US Marines - Guadalcanal Help (I don't like defending)

[Rigafan]

Hello,

I had a look but didn't see anything recent about this one.

I put the difficulty on the 3rd option. I am OK attacking but I seem to not be able to defend. At first, it was my fault, picking units I 'like' rather than what I should.

I've just tried again on Guadalcanal. You have to hold Hendersen airfield. The Japanese just steam roll me. I have basically no money and while you do get some reinforcements it seems to be too late? Obviously it is winnable but what tips can you give for defending on this game?

On this most recent play through I had an AA to try help with the bombing runs near Hendersen. I left the outer towns and forced on a stacked defence. I had my engineers blow the east and west bridges and mine where they could before they got killed and I had US Infantry defending the airfield, but they just get overrun so easily. Every engagement is like 0-4 or so to them!

My mind won't let me play any other campaign until I have completed this one so please help

[LynxCom]

This scenario is not easy. I played this one years ago so I can give only few general tips.

Use terrain to you favour. Place your infantry in jungle terrain, let them dig in and defend river crossings. I don´t recommend to blown bridges and to put mines in this scenario because you are short on points. Save your points instead and use them for reinforcing your infantry. If possible, make a second line of a defense from some units. So units from a first line of a defense can retreat and regroup.

Don´t attack enemy units, they are experienced veterans. Try to weaken them with an arty, terrain (moving throught jungle or swamps lowers enemy combat efficiency) or cutting them off from supply.

[GabeKnight]

Basically what Lynx said. And in my opinion this scen is more than "not easy", but belongs to the Top-3 hardest vanilla scens for a major win.

I'll post some (turn start) screenshots, maybe they help a little. After your second reinforcements arrive on turn 20-ish, the scen becomes manageable.

Screenshot 221.jpg (922.36 KiB) Viewed 1675 times

Screenshot 222.jpg (889.13 KiB) Viewed 1675 times

Screenshot 223.jpg (975.41 KiB) Viewed 1675 times

[mj43]

I usually put mines all around Edson ridge . 3 engeniers or seebees go to work right away. Leave a path open, they will attack there. 2-3 Artillery , no tank. No heavy inf. just marines. use the jungle and stay put, do not attack until the end.

[Shards]

Best advice I can give for this one is to stay mobile and don't get too passive.

I stay away from mines personally in favour of reserving my RP for repairs for combat units.

Gabe's last screenshot shows my usual first move too, a decently strong force to go and put down the assault from the East and grab the target town there asap, then I filter that force back to relief Edson's Ridge and from there form a new flying force to actively engage the forces coming from the South West.

The air battle is very hard to win, best you can do is try to deter win hit and run from your fighters and keeping AA near to the central objectives.

[Rigafan]

Thank you all for the replies and help, especially the screenshots!

It seems I am being far too aggressive (they are all veteran units as mentioned) and also I am sitting far to deep in my defence. Twice I had all my forces on the airfield and as soon as one retreated they obviously took the airfield straight away.

[Shards]

I did a quick play-through of this scenario as a stand-alone on level 3 difficulty. Attached a replay here.

Loads of mistakes and way over-confident in the middle, but it shows my general strategy for this.

[impossible]

Hello,

I had a look but didn't see anything recent about this one.

I put the difficulty on the 3rd option. I am OK attacking but I seem to not be able to defend. At first, it was my fault, picking units I 'like' rather than what I should.

I've just tried again on Guadalcanal. You have to hold Hendersen airfield. The Japanese just steam roll me. I have basically no money and while you do get some reinforcements it seems to be too late? Obviously it is winnable but what tips can you give for defending on this game?

On this most recent play through I had an AA to try help with the bombing runs near Hendersen. I left the outer towns and forced on a stacked defence. I had my engineers blow the east and west bridges and mine where they could before they got killed and I had US Infantry defending the airfield, but they just get overrun so easily. Every engagement is like 0-4 or so to them!

My mind won't let me play any other campaign until I have completed this one so please help

use engineers and mine the hell out of the southern and western perimeter.

[Rigafan]

I did a quick play-through of this scenario as a stand-alone on level 3 difficulty. Attached a replay here.

Loads of mistakes and way over-confident in the middle, but it shows my general strategy for this.

Thanks for this I will take a look.