So, what to do with the NAVAL tab?

[petri.piira]

This naval stuff is totally new to me, only played a couple of games vs. AI with it.

Looks like I can have ships, planes, helicopters and infantry there.. and this seems to require several decks:

- in order to play naval only, the naval tab should obviously have no infantry.
- in order to play with mixed maps, the deck seems to require several slots of infantry.

I don't know .. in a mixed map I can, at some time after the start (not immediately for some reason?) send in infantry in LCVs. Those can unload amphib vehicles, and those can unload infantry. So, for a mixed map.. looks like I need to have command infantry, AA infantry, AT infanty, and some normal infantry too. Do I need actual ships?

And, for naval only maps, WTF?
The naval battles here are worse than several scifi space combat games I have played in portraying naval combat. Is this just a "blob units, manage their facing as the captains can't be bothered" type of game?

What is the naval aspect of the game all about?

[petri.piira]

To answer my own questions above:

For a land map which has also sea (e.g. Wonsan Harbour), one wants to have on the naval tab:
- landing crafts which carry infantry
- landing crafts which carry command units
- possibly landing crafts which carry AT / AA infantry (but landing crafts work as AA at least against helos, at least the REDFOR ones do)
- possibly some other ships? To protect against enemy invasions?

An invasion can be made on "beaches" which are yellowish and sandy looking.
In order to launch an invasion, one has to control a zone which has a dotted "naval reinforcements" arrow.

[LimeyPolo]

Amphibious assaults! It definitely creates a unique angle for any flanking (shores) and it's fun to occupy islands, but I haven't worked any nice combinations for the actual navy yet!

[petri.piira]

Looks like some anti-ship units are beneficial to *protect* against amphibious assaults. Even if you are trying to be the assaulting one. (Yep. Lesson learned.)

Any thoughts - which units? Maybe 1 card of anti-ship helicopters, the rest amphibious troops?

Except - you get a fully functional and normal F-14 Tomcat interceptor from the naval tab if you play a BLUEFOR deck (!) (You can only call it if you have the naval arrow port zone).

Sorry if I am just restating the obvious - a noob in a noob group. If this gets too aggravating for those who know better, post some tips here. Otherwise I will continue to post something when I stumble upon things which are new to me.

[Ville Valste]

"- in order to play naval only, the naval tab should obviously have no infantry.
- in order to play with mixed maps, the deck seems to require several slots of infantry."
To play naval only, you need a naval deck.
To play mixed battles you can do "what-the-hell-ever-you-want" with the naval tab. Taking a marine deck helps, if you are into that kind of stuff.

[JimmyBeans]

I prefer to have ships with long range missiles and that are able to shoot at targets on the shore. I believe those are 110 points, and It is also good to haver ocket artillery boats. Infantry should also be there too, but the area needs to be clear, and have buildings for infantry to run to. It's best to use those as distractions to divert the enemy so you can hopefully push them back a bit.

[TheGreatCicero]

Amphibious Assaults rarely work from personal expirience, as either

1) the deck space isn't worth it, as it's easily counterable on the sea unless escorted by destroyers/CV ships with good CIWS (Essentially counter defensive to incoming Radar Ship Missles). The drawback of it is you rarely know where you land wether it's safe or not.

2) As said above, since you're at sea, prior to reaching shore you have no real defense unless you bring Long Range Artillery or Ship Fielded Artillery to smoke your advance and block of Line of sight from possible ATGM/Tank fire, that's another Deck Slot simply for 1 possible flanking manouver.

3) Ontop of the beachlanding expousre to AT, any bomber (High Explosive or Cluster (AP)), SLAH/F&F/SEMACT Air-to-Ground missle fighter will have easy pickings of your beach landing party.