Convoy ideas

Bull Halsey · Convoy ideas

due to the lack of convoy defenders and attackers guys post your defenders and attackers fleets help guys nobody does any more thanks

swarbs

Thanks for posting this Bull. I commented elsewhere that I was originally loath to give up the convoy scenario. But after quitting trying, I quit hard, and haven't even tried now that the opp. force is down to 80 points.

So, what we're asking is has anyone tried this? Does anyone think that combined with the rule-change that the Sackville and Leander will make much of a difference? And, of course, post fleets you like for either side.

fredmiracle

Haven't tried it in a while either... but I like Sackville & Leander, plus Fencer, Laffey and San Diego. The "unstoppable" threat to the convoy always seemed to me to be aircraft, and there are a lot more weapons to combat them.

Still, as you start skewing heavily towards AA defense, you leave yourself very vulnerable to a Tirpitz+Hipper+KG type of attack...

How about something like this:

HMS Warspite
HMS Fencer
Martlet Mk II
USS San Diego
2x USS Laffey
HMCS Sackville

You could deploy like this:

Transport/Laffey
Transport/Fencer
Transport/San Diego
Transport/Warspite
Transport/Laffey

this would give pretty good interlocking AA and protection against Kondors. Laffey radar picket should help if you lose initiative. A concentrated enemy attack should have to face local AA plus 1/2 heavy AA helpers, plus Martlet plus Fighter Cover...

If enemy brings heavy BB, you at least have a chance with Warspite and Long Shot 6, plus some Laffey torpedoes. Warspite will also help against a destroyer swarm with tertiaries and decent secondaries, and in that case Martlet can strafe.

If enemy brings subs, you have 2 Laffeys + Sackville to try to deal with them as best you can. At least they have to come to you. Warspite will help a bit with initiative, since Laffeys don't have sub hunter

Sackville can also be a backstop to step in and try to save a critical ship when an escort is knocked out (its speed will make it hard to redeploy however--actually I think any small/speed-1 escort like Sackville and Type-13 should have Close Escort, which would help in allowing them to "move through" the convoy, as well as augmenting rather than replacing more capable escorts...)

More thoughts:
- it'd be nice to fit a Truculent or 2 in, for ASW and anti-surface, but since they don't help against air I find it hard to justify
- possibly downgrade the San Diego to a Laffey, and upgrade Martlet to Wildcat. I like the big heavy AA in the middle, but Laffey is more versatile and would beef up the ASW capability, you'd get another radar picket redploy, and the Wildcat would be more useful as a strafer...
- Love to fit a torpedo bomber in for ASW, and possibly anti-surface (although one plane is not too credible in that role) but no points for it...
- You could downgrade Warspite to Tennessee and free up a few points, but I like Warspite's chance to "even the odds" against a stronger BB with the long-range shot, plus the secondaries and better range-3 mains. Or you could move down to a Repulse, but I don't want to see her go up against Tirpitz (or Musashi!)...

ElectricCatND

With a 20 point swing it should be interesting to run a few again. It seems with Convoys more so than anything else map size is the biggest factor.

swarbs

I'm almost thinking destroyer swarm, since just maybe a few Saumarez could handle a little battleship.

Something like:
Sackville x 4 - 20
Leander - 13
Arunta x 5 - 35
Saumarez x 4 - 32

So, obviously this one counts on having three ships in a sector to fend off air attack (which might not work especially with a few Kondors), but you'd hope that the Sackville's absorb some shots and that your Saumarezes can get to an enemy BB.

I've been thinking about point values too. Is 200 vs. 160 better for the defender than 100 vs 80? It's hard to say.

ElectricCatND

Mostly I'd say it depends on how you are running the map, mid to big size maps the defender needs to play a lot more defensive, but on smaller maps like my group has done for some convoys it sometimes works better to actually keep some stuff back but try and play best defense is a good offense and just go out and kill the attackers

Bull Halsey

cool finaly some convoys
i have
4 laffey=36
4 san diego=44
4 samuraze=32
2 atlanta=24
2 suffren=28
2 baltimore=36
thats is 200 points
post a counter fleet

my attacker fleet
1 warspite=48
4 B25=36
2 baltimore=36
2 belfast=28
1 truclent

jfkziegler

I think the key to any convoy remains killing the opposing fleet quickly. There is no way a convoy game will ever be won by getting all the Speed 1 transports across the map. It will always be won by destruction of opposing fleet.

The only exception to the above might be aircraft, who you can just abort every turn. Surface units, though, must be eliminated or they will wreak havoc.

swarbs

fredmiracle

Let's think about attacker philosophies...

First off, convoy defense is hard no matter what the attacker brings--any plausible attacker fleet probably has a decent chance of success, the question is which are the hardest to stop.

That said, I don't believe the attacker should bring a balanced fleet. There is something to be said for combined arms, but trying to fit a sub or two, a plane or two, and credible surface units into 80 points may leave you weak everywhere. Generally I think this plays into the defenders hands, since they are already trying to cover every base anyway.

I don't really believe in a sub-based attacker fleet. This can work for sure, but it is comparatively easier for the defender for several reasons - lots of Allied escort DDs have decent ASW, subs are slow, torpedo rolls are fickle, harrassment rules, subs fire second... The reason sub swarms work so well in standard games is that the big ships can be impelled to come sit on the objectives and get torpedoed.

As I see it, the best attacker plays are either a heavy surface fleet or an aerial blitz. Both are hard to defeat (i.e. save 3 transports), even when you know they are coming.

As a defender your strategy will be different based on what the enemy brings. If it's aircraft, you have to run for it. But if its surface/subs, then you will hold back your transports, push forward the escorts, and try to kill the attackers as far forward as possible.

Inspiring Lieutenant

Bull Halsey

yeah thats true but when the denfenders have 200 and attackers have160 like swarbs said it make it playable

Inspiring Lieutenant

Bull Halsey

yeah thats true but you could do 8 transports in stead of ten it still has a chance but instead JOBS you can use gunston halls am i right

Greyh Seer

Bull Halsey

oh didnt know that has anyone won as defenders guys