[Spoilers / Team Thread] Fenn, CH & Bob take on AWBW

[Fenn]

I slept on it, and Javier seems like the best bet.

So Sami/Javier/Kindle is our lineup then?

[Bobchillingworth]

Yeah, let's roll

[Bobchillingworth]

Alright, the game is go, which means I can finally switch back to the vastly superior AW2 theme (which doesn't work with map previews)



Starting disposition:





In the west CH squares off against Nyvelion, captaining Von Bolt of Grey Sky (GS). For those uninitiated, Von Bolt's main advantage is a universal +10% attack & defense boost across all units, at no extra cost. He is unique in lacking any COP; his SCOP launches a missile which does 3 damage and immobilizes for a turn the most expensive unit concentration on the map in a radius which looks roughly like a city's BFC. It's a decent SCOP but takes a long time to charge, longer than it really should given what it does. It's overcosted to help balance having consistently strong units.

It's an interesting match-up... VB's units are strong, but he doesn't have a ton of funding to work with and CH can outproduce him. Ideally a constant stream of footsoldiers backed by ranged units (eventually including Rockets) is sufficient to keep Nyvelion on her back foot. I like our odds here; I would be more concerned if GS was fielding a CO with a movement bonus (like Max), who could circumvent CH's attempts to establish an advancing zone of control. I'm glad we didn't roll with Sturm here, he'd have trouble attacking at reduced strength into defensively boosted units.


In the center it's a mirror-match between Fenn (who cosmetically changed his nation to Red Fire) and Bamboozle of Amber Blaze (AB), both playing as Javier. I imagine the logic behind their pick was the same as ours. More than any other, this front isn't a duel- both CH and I will need to be prepared to reinforce Fenn, as the center of the map will be the most hotly-contested front. Fenn's Com Tower will be almost as important as his factories- if Bamboozle can capture it, then Fenn's units become much weaker and AB's much stronger. Likewise, crushing AB should secure us the game, as Fenn's units transform into 20/20 juggernauts.


Finally, in the east it's me facing down Xmo5 (Green Earth / GE), with mirrored leaders but different properties. I suspect we both had the same idea- use Kindle to control the narrow, property-ladden chokes between our nations while spamming our COPs. Xmo has the advantage in land unit production, while I have exclusive access to air units. My challenge will be to counter his inevitable attempt to push my units back with strategically-placed Rockets on cities. Our COPs being thrown around means properties will be dangerous to all involved. Unfortunately, due to the turn order this means that the entire enemy team can attack into our wounded units before we have a chance to move them. On the plus side, the power has a lessened effect on Sami, who captures at a faster rate, and Xmo took the unit-spam slot with a CO who has no particular advantages at it.

[Bobchillingworth]

Looking at the map, I reckon that the AWBW team's general strategy is to exploit Xmo's power to make gains against all of us in a unified offensive before we can respond. VB and Javier are obvious power-picks focused on raw strength; Kindle is kind of an odd pick for the four factory spot, unless the goal is to have her be first in turn order. So, I think that's the main thing we need to be cognizant of. Thankfully, it shouldn't be too hard to counter- just don't camp valuable units on properties on a day when combat between Xmo & I (or Fenn, or Bamboozle) is sufficient to charge his meter.

[Cheater Hater]

So I built my infantry (presumably I shouldn't need a picture for that ); and while I know I should rush for the new base with the eastern infantry, I'm having a harder time justifying that with the western infantry, as it loses two turns instead of one. Any thoughts?

Also, how are we dividing the properties? This not only includes the possible base donation to BH, but simple things like how far my eastern infantry will expand.

[Bobchillingworth]

I think we've all got to rush our open factories ASAP... really need to have every factory producing at least an Infantry every turn, I think, at least for a while.


Trial run at dividing properties:




Didn't put a ton of thought into it, so feel free to amend / criticize as you guys see fit. Idea is that if Fenn can take and hold that second Com Tower we're in a really good spot, so it's worth feeding him a couple properties from CH & I to give him an edge. That said, I'm being pretty generous with the divisions there, given how much we can realistically take from our enemies. If I lose a few of the middle properties to Xmo then I'm stuck on a tight budget. I can live with that, really depends on how much support Fenn is going to want from me.


