Gaika no Gouhou: Air Land Force (Windows, PlayStation 2)
FAQ/Strategy Guide (Version 6.4 - Text Version)
Current Update: Monday, 21 July 2003
Previous Update: Friday, 18 July 2003
Created: Sunday, 16 June 2002
By Don "Gamera" Chan (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. + ICQ 3522863)
Note: This FAQ is primarily based on the Windows
version of Gaika no Gouhou: Air Land Force, not the
PlayStation 2 version.
1. Acknowledgements
2. Nutrition Information
3. 1st Impression
3.1 2nd Impression
3.2 3rd Impression
4. Strategies
4.1 Kantou region, Kanagawa prefecture
4.2 Kantou region, Metropolitan Tokyo
4.3 Kantou region, Dasaitama prefecture
4.4 Kantou region, Gunma prefecture
4.5 Kantou region, Tochigi prefecture
4.6 Kantou region, Ibaraki prefecture
4.7 Kantou region, Chiba prefecture
4.8 Chuubu region, Shizuoka Liberation Battle
4.9 Chuubu region, Battle of Aichi
4.10 Chuubu region, Battle of Hokuriku
4.11 Kansai region, Battle of Lake Biwa
4.12 Kansai region, Battle of Kansai
4.13 Kansai region, Battle of Hyougo
4.14 Kansai region, Seto Rescue Battle
4.15 Shikoku region, Battle of Shikoku
4.16 Kyuushuu region, Battle of Fukuoka
4.17 Kansai region, Governor Rescue
4.18 Touhoku-Hokkaidou region, Battle of Touhoku
4.19 Touhoku-Hokkaidou region, Hokkaidou Landing (Season
Finale)
4.51 Kyuushuu region, Okinawa prefecture
4.52 Touhoku-Hokkaidou region, Hokkaidou
5. Orders of Battle
5.1 All
5.2 United States Army/Air Force
5.3 United States Navy/Marine Corps
5.4 Russia
5.5 Germany
5.6 United Kingdom
5.7 Japan
6. Links
"Setsunasa!" (*1)
Disclaimer: I send the newest version of this file to
only eight Websites:
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/game/33453.html
- http://vgstrategies.about.com/
- http://dlh.net/
- http://www.cheathappens.com/
- http://www.ggmania.com/
- http://www.gamenemesis.com/
- http://www.trob.co.uk/
- http://faqs.ign.com/
If you downloaded or read this file at other Websites,
the SysOps of the other Websites probably leeched it from
one of the above Websites.
Dementi: J'ai envoye la plus recente version de ce
fichier a seulement huit sites webs.
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/
- http://vgstrategies.about.com/
- http://dlh.net/
- http://www.cheathappens.com/
- http://www.ggmania.com/
- http://www.gamenemesis.com/
- http://www.trob.co.uk/
- http://faqs.ign.com/
Si vous avez telecharge ou lu ce fichier a partir
d'autres sites, les responsables de ces sites l'auront
probablement pompe a partir de l'un des sites ci-dessus.
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to these sierra hotel persons/organisations:
- Aoki Norio of Japan, for Q&A and his JASDF fan page.
- Bakutou, Ibuki Maya, and Shimanda-Lagi of Japan, for
Q&A and their HPs.
- Hauke Fischer of Germany, for German translation and
Q&A.
- Jack Power of Nara, Japan, for Daisenryaku Perfect
info (^_^;) and Q&A.
- Jean-Luc Barbera of France, for the French
translation of the Disclaimer, and the English translation
of the NOIR foreword. (After all, English and French are
the two official languages up here in Canada, the True
North Strong and Free.)
(Social democracy in action.)
No thanks to these lima delta persons/organisations:
- Major H. "Psycho" S., the pilot of the F-16C of the
170th Fighter Squadron ("Flyin' Illini"), 183rd Fighter
Wing ("SI"), Illinois Air National Guard (based at Capital
Municipal Airport (KSPI), Springfield, Illinois, USA, and
temporarily deployed as the 170th Expeditionary Fighter
Squadron to Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base ("The Jab", 28??56'05" N,
47??47'31" E), southern Kuwait), that attacked, with a GBU-12
500-pound laser-guided bomb, members of Alpha Company, 3rd
Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3
PPCLI, based at Edmonton Garrison, Alberta, Canada),
Canadian Armed Forces, in the Tarnak Farms Range training
area, five nautical miles south of Kandahar, Afghanistan, at
or about 00:50 on Thursday, 18 April 2002 (local time).
(X_X) Four Canadian soldiers were killed in action, and
eight were wounded in action. (;_;)
http://www.centcom.mil/News/Reports/Tarnak_Farms_Report.htm
- Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his
administration.
In memory of:
- The victims of the terrorist attacks in the USA
in the morning on (Tuesday) 11 September 2001. God bless
America.
- The seven astronauts on the NASA space shuttle USS
Columbia, which was lost in action (Mission STS-107) about
203,000 feet above north-central Texas, USA, at about 9 AM
EST (14:00 GMT, 16 minutes before her scheduled landing at
Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA) on
Saturday, 1 February 2003 (Chinese New Year Day).
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/
- The casualties (Iraqi and non-Iraqi, military and
non-military, hostile and friendly fire) of OIF (Operation
Iraqi Freedom, also known as Operation Telic (Greek
"Purposeful") in the UK), the war in Iraq in March-April
2003. <(T_T)
- The 70 sailors and officers of the Ming-class (Type
035, variant of Former Soviet Union/Russian Romeo-class)
conventional (diesel-electric) submarine No. 361 (Yuan Zheng
61) of the 12th Brigade/Detachment (No. 359, 360, 361, 362),
North Sea Fleet, People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Ren
Min Jie Fang Jun Hai Jun), based at Lu Shun (formerly Port
Arthur), Liao Ning Province, People's Republic of China
(Zhong Hua Ren Min Gong He Guo). Her crew were martyred
during a training exercise east of the Nei Chang Shan
Islands in the Bo Hai Sea, northeast of Yan Tai City and
north of Wei Hai City, Shan Dong Province, People's Republic
of China, before Friday, 2 May 2003 (or about Wednesday, 16
April 2003), local time.
http://361.netor.com/
(http://cn.netor.com/m/box200305/m26991.asp?BoardID=26991)
http://cn.dir.yahoo.com/Government/Military/Navy/No_361_Submarine/
http://cn.dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries_and_Regions/Mainland_China/Government/Military/Navy/No_361_Submarine/
http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/GB/junshi/20030523/999074.html
http://www.phoenixtv.com/home/news/Inland/200305/06/60047.html
http://www.phoenixtv.com/home/news/review/200305/22/66199.html
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030502/ts_afp/china_submarine_030502172313
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030502/wl_afp/china_submarine_030502161815
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030613/ap_on_re_as/china_submarine_accident_2
"Le noir, ce mot designe depuis une epoque lointaine
le nom du destin.
"Les deux vierges regnent sur la mort.
"Les mains noires protegent la paix des nouveaux-nes."
- NOIR (TV: 2001)
2. NUTRITION INFORMATION (Introduction)
Title: Gaika no Gouhou: Air Land Force
Genre: Tactical war game
Rating: ?
Players: 1
OS: Japanese Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP,
PlayStation 2
Maker: Koei
On Sale: Friday, 31 May 2002 (Japanese Windows);
Thursday, 28 August 2003 (PlayStation 2)
The Windows version of this game was previously
scheduled for Friday, 8 March 2002.
3. 1ST IMPRESSION
[Ramble ON]
Gaika no Gouhou: Air Land Force is a turn-based
strategy game, based in modern day Japan and with post-1980s
military hardware. (No more whiskey delta Su-22s and T-62s.)
The "Gaika no Gouhou" in the title approximately means
"Signal gun of victory song".
The game is on one CD.
The game doesn't allow the player to choose the install
size. After installation, the game squats on about 1.24 GB.
(Seems the player doesn't need to keep the CD in the
CD-ROM drive to play the game?)
The background story is fun. In the game world, in
1945, the USA didn't nuke the Japanese Empire (the core of
the Greater Eastern Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere). (D_mn. They
should've nuked Kyouto and Toukyou.) Instead, in autumn
1945, WWII in the Pacific TOP (theatre of operations) ended
when the Allied and the Soviet Union forces landed on
mainland Japan and partitioned her. (Hooray.)
In 1990-1991, West Germany and East Germany re-united,
and the Soviet Union croaked. A new hope for peaceful
amalgamation spawned in Japan.
In 1999, the Japanese military, angered by a 80% budget
cut, effected a coup d'etat and declared martial law.
Finally, in spring 200X, the bird dropping hits the
propellor. The player's Freedom Liberation Army (Jiyuu
Kaihougun), like a modern day Tokugawa Ieyasu, began its
struggle to re-unify Japan and liberate her from the nations
that have partitioned her... including the Japanese
military... (-_-;)
"Show me the country in which there are no strikes and
I'll show you the country in which there is no
liberty."
- Emma Goldman, American anarchist (1869-1940)
The controls are IMO intuitive, point-and-click, and
user-friendly. LMB (left mouse button) is Yes/Confirm. RMB
(right mouse button) is No/Cancel. The mouse scroll wheel is
the next active friendly unit.
The game has other shortcut keys, such as L for load
game and S for save game. The player can load/save game
anytime, such as during a battle, or during the logistics
screens between two battles.
During a battle, press Tab to centre the screen from
the active HQ of one force to the HQ of another force, O for
options.
The game has 99 screens of save game slots, with 20
slots per screen.
When the player begins a game, the player chooses i)
the difficulty level; ii) the supplier of the player's
initial weapons, and iii) the prefecture of the first
battle.
The six suppliers are:
- USA/AF (United States Army/Air Force), for master
players. ("Aim high." "Nobody comes close.")
- USN/MC (United States Navy/Marine Corps), for novice
players. ("Looking for a few good men.")
- Russia, for novice players.
- Germany, for expert players.
- United Kingdom, for expert players.
- Japan, for expert players.
Each supplier has different air units, ground units,
naval units, healing rates, and tech level costs. For
example, the USN/MC has the M60A3 as its MBT, and Russia has
the T-72.
Choosing a supplier gives the player a free TL1 (Tech
Level 1) in that supplier. Like a multi-class chara in a
RPG, the Gaika player can spend Nu Yen to buy TL in any of
the suppliers after each battle. For example:
- USA/AF, TL1: 10,000 Nu Yen.
- USN/MC, TL2 (see below): 18,000 Nu Yen.
- Russia, TL1: 9,000 Nu Yen.
- Germany, TL1: 7,500 Nu Yen.
- United Kingdom, TL1: 7,500 Nu Yen.
- Japan, TL1: 7,500 Nu Yen.
(I haven't figured out the cost of TL1 in USN/MC
because it's my initial supplier. "75!")
FYI, TL1 in USN/MC gives the player:
- AH-1 (Cobra) attack helo.
- CH-53 (Sea Stallion) assault helo.
- M60A3 (Patton) MBT.
- AAV7 IFV.
- Marines.
TL2 in USN/MC gives the player:
- F-4 (Phantom II) fighter/attacker.
- Chaparral mobile SAM.
(Actually, another chapter of this FAQ will list each
supplier's hardware at different TL. For now, I wonder how
much does a warship cost?)
The prefectures of the player's first battle include
Okinawa, far away from Kyuushuu. f(-_-;)
(Reminds me of Sentimental Journey for PS and Find
Love 1 -Zenkoku Seifuku Bishoujo Grand Prix-, but without
the heroines...
Anyway. I predictably chose my favourite prefecture,
Kanagawa in Kantou, as my initial prefecture. I presume
the amount of Nu Yen that the player gets after a battle
depends on the prefecture in which the player fights the
battle.)
