operating Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 My bad, the national borders do not move when tile ownership changes hands, must of been thinking about another game (likely CTGW).... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will95 Posted November 22, 2016 Author Share Posted November 22, 2016 Turn Eleven (sorry missed a turn, but it wasn't very dramatic) This turn was chaotic! The French are on their knees. Paris is almost directly under siege following renewed spring offensives by the Germans. The British have finally arrived and are putting the hurt on German corps in the north, but the south is unguarded and there's a cavalry division running rampant. All French MPPs have gone into reinforcements so they are a long way from improved trench warfare or better weapons. A French surrender, now highly likely, won't automatically end the game, but it will make it extremely difficult to win. On the plus side, attacks from airships, aircraft carriers and French troops managed to badly hurt a number of German HQs which might buy me an extra turn or two. In the east, Russian cavalry seized two border towns that were left undefended. I also launched an attack on a lightly defended Breslau, and defeated an Austrian corps down the line, allowing a small breakthrough. I'm still eagerly anticipating artillery level 1 for the Russians, because once I have it I can really start to pile the pressure on by taking down the second fortress. I'll also be opening up the Jablonitsa Pass very soon, and I might send Russian cav to cause a nuisance in the backlines. However I'm not going to send a whole army down there - in my experience, as both CP and ET, it's a deathtrap! My detachment was cleared from Sarajevo, but they did their job, prodding the Italians closer towards mobilization. Still no offensive from the Austrians but I spied an artillery piece last turn so I suspect Ash is also waiting for his first artillery tech to hit before he attacks. Meanwhile of course, I'm investing in Russian trench warfare to make it harder for him. At the end of my turn, the Italians were provided funds by the British to further mobilize their troops. Nationalists also called for war, meaning the Italians should be entering within the next few turns. This will open up another front on the beleaguered Austrians and hopefully allow me to cause a bit of a nuisance. Alternatively, I might use them to liberate a defeated France in a two-pronged attack, with the Italians in the south and the British in the north. I'm not sure how well Britain and Russia will cope as the lone military powers of any significance against a significantly stronger Germany. I suspect very poorly But perhaps the fall of France will push the USA into action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will95 Posted November 22, 2016 Author Share Posted November 22, 2016 Hi operating! Thanks for following along so closely, always good to have someone to bounce ideas off So with regards to Danzig and cutting the rail lines; unfortunately not really possible. To do that in one swift motion I'd need to expose my general by bringing him further south, and I could be cut off - don't have enough troops in the area. Furthermore if he's garrisoned Danzig then I'd only be able to cut them for a turn, two at the very most, before any interfering units were destroyed. I know it looked very open in the Turn Eight screenshots but he's since moved quite a bit of support to the area. I touched on Jablonista pass in my latest turn - I will open it up next turn (you can see from the screenshot I've badly wounded the detachment holding the gateway town) but I'm not going to make any big plays down there. It's mountainous, very narrow, and poor supply as a result. Very easy to be cutoff if Austrians were to make a surge forward, I've made that mistake before and I don't plan to make it again, tempting though it may look! With the Austrians digging in with better trench warfare I need to wait for artillery before doing anything big now, and so far I'm getting good results just attritioning the Austrians on this line in preparation to encircle the fortress. Remember, taking the fortress will have major ramifications on Romanian mobilization, unlocking more troops, more HQs and a bigger MPP base, as well as new strategic angles of attack. When I mentioned pulling back in Prussia, it was just pulling away from where I was out of supply. I'm still keeping close to his lines but I can't attack dug-in German troops without overwhelming numerical superiority AND artillery (their base stats are superior to mine). Yes, I have captured the mines just near the Moravian Pass. I can't push too much further in though, hence the new attack on Breslau. There is a German general in the area too, I saw it was operated there along with all the corps. The French situation is tricky. I'm trying to make a nuisance with the Russians but even so, I don't think the Brits have it in them to take on the Germans solo. That's why I need the Italians in the mix as well, so for now I'm just going to fight to keep hold of whatever chunk of Brittany I can keep. I'm sending more Brits there every turn but the Germans have numerical superiority. I just need to hope for an early hit on infantry weapons. The flag you see at the bottom is the Russian flag - Serbia and Romania are minors underneath Russia, and they all draw from, and contribute to, the same MPP pool. The Serbs can theoretically get artillery but it's very costly (more than 1 whole turn's worth of income). