EotS Basics: Running an Offensive Part 1

[@ToddCarter]

Thanks for making this. I think this is the hardest game I've ever tried to learn and these videos are a big help.

[@markherman50]

Great video, I would just add that the three JP armies in Burma are also in supply over land. While they are 5 MPs from the Saigon port, they are within 4 MPs of Bangkok which is also a JP controlled port. So, this offensive was literally covered three ways, Adachi event condition (no supply needed), by sea (as shown in the video) and over land (within range of South HQ and 4 MPs of Bangkok).

[@johnsteidl293]

Mark Herman Great catch. I tried to fix everything in the edit process, but I'm sure a few other things snuck through as well. Please keep the corrections coming!

[@Olvenskol]

Mark Herman Thanks Mark, I'm learning the game and was just about to ask that question!

[@jamess6097]

Thanks for these great analysis videos John. One thing which you might mention as part of the planning phase is what the odds of success are. For this particular battle my estimate (disregarding the possibility that the Allied player has either the Allied ground combat ambush Card and the Ord Wingate Card) is that the odds of the Japanese player successfully capturing Rangoon were roughly 63%. That is - there was roughly a 37% chance of failure with this offensive (which is what occurred in the actual battle). If the possibility that the AP has either Wingate or the Ambush card is factored in, the odds of success probably drop to something in the order of roughly 57-58% (depending on how many cards are left in the AP hand at the point this offensive was run). Co-incidentally there is also a 36% chance that the the IJA loses 3 elite air steps (which is what happened). The chance of losing 3 air steps AND losing the ground battle was something like 13% or 1 in 8. So overall Antero got pretty unlucky here. I presume he did risked this battle outcome because it was his least worst option and he was under pressure to capture Rangoon this Turn? Obviously using elite Japanese air to fight at range (which he had to do due to ISR and the limitation of the card) and act as as essentially a meat shield for ground troops is not what you would want to do as the JP unless the strategic or tactical situation absolutely demanded it. I note also that Mandalay doesn't need to be supplied from Kunming - as it is within 4MP's of Dacca - but I note that this point has already been made in the context of the supply trace for the Japanese units.

[@johnsteidl293]

Missed this one and, yes, you are absolutely right about the benefit of odds calculation. It can get fairly complex though, especially once you get into amphibious assaults. There you need to win both the air/naval and the ground combat, and the defender may have multiple options for reaction. Establishing an optimal force composition, or even deciding whether you want to make the AA, will require looking at your own options for force comp and his best responses to those. A whole other piece of the puzzle is knowing what cards are still in his deck that could ruin your day, figuring the odds that he has one of them in his hand, and then trying to come up with a strategy to get him to play it to stop another offensive so your most critical offensive can go through. This is one place that chess concepts like tempo and fork provide a nice analytic framework. I would say that you don't need to get into this level of analysis to enjoy the game, and its hard to do F2F as it can slow the game down. But I would encourage trying it out with PBEM for anyone who is probabilistically inclined.

[@NapoleonsTriumph]

Awesome tutorial thank you

[@thehappywargamer9122]

Great videos. I was wondering could the Birtish activate the Naval unit since the cards indicated only land and air units?

[@johnsteidl293]

Hi, John. I think you are referring here to the Japanese offensive using the General Adachi card. The restrictions on a military event card only apply to the offensive player; the reaction player can activate whatever units he wants.

[@gymkirk3877]

Thanks for the videos! This game has a steep learning curve, and I like how you made videos with a single focus. Any plans for videos of other games? Perhaps EFS, Next War, or the 1914 series?

[@ChernobylPizza]

Where do you find this game for pc? When I google EOTS all I get is the board game

[@bobwolski7565]

@@ChernobylPizza -- use Vassal: www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Empire_of_the_Sun Not a PC game per se but rather an environment to simulate the board game - so you can play on your computer.

[@thehappywargamer9122]

John, Thanks, I thought I read somewhere in the rules about having to use the card restrictions for the Reaction player but I cannot find that now, must have been if the reaction player plays a reaction card as the event. Thanks for the videos I have learned a lot about how to play. Will you be a WBC this year?

[@johnsteidl293]

Yes. In particular, some of the counter offensive cards have specific limitations on the reaction player. Those cards can be a little confusing. Think of them as a special kind of intel card that allows intercept with, typically, a higher activation limit than might otherwise be available. And there may also be some restrictions thrown in.

[@andrewyoung835]

Great stuff.

[@ekted]

At 17:50 you say that the Chinese 6-12 Corps can be supplied by Kunming. But isn't it the case that reaction may only use a single HQ for activation?

[@ekted]

For the benefit of others, I have answered my own question. The single HQ was used for activation, but supply may come for other sources. This is probably most common with Kunming.

[@johnsteidl293]

Yes, that's correct! And you're right, it does not happen that often.

[@JPLaurio]

At 14:30 you say that the card is OC:5 EC:7 but the card clearly says OC:3 EC:5. Am I missing something, or..?

[@johnsteidl293]

At that point I'm discussing the General Adachi card being used by the Japanese and comparing it to Reno for the Allies, the point being that the Allies have an easier time getting intercept than the Japanese. So Adachi, a typical Japanese OC3 card, is 5/7, where Reno (shown here) is only 3/5.

[@JPLaurio]

John Steidl Ah, right. I thought I was going blind. Thanks for the clarification and all these great videos!

[@johnsteidl293]

No worries. When I listened to it again, I found it a little confusing myself! Cheers.

[@war_gamer]

playing weather...lol. playing God!

[@chokin78]

This game has the worst rulebook ever. It really made me NOT want to play the game. Has anybody else had this experiencie?

[@johnsteidl293]

In my experience there are three things folks struggle with. First - the game is unlike any wargame you've ever played, so there is no basic mental framework to start from. Second - Mark doesn't duplicate rules in various places where they might be relevant; the rulebook would be much longer if he did. Finally, a lot of rules questions are actually answered by the sequence of play. Until you internalize that, it can be a little rocky. My suggestion is to skim the rules lightly, then watch some videos, then skim the rules lightly again, then more video time. Supply and Activation, Running an Offensive, Amphibious Assault, Hit Allocation cover most of the basics. Playing the Allies and the AAR get into using them more strategically. For your first attempt at the game, I'd suggest the Souith Pacific scenario/mini game. If you can manage it, play with someone who knows the game, even if that means Skype and Vassal.

[@chokin78]

@@johnsteidl293 We just had a run at the mini scenario with other 3 gamers, two of whom had previous experiencie with the game, and have to say that it was just as you said. Thank you!

[@lelind]

To complicated game.