After the player chooses the initial prefecture, the
player apparently fights the first several battles only in
the region of the initial prefecture. For example, in the
Kantou region, after the player liberates Kanagawa, the
player can then try to liberate only Tokyo (Toukyou). The
player can't try to liberate prefectures beside Kanagawa
that aren't in the Kantou region map, such as Shizuoka.
(In Genghis Khan, another old war game for
DOS/Windows by Koei, the player also had to unify Mongolia
before he could conquer the world.)
Later (2002.07.02): Contrary to how I cleared all the
initial, prefectural battles in the Kantou region (see
below), IMO the player should invest in just two (or at most
three) nationalities. One, the nationality that the player
fights in the initial battles, such as Japan in the Kantou
region, and two, another nationality that has cheaper or
more effective units (I chose USN/MC). Instead of spreading
the Nu Yen income into different nationalities, IMO the
player should concentrate on two nationalities, for their
better units in Lv.3 and Lv.4, by the time the player clears
all the prefectural battles and move onto the regional
battles.
Before (AFAIK) each of the first and second battles,
the game has a brief tutorial that explains the game
mechanics, the units' stats, &c.
Each battle has a time limit. For example, if the first
battle is in Kanagawa in Kantou, the time limit is 21:00 on
Day 4.
Each game day has eight turns, two or more hours
apart: 2:00, 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 21:00.
On Day 1, the first turn is 7:00.
Each 2D (not isometric) battle map isn't accurately
satellite photo-realistic. The battle map is more like a
wallpaper on which the game lays a hex sheet. For example,
drawn in the Kanagawa battle map are such tourist landmarks
as the Landmark Tower in Yokohama and the Daibutsu (Giant
Buddha) statue in Kamakura.
Also, each battle map has no fog of war. The player
clearly sees all the enemy units.
In a battle map, the RMB toggles on/off the mini-map in
the upper right corner. The player can click a spot in the
mini-map to zoom the battle map to that spot.
Each battle map has city and airbase hexes. Each player
can only beam down units to a few designated city and
airbase hexes. For example, in Kanagawa in Kantou, the
player can beam down units to three city and one airbase
hexes in or about Kawasaki. The OPFOR (Japan) can beam down
units to the city and airbase hexes in or about Yokosuka,
south of the player. A city hex can generate ground and
rotary-wing air units, but (AFAIK) only an airbase hex can
generate fixed-wing air units.
In a battle, the player initially gets 400 SP per turn
to beam down units from the player's inventory. Unspent SP
are accumulated to the next turn. The player gets more SP
per turn by capturing neutral and hostile city and airbase
hexes.
The player doesn't need to spend all SP in one turn.
When able, save some SP to beam down a more useful unit in
the next turn. For example, suppose the player has 500 SP
and gets 400 SP per turn. In the current turn, the player
may beam down a USN/MC M60A3 or Japanese Type 74 MBT for
240 SP. In the next turn, the player will have 500 - 240 +
400 = 660 SP, enough to beam down an AH-64 attack helo
for 640 SP.
As in Road War 2000 and Road War Europa, when the Gaika
player captures a city or airbase hex, the player may get a
bonus. For example, the citizens may give the player 1,000
Nu Yen, or the player may get an enemy unit. The captured
enemy unit keeps its original nationality WRT healing. For
example, in the Kantou region, when the player captures a
Type 90, the Type 90 added to the player's inventory is
Japanese, not the nationality of the unit that captures it,
or that of the Blue HQ during the battle.
Reportedly, the player may even get some special enemy
units. For example, in Kantou region, the player may get a
F-3 Modified or a Type 74 Modified.
An undesignated city or airbase hex can't generate
units. However, after the player captures a neutral city or
airbase hex, the player's units of the appropriate types can
park on a captured city or airbase hex and get resupplied
(fuel and ammo) at the beginning of the next turn. If the
unit is damaged, at the beginning of the next turn, the game
asks if the player wants to spend SP to heal that unit,
unless the player toggled off the auto-healing amongst the
options. A USA/AF or USN/MC unit heals up to three vehicles
per unit per turn. A Russian unit heals two vehicles per
unit per turn, and a Japanese unit heals four vehicles per
unit per turn.
With auto-healing toggled off, even when the player
chooses to not heal a damaged unit on a Blue city or
airbase, the unit gets resupplied anyway.
When the player's inventory has units from different
nationalities, a unit can resupply in any friendly city or
airbase hex, but it can only heal itself in a friendly city
or airbase of its nationality.
After the player captures a city or airbase hex that
the enemy previously used to beam down units, the player can
use it to beam down friendly units.
Later (2002.08.15): Probably because I began the game
in Kantou, my Blue Force didn't discover any F-3 Modified or
Type 74 Modified in Kantou.
To move a unit, click that unit, then one of the green
hexes. After that unit moves to the destination hex, if an
enemy unit is beside or near that destination hex, and is
within range of that friendly unit's weapon, and the player
wants to attack that enemy unit, click that enemy unit.
Indeed, when the player clicks a friendly unit, all
enemy units temporarily get one of three symbols: circle,
triangle, or cross. Circle means that enemy unit is weak
when compared to the clicked friendly unit. Triangle means
that enemy unit is equal. Cross means that enemy unit is
strong. Place the pointer on an enemy unit and the game
predicts the damage that the friendly and enemy units can
cause to each other, adjusted by both units' experience
levels and terrains.
When two units fight each other, the fight scene
features terrains and units rendered as texture-mapped 3D
polygon objects, with the appropriate lighting, sound, and
visual effects.
Each unit represents 10 vehicles. After a unit attacks
or defends, and it survives the fight, it gets some XP.
Friendly units that survive a battle keep their XP and
experience levels to the next battle. OTOH, enemy units in
the next battle seem to begin with Lv.1, or at least this is
true in the second battle.
Each unit has at least eight stats: Offense and
Defence; vs Ground, Air, Surface, and Submarine. All units
have Defence vs Ground, Air, Surface, and Submarine ratings,
but many units may not have all four Offense vs Ground, Air,
Surface, and Submarine ratings. For example, a MBT at Lv.1
may have an Offense vs Ground rating of B, but has no
Offense vs Air, Surface, and Submarine. When a unit gets
enough XP and advances an experience level, its ratings may
improve by one blip. The above MBT at Lv.2 has an Offense vs
Ground rating of B+.
Thus, Gaika inherits a... feature from other old war
games: the player can park an air unit in, for example, a
city hex, and because MBTs and IFVs have no Offense vs Air
rating, these types of OPFOR ground units can't remove the
air unit from that city hex, and simply can't affect/attack
that air unit.
AFAIK, the ratings range from E- to S+.
Most units don't lose fuel points when it's immobile,
but fixed-wing air units lose half their movement points
(rounded up) as fuel points per turn, even when they are
immobile on a neutral or hostile airbase hex. OTOH, a
rotary-wing air unit can hover on a sea/lake hex for days
and lose no fuel point.
When a fixed-wing air unit has 0 fuel point, it
crashes. Other units that have 0 fuel point become
paralysed. Unlike other war games, Gaika doesn't seem to
have supply trucks that can refuel friendly units parked
around it.
Also, when a multi-role fighter/attacker begins its
turn on an airbase hex, and the player clicks the
fighter/attacker to move it, the player chooses whether to
load the fighter/attacker with air-to-air ordnance, or with
air-to-ground/surface ordnance.
Each unit also has some special abilities. These
special abilities differentiate units of the same type from
different suppliers.
For example, all assault helo, IFV, and Infantry units
can capture/occupy city hexes, but some of these units have
the special ability "Occupation speed is fast". A Lv.1 unit
with slow occupation speed decreases the HP of a city hex by
70% (7% per vehicle) in one turn, and take two turns to
capture that city hex. OTOH, a Lv.1 unit with fast
occupation speed decreases the HP of a city hex by 140% (14%
per vehicle) in one turn, and takes one turn to capture that
city hex. The number of vehicles in the unit evidently
affects its occupation speed. After the player clicks a unit
that can occupy a city hex, place the pointer on a city, and
the game displays the number of turns the unit needs to
occupy that city hex.
Between two battles, the player gets some Nu Yen and
can buy TL in any of the suppliers, buy/sell units from the
suppliers, resurrect destroyed friendly units, and arrange
the units in the player's corps (rosters) and inventory.
Each unit has a Nu Yen cost and a lower SP cost. The Nu
Yen cost is the cost to buy that unit between two battles.
The SP cost is the cost to beam down that unit during a
battle.
The player can have more than 40 units in the
inventory, but in a battle, the player can beam down a
maximum of 40 units. The player has to choose these 40 units
before the next battle, and can save these weapon
configurations as a corps.
The CPU has the same maximum. Unlike other war games,
in a battle, the Gaika CPU can't endlessly beam down units
until the cows come home, or the fat lady sings, or R'lyeh
rises. (^_-)
OTOH, in some battles, the CPU has more than one force,
such as Red and Yellow. The player sometimes needs to
neutralise just one of the CPU forces to win a battle.
BTW, when the player's choosing the units in a corps,
the player can click the "CORPS 1" to rename it.
Also, the player can't begin a battle after the player
chooses an empty corps.
3.1 2ND IMPRESSION
A unit with slow occupation speed and 10 vehicles
decreases the HP of a neutral or enemy city, airbase, or
seaport hex by 70 points. In the next turn, if the player
doesn't move that unit, it doesn't automatically capture
that city/airbase hex. The player has to manually end its
movement in that city/airbase hex in the second turn, to
capture that city/airbase hex.
The damage forecast is based on the terrain of the
attacker's current hex, not the terrain of the hex beside
the defender to which the attacker may need to move.
Also, when a wounded attacker attacks, the damage
forecast may claim the attacker can cause more damage points
than the wounded attacker's number of vehicles.
Later (2002.11.15): When the pointer is on a CPU unit,
and the player presses and holds the LMB, the game displays
the hexes to which the CPU unit can move as green hexes.
However, when the player keeps holding the LMB and moves the
mouse, the pointer can't move beyond the edges of the
screen. When the CPU unit is a fighter or attacker, the
player can't see the extent of the green hexes. To solve
this quirk, while holding the LMB, move the pointer into the
mini-map in the upper right corner of the screen.
Other players who've cleared the game commented it has
these bad points:
- No fog of war.
- No stacking of air units atop friendly ground units.
- The enemy AI programming is dumb.
- The game is generally too monotonous.
- The gunships that can move-attack-move are too
strong.
- The healing rates of different nationalities are too
troublesome.
The nationality of the player's HQ and teleporter
hexes seem to depend on the highest tech level that the
player has. In 1st Play, I began with USN/MC Lv.1. After I
had Russia Lv.3 and USN/MC Lv.2, in the next battle, my HQ
and teleporter hexes became Russian. This was bad because
most of my units, esp the air units, were mostly Japanese
and USN/MC.
After a battle, the score for the battle can exceed
100.
IMO, the game has these good points:
- No fog of war. In some other war games, though the
terrain in a battle map was completely visible, the player
had to beam down a recon plane with a search range of two or
more hexes, to patrol the battle map and detect/reveal the
enemy units. The enemy units, which knew where the player's
units were, could come out of nowhere and brass up the
player's units.
- The assault/transport helos and IFVs include the
assault troops. In some other war games, the player had to
beam down an Infantry and an assault helo or APC, then load
the Infantry into the helo or APC.
And these bad points:
- No voice effects. It would be way cool when, for
example, a F-4 attacks a ground unit, the F-4 pilot says
"I'm rolling in, hot!" or "Bombs away!" Or, when a F-4
attacks an air unit, the F-4 pilot says "Fox One!"