Got my own unit movement quandary- does my western Infantry move south to capture the airport, even further south to get on the lander and capture contested middle properties, or go for immediate income and grab the city near Fenn? I was going to go for the airport originally, but now I'm not so sure. Would appreciate any input! I've got a better idea what I want to do with my eastern factory; obviously first Infantry goes south to capture the neutral factory, second grabs the city diagonally adjacent and then moves south, third back-caps.

[Cheater Hater]

Got my own unit movement quandary- does my western Infantry move south to capture the airport, even further south to get on the lander and capture contested middle properties, or go for immediate income and grab the city near Fenn? I was going to go for the airport originally, but now I'm not so sure. Would appreciate any input! I've got a better idea what I want to do with my eastern factory; obviously first Infantry goes south to capture the neutral factory, second grabs the city diagonally adjacent and then moves south, third back-caps.

When do you want to build your first air unit? Do you want to build an early T-Copter, or just wait until you can regularly put out B-Copters? I haven't played on a 1k map recently, so my perspective's a bit skewed--I'm thinking you might have to wait to put the airport to good use. In that case I like lander first infantry, back-fill second, airport third.

Waiting on Fenn for the property distribution, as I'm not sure at all myself.

[Fenn]

WRT property distribution, I'd say any city that's one Infantry move away from a base is yours, and generally cities between us ought to go to those who can get there fastest. Particularly for the two cities between me and CH, I don't think it's worthwhile for him to pass up on them to let me have them - better to get the funding going right away then to give a slightly larger portion to me.

Bob, in your position I'd have my first Infantry go for the airport, then take the Lander to go after the contested cities, with the second Infantry going for the city and the third capturing the port. You probably won't be able to capture the city NNW of the Lab unmolested, but you might have a chance and with the city attack bonus it'll be costly for him to kill your Inf. Having the Airport nearby is also going to be helpful to pressure. With Kindle vs. Kindle it's really important to grab onto those cities before Xmo can, as once you've got them you'll be hard to dislodge.

About strategy - I think our best bet for breaking through in the center is to capture AB's Comm Tower, and there's no better way to do that than with Victory March. If CH can have a couple of Infs around the area by the time Victory March charges, I can activate my own COP/SCOP and try to clear the way for him to cap it. Without a Comm Tower AB will be a sitting duck with a laughably weak (S)COP. We'll need to work out the specificsof this plan as the battle develops ofc.

I don't think T-Copters are a good buy. I don't have anywhere interesting I could go with one, and you two have Landers for your transportation needs.

[Bobchillingworth]

Thinking on it, I'll move my western Infantry as CH suggests- I'd rather not concede a contested city if I can otherwise be assured of grabbing it, and I think I can live with delaying my first B-Copter by a day or two.

I can use a T-Copter to move Infantry to the front a turn more quickly than the lander, but it doesn't seem worth the cost considering any Infantry dropped by itself is just going to get immediately smoked anyway. I do love me some T-Copters, but mostly in FoW, where I deploy them as flying roadblocks & rapid response capture units. They're too exposed here. I don't see any need for Fenn to ever deploy one.

I think we agree that capturing the enemy Com Tower is key to victory. If CH can do it then that's great, weakens one enemy and makes up for Sami's vehicle weaknesses. If Fenn can take it though it's astounding, +20/20 units D2D and a SCOP that essentially confers 1-hit kills and invulnerability for a turn. They can't survive that. The enemy is surely aware of this, so I imagine they'll push hard on the same objective.


Btw, if any lurkers want to pitch in, feel free! Our site's pride is on the line, after all

[ipecac]

Got my own unit movement quandary- does my western Infantry move south to capture the airport, even further south to get on the lander and capture contested middle properties, or go for immediate income and grab the city near Fenn? I was going to go for the airport originally, but now I'm not so sure. Would appreciate any input!

What about first infantry takes airport and then port, while the lander goes up the lagoon to pick up the second infantry for a quick attempt to capture cities around the lab?

Also, besides the city near Fenn you might want to take the city NNW of that too; it's more awkward for him to reach. The third infantry can pick up those two.