GL (HF) Game Report: ichbinsehselber vs Jokas

Jokas and I will try to write a game report together, alternating our analysis based on whose turn it is. We will see how it works out.

The game was part of the Global League and was part of the High Funds (HF) section. In this case each property brings 2k income instead of the standard 1k. The map of the game is Jaw of Tyrants http://awbw.amarriner.com/prevmaps.php?maps_id=73680

The first question when starting a league match is always the pick of the "right" Command Officer (CO).
The choice in the game was the following:


My pick was Drake, due to his global Mass Damage. In HF global mass damage is even more powerful, since the CO bar charges fast and the SCOP gets ready relatively fast. I was hoping to be able to handle a likely D2D disadvantage in the capture phase.

Images should be (img=url). I use postimages.org to store pictures. This should provide an example involving my PALBal patch for Game Boy Wars 3:
(img=https://i.postimg.cc/D0bZPqqr/GBW3-PALBal1.png)

Edit: didn't work. Had to use one of the hot buttons. It generates (img)url(/img). This should work:


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Anyway, may I ask for a link to the match. I think somebody should record the total acquired funds on each Day. (IE Day 1 would have it at 3K, Day 2 at 6K, etc.) ...oh wait a minute, it's High Funds? Well, as long as the sample is still viable for determining total funds of each player's unit composition.

Edit: if I found where it is indeed--and by the looks of it, it would be here--here's a table for the amounts of accumulated funds divided by 2K:


By the looks of it, I'm guessing Jokas faltered around Day 12?

BTW, something I notice about the map, particularly in its comments, is that there's a new FTA counter idea of delaying capture of the offense front. Funny how I recently posted an idea about a predeployed Mech on the defense front for each player for the no doubt similar purpose of making sure offense effectiveness is relegated to late game--it helps when I showed the post as well to respond to whoisthisgit making Tabitha a special mention on his latest video. I imagine both ideas have their pros and cons at the end of the day, but I think my own could at least be considered for the interaction factor.

Further addendum on November 21: Found another sample here, this time using the standard FTA Counter. Here's the table for that up to Day 11:


It's a testament how the whole thing evens out before too long when you as 2P went for the Airport instead of income on the defense front. I'm guessing a Day 6 Battle Helicopter has some psychological threat involved? Or maybe you were worried about the Recon, although I don't exactly doubt with your opponent's own Airport first choice that them going Day 3 Recon would have had implications for their economy. ...oh hey, there would be some interaction. But anyway, yeah, I'm just looking over sample data to see if the FTA Counter Infantry does indeed adhere to the half-turn principle.

...maybe I should create my own topic for the defense front predeployed Mech idea.

Note: This comment answers the above question about FTA counter, if you are only interested in the game analysis, please skip this comment.

Sorry I am not a good map maker so I can only comment on the new FTA counter for HF maps based on my experience as a player. The FTA counter must in general serve 2 purposes:
1.) equalize the number of unts
2.) equalize the income / funds
While it is usually possible to approximately fulfil these goals with the standard FTA counter, there is also a 3rd less obvious requirement for the FTA counter:
3.) equalize the vehicle thresholds
This means that the key vehicles that can be bought should be approximately distributed. E.g. on standard the first player who can afford the first tank should be able to afford the 4th tank but not the 2nd and 3rd.
This equation is usually a bit shifted in HF since here it is sometimes reasonable to postpone the first vehicle since the income tends to come in very fast.

ichbinsehselber CO pick: Drake
Jokas CO pick: Adder

Drake's main strength is the strong COP and SCOP which cause mass damage (1 and 2 points per unit respectively). The SCOP additionally penalizes the enemy vehicle's movement in plains and forest terrain for 1 turn.
Drake's air units are weaker in attack power than normal.

Adder's main strength is the cheap COP which allows all units to add one movement point for 1 turn.

When I saw that Jokas picked Adder, I was a bit happy and considered myself lucky. I think Drake vs Adder is favorable for Drake. I would have expected to face against Drake, Kindle or Andy, Lash or Rachel, all of which would be better choices against Drake.
Adder's main advantage his is fast COP and his movement bonus. Drake not only does mass damage but also penalizes the movement of the opponent's vehicles, which almost neutralizes Adder's strength. Adder still has the bonus that he can COP first, and he has no penalties to air, so the matchup is still not a clear CO domination.

Ah. So the player who doesn't get to 7K first must be the one to get to 14K first for standard map legality? Got it.

I'd be up for more analysis. Actually, is Jokas going to respond? I can at least mention for admittedly niche blindspots that could help Adder in the Drake MU, how MD Tanks can make use of Sideslip in Rain because the difference between 5 Movement Power and 6 Movement Power is big enough due to the latter being a multiple of both 2 and 3. That and Typhoon is a SCOP, although a cost effective one compared to Tsunami.

Of course, overthinking this stuff isn't a good idea, but something I do catch on is how Drake's air units being weakened means less pressure on the regular tanks, including the Light Tanks, and Drake already doesn't have a monopoly in land unit power. So as you said, the MU isn't complete domination. But with that in mind, looking over the replay, I do notice a few things from Jokas that would warrant explanation.