Later (2002.06.27): The USA/AF, even at Lv.1, is plain
Evil.
The AH-64, despite its relatively high Nu Yen and SP
costs, can move and attack. When its attack wipes out the
enemy unit and it has any MP left, it can move and attack
again, and again, till it has 0 MP. Or, the the player
voluntarily parks it somewhere. Even when it uses the last
of its 8 MP to move to a hex and wipes out the enemy unit
next to it, the AH-64 remains active, can end its turn in
its current hex, and attack another enemy unit that's next
to it. Thus, one Lv.1 AH-64 can clean up several enemy
ground units in one single turn with its 8 shots of
anti-ground ammo! A pair of AH-64s can be as combat
effective as a fleet of USN/MC AH-1s, Russian Mi-24s, and
Japanese OH-1s. No wonder in the first two turns, the CPU
forces always beam down some mobile AAAs and mobile SAMs.
The M1A1, despite its high Nu Yen and SP costs, is
very tough. A Lv.1 M1A1 can survive multiple hits by enemy
Lv.1 M60A3s in the same turn.
Later (2002.07.16): In Gaika no Gouhou, I don't think a
high-level unit can change class. In some other war games,
for example, when an AH-1 becomes Lv.10, it transforms into
an AH-64. Or a Mi-8 into a Mi-24.
Also in Gaika no Gouhou, when a high-level unit is KIA,
IMO it's better to resurrect it after the battle than to buy
a new and better Lv.1 unit. The high-level unit may have
only mildly better stats than the new Lv.1 unit (for
example, a Lv.5 M60A3 vs a Lv.1 M1A1), but the high-level
unit costs fewer Nu Yen to resurrect and fewer SP to beam
down in a battle, than the new unit. Also, the level of an
unit apparently increases/decreases the damage it
causes/receives. Besides, the Blue Force may capture the new
unit from the hostile forces in the next battle.
"kanasii kedo, kore, sensou nano yone."
- First Lieutenant Sleggar Law (KIA), Kidou Sensi
Gundam (Mobile Suit Gundam)
Later (2002.08.02): The damage that a Blue unit cause
in an attack can vary by up to three points, esp at night.
When necessary, such as i) when a Blue attacker or MBT must
wipe out the enemy unit on the enemy HQ, so a Blue assault
helo loitering nearby can capture the enemy HQ and
neutralise that OPFOR, in a battle where the Blue Force is
fighting three CPU forces; or ii) a wounded Blue fighter is
surrounded by five OPFOR units, and nearby Blue units must
wipe out two of the OPFOR units to remove their ZOCs and let
the Blue fighter RTB; then the player can save and load game
to make sure the friendlies wipe out that enemy units.
"We will bring you to justice... or we will bring
justice to you."
- George W Bush, US President
Later (2002.09.14): During/after 1st Play, my favourite
units, but not necessarily the most combat effective units:
Fighter: F-14 - 6-hex AAMs, high endurance, moves fast.
Worth mentioning: F-4 - Fighter/attacker, low
endurance, moves fast, cheap to beam down.
F-18 - 8-hex ASMs, fighter/attacker, moves fast.
Attacker: F-1 - 8-hex ASMs, high endurance, moves fast,
cheap to beam down.
Worth mentioning: A-6 - Can't air-to-air, 8-hex ASMs,
high endurance, cheap to beam down.
F-111 - High endurance, moves fast, expensive to beam
down.
AV-8 - Resupplies/heals on cities, STOVL, expensive to
beam down.
F-35 - Resupplies/heals on cities, ASTOVL, very
expensive to beam down.
Attack helo: OH-1 - Heals 4 HP/turn, very low ammo,
offensive bonus, can air-to-air, very cheap to beam down.
Worth mentioning: AH-1 - Can air-to-air, cheap to beam
down.
AH-1W - Can air-to-air.
Ka-50 - Heals 2 HP/turn, can air-to-air, eat-and-run.
Mi-24 - Heals 2 HP/turn, can capture cities, very low
endurance.
Assault helo: CH-53 - Can capture cities fast, high
endurance, cheap to beam down.
Worth mentioning: Mi-8 - Heals 2 HP/turn, can capture
cities fast, cheap to beam down.
Mi-17 - Heals 2 HP/turn, can capture cities fast.
V-22 - High endurance, moves fast.
MBT: Type 74 - Heals 4 HP/turn, tough at high-level,
defensive bonus, cheap to beam down.
Worth mentioning: M60A3 - Tough at high-level, cheap to
beam down.
Merkava 3 - Tough at low-level, can capture cities like
an IFV, as expensive to beam down as an attacker.
Spear/Spear B - Low ammo, moves fast, cheap to beam
down.
M1A1/M1A1HA - Tough at low-level, moves fast, expensive
to beam down.
AFV: None. Didn't have any in the Blue inventory, and
didn't fight any. (-_-#)
Recon vehicle: Type 87 recon vehicle - Heals 4 HP/turn,
tough at high-level, offensive bonus, ignores OPFOR ZOC,
moves fast, cheap to beam down.
SPA: AS90 - Can move-and-attack.
Worth mentioning: PzH2000 - Can attack farther than an
AS90, can move-and-attack.
M109A6 - Can move-and-attack.
(The BM-21, MLRS, and Smerch are inconvenient, IMO.)
Mobile SAM: SA-6 - Heals 2 HP/turn, low ammo, can
move-and-attack, cheap to beam down.
Worth mentioning: SA-13 - Heals 2 HP/turn, cheap to
beam down.
(The Patriot is inconvenient, IMO.)
Mobile AAA: Type 87 mobile AAA - Heals 4 HP/turn.
Worth mentioning: 2S6 - Heals 2 HP/turn, cheap to beam
down.
IFV: Type 96 - Heals 4 HP/turn, moves fast, cheap to
beam down.
Worth mentioning: AAV7 - Can capture cities fast, cheap
to beam down.
LAV-25 - Moves fast.
Infantry: Marines - Default.
Warship: Arleigh Burke - Can attack farther than a
Manchester.
Worth mentioning: Manchester - Cheaper to beam down
than an Arleigh Burke.
Yamato - Heals 4 HP/turn, blast radius.
(Because some attackers have long-range anti-ship
missiles already, the destroyers are only useful for
engaging hostile submarines.)
Aircraft carrier: Nimitz - Default.
Submarine: Seawolf - Default.
(Because some attackers have long-range anti-ship
missiles already, the submarines are mostly useless, IMO.)
Revision history of this file:
Version 0.5 (Limited Edition) [33 KB]: Saturday, 22 June 2002
Version 1.0 [54 KB, +64%]: Monday, 1 July 2002 (Canada Day)
Version 1.5 [69 KB, +28%]: Saturday, 13 July 2002
Version 2.0 [78 KB, +14%]: Saturday, 20 July 2002
Version 2.5 [88 KB, +13%]: Thursday, 25 July 2002
Version 3.0 [112 KB, +28%]: Saturday, 17 August 2002
Version 3.5 [123 KB, +10%]: Saturday, 24 August 2002
Version 4.0 [142 KB, +16%]: Friday, 6 September 2002
Version 4.5 [150 KB, +6%]: Thursday, 12 September 2002
Version 5.0 [163 KB, +9%]: Friday, 11 October 2002
Version 5.5 [184 KB, +13%]: Tuesday, 12 November 2002
Version 6.0 [195 KB, +6%]: Friday, 13 December 2002
Version 6.1 [197 KB, +2%]: Thursday, 20 February 2003
Version 6.2 [199 KB, +2%]: Sunday, 11 May 2003
Version 6.3 [201 KB, +1%]: Sunday, 8 June 2003
Later (2002.08.19): In reality, the USAF retired its
F-111Fs in '95.
The USN/USMC retired their F-4Ss in '86, and A-6Es in
'97.
Boeing bought out McDonnell-Douglas in '97. Lockheed
and Martin Marietta merged into Lockheed-Martin, and bought
out General Dynamics. Northrop and Grumman merged in '94.
Later (2002.09.10): In reality, the AAV7 carries about
3+25 personnel.
The LAV-25 carries 3+6 personnel. The C-5A can carry
eight LAV-25s, the C-141 two, and the C-130 one. The USMC
CH-53E can carry one LAV-25 in the sling position.
The FV432 carries 2+10 personnel.
http://hosta.atsc.eustis.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/accp/in0535/ch2.htm
Later (2002.09.08): In reality, the USS Arleigh Burke
was commissioned on 1991.07.04.
AFAIK, the DD21 USS Zumwalt is named after Admiral Elmo
Russell Zumwalt, Jr, USN (1920.11.29-2000.01.02).
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq93-1.htm
The USS Iowa was commissioned on 1943.02.22, and
decommissioned on 1990.10.26. That's 47.7 years, but she was
decommissioned and recommissioned twice. During WWII, she
bombarded mainland Japan. (^_-)
In the morning on 1989.04.19, off the coast of Puerto
Rico, her Number Two turret exploded, probably after the
powder ram compacted the prepared gunpowder too much,
causing it to detonate, and killed 47 crew members.
http://www.c3online.net/webharbor/museum/bb61-2.html
http://www.c3online.net/webharbor/museum/memorial1.html
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/1999/08/18/navy/
http://www.wamu.org/pi/shows/piarc_990412.html
The USS Nimitz was commissioned on 1975.05.03.
The USS Seawolf was commissioned on 1997.07.19.
The JDS (JMSDF Defense Ship) Kongou (Sanskrit "Vajra"
(Indra's thunderbolt)) was launched on 1991.09.26, and
commissioned on 1993.03.25. She belongs to the 62nd Escort
Squadron, 2nd Escort Flotilla, based at Sasebo, Nagasaki.
The JDS Oyashio was launched on 1996.10.15, and
commissioned on 1998.03.16. AFAIK, she belongs to 2nd
Submarine Squadron, 2nd Submarine Flotilla, based at
Yokosuka, Kanagawa. She costs 58,176,000,000 Yen.
Later (2002.10.11): According to the article about
Daisenryaku 1941 for PS2 in Shuukan The PlayStation 2,
Vol.304 (2002.09.27), the 46 cm gun on the real Yamato and
Musashi had a range of 41 klicks. In modern terms, if the
gun fires from the Tokyo JR Station (train) in downtown
Tokyo, its 1.5-ton shell can hit Yokosuka in Kanagawa.
(O_O;)
AFAIK, the Musashi was sunk by 20 torpedoes and 17
bombs in the Philippines on 1944.10.24. The Yamato was sunk
by 12 torpedoes and 7 bombs in Japan on 1945.04.07.
IJN heavy cruisers were named after mountains, and IJN
light cruisers were named after rivers.
USN battleships were named after states.
Later (Saturday, 2003.06.21):
FWIW, according to the USA, USAF, USMC, and USN
official HPs, the following are the unit costs of some of
the real US units that are in this game.
A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II: $9.8 million (FY (Fiscal
Year) 1998 constant dollars).
AAVP7A1: ($2.2 to) $2.5 million.
AH-1W Super Cobra: $10.7 million.
AH-64A Apache: $10 to $14.5 million.
AH-64D Apache Longbow: $35 million.
AV-8B Harrier II: $23.7 (to $27.7) million.
Avenger: $617,000.
B-1 Lancer: $200 million.
B-2 Spirit: $1.157 billion (FY 1998 constant dollars)
to $2.1 billion.
CH-53E Super Stallion: $26.1 million.
F-14 Tomcat: $38 million.
F-15E Strike Eagle: $31.1 million (FY 1998 constant
dollars).
