@JamesG:
@kcdzim:
Japan no longer has the option to send the BB from SZ 60 to Hawaii anymore, so there is no longer a Pearl Heavy option. � best pearl 2 is now 1 CV, 2 fighters, 1 bomber (ending in Wake or Solomans), 1 sub and 1 cruiser, and more likely than not the Carrier will hold back for a pearl light. � It’s certainly an interesting opening setup… �
Also, unless I am miscounting somewhere, if Japan does hold back the carrier at Pearl, they can only get one fighter to the battle. There is no fighter, other than the one in SZ50, less than 4 spaces from SZ53.
So if they hold back the CV, it is
1 fighter, 1 bomber, 1 sub and 1 cruiser
vs.
1 Fighter, 1 CV, 1 sub and 1 destroyer
Japan should win that but they probably take two casualties, maybe 3 if some luck is on the US side.
On the bright side, the UK has no way to reinforce the Pearl fleet on UK1. Though they could try and weaken Pearl2 by killing the Japan sub with 1 cruiser, 1 sub from Australia if they forego the East Indies attack.
Right you are, Pearl light would be down a fighter as well. Edit: Actually, no, it wouldn’t necessarily. You could send the fighter under the assumption that it will live and you will win, and reinforce with the carrier if the fighter survived. But if you took the fighter as a casualty, you could move the carrier anywhere you wanted. Might be a high price to pay, but still possible.
But UK cannot actually kill the Japanese sub unless the Japanese player is a fool - Subs can always choose to submerge before combat. Unless you have a destroyer, you can never guarantee combat with a sub.
As for East Indies, I think Germany will now be forced to throw ALOT at Egypt on G1- including at least 2 fighter or the fighter and bomber to guarantee that the UK fighter dies. Once the fighter is gone, it looks like a foolish UK player who would throw down against the Indies fleet.