14L Playoff Soulblighter (Axis) vs Shin Ji (Allies +17)

[Shin-Ji]

Did not see that coming.  Should have, but didn’t.

[Soulblighter]

The empire strikes back. T.B.H. I was prepared to take heavy losses. I hope you now understand why I was willing to let you redo your allied turn. Shantung was a mistake, which is why I never really considered the fact that you would actually go after it. I guess that was a mistake as well on my part anyways. Good game so far. Not that many mistakes on both sides. A few here and there I guess.

EDIT: notice you typed a message while I was typing. Yes you should have seen it coming. You should have blocked it with destroyers and that would have meant not attacking Shangtung (which is why I consider it a mistake). You were being to greedy.

[Shin-Ji]

Well, what I missed was that you could just move the fleet into Hawaii - which I did expect - but I didn’t realize that would provide a landing area for the planes.

Anyway, that’s game.  I can’t even effectively defend LA at this point.  I needed to wrap up Japan quick, and since that didn’t happen, the Axis win in Europe will.

Good game, though!  I’ve learned a great deal.  Thanks.

[Soulblighter]

Thanks! B.T.W. the fact that the Italians managed to grab the middle east with a single transport was extremely important for me in this game. It would have been a completely different game otherwise.

Question tho. Would you still have gone for shangtung had you known what you know now?

[Shin-Ji]

I’m not sure.  I needed to find a way to let my fleet be safe over there, but factoring in the rule about not combining combat and NCMs, I probably would not have gone for a SZ6 stranglehold strat in the first place.  It’s so easily messed with factoring in tht rule.

I’ve seen people talk about that - it’s the “loophole” that some want closed, right?

I need to think of a new way to kill Japan.

[Shin-Ji]

Oh, and I agree having Iraq was pivotal.  There was just not a lot I could do about it, sadly.

[Soulblighter]

@Shin:

I’m not sure.  I needed to find a way to let my fleet be safe over there, but factoring in the rule about not combining combat and NCMs, I probably would not have gone for a SZ6 stranglehold strat in the first place.  It’s so easily messed with factoring in tht rule.

I’ve seen people talk about that - it’s the “loophole” that some want closed, right?

I need to think of a new way to kill Japan.

Didn’t know some want to close that “loophole”. The only way to close it, would be to allow naval units to move during both the cm/ncm phase. The way it currently is, it also helps the allies. The destroyer that is often placed at Z36 to prevent Japanese ground units to be loaded upon transports is probably the best example.

Also something else I am wondering. I knew you would go after Korea. Which is why I placed my minor in Shangtung. I considered placing the minor in Manchuria, but I really wanted you to invade korea (to get rid of the troops as I did). Would you have attacked Korea if I had build that minor in Manchuria?

[Shin-Ji]

THe main reason I attacked Korea was to force you to attack with just the 1 Inf and all the planes you wanted.  I had hoped to shoot down a few planes, was all.  Also, leaving them in Iwo was a death sentence.  So they had to go somewhere.  So I would have likely attacked Korea regardless.

[Soulblighter]

@Shin:

THe main reason I attacked Korea was to force you to attack with just the 1 Inf and all the planes you wanted.  I had hoped to shoot down a few planes, was all.  Also, leaving them in Iwo was a death sentence.  So they had to go somewhere.  So I would have likely attacked Korea regardless.

Makes sense. I guess I was over thinking things.

Something else you might have known was coming, but if you hadn’t stacked Egypt this turn, I probably would have send all my air to kill whatever was there. Then the next turn I could have used my Italian stack to march towards Egypt. The only way you could have avoided this, was moving back your troops from Trans- Jordan. Not to mention as an added bonus, the planes would then be closer to the Russian stack.

I am also guessing you would have moved your UK fleet back to 106, which would have allowed me to do this.

[Shin-Ji]

Oh, I was def aware of that possibility.  Even your bombers in Bryansk could reach.  That’s why I left the French there.