F-16 Fighting Falcon: F-16A/B, $14.6 million (FY 1998
constant dollars); F-16C/D, $18.8 million (FY 1998 constant
dollars).
F/A-18A/C/CN Hornet: ($24 to) $28.1 million.
F/A-22 Raptor: ($92.4 million).
F-111F: ($18 million).
F-117A Nighthawk: $45 million.
HH-60G Pave Hawk: $10.1 million (FY 1992 constant
dollars) to $9.3 million (FY 1998 constant dollars).
LAV-25 Piranha: $900,000.
M1A1 Abrams: $4.3 million.
M2A1 Bradley: $3.2 million.
MH-53J/M Pave Low III/IV: $40 million (FY 2001 constant
dollars).
MIM-104 Patriot: $2 to $3 million per PAC-3 missile, or
$750,000 per PAC-2 missile. $225 per PAC-3 battery.
MV-22 Osprey: $40.1 million (total programme recurring flyaway,
constant year, FY 1994 and FY 2001 constant dollars).
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier: About $4.5 billion.
Seawolf-class submarine: About $2.1 billion.
If you're thinking US military vehicles are expensive,
then think again. The "per unit costs" of Japanese military
vehicles are even more expensive. The JSDF pays IIRC about
two to three times the prices of the M1A1 tank and F-16
fighter for their indigenous Type 90 tank and F-2 fighter,
because of their low production quantities and production
rates.
(M270 MLRS (Marusu): 2 billion Yen, or $16.9 million at
118 Yen/US$1.)
Type 74 TK: 395 million Yen, or $3.34 million at 118
Yen/US$1.
Type 87 AW: 155 million Yen, or $1.31 million at 118
Yen/US$1.
Type 89 FV: 678 million Yen, or $5.74 million at 118
Yen/US$1.
Type 90 TK: 910 million Yen, or $7.71 million at 118
Yen/US$1.
[Ramble OFF]
3.2 3RD IMPRESSION
After the final battle, the game replays, as a slide
show, the SITREP (situation report) screens that the player
achieved throughout the game. That is, the map screens with
pins that mark the prefectures where the player fought the
battles.
After the slide show, up-scrolling text explains Japan
becomes a free and demorcratic nation again. The commander
of the rebel alliance, that is, the player, goes Elvis
(disappears), instead of staying in the spotlight and
becoming the President of Japan.
[Ramble ON]
While I was playing this game...
- I learnt more about the military hardware of the
JSDF, esp the JGSDF. Previously, mostly from Gamera and
Gojira movies, I knew only about the AH-1, F-1, F-2, F-15,
F-86, T-2, T-4, Type 74 MBT, Type 81 mobile SAM, and Type
90 MBT. In Falcon 3.0, the JSDF wasn't particularly potent.
- I've increased respect for the CH-53 series: the
USMC CH-53E, USN MH-53E, and USAF MH-53J/M. In the game, my
CH-53s, unarmed and unescorted, frequently flew to and
captured airbases, cities, and seaports far from the Blue
HQ, so the Blue Force gets more SP per turn to beam down
better units. In the Real World (TM), the Super Jolly Green
Giant (HH-53) is famous for its CSAR missions in the
Vietnam War, but is also infamous for the Eagle One
disaster that aborted Operation Eagle Claw in Iran in 1980.
- I learnt more about the Russian designations and
meanings of the official and unofficial names of
FSU/Russian weapons. After over a decade of playing combat
flight sims, I'm familiar with the NATO names of many
FSU/Russian weapons (Su-27 Flanker, Ka-50 Hokum, SA-6
Gainful, et al), and I've always wondered what are their
original designations and names.)
- I learnt the pronunciations of the names of a lot of
minor cities and inaka towns all over Japan.
- I felt a compulsion to go to a hobby shop and look
for 1:144 model kits of these jet fighters: F-1, F-4, F-14,
and F/A-18.
"The United States relies on the Air Force, and the Air
Force has never been the decisive factor in the history
of war."
- Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
[Ramble OFF]
4. STRATEGIES
YMMV. The strategies in this chapter are for reference
only, because this game has too many variables, beginning
with the player's initial supplier and initial prefecture.
(For comparison, my campaign began with the USN/MC and
Kanagawa in Kantou.)
OTOH, some hints are generic.
1. Beam down assault helos and IFVs (or Infantry
in the first few battles) to capture neutral cities and
airbases near the Blue HQ, to increase the SP per turn
income.
Units that can capture a city in one turn certainly
help. For example, the USN/MC CH-53, AAV7, and Marines,
and the Russian Mi-8 and Mi-17.
Be careful with the nationality of the unit that
captures an airbase, because only jet fighters and
fighter/attackers of the same nationality as the airbase
can heal at the airbase, though all air units can resupply
at the airbase.
2. Beam down gunships for CAS/BAI (Close Air
Support/Battlefield Air Interdiction), to defend and
escort the friendly IFVs and Infantry.
The Japanese OH-1 has comparatively low endurance,
but is very cheap at 220 SP each.
3. Beam down mobile AAAs, mobile SAMs, and SPAs to
counter hostile assault helos, IFVs, and recon
vehicles. The SPAs can also counter hostile mobile AAAs
and mobile SAMs.
4. Beam down fighters and fighter/attackers to
counter hostile air units.
5. Beam down MBTs, along with the above friendly air
units and SPAs, to counter hostile MBTs.
Cheap MBTs aren't always worse than expensive MBTs.
For example, the player can beam down a high-level USN/MC
M60A3 or Japanese Type 74 at 240 SP each earlier than an
USA/AF M1A1 at 480 SP each.
The above hints are my SOP or style, and are for
reference only. For example, another player who played the
game at Hard difficulty and with Japan as his primary
nationality commented his inventory had:
A lot of OH-1s for anti-ground and anti-helo.
A lot of Type 87s and some Type 74s, for anti-ground.
Some MiG-31s and SA-6s, for anti-air.
Before a battle, the game displays the objective, the
time limit, and the types of units that the OPFOR will
deploy in the battle. For example, in the first two battles,
the OPFOR may not have air units.
When the briefing says the player must destroy all
OPFOR units, the player can also win by capturing the OPFOR
HQ.
When the battle begins, save game. Then do nothing and
end several turns to gather intelligence, that is, preview
the exact units that the OPFOR beams down and where they
will go.
After the first battle and before each of the later
battles, save game, don't buy any TL or unit yet, and begin
the next battle. Preview the next battle as above, then load
game and buy the TL and units appropriately.
Infantry are mostly harmless. In the early turns, when
the player has few SP, after the player has beamed down, for
instance, a helo or a MBT, and has enough SP left in that
turn to beam down an Infantry, I don't think the player
should bother to beam down the Infantry. Save the SP, so the
player can beam down one more helo, MBT, or IFV in the next
turn.
A typical SPA has a range of 4, but it can't attack
after it's moved. OTOH, the USA/AF MLRS has a range of 6 and
a blast radius, and some high-level SPAs can attack after
they've moved...
Later (2002.08.20): When two or more neutral or hostile
airbases, cities, or seaports are within range of a Blue
assault helo or IFV, save game. Move the assault helo or IFV
onto each airbase, city, or seaport to test if it has any Nu
Yen, SP, or unit bonus. Then load game and move the assault
helo or IFV for real. A 500 or 1,000 SP bonus means the Blue
Force can beam down a fighter, an attacker, or a gunship or
two earlier.
"You want to know why it's dumb to attack Jalalabad?
Because it's dumb to lose ten thousand lives... And if
we do take it, what's going to happen? The Russians
will bomb the sh_t out of us, that's what."
- Abdul Haq, Mujahideen commander, Afghanistan, as
quoted in Soldier of Fortune Magazine, April 2002
Later (2002.08.22): When an OPFOR attacker reaches the
frontline, the player's units can entrap it. Park a gunship
beside the attacker, and park a second gunship beside the
attacker and on the opposite side from the first gunship.
Thus entrapped between two gunships, the attacker can move
only one hex in its turn. Most attackers have poor or no
air-to-air ordnance, so the gunships may even attack the
attacker to wound it during the entrapment, and to decrease
the damage that the attacker can cause to mobile AAAs and
mobile SAMs that attack it from the other four empty hexes
beside the attacker. An exception is the Japanese F-1, which
apparently has better air-to-air ordnance than other
attackers. IDK about the UK Jaguar?
Later (2002.08.31): An uncommon tactic is to sometimes
heavily wound a few OPFOR units to 5- HP, and allow them to
retreat to OPFOR transporter cities for healing. With an
unit on the transporter city, the OPFOR can't use it to
beam down more new units, which delays and decreases the
number of in-situ OPFOR units. Also, Blue units can attack
the healed units a few more times to cheap off some XP.
Later (2002.09.04): Another player who played the
game with USN/MC as his primary nationality commented he
beamed down a number of F-14s and AV-8s for air
superiority and ground attacks, sometimes with the AV-8s
parked on Blue cities to bait OPFOR units and for
automatic regeneration. IMO, the F-14 and AV-8 are
expensive birds at 1,200 SP and 1,000 SP. Maybe I'm not
patient enough to save SP and beam down a fighter or
attacker every other turn. I prefer to beam down more
gunships that cost 1/2 or 1/3 of a fighter or attacker,
though gunships move 1/2 slower than most fighters and
attackers.
I think my tactics still follow the Air Land 2000
combined forces doctrine of the late '80s.
Later (2002.06.26): Forgot to mention in the v0.5 of
this FAQ that I'm cowardly playing at Easy difficulty.
AFAIK, Easy difficulty lowers the OPFOR's tech levels and
experience levels, which affect the offensive capabilities
of the OPFOR. This probably explains why the Japanese Army
in Kantou that I'm fighting deploys only Lv.1 units
available at Japan Lv.2.
At Hard difficulty, the briefing before a battle
doesn't highlight the types of units that the OPFOR will
deploy in the battle.
Later (2002.07.01, Canada Day): When the player begins
in Kantou, after the Blue Force liberates all the
prefectures in Kantou, the next battle is called "Shizuoka
Liberation Battle" (Shizuoka Kaihousen).
The SLB battle map includes cities in multiple
prefectures (Kanagawa, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi), and is
about 1 1/2 times the size of the single-prefecture battle
maps. (I guess the programmers drew the battle maps of the
whole d_mn nation as a giant tapestry.)
4.1 KANTOU REGION, KANAGAWA PREFECTURE (Hoshino Asuka hen)
The player begins in or about Kawasaki near the
northeast corner of the map. The Japanese Army, the OPFOR,
begins in or about Yokosuka near the southeast corner of the
map.
The frontline is probably in or about Yokohama, as the
Japanese Army sends its Type 74 MBTs, IFVs, and a few mobile
SAMs and mobile AAAs towards the player. (As I've played
over a decade of combat flight sims, I HATE SAMs, especially
FSU (Former Soviet Union) SAMs.)
The Japanese Army also sends an IFV or two towards
Atsugi AB in the west and Fujisawa in the southwest. So the
player should also send an assault helo or two (I sent an
USN/MC CH-53, escorted by an AH-1) to capture those city and
airbase hexes, and to destroy those Japanese IFVs.
The Japanese Army finally beams down some infantry
units to defend Yokosuka. Fortunately, the Japanese Army has
no air unit.
In the end, I lost two AAV7s.
After the liberation of Kanagawa, the player can then
try to liberate only Tokyo.
Also, I got 23,000 Nu Yen. This could buy:
1. USN/MC Lv.2 and some units.
2. Russia Lv.1, Germany or UK Lv.1, and some units.
3. Germany or UK Lv.1 and Lv.2, but no unit.
Plan 1 is attractive, because USN/MC Lv.2 has the F-4
fighter/attacker and Chaparral. But I chose Plan 2 and
bought Russia Lv.1 and UK Lv.1, because Russian units are
comparable to but cheaper than USA/AF units, UK levels are
cheaper than USN/MC levels, and UK Lv.2 will have the Jaguar
fighter/attacker.
