Need some base capturing advise

[Menser]

When playing as the Japanese, I seem to be capturing bases with the result of most of the Resorces and Oil heavily damaged. Are there some guidelines that I can use to lessen the impact on these when I capture a base?

Erm ...note to self ....Advice is spelled with a c!!!!!

[Yamato hugger]

3 rules I follow:

1) bombard the crap out of the bad guys before you attack. Air, land and sea if possible. This disrupts the engineers.

2) take or at least occupy all the other bases in the area before you attack the resource base. If the unit cant retreat it is less likely to destroy stuff.

3) Shock attack. Use violence.

[Menser]

I do that now ...1, 2 and 3 especialy ......I'm a firm advocate in the use of extream violence [:D], but I still wind up with alot of damage ....would more engineers on my side lessen the impact of thiers? Are there any hidden factors? (i.e Things somehow not mentioned in the well written and completely comprehensive manual we were given.)

[Yamato hugger]

Your engineers have nothing to do with what gets destroyed. It is partly numbers of enemy engineers and a random. Take an undefended base for example. At times if you get unlucky enough the whole thing can get flattened when you take it. Luck of the draw.

[RUPD3658]

Can't prove it but it seems that the more turns it takes to capture the base the more damaged it will be when it is captured.

[siRkid]

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658

Can't prove it but it seems that the more turns it takes to capture the base the more damaged it will be when it is captured.

During the development of the game that was something I wanted but the idea was shot down.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: Kid

ORIGINAL: RUPD3658

Can't prove it but it seems that the more turns it takes to capture the base the more damaged it will be when it is captured.

During the development of the game that was something I wanted but the idea was shot down.

Well, it only makes sesne. The more you shoot the more likely there will be collateral damage.

[niceguy2005]

I would add 4. to the above

4. Heavily bomb the airfield, besides making the base generally easier to take by reducing supplies, you will dissproportionitly (im sure I butchered that spelling) the defending engineering unts.  In particular you want to destroy ever engineering vehicle or squad.

The use of naval bombardments can give seemingly very random results in terms of disabling engineers.  The reason is that bombardments hit one area hard (randomly chosen).  SO the airfield, infantry, engineers or port could get clobbered, or none of the above.  I had a base that would routinely get attacked.  One turn the infantry would take 40% casualites, the next round its the engineers.  An attacker of course won't know what units got hit.  He will just know if he did a lot of damage or just a little.

[Menser]

So air attacks specifically targetting the Troops would work best? (to eliminate or disrupt the engineers?)

[Yamato hugger]

No. Target the airfield / port. You have no control over the target your aircraft will hit on a ground attack mission. If you bomb airfield / port you are specifically attacking support troops, and this includes the engineers.

[Feinder]

"Ground Attack" missions target the combat troops, "Airfield/Port" attacks target the support troops.
 
-F-

[Local Yokel]

I agree completely with 1, 3 and 4 as mentioned by YH and niceguy - but my (limited) experience with 2 has been diametrically the opposite. So I'm inclined to leave defenders with a way out.

"For a fleeing enemy make a golden bridge."

YMMV.

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: Yamato hugger

No. Target the airfield / port. You have no control over the target your aircraft will hit on a ground attack mission. If you bomb airfield / port you are specifically attacking support troops, and this includes the engineers.

From my personal observations "Ground Attacks" tend to target the HQ, or the strongest unit in the stack (usually Inf).

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: Local Yokel

I agree completely with 1, 3 and 4 as mentioned by YH and niceguy - but my (limited) experience with 2 has been diametrically the opposite. So I'm inclined to leave defenders with a way out.

"For a fleeing enemy make a golden bridge."

YMMV.

Since I usually play the Allies, I don't have much insight into the advantage/disadvantage of taking surrounding bases. What I do know is that some players have used 4Es to wipe out resources after a base has been captured, so taking surrounding large bases can be beneficial.