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Yes, really enjoying your AAR! Hope you don't mind my criticisms and grand stand quarterbacking (can't help myself, it's my opinionated side ) . Question: Is there a secondary French capital available on the mainland? Also, Do you have an idea as to how much NM loss will occur if/when Paris falls (your at 67 NM now)? What I am wondering is: What will happen to English and Belgium units on French soil should France surrender? Would they go to production queues or what? Do French generals use up MMPs for upkeep? I'm praying for ya, the whole world is watching.... If Paris is captured, will it affect supply for the remaining French countryside? Also, will it prevent other French units from deploying there (Brittany)? Is there French navy that can be used as a source of supply ? By any chance, Are you trying to transport African troops to the French Med coast? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 What's maddening about this game: Is trying to get details about scripts. For one your scenario is only presented as CP in SP there is no way to get ET SP (starting locations) scripts for 1914 C to As. Alas, can't get the info in advance of scheduled reinforcement, ect., or what notices/messages (in detail) that might be of importance and so forth, neither is there any trigger dates as to what goes where (of course I realize that randomization is in the mix).. Yes, there is some info that can be gleaned from scripts, but leave much room as to what they mean... I should be satisfied with watching 2 veterans lock horns and leave it at that, but at the same time desire to have a better understanding of the game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will95 Posted November 22, 2016 Author Share Posted November 22, 2016 Yes, the capital defaults to Bordeaux in the event of a Paris capture. But it's already been taken. That just leaves Marseilles, which, thankfully, is quite some distance from the current front line. It's also a lot more mountainous in the south, so a bit better territory for a defensive war. I will be recieving 5 fresh corps over the next few turns which will go some way towards preparing a defence, but if Ash continues to commit both German artillery pieces against the French they won't last long. I'm hoping to send the Italians in support (they've just entered in my latest turn) to bolster them a bit. No troop transportation from Africa, I'm thin enough on the ground there as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 (edited) What surprises me is how quickly Arrass, Rueon, ect. accumulates MMP for G. In my division scenarios I notice how (very) difficult it is for G units to stay supplied and attached, never mind the G units slow to a crawl in Southern France, even RR is hard to use, G commanders are a must there, beginning to think G might be maxed out with generals, plus their costs must be going up... How's your intelligence tech? IIRC there are restrictions as to how many generals can be recruited, does that apply in this scenario? Where G has detachments occupying channel cities with no commanders, might they be prone to raids? Any indication that G units have AA protection? It'd be nice to catch him with his back-door open up the coast (would take some planning or should say some sandbagging to pull it off, at no small expense, transports, air power, ect.).... Speaking of generals noticed that AH has at least 4 now... How about Italian SSs of Venice and the advance of Italian units to France.... The one thing I did notice firing up this scenario: Is the message of AH's concern of Romania entering, said something about Transylvania, plus that AH was willing to concede ground to R, meaning it would not be critical to their cause, they do appear to be a lot stronger now, although they show no offensive progress. . R is your only real hope of accomplishing anything. The above AH message also said if Romania entered the war that AH would take a NM hit... Edited November 22, 2016 by operating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Serbia Looks like the Serbs are going nowhere, if anything they will going backwards if no Serb corps occupies the tile (good defensive position) west of Veljevo. Question why detachment in Uskub could not be RR (only RR) up to strong point in Kragujvac while relocating that corps closer to Veljevo or further west as support. Do smell a rat in FOW. What's the cost to get a Serb fighter or a gun to that region, trouble is coming.... How close is Bulgaria to entering? Never played Italy before, so have no idea as to it's strength. I'll take a wild guess it isn't much, especially if the CP realizes that you are going to support France. Ash may go for the Serb kill now that he has you on the ropes in France. So far he is using excellent strategy, doubt he is breaking a sweat. Are you able to raid his convoy routes? He has an awful lot of units in the field... There's a chance the Swiss may jump to the CP side here, it depends on chits and which way the wind is blowing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will95 Posted November 22, 2016 Author Share Posted November 22, 2016 Turn Twelve No pictures this turn, not too much new... Paris now has two artillery pieces trained on it - surely it can't last more than one more turn. Managed to take another German corps with me at least, and destroyed a German cavalry unit with the Brits. The French generals are retreating to the coast, where they are preparing to evacuate by sea to Marseilles where it looks like it's going to be Custer's last stand... The Russians captured Breslau and made another breakthrough in the weak Austrian line, striking the general behind. But still no Russian artillery tech, frustrating as it is now over 80%! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will95 Posted November 22, 2016 Author Share Posted November 22, 2016 Serbs are indeed going nowhere, but this is essentially a win for them. The Serbs really have no ability to be offensive unless British or French troops are sent via transports to support them, and I'm not in a position to do that right now. The mere fact that I still hold Belgrade this far into 1915 is a minor victory, and has contributed to increased Romanian readiness. Russian income isn't enough for me to afford heavy artillery or the like for the Serbs yet; it's cheaper to send British troops in support, if and when that becomes a possibility... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 What's your plans after Paris? If all your French reinforcements go to Marseilles... Defense of La Rochelle maybe? To the bitter end.. Let the Germans chase the English to lands end (Brest) in one continuous fighting withdrawal to buy time for a French buildup (you know the English will get slaughtered once Paris falls). With all the cities being lost in Brittany will there be enough French NM (O% surrender) left to even defend Marseilles? Will Ash start railing units to the East or to South France once you are cornered in West France? What's to become of the Belgians? Can they Transport? Would it be worth it? Hole them up in Cherbourg for a last stand, possible disbanding (they can't recruit)? So many possibilities... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Another thought occurred to me: Would Ash attempt to invade England? Does he have the MMP to pull that off? He certainly has the manpower while your tied up in France. Would England have the MMP to defend itself on yet another front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Info: What does the letter "A" mean to your commanders? And What does the letter "S" mean to your Russian artillery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 3 hours ago, operating said: Info: What does the letter "A" mean to your commanders? And What does the letter "S" mean to your Russian artillery? For some reason cannot edit: So this post What kind of French ship is at Quimpec port and why? Also see the Brit aircraft carrier next to Le Havre. Is it effective against land units? I found that very interesting after reading your latest report.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Was able to set up a test save of 1914 C to As and check out the preprogramed reinforcements from the production window and get a birds' eye view of the entire map, got some answers there about fleets (fr)(gb)(r). Have not heard you mention anything about naval activities so far, thought maybe there were none, per pre-game agreement. Absolutely cannot stand having to place G reinforcements before the scenario actually begins, really bothersome. At the very least the test save allows me to hide units and so forth to identify map locations and values, also Italian units, ect., makes it so much easier to follow your AAR (and clear out my rustiness, never mind game orientation). Seems to me there should have been a button for disbanding, maybe I'm a little confused... More than anything I am here to learn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will95 Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 Turn 14 The West settles down, with British and German troops fanning out to cover the lines, German artillery looking menacing in the distance. Nearby, a German sub was spotted - and sunk. At least one other sub was nearby and took some damage but slipped away. Notice the thin German lines near Caen - I would like to exploit this with a British push once I've brought my artillery across the channel. Another British corps also awaits transportation. Low French MPP income means the HQs are still just chilling out by the beach, surveying the ruins of their country.... Further south, French troops destroyed the cavalry unit that had caused so much damage, and retook a mine. It'll be some turns yet before they start producing again. In the east, Russian upgraded their artillery at last, in preparation for a fortress assault next turn. Meanwhile a German town was assaulted by Russian troops, with the defenders taking heavy losses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will95 Posted November 27, 2016 Author Share Posted November 27, 2016 A = auto-assign. Troops can be manually assigned by the player, but will be automatically reassigned if troops move out of range or are destroyed. S = silent. Artillery by default will counter-fire any enemy units that attack while within range. Silent prevents them doing this (so you can save up shells for an assault). All French forces will be used to hold Marseilles to