4.2 KANTOU REGION, METROPOLITAN TOKYO
The player begins in Hachiouji in the west.
For comparison, my Corps 1 contained: four AH-1s, two
Mi-24s, two CH-53s, two Mi-8s, eight M60A3s, two AAV7s, four
BMP-2s, and two Marines.
I thought of buying some T-72s, but their low ammo and
fuel points discouraged me.
The Japanese Army begins in Shinjuku, Shibuya,
Setagaya, and Shinagawa in downtown in the east.
In turn 1, the Japanese Army probably beams down some
Type 87 mobile AAA and Infantry.
In turns 2-3, they probably beam down some Type 96 IFV
and Infantry.
In turns 4-5, they probably beam down some Type 74 MBT
and Type 81 mobile SAM.
By turn 6, or about midnight of day 1, they probably
beam down some Type 90 MBT.
On days 1 to 3, they probably also beam down some Type
75 SPA and more Type 90 MBT.
On day 1, the Japanese units advance west towards
Hachiouji, picking up Suginami, Musashino, Koganei, and
Tachikawa on their way.
Because the Type 87 and Infantry remain in or between
Setagaya and Shinagawa, it's not practical to send an
assault helo and an attack helo to preemptively capture
those city hexes. I also thought of diverting an IFV and a
MBT to capture those city hexes, but the Japanese Army kept
beaming down Type 90s.
In the first few turns, I beamed down a USN/MC MBT and
a Russian or USN/MC assault helo or IFV each turn. I sent
the Russian assault helo or IFV to capture the cities far
north or south of Hachiouji. The USN/MC MBTs, escorted by an
attack helo and Russian or USN/MC IFVs, advanced towards
Choufu.
The frontline was eventually between my units in
Koganei and Choufu, and the Japanese units in Houya and
Musashino. Some Japanese ground units formed a spearhead and
thrusted towards Koganei, but a few of my M60A3s and AH-1s
were waiting for them. The M60A3s took down the Japanese
anti-air vehicles, and the AH-1s took down the Type 90s and
Type 74s. Because of the other Japanese anti-air vehicles
that remained in downtown, it was risky for my AH-1s,
Mi-24s, or Mi-8s to chase a wounded Japanese ground unit,
unless the helo unit can wipe out the ground unit with one
strike.
Though they are all Lv.1 and they've no air unit, the
mobile AAAs and mobile SAMs are a pain to my (mostly Lv.3 to
Lv.4 rotary-wing) air units. (I believe in using tac air and
air cav to soften hostile ground units before friendly
ground units charge in and clean up the mess.) OTOH, if I
had a Lv.1 F-4, it could've rolled in hot and wiped out the
IFVs in one pass.
Finally, my units counter-attacked the surviving
Japanese Type 90s, and they were down to one Infantry and
the Shinagawa city hex. Whether my units wiped out the
Infantry or captured Shinagawa, I still got two more OH-1s.
These hexes have these special events when the player's
units capture them:
- Houya: Type 90.
- Machida: 1,000 Nu Yen.
- Shinagawa AB: F-1.
- Shinjuku: 500 SP.
- Tachikawa: OH-1.
Shinagawa (city) was the last city hex that my units
captured, so I don't know if it has any spcial events?
The OH-1s are an omen that though the low-level
Japanese Army has no air unit, they will eventually have
USA/AF types of air units, such as the F-4, F-15, AH-1,
UH-1, and UH-60; and domestic F-1 and F-2.
If I want to use the captured Japanese units, I need to
buy at least Japan Lv.1 and buy some Japanese IFVs or
Infantry, so they can capture some city hexes and heal the
wounded Japanese units.
After the liberation of Tokyo for a score of 85 and
30,000 Nu Yen, the player can then try to liberate Dasaitama
(dasai Saitama) or Chiba.
Dasaitama has, as expected, nothing special. Chiba has
the Narita IAP (NRT). I chose Dasaitama anyway.
Also, I got a total of 31,050 Nu Yen.
I bought Japan Lv.1 and USN/MC Lv.2. Japan Lv.1 because
I want to buy some Type 96 IFVs to capture city and airbase
hexes to resupply/heal the captured F-1 and OH-1s. In
practice, the F-1 has a high SP cost, and the OH-1s have
fewer ammo than the AH-1s and Mi-24s.
I thought of buying UK Lv.2 for its Jaguar, because UK
Lv.2 and the Jaguar are cheaper than USN/MC Lv.2 and the
F-4, but if I bought UK Lv.2, then I also need to buy some
FV432s and UK Infantry to capture airbase hexes to
resupply/heal the lone Jaguar. OTOH, I already had USN/MC
Lv.1, CH-53s, and AAV7s, so I could capture airbase hexes as
USN/MC nationality to later support the lone F-4 that I
bought.
(Personally, I've always wanted to buzz a Japanese city
in a US jet fighter, but I already did that in Microsoft
Flight Simulator 2000.)
Later (2002.08.15): On second thought, I don't think
the Japanese units in this game include any American or
foreign unit. Maybe except the F-2.
4.3 KANTOU REGION, DASAITAMA PREFECTURE
The player begins in Kumagaya in the northwest, and
gets 500 SP per turn.
For comparison, my Corps 1 contained: one F-4, one F-1,
four AH-1s, two Mi-24s, three OH-1s, two CH-53s, two Mi-8s,
one Type 90, ten M60A3s, two Type 96s, four AAV7s, four
BMP-2s, and three Marines.
The Japanese Army begins in Saitama City in the
southeast.
In turn 1, the Japanese Army probably beams down some
Type 87 mobile AAA and Infantry.
In turn 2, they probably beam down some Type 96 IFV and
Infantry.
In turn 3, they probably beam down some Type 96 IFV and
Type 87 mobile AAA.
In turn 4, they probably beam down some Type 90 MBT,
Type 81 mobile SAM, and Infantry.
In turn 5, they probably beam down some Type 90 MBT and
Type 87 recon vehicles.
Most of them moved northwest towards Kumagaya, and
weren't too interested in capturing the neutral cities
around Saitama City.
In each of the first few turns, I beamed down a USN/MC
MBT and a Japanese or Russian or USN/MC IFV. I captured one
of the airbases in the middle of the map as Japanese and the
other as USN/MC.
After my ground units captured all the neutral cities
between Kumagaya and Saitama City, my gunships didn't arrive
in time, and the Japanese (OPFOR) MBTs and recon vehicles
managed to dodge my MBTs and wipe out two of my BMP-1s and
one AAV7. (T_T)
So I didn't have spare BMP-1s to capture another
airbase as Russian to support my Mi-8s, and I didn't have
enough SP per turn to beam down Mi-24s anyway, before my
units had routed the Japanese units.
While the Japanese units were concentrating on the
middle, I diverted a BMP-2 to capture the city far east of
Saitama City.
These hexes have these special events when the player's
units capture them:
- Hikawa: 500 SP.
- Koshigaya: Type 89.
- Niiza: Type 87.
- Warabi: 1,000 Nu Yen.
After the liberation of Dasaitama for score 85 and
30,000 Nu Yen and two Type 75s, I could then try to liberate
Gunma, Ibaraki, or Chiba.
Gunma has the legendary Hachiroku of Akina Mountain,
that is, a sierra hotel Toyota Trueno GT-APEX AE86 used for
tofu delivery. (^_-) Ibaraki has the Tsukuba research
centre.
For the next battle, I arbitrarily chose Gunma, because
I noticed I was liberating the prefectures in the Kantou
region in a clockwise direction...
Also, I got a total of 31,050 Nu Yen.
I bought Russia Lv.2, repaired all dead units, and
saved the rest of the Nu Yen, so I can buy a Lv.3 and some
Lv.3 units after the next battle.
4.4 KANTOU REGION, GUNMA PREFECTURE
Gunma, about 100 klicks from Tokyo, has very
mountainous terrain. The cities and towns are connected by
straight roads. Ground traffic can move only on the road
hexes and the hill hexes on both sides of the road hexes.
This is disadvantageous to the Red Force (Japan) when it has
no air unit.
The Blue Force (player) begins in Takasaki in the
southeast.
For comparison, my Corps 1 contained: one F-4, one F-1,
four AH-1s, two Mi-24s, three OH-1s, two CH-53s, two Mi-8s,
one Type 90, ten M60A3s, two Type 75s, one Type 87, one Type
89, two Type 96s, four AAV7s, four BMP-2s.
My three Marines took a break.
The Red Force begins with its teleporter hexes in
Nagano in the northwest, and Kusatsu as the HQ. The Red
Force also owns Numata in the northeast, far north of
Takasaki.
(Hmm. Blue and Red Forces. Reminds me of the USAF's Red
Flag training courses at Nellis AFB (near Las Vegas),
Nevada, USA.)
In turn 1, the Red Force probably beams down some
Type 87 mobile AAA and Infantry.
In turn 2, they probably beam down some Type 96 IFV and
Infantry.
In turn 3, they probably beams down some Type 87 mobile
AAA and Infantry.
In turn 4, they probably beam down some Type 90 MBT,
Type 96 IFV, and Type 87 recon vehicle.
In turn 5, they probably beam down some Type 75 SPA and
Type 81 mobile SAM.
In turn 6, they probably beam down some Type 90 MBT,
Type 75 SPA, and Type 87 recon vehicle.
In turn 7, they probably beam down some Type 74 MBT and
Type 75 SPA.
Two Type 87s and two Infantry defend their Kusatsu HQ.
The others move south to capture Karuizawa, then east to the
Blue Force's Takasaki. They ignore and doesn't defend their
cities and airbases in the northeast.
In the turns 1-2, I patiently did nothing. (@_@;)
In the turn 3, I beamed down a F-4 (Lv.4), AH-1, and
Mi-8.
The Mi-8 was tasked with capturing the Red airbases and
cities in the northeast. The F-1's air-to-mud stat is
actually better than the F-4's, and costs 720 SP to beam
down, lower than the F-4's 800 SP.
Afterwards, I beamed down a Japanese Type 96 IFV and
more gunships, esp the Japanese OH-1s.
The Type 96 was tasked with capturing Karuizawa, so the
OH-1s could resupply/heal in Karuizawa. Some of the
gunships, even when they depleted their air-to-mud ordnance,
were parked in a horizontal line five or six hexes north of
Karuizawa, to blockade the incoming Red ground units. This
was dangerous because the Red ground units included Type 81s
and Type 87s, which were lethal to the gunships. A Lv.4 OH-1
probably can survive two hits by two Type 81s in one turn...
Even as the gunships and Type 96 were on their way to
Karuizawa, I beamed down my load of M60A3s and Type 75 SPAs
to fortify Karuizawa.
BTW, the Type 96 also captured the Red town north of
and closest to the Blue HQ, so wounded OH-1s could withdraw
from Karuizawa and get healed.
After my F-4, gunships, M60A3s, and Type 75s were
counter-attacking the Red ground units, my Russian and
Japanese IFVs were drifting up and down the roads west,
northwest, and north of the Blue HQ. (-_-;)
These hexes have these special events when the Blue
units capture them:
- Karuizawa: 500 SP.
- Naganohara: Type 90.
- Numata City: Type 90.
- Yoshioka AB: F-1.
After the Blue Force wins the battle, the Blue Force
captures two more Type 89s. This time, none of my units was
KIA, though one Type 90 was taken down to one vehicle, after
it was brassed up by a Red Type 75, then pummelled by two
Red MBTs.
