Boot Camp to US Pacific - Fleet Admiral

[huckc]

After playing a lot of Panzer Corps I've decided on a foray into Order of Battle due to both games sharing the same qualities that I greatly enjoy, in particular, building your own core from scratch and detailed historical context. However there are some key differences that caused me some great bungling at first such as: stricter rules for attacking and moving, being able to positionally swap two adjacent units, naval attack ranging, movement penalties to combat effectiveness, supply, and core transfer mechanics between campaigns.

I chose the Fleet Admiral difficulty because I like the challenge first and foremost and the fact that there are already some excellent AARs on standard difficulty. I believe Fleet Admiral is only(?) +3 enemy strength which makes them harder to kill, harder hitting, and more aggressive.

House Rules:
1) If needed, one reload per 50 turn scenario for use at full discretion (adjust strategy, hindsight, etc.). Each scenario I will call out whether I used a reload.
2) Allow a reload for especially bad mis-clicks (rare) since there is no undo functionality. I will then load that turn's auto-save and repeat the same actions up to the mis-click, worse rolls and all.
3) All scenarios played on Fleet Admiral with the default gameplay options selected.

[huckc]

Boot Camp #1
Not gonna go too in depth on the boot camp scenarios. Mostly just learning the game and making mostly bad decisions in hindsight, especially regarding specializations. Field medic is a huge no-go due to the core transfer mechanics only carrying over experience so you're much better off taking the exp specs. None of the points you save will carry over.

[huckc]

Boot Camp #2 0 reloads

This is quite the boot camp I was surprised with how big these next few scenarios are but it's just taste of the epic combined arms battles to come in US Pacific. Guadalcanal, Marshal Islands, Leyte, and Okinawa which I just finished are all incredible.


Bought two cruisers and a 7.5 cm towed artillery.


For some reason the replay ended here but this how things ended for a complete victory.

[huckc]

Boot Camp #3 1 Reload

The first of a scant few naval-only scenarios. I really had no idea what I was doing here besides move my ships until number go up.




Went right at the first task force of destroyers


First objective captured, middle island with its pesky fort


Sea hex captured, providing some destroyers


Final eastern island captured


Battleship sunk


Carrier escaped for a partial victory, needed to be more aggressive

[huckc]

Boot Camp #4 1 Reload

Don't remember much about this one, apart from reloading some time late scenario after discovering that exp and officers are the only thing that effectively transfers to the next campaign, so focused on gaining as much exp as possible.

Other than that I did enjoy this, another nice amphibious landing epic. Many more to come!

https://i.imgur.com/KWUOIXp.png

Dep


First landings


Secondary landings and moving up the first group inland


10 Checkpoint - Three supply depots captured


20 Checkpoint - Just Riverfork city remaining


Fin


https://i.imgur.com/z6w2V1A.png

[huckc]

US Pacific #1 - Pearl Harbor no reloads

Don't remember why, but a full victory was impossible here I think due to the difficulty? Went southwest then up northwest, no chance of making every stop.

https://i.imgur.com/BXGygEu.png

1


Five destroyed at least...


Fin

[GabeKnight]

US Pacific #1 - Pearl Harbor

Don't remember why, but a full victory was impossible here I think due to the difficulty? Went southwest then up northwest, no chance of making every stop.

Doesn't depend on difficulty. Follow these simple rules for a "Major" win:

"The jeep has to stay on the eastern side of the map all the time. Use it to capture the AA near the BB and then Hickam on turn 2,
then go capture Keneohe Bay on the peninsula next, and then the other two up the road. You'll have plenty of turns to do that.

The core AA w/o truck (from the BB location) goes capturing objectives in the western part of the map..."

[huckc]

US Pacific #1 - Pearl Harbor

Don't remember why, but a full victory was impossible here I think due to the difficulty? Went southwest then up northwest, no chance of making every stop.

Doesn't depend on difficulty. Follow these simple rules for a "Major" win:

"The jeep has to stay on the eastern side of the map all the time. Use it to capture the AA near the BB and then Hickam on turn 2,
then go capture Keneohe Bay on the peninsula next, and then the other two up the road. You'll have plenty of turns to do that.

The core AA w/o truck (from the BB location) goes capturing objectives in the western part of the map..."

Hmm I suppose it might depend on difficulty if you need to keep the AA at Pearl to help defend against the +3 strength enemy planes instead of using it to capture the western objectives.

[GabeKnight]

Hmm I suppose it might depend on difficulty if you need to keep the AA at Pearl to help defend against the +3 strength enemy planes instead of using it to capture the western objectives.

Sure, following that logic I guess that achieving every secondary objective depends on difficulty. Anyhow, all I wanted to say was that in no way it's "impossible" - just harder, as it should be.

[airboy]

If you look at my AAR (on a much lower difficulty level) it gives a map for how you should move the jeep and the AA unit to quickly activate all of the fighters and AA guns at Pearl Harbor.

That being said - giving the Japanese +3 will make it much harder to win Coral Sea - which is a very tough scenario.

Good luck! They have also added many more scenarios to "Boot Camp" since I played it way back on the first release in the series.