the bitter end. When Paris was lost, French troops mustered in north Africa, a HQ and a corps, which I'll be aiming to send across. I have some more French troops in the production queue as well - if I can hold out until the winter, it might give me enough time to form a reasonably sized defensive force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will95 Posted November 28, 2016 Author Share Posted November 28, 2016 Turn 16 Much excitement in the east as the Russians capture the second fortress with minimal losses. Artillery railed from the Caucasus is helping to press the advantage, and the thin Austrian line looks to be on the verge of cracking! The Russians now have infantry weapons level 1, but the Austrians don't - this is giving me a sizeable edge in engagements, allowing me to deal damage while taking little in return. Still no push from the Germans by the mines - they outnumber me, but lacking artillery, Ash is probably reluctant to engage. Meanwhile Russian troops are but 80 miles from Berlin! In the distance I can see the Kaiser's forces mustering near the capital. Notice the improved German units - they've had inf weapons level 1 for a couple of turns now, and there's been a pause in German offensives while they get fitted out with their new kit. German troops retreated from the Konigsberg area back to the Danzig defensive line. I'm preparing my own troops to move in on Konigsberg - I'll probably send one of the artillery pieces from Austria to help break the defenders down. No movement from the Germans facing the British in northern France - I'm grateful, as it's giving me time to get my troops across the Channel. I've now got artillery ready and almost in position for a push near Caen - airship scouting reveals a very thin German line here! I suspect the bulk of the army is heading south, to destroy what's left of the French. I'm also preparing Royal Marines to seize an empty Calais. The French are very thin on the ground in the south, and when Italy suddenly declared war I didn't have time to reinforce Turin, so I've got to remove the cav blocking me before I can move in to help France. I have 2 more French corps arriving over the summer, but that's it. Their income is pitiful, around 40mpps per turn, so they're well and truly out of it now. Overall, the situation is still pretty dire; the French losses are Germany's gain, and unless I manage to take back a good chunk of France their NM will be shooting up in no time. The one glimmer of hope is the gains I've made against Austria - they still have yet to take any Serbian territory (they tried - the detachment beat off 4 corps attacks barely breaking a sweat) and they're losing territory to the Russians. With both fortresses in hand, I can afford to leave this front defended with a skeleton force, and turn my attention to the Germans. The Romanians are also at 50% mobilization, and I'm going to start piling diplomatic pressure on them to get them onside. In other news, the Italians captured Trento - this is significant from a defensive point of view, as holding the town makes an attack there almost impossible. Trieste is only lightly defended by cavalry and I'd like to take it too, to apply more pressure to the Austrians, but I'm keenly aware that the Germans may destroy the French and continue straight on into Italy - if this happens my defensive options are limited. Basically, I have to press my advantages, few that they are - once I have British inf weapons upgrades, I'll attack the Germans hard in France and drive toward Paris. I'm waiting for upgrades before I begin the Middle East campaign in earnest as well. The Russians will be redirected towards Danzig and Konigsberg. Diplo pressure will bring the Romanians into the war, and from there allow me a route into Bulgaria, and eventually Constantinople. Much to play for yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 Good to hear you are more optimistic as of late! Congratulations on the Russian Front! One can bet the Germans will be reinforcing the Eastern Front bigly. Railroads will be busy.. I usually go manual for detaching, will have to try your "A" concept (thanks for the heads-up by the way)... Been Reading the posts over at Matrix SC3 forum, there is a good thread called "Supply for Dummies", which gave me a renewed perspective of this game... Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Any news? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Will95 Has the fight gone out of you? Or is there something else a foot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operating Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 It's a darn shame that this match could not continue... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korut Zelva Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) Indeed. It's nice seeing high level player one-upping each other with daring strategies. My question are: -Does anybody know what is the trigger for Belgium to enter automatically? (Something like French lost of Lille and/or England entry?) -With Austria being in such duress, wouldn't it have been better to give in to the Italian demands to shut down a front and break any hope of a french revival with Italian aid? Edited January 31, 2017 by Korut Zelva Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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