After the liberation of Gunma for score 91 and 30,000
Nu Yen, I could then try to liberate Tochigi, Ibaraki, or
Chiba. I don't remember anything special about Tochigi, but
chose it for the next battle anyway.
Also, I got a total of 41,900 Nu Yen.
I bought Russia Lv.3 (which has the MiG-31 and Su-25)
and a transport plane. After the next battle, I'll probably
buy USA/AF Lv.1 (for its game-unbalancing AH-64 and M1A1).
4.5 KANTOU REGION, TOCHIGI PREFECTURE
The Blue Force (player) begins in Tochigi in the south.
For comparison, my Corps 1 contained: one F-4, two
F-1s, four AH-1s, two Mi-24s, three OH-1s, two CH-53s, two
Mi-8s, one transport plane, three Type 90s, eight M60A3s,
two Type 75s, two Type 96s, three AAV7s, three BMP-2s, and
two Marines.
The Red Force (Japan) begins in Nikko in the north.
Between Nikko and Tochigi are Kanuma (west) and Utsumiya
(east).
In and after this battle, all Red units begin as Lv.2,
not Lv.1.
I didn't preview the Red units' deployment. They were
the usual suspects of Type 90s, Type 74s, IFVs, SPAs, recon
vehicles, mobile SAMs, mobile AAAs, and HQ-hugging Infantry.
They move south towards Kanuma and east towards
Kamikawachi.
On Day 1, by about 17:00, they began to beam down Type
90s.
In turn 1, I beamed down a transport plane and a BMP-1.
In turn 2, I beamed down a Type 96 and two Marines.
In and after turn 3, I beamed down gunships, MBTs, and
SPAs.
I didn't beam down a F-1 until 13:00 on Day 2. I'm
training my jet fighter/attackers for when the time they
will fly CAP to watch over friendly ground units and wipe
out hostile gunships.
These hexes have these special events when the Blue
units capture them:
- Nikko City: Type 90.
- Kanuma AB: F-1.
- Kanuma City: Type 74.
- Utsumiya City: 1,000 Nu Yen.
At the end of the battle, I got 27 kills, no KIA,
30,000 Nu Yen, score 90, total score 431, and Chuui (O-2,
First Lieutenant). Also captured two OH-1s.
I sold one OH-1, one AAV7, and one BMP-2. Bought USN/MC
Lv.3, one BM-21, and one SA-13.
IMO, the SA-13 is cheaper and more efficient than the
USN/MC Chaparral.
4.6 KANTOU REGION, IBARAKI PREFECTURE
The Blue Force (player) begins in Mito in the
northeast, and gets 500 SP + 400 SP per turn. Neutral cities
are in the middle and the northwest.
For comparison, my Corps 1 contained: one F-4, three
F-1s, four AH-1s, two Mi-24s, four OH-1s, one CH-53, two
Mi-8s, one transport plane, one Type 74, four Type 90s, six
M60A3s, two Type 75s, one BM-21, one Type 87, one SA-13, two
Type 96s, two AAV7s, and two BMP-2s.
I'm phasing in the Japanese Type 90s and phasing out
the USN/MC M60A3s.
The Red Force (Japan) begins in Tsukuba and Tsuchiura
in the southwest.
In and after this battle, the Red Force had attackers
and gunships.
In turn 1, they beamed down some Type 87 and Infantry.
In turn 2, some Infantry.
In turn 3, some OH-1, Type 75, and Type 96.
In turn 4, some Type 81 and Type 90.
In turn 5, some Type 81 and Type 87.
In turn 6, some F-1 and Type 75.
In turn 7, some OH-1 and Type 90.
Through Day 3, they still beamed down Type 90s.
Overall, they beamed down a lot of SPAs and mobile SAMs, and
some MBTs and mobile AAAs.
Also, they beamed down at least two F-1s and three
OH-1s. (T_T)
The Red units advanced northeast towards Mito. They
ignored the neutral cities in the northwest, even after the
Blue Force captured those cities.
In the first two turns, the Red Force beamed down
ground units to defend its HQ, so it would take another turn
or two before it beamed down other ground units that would
threaten the Blue Force.
Thus, in turn 1, I beamed down a BMP-2 and a Type 96.
In turn 2, a CH-53 and a F-4. The extra 500 SP from
Ooarai certainly helped.
In turn 3, two AH-1s.
The IFVs were tasked with capturing the neutral cities
near the Blue HQ. The CH-53 was tasked with capturing the
neutral cities in the northwest. I captured the neutral ABs
as Japanese or USN/MC, to support the F-4, AH-1s, and OH-1s.
These hexes have these special events when the player's
units capture them:
- Kasama: Type 75.
- Minori: F-1.
- Mooka: Type 87.
- Ooarai: 500 SP.
At the end of the battle, I got 31 kills, three KIAs,
30,000 Nu Yen, score 86, total score 517, and Chuui (O-2,
First Lieutenant). Also captured two more Type 90s.
The KIAs were: two AH-1s and a BMP-2. They were taken
down by Red air units and anti-air units. Before this
battle, I should've bought more anti-air units.
Also, I got a total of 30,075 Nu Yen.
I bought USA/AF Lv.1, two AH-64s, a SA-13, and two M2s.
4.7 KANTOU REGION, CHIBA PREFECTURE
Chiba has a lot of AB hexes, including Narita IAP in
the northeast, but no seaport hex.
The Blue Force (player) begins in Matsudo in the
northeast, and gets 500 SP + 400 SP per turn. Neutral cities
and ABs are to the east and southeast.
For comparison, my Corps 1 contained: one F-4, four
F-1s, two AH-1s, two AH-64s, one Mi-24, three OH-1s, one
CH-53, two Mi-8s, one transport plane, one Type 74, four
Type 90s, four M60A3s, three Type 75s, one Type 87, two
SA-13s, one Type 89, one Type 96, two AAV7s, and two M2s.
The Red Force (Japan) begins in Tougane in the
southeast. They have a ground unit teleporter hex at
Yachimata city, northwest of Tougane.
In turn 1, they beamed down some Type 87 and Infantry.
In turn 2, some Type 87, Type 89, or Infantry.
In turn 3, some Type 89 and Infantry.
In turn 4, some Type 90 and Type 75.
In turn 5, some OH-1 and Type 87.
In turn 6, some Type 74 and Type 87.
In turn 7, some OH-1.
Red units beamed down at Yachimata moved towards Sakura
and Narita cities and ABs.
In turn 1, I beamed down a M2. In turn 2, an AH-64. In
turn 3, an AAV7, a Type 96, and a Type 75.
I sent the fast Japanese and USA/AF IFVs to speed down
the highways and capture the ABs southeast of the Blue HQ,
such as Chiba and Ichihara. Later, I sent a pair of Mi-8s to
capture Narita cities and ABs.
My units captured Yachimata early and smoothly. By the
afternoon of Day 2, my units had surrounded the Red HQ. Saw
only two or three Red OH-1s.
These hexes have these special events when the player's
units capture them:
- Chiba City (south): 1,000 Nu Yen.
- Funabashi City (southeast): 500 SP.
- Narita IAP (north): OH-1.
At the end of the battle, I got 26 kills, no KIA,
30,000 Nu Yen, score 49, total score 566, and Chuui (O-2,
First Lieutenant).
In the next battles against the USA/AF, I need more air
and anti-air units... (T_T)
4.8 CHUUBU REGION, SHIZUOKA LIBERATION BATTLE (SLB)
"The battle is now joined on many fronts. We will
not waver, we will not tire, we will not falter."
- George W Bush, US President, early October 2001
In this SLB (no relation to the "Self-Loading Baggage",
also known as a GIB (Guy In Back), in the back seat of a
two-seat jet fighter/attacker, such as the RIO (Radar
Intercept Officer) in a F-14 or the WSO (Weapon Systems
Officer) in a F-15E)), the time limit is 21:00 on Day 6.
The Blue HQ is in Shizuoka in the southwest. East of
the Blue HQ is a Blue seaport hex.
The CPU has two forces, Red and Yellow. The Red Force
begins in Mishima and Numatsu, east of the Blue HQ. The
Yellow Force begins in Koufu, far north of the Blue HQ.
Both beam down USA/AF Lv.3 units, such as F-16 (!),
A-10 (!), AH-64 (!), UH-60, M1A1 (!), M109A6, and Avenger.
(Oh sh_t.) All these units are Lv.2.
(BTW, I don't know whether Red units can resupply/heal
in Yellow cities, and vice versa?)
All three forces begin with 1,000 SP. Afterwards, the
Blue Force gets 500 SP per turn, Red Force 1,200 SP, and
Yellow Force 700 SP.
The Yellow units moved due south towards Shizuoka.
The Red units, esp the UH-60s, arched west to Fuji,
then moved north to Nanbu, and met the Yellow units.
In turn 1, the Red Force beamed down some Avengers and
Infantry.
In turn 2, two UH-60s and a M2.
Then, through Day 1, some M1A1s and M109A6s, and more
M2s, Avengers, and Infantry.
Then, in the night of Day 1, an AH-64 or even a F-16!
The Yellow Force beamed down similar ground units, with
lots of M1A1s, Patriots, and Avengers. The Yellow air units
had some A-10s, AH-64s, and UH-60s, but no F-16, even when
they had thousands of SP.
For comparison, my Corps 2 "arbitrarily" contained: one
F-4, four F-1s, two AH-1s, two AH-64s, one Mi-24, three
OH-1s, one CH-53, two Mi-8s, one transport plane, one Type
74, six Type 90s, three M60A3s, three Type 75s, one Type 87,
two SA-13s, one Type 89, one Type 96, two AAV7s, and two
M2s.
Additional air units available in the inventory, but
excluded in Corps 2, were: two AH-1s, two OH-1s, and one
Mi-24.
IMO, the Primary objective of this battle is to ignore
the Yellow Force, and neutralise the Red Force first. The
Secondary objective is to wipe out the Yellow Force.
To neutralise the Red Force, IMO a conventional battle
of attrition isn't practical, because the Red Force has
much, much more SP than the player. Plus, the Yellow Force
will eventually arrive to spoil the party.
Thus, the fastest way is unconventional warfare: to
capture the Red HQ.
In turns 1 and 2, I beamed down a transport plane, a
M60A3, and an AAV7. In theory, the transport plane would
land at Mishima AB or Nirayama AB, the M60A3 would wipe out
the Red unit on the Red HQ, and the AAV7 would capture the
Red HQ.
In practice, the Red Infantry on the Red HQ city hex is
difficult to wipe out, and heals three persons per turn. So
I also beamed down some cheap OH-1s (220 SP each) and Mi-8s
to escort and assist the transport plane.
Note that both the Mi-8 and AAV7 can capture a city hex
in one turn...
Two or three turns later, the Blue transport plane
waited just one hex beyond the Red Avengers' ranges, but
close enough to land on Mishima AB or Nirayama AB in the
next turn, while the Blue Mi-8s or OH-1s were also close
enough to engage the ground units on the hexes around the
Red HQ.
In the next turn, the Blue transport plane landed on
Nirayama AB, southeast of Mishima and Numata.
During the consequent melee, the Blue M60A3 and/or the
AAV7 wiped out the Red Avenger on the city hex south of the
Red HQ, a Blue Mi-8 captured that city hex, and the Blue
gunships engaged the Red M1A1s, M2s, M109A6s, and Infantry
on or around the Red HQ, to defend the captured city hex.
The Red Infantry on the Red HQ healed three persons per
turn, so if the Blue units that could engage this Red
Infantry couldn't cause four or more damage points, the Blue
units engaged other Red units.
