 1-trns fleet was a true abhorration!

We shall need to learn to play the Allies - using the new trn rule.
THe issue is how to counter a airfleets of the Axis….At 12 ipc Bmbs are quite a bargain!

[P-Unit]

Agreed on the learning process for the Atlantic Naval strategies. I forgot to mention one situation everyone should keep in mind for the UK Atlantic Navy. If UK loses it’s navy and doesn’t have enough income to buy a new navy in one turn that can repel the existing Germany/Italy air forces, they can no longer build ships without them getting sunk. This situation also occurred in previous editions, but the IPC breaking point in AA50 in MUCH higher now that you can’t build transports to soak up hits and defend against an attack.

So, as UK, be VERY VERY careful that you don’t lose your navy and leave Germany/Italy with more aircraft than you can build a new navy to fight against. If this happens, you have a few (bad) options:

• Hope is that the German/Italian airforce is killed some other way (unlikely if the Axis plays wisely)

• Save your IPCs for next turn and spend 2+ turns of income on a new fleet; essentially forcing you to skip one buy phase

• Give up on a Navy and spend all your IPCs on bombers for SBRs

• Build a Industrial complex someone far enough away from Germany/Italy’s aircraft range and slowly build up a new fleet

[Rambo15324]

Yes we are also having that problem I was wondering why a transport could not retreat while your other ships were fighting?

[Woodstock]

Well, there’s two factors you didn’t mention (I dont have the game yet, so I am working from the bits and pieces of info I gathered so far).

• UK starts with 43 IPC
• Germans with “only” 31, and only 5 planes.

That 43 British IPC allow you to buy a AC, and a factory (Eastern Canada). Merge your british remaining fleet with the newly built AC and put 2 Ftr’s on it. This will fend off any german aerial attack, or at least deminish the Luftwaffe if Germany does decide to strike on G2.

On UK2, start building transp’s in EastCan, and land units in London. Move fleet to EastCan for defensive measures, toss in maybe another Destroyer or so.

Sure, it makes it tougher for the British, and far from impossible.

That 43 IPC opens up a lot more other options aswell. AC + BB, Cruisers, whatever…