The Blue units didn't always need to wipe out a Red
unit in one turn. When a Red unit was decreased to three or
fewer vehicles, it would bug out in its turn.
Because the captured city hex is a teleporter, I used
it to beam down an AH-1 and/or M60A3 for fire support.
Also, to conserve vehicles, the Blue unit squatting
on the Red city hex didn't attack the neighbouring Red
units. Let the Red units attack it in the Red Force's
turn.
BTW, the Red units ignored the transport plane, so it
RTB to Shizuoka AB.
At 7:00 on Day 2, the Blue units in or near the
Mishima-Nirayama-Numata triangle were: a heavily wounded
M60A3 (on the Red HQ city hex), a lightly wounded (9 HP)
CH-53 Pave Low (beamed down to the captured teleporter city
hex before the end of the previous turn), and
defending/surrounding them were an air cav of two AH-1s (one
of which was Lv.7) and three OH-1s (two of which had 0 shot
of anti-ground ammo).
I just needed to move the M60A3 off the Red HQ, move
the CH-53 onto it, and all Red units would evaporate like
morning mist!
For this privilege, the Blue KIAs by now were: two
Mi-8s, a M60A3, and an AAV7. <(:_:)
Other Blue units that I beamed down but didn't
participate in the siege were: a F-1, a Mi-24, a Type 96,
and two SA-13s. The two SA-13s defended the neutral Shimizu,
in case the Red UH-60s in Fuji moved southwest.
OTOH, at 7:00 on Day 2, the Red units in or near the
Mishima-Nirayama-Numata triangle were: two F-16s, two
AH-64s, two M2s, two M109A6s, and two Infantry.
One of the F-16s, with anti-air ordnance, was engaging
the Blue gunships. The other, with anti-ground ordnance, RTB
to Nirayama AB, to either refuel or re-arm with anti-air
ordnance. It previously engaged the Blue MBTs.
IIRC, the Red KIAs by now included a M1A1, an Avenger
or two, and an Infantry or two.
In the previous turn, 2:00 on Day 2, a Red AH-64
engaged the sitting duck Blue CH-53 and fortunately caused
just one damage point. If the F-16 with anti-air ordnance
had engaged the CH-53, the result would be unfortunate...
The Blue units had no time to relax yet, because the
Yellow units were already on their way, and the Blue units
haven't really captured any city to increase their SP per
turn income.
As in other mountainous prefectures, such as Gunma,
the Blue air units halted the advance of the Yellow tank
column by blocking the road west of Fujimiya, northeast of
the Blue HQ. Yellow A-10s and AH-64s west of the road and
Yellow M2s east of the road tried to circle around the Blue
air units, so the Blue SA-13s moved north from Shimizu, and
more Blue air units were beamed down to fly CAP above the
mountain north of the Blue HQ.
Made sure each Blue air unit could get hit by at most
two different Yellow mobile SAMs in one turn, and more Blue
air units would replace the wounded Blue air units along the
frontline when the wounded Blue air units RTB to a Blue
airbase or city for healing. Also, beamed down Blue MBTs and
SPAs to clear the Yellow mobile SAMs, esp the long-range
Patriots.
Simultaneously, the Blue USN/MC CH-53 and a Blue
Japanese IFV captured the airbases and cities near the
former Red HQ. Also, the transport plane carried two IFVs to
capture the airbases and cities far northeast of the former
Red HQ.
Later, the CH-53 and a Mi-24 captured the cities
southeast of the Yellow HQ. I considered using them to
capture the Yellow city east of the Yellow HQ, but by then,
Yellow Avengers and Patriots were defending the Yellow HQ.
These hexes have these special events when the Blue
units capture them:
- Atami: 500 SP.
- Fuji AB: AH-64.
- Fuji Yoshida: 1,000 SP.
- Gotenba: Patriot and 1,000 SP.
- Itou: Two M1A1HAs.
- Koufu City (north): 1,000 Nu Yen.
- Mishima AB: F-111.
- Shimobe City: M1A1.
I think the M1A1HA is a special unit.
At the end of the battle, I got 39 kills, five KIAs,
50,000 Nu Yen, score 80, total score 646, and Taii (O-3,
Captain). Also captured a F-16, an AH-64, and an UH-60.
The three KIAs during the siege of the Red HQ were: two
Mi-8s and an AAV7. They were taken down by Red air units and
anti-air units. Before this battle, I should've bought more
anti-air units. The later two KIAs were: a F-1 and a M60A3.
The F-1 ran out of fuel m(_ _;)m and the pilots had to bail
out - foxtrot uniform.
Note: The above strategy was how I cleared this battle
the second time I tried it, which is why I described my
Corps 2 as "arbitrary".
Before I tried this battle, another Gaika player
suggested this ideal strategy WRT neutralising the Red
Force:
In turn 1, beam down an Infantry, a Type 74 or two, and
a Type 87 or two.
In turn 2, beam down a LST, and load the ground units
into the LST.
In turns 3-4, move the LST towards the Red HQ.
In turn 5, the Infantry, Type 74s, and Type 87s become
feet dry. The Type 74s and Type 87s wipe out the enemy
mobile SAM on the Red HQ, and the Infantry captures it.
Before I tried this battle, my Blue Force had no LST. I
wondered if I could emulate the above strategy with the
units I had at the end of the previous battle, without
buying any new tech level or unit? So, after I replaced the
KIAs of the previous battle, I began this battle.
The first time around, the Blue transport plane landed
and downloaded its payload one turn before the Blue gunships
could arrive. The two Blue ground units wounded but couldn't
wipe out the Red Infantry on the Red HQ. In the next turn,
the Red units wiped out the Blue transport plane and two
ground units, and the Red Avengers wounded the Blue
gunships. The siege failed before it really began. (-_-#)
So, I restarted this battle and the second time around, I
switched timing and switched targets.
When I was staring at the Red Vipers and Warthogs
(F-16s and A-10s), I realised the problem with the inventory
of my Blue Force. My Blue Force was using 1960s Vietnam War
hardware (F-4, AH-1, M60A3, &c) to fight the Red and Yellow
Forces that were using 1980s Second Persian Gulf War
(Operation Desert Storm) era hardware. (T_T)
Before I restarted this battle, I considered buying
some MiG-31s to counter the Red F-16s and AH-64s, but forgot
to buy them...
After my Blue Force neutralised the Red Force, I
decided to not re-arrange my Corps 2 and restart the battle
again. Also, I wondered if the Yellow Force had F-16s?
If the Yellow Force actually had F-16s and they cut
through my F-1s and F-4 like a hot knife through warm
margarine, then I would've reluctantly re-arranged my Corps
2, gotten a MiG-31 or two, plus some mobile AAAs and mobile
SAMs, and restarted the battle again.
Later (2002.08.15): I don't think a Yellow unit can
resupply/heal in a Red city, and vice versa. At least I
didn't see any Yellow unit retreat to and heal in a Red
city, or vice versa.
4.9 CHUUBU REGION, BATTLE OF AICHI (Yamamoto Rurika hen)
Before this battle, the tech levels of my Blue Force
are: USA/AF Lv.3, USN/MC Lv.4, Russian Lv.3, Germany Lv.0,
UK Lv.1, and Japan Lv.1.
Don't bother to buy or allocate any warship. Both the
Red and Yellow Forces have seaports, but a peninsula
completely blocks the sea/lake hexes between the Red and
Yellow HQs.
Before this battle, the briefing announces the Red and
Yellow Forces have no fighter or fighter/attacker, but this
means they will have a lot of attackers and gunships...
All three forces begin with 1,000 SP. Afterwards, the
Blue Force gets 400 SP per turn, Red Force 800 SP, and
Yellow Force 800 SP.
In this battle, the time limit is 21:00 on Day 6.
The Blue HQ is in Gifu in the northwest.
For comparison, my Corps 3 contained: one F-16, one
F-4, one MiG-31, two F-1s, one F-111, two AH-1s, three
AH-64s, one Mi-24, three OH-1s, one CH-53, one Mi-17, one
UH-60, one Type 74, three Type 90s, one M1A1, two M1A1HAs,
three M60A3s, one Type 87 recon vehicle, three Type 75s, one
Type 87 mobile AAA, two SA-13s, one Patriot, one Type 89,
one Type 96, one AAV7, and one M2.
The theory is to have two assault units (assault helo
or IFV) per nationality, and no more than three units of
the same unit.
I bought USN/MC Lv.4, a MiG-31 for its BVR AAM ability,
and a Mi-17. A Mi-17 for 750 Nu Yen is cheaper than
resurrecting the two Mi-8 KIAs for 1,000 Nu Yen. During this
battle, the Mi-24 didn't do much air-to-mud attacks or
capture many cities anyway. Also, I predict I'll need only
one Russian airbase to heal the MiG-31. Didn't get any
short-range fighter, fighter/attacker, or attacker, because
I knew the Blue Force will capture some USA/AF ones in the
next battle.
The CPU has two forces, Red and Yellow. The Red Force
begins in Toyohashi and Toyokawa in the southeast. The
Yellow Force begins in Yokkaichi in the southwest.
In turn 1, both Red and Yellow Forces beamed down some
UH-60s and Infantry.
In turn 2, some Avengers.
In turn 3, some AH-64s and M2s.
In turn 4, some A-10s and Avengers.
In turn 5, some M1A1s, M2s, and Avengers.
The Red units moved northwest towards Nagoya and
captured the neutral cities between Nagoya and
Toyohashi-Toyokawa.
The Yellow UH-60s captured the neutral cities east of
the Yellow HQ, and the Yellow ground units moved northeast
towards Nagoya.
Overall, the Red Force beamed down a lot of A-10s,
M1A1s, M2, and Avengers; and a few AH-64s, M109A6s, MLRSs,
and Patriots.
The Yellow Force beamed down a lot of M1A1s, Avengers,
and Infantry.
OTOH, in turn 1, I beamed down a UH-60, a Mi-17, and a
Type 96. Tasked with capturing airbases and cities to
resupply the eventual American, Russian, and Japanese air
and anti-air units.
In turn 2, beamed down nothing.
In turn 3, two OH-1s.
In turn 4, a F-4.
In turn 5, a M60A3 and a Type 87 mobile AAA.
Engaged and kept the Yellow units no farther than the
area between Tsushima and Kuwana.
Prioritised the Red and Yellow UH-60s, M2s, and
Infantry, because they could capture cities and increase the
SP per turn incomes of the Red and Yellow Forces, unless the
Red and Yellow MBTs could end their next turn beside a Blue
ground unit.
These hexes have these special events when the Blue
units capture them:
- Nagoya Airbase North: F-15.
- Nagoya City Northeast: M109A6.
- Tajimi: MLRS.
- Toyoda City: 1,000 SP.
- Toyohashi City North: 1,000 Nu Yen.
- Yokkaichi City Southwest: 2,000 Nu Yen.
At the end of the battle, I got 57 kills, three KIAs,
50,000 Nu Yen, score 88, total score 734, and Taii (O-3,
Captain). Also captured a F-15, a F-111, and a Patriot.
The KIAs were: a Type 75 SPA (blown up by a Red A-10),
a Type 96 (blown up by a Red M109A6), and a Mi-17 (ended its
turn exactly seven hexes from a Patriot...).
Later: After the battle, I thought I should've
allocated a transport plane. After a Blue assault helo or
IFV was KIA here or there, it took too many turns for the
new IFVs beamed down to Gifu or Yokkaichi to reach the
cities and airbases northwest of the Red HQ, where the
wounded Blue fighter/attackers were loitering and checking
their joker. The other Blue assault helos were busy
capturing the cities/airbases in or about Nagoya.
Partly because the OPFOR had no fighter or
fighter/attacker, the expensive Blue units, including the
MiG-31 and M1A1HAs, were beamed down too late to engage
anything. The F-1s, F-4, F-111, gunships, SA-13s, and Type
87 mobile AAA were enough to clear the OPFOR A-10s, AH-64s,
and UH-60s.
I could've allocated fewer MBTs and more air or
anti-air units. OTOH, in the next battle, I'll allocate more
cheap MBTs, such as the M60A3s, that can be beamed down
earlier, to clear the OPFOR mobile SAMs (Avengers and
Patriots). The Russian T-72's 6 MP doesn't sound so bad
after all, compared to the Patriot's surface-to-air range of
7.
For the next battle, the player can choose: Hokuriku
(Nagaon-Niigata-Toyama) or Ishikawa.
- In Hokuriku, the Blue Force begins in Toyama.
The CPU has three forces: Green, Red, and Yellow. In
theory, the player can win by clearing only the Red Force.
Only the Blue Force has a seaport.
- In Ishikawa, the Blue Force begins in Kaga.
The Red Force begins in Kanazawa.
Neither force has a seaport.
In both battles, the OPFOR will have fighters,
attackers, attack helos, assault helos, MBTs, SPAs,
mobile SAMs, IFVs, and Infantry.
I chose Hokuriku.
4.10 CHUUBU REGION, BATTLE OF HOKURIKU
In this battle, the time limit is 21:00 on Day 6. The
snowy terrain decreases the off-road movement rates of
ground units.
The Blue HQ is in Toyama in the mid-west.
The Green HQ is in Takaoka in the west.
The Yellow HQ is in Itoigawa in the northeast.
The Red HQ is in Kurobe Dam and Oomachi in the
southeast.
The Blue Force has two airbases and one seaport. The
Green and Yellow Forces have one airbase each.
All four forces begin with 1,000 SP. Afterwards, the
Blue Force gets 600 SP per turn, Green Force 400 SP, Yellow
Force 400 SP, and Red Force 400 SP.
For comparison, my Corps 3 contained: one F-15, one
F-4, one MiG-31, two F-1s, one F-111, two AH-1s, three
AH-64s, one Mi-24, three OH-1s, one CH-53, one Mi-17, one
UH-60, one transport plane, one Type 74, three Type 90s, two
M1A1HAs, three M60A3s, one Type 87 recon vehicle, one
M109A6, one MLRS, one Type 87 mobile AAA, two SA-13s, one
Patriot, two Patriots, one Type 89, one Type 96, one AAV7,
and one M2.
I at first thought this battle was like the 1973 Yom
Kippur War, where the Blue Force would be outnumbered and
surrounded by the OPFOR.
In practice, the Green Force was meek. The Red units
only swarmed around the Red HQ, didn't advance northwest
towards the Blue HQ, and didn't beam down any fighter or
helo. The Yellow Force was the most aggressive, as Yellow
UH-60s, M1A1s, and M2s advanced southwest towards the Blue
HQ. However, neither the Green Force nor the Yellow Force
accumulated enough SP to beam down any fighter or
fighter/attacker.
Thus, instead of the transport plane and one of the
Patriots, I should've allocated another pair of F-15 and
F-111 from the inventory. OTOH, didn't buy any new AH-1W to
replace the old Lv.6 and Lv.7 AH-1s. The Blue MiG-31 shot
down just one Yellow helo or two before it became useless,
as its low endurance meant I couldn't use it as a decoy
against the Red Patriots either.
Anyway. In turn 1, I beamed down a F-1 and a M60A3.
Scrambling a jet fighter in the first turn is way cool.
In turn 2, Type 87 recon vehicle, M109A6, and SA-13.
In turn 3, CH-53 and Mi-17.
In turn 4, UH-60 and Type 96. From this turn, the Blue
units begin to move northeast.
In turn 5, M2 and Patriot.
OTOH, in turn 1, each OPFOR beamed down two Avengers
and Infantry.
In turn 2, Green: UH-60. Yellow: UH-60 and M2. Red:
Avenger and Infantry.
In turn 3, Green: Avenger or Infantry. Yellow: UH-60 or
M2. Red: MLRS, Avenger, or Infantry.
In turn 4, Green: UH-60. Yellow: Avenger and Infantry.
Red: M109A6 and MLRS.
In turn 5, Yellow: UH-60. Red: M1A1.
In turn 7, M109A6, MLRS, or Patriot.
Because the Yellow Force didn't beam down any anti-air
unit in the first few turns, after the Green Force was under
control, my Blue assault helos flew as far northeast as
possible to prevent the Yellow UH-60s from capturing the two
or three neutral cities northeast of the Blue seaport, while
the slower Blue IFVs capture these cities.
When the Blue Force captures the Green and Yellow
airbases, be careful with the nationality of the Blue units
that capture these airbases. The Blue, Green, and Yellow
airbases are along the coast in the northwest and north, and
the Red HQ is in the mountains far in the southeast. First,
this geography deters Blue air units with low endurance,
such as the USA/AF F-16 and A-10, Russian Mi-24 and Mi-17,
and Japanese OH-1. Second, as my fixed-wing air units are
the USA/AF F-15 and F-111, USN/MC F-4, and Japanese F-1, my
Blue Force captures the Green and Yellow airbases as USA/AF
and Japanese for healing/resupply.
Further, the Red Force has at least two Patriots and a
few Avengers. After the Green Force is neutralised, the
Yellow Force is under control, and the Blue air units begin
to raid the Red ground units, each Blue fighter/attacker
should prepare to survive getting hit by both Red Patriots
in one turn. Because a Blue fighter/attacker can attack the
Red units just once (or at most twice) before it must RTB
because of bingo fuel or damage, one method is to loiter
available Blue AH-64s near the Red units and task them with
cleaning up the Red ground units heavily wounded by the Blue
fighter/attackers. If an AH-64 wipes out a Red ground unit,
and can't retreat to more than seven hexes from one or both
of the Red Patriots, then hope that the Patriots attack the
fighter/attackers instead. Thus, my Blue Force captures
Hakuba, the city northeast of the Red HQ, as USA/AF.
Gunships that can't hit-and-run aren't appropriate as the
clean-up hitter because if a normal gunship ends its turn
beside the Red units, then even the Red Infantry will cheap
a couple damage points off the gunship. When a Red Patriot
depletes its ammo, it will go to a Red city for resupply.
(I hope the Harrier that (AFAIK) the USN/MC and UK
eventually get can heal/resupply in cities.)
After the Green and Yellow Forces are neutralised, some
Blue ground units will probably run out of fuel when they
drive up to the Kurobe Dam.
These hexes have these special events when the Blue
units capture them:
- Itoigawa City North: 1,000 SP.
- Oumi Airbase: UH-60.
- Takaoka City: M1A1.
- Uodu City: 1,000 Nu Yen.
At the end of the battle, I got 54 kills, two KIAs,
50,000 Nu Yen, score 81, total score 815, and Taii (O-3,
Captain). Also captured a F-15, an A-10, and an AH-64.
With 119,925 Nu Yen, I could buy USN/MC Lv.5 or Russia
Lv.4.
USN/MC Lv.5 has the F-14 fighter and AV-8 attacker. As
everyone knows, the F-14 is the best fighter in reality,
because it can track and engage multiple targets from 100 NM
(nautical miles) away with its AIM-54 Phoenix SARH
(Semi-Active Radar-Homing) with terminal-phase ARH (Active
Radar-Homing) AAM (Air-to-Air Missile). Only Pete
"Maverick" Mitchell and Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in Top Gun
were dumb enough to dogfight the bandits in cannon range.
(OK. They were flying under peace-time ROE, while this game
is a conventional hot war.)
In the game, the AV-8's two advantages are it can
heal/resupply on airbase and >city< hexes, and doesn't waste
fuel points when immobile. Its three shots of anti-ground
ammo are adequate, based on past experience with the USN/MC
F-4 and Japanese F-1, each of which also has three shots of
anti-ground ammo. However, the AV-8 is comparatively
expensive to beam down for 1,000 SP: more than the F-1 (720
SP) and USN/MC F-4 (800 SP). By the time the Blue Force can
spend 1,000 SP in one turn, I probably have several gunships
in the air already, but the AV-8's 12 MP is faster than all
gunships.
OTOH, Russia Lv.4 has the SA-6 mobile SAM. The SA-6,
unlike the USA/AF Patriot, can move and attack. As the CPU
forces have fighters and attackers by now, the SA-6 is
comparatively cheaper and earlier to beam down than Blue
fighters and attackers.
Though Russia Lv.4 is the more practical choice, I
bought USN/MC Lv.5 anyway.
For the next battle, the player can choose: Lake Biwa
(Kyouto-Shiga in Kansai) or Sado (Niigata in Chuubu). The
Ishikawa (Chuubu) choice disappeared.
- In Lake Biwa, the Blue Force begins in Oogaki in the
northeast.
The CPU has three forces: Green, Yellow, and Red. The
Green Force begins in Yokkaichi in the southeast. The Yellow
Force begins in Hikone in the middle. The Red Force begins
in Kyouto in the southwest. All three forces use UK units
that are Lv.3, instead of Lv.2. In theory, the player can
win by clearing only the Red Force.
Airbases are all over the map.
The OPFOR will have fighters, attackers, attack
helos, assault helos, MBTs, SPAs, mobile SAMs, IFVs,
and Infantry.
- In Sado (not Sawatari), the Blue Force begins in
Nagaoka in the south.
The CPU has two forces: Yellow and Red. The Yellow
Force begins in Niigata in the northeast, and uses USA/AF
units. The Red Force begins in Sado in the northwest, and
uses USN/MC units.
The Blue Force doesn't begin with any seaport. The
Yellow and Red Forces do...
The OPFOR will have fighters, attackers, attack
helos, assault helos, MBTs, SPAs, mobile SAMs, IFVs,
Infantry, and warships.
I chose Lake Biwa, because I was allergic to hostile
USN/MC warships, and I wanted to advance farther towards
Oosaka. The Blue Force can reportedly capture the IJN (not
JMSDF) battleship Yamato (see below) in Hiroshima...
BTW, if the player begins a new game in Niigata, then
the Sadoshima isn't in the prefectural battle map. The top
margin of the map is just above Niigata City.
4.11 KANSAI REGION, BATTLE OF LAKE BIWA (Ayasaki Wakana hen)
Lake Biwa (Shiga) has no seaport.
All four forces begin with 1,000 SP. Afterwards, the
Blue Force gets 400 SP per turn, Green Force 300 SP, Yellow
Force 400 SP, and Red Force 500 SP.
My active Corps contained: one F-14, two F-15s, one
F-4, one AV-8, two F-1s, one F-111, two AH-1s, one AH-1W,
two AH-64s, one Mi-24, two OH-1s, one CH-53, one Mi-17, one
UH-60, one transport plane, one Type 74, three Type 90s, two
M1A1HAs, three M60A3s, one Type 87 recon vehicle, one
M109A6, one Type 87 mobile AAA, two SA-13s, two Patriots,
one Type 89, one Type 96, one AAV7, one M2.
I bought one each of the F-14, AV-8, and AH-1W to
evaluate them in real combat.
Also, I replaced the MiG-31 because it was the only
active Russian fixed-wing air unit. The others were USA/AF,
USN/MC, and Japanese. Now, I only needed to capture cities
as Russian to heal the Russian helos and mobile SAMs, and
didn't need to capture any AB as Russian to serve the one
MiG-31.
I kept the F-111 for its high endurance, unlike the
A-10 and Su-25.
For 2nd half of FAQ download zip file!
