AAR: Colin I vs Hellraiser PBEM mirror game

[hellraiser]

Well, it's been years since i last wrote an AAR

After buying the game and playing 1-2 games against the AI to get myself familiar with it, I started my first h2h mirror game vs El Legende (both games still on atm).

Yesterday I started a mirrored set vs Colin I - we didn't talk about writing an AAR but I am pretty sure Colin wouldn't mind me starting one ^^

So here we go, the first 2 turns :

Game 1, Colin I having Axis - Hellraiser having Allies

Turn 1.

Very strong opening for Colin - he pounds Warsaw with everything, air, armies, tank attacking even from across the river- BAM ! my Poles give up. Pheew that was a quickie! Kinda risky if you ask me, it doesn't work everytime, but he pulled it off

Graf Spee raiding those assets in the carribbeans.

Japan killed an army near Chengchow.

During my 1st turn, UK shuffled some units around the map, China moved the exposed army near Changsha in the nearby more easily defended mountains.

Turn 2

German panzers spotted near Benelux border, Graf Spee still raiding the carribbeans (is it an oilfield there? perhaps a mj plantation^^).

Japan captured Chengchow - bah, this is not good

Allies continue to move units around the map, invest some cash in techs, reinforce some chinese units.

Game 2: Hellraiser having Axis, Colin Allies.

Turn 1.

Not gonna try to pull off the 1st turn-dead-poland-miracle, too high % to fail for my taste so instead i take my time and kill their units , placing 3 heavy units adjacent to Warsaw.

Graf Spee rading the same marijuana rich spot in the Carribbeans.

Japan start hitting Nanking - carrier, corps and army.

Allies take some lucky shots at germans in Poland, scoring a hit on a tank even with that lousy corps left alive...pfft

Turn 2

Germans occupy Warsaw, german air redeployed to the french border, ground troops started walking towards Benelux border. Not gonna waste precious mpps with operating, the distance is short and mpps are too scarce for Germany early on. We need some tech investments fast.

Japan capture Nanking using the 3 carriers and 3 ground pieces - China trade severed bla bla. USA say something about an embargo. I don't know if USA readiness jumps or not because the fall of Nanking, but 'severed' sounds damn good ^^. OTOH if this leads to an early embargo, it will be very bad for Japan - hopefully it's not the case (not gonna read the manual for this issue alone )

Games to be resumed later this evening.

[Colin I]

Great that Hellraiser started this.....

I do not think one shot kill of Poland is very risky. I reckon you get into Warsaw 60% of the time with the right sequence. You can line up quite some air and ground on Warsaw. So, even factoring in the possibility that the Poles fight on, you should get a surrender at least half the time.If it doesn't happen you might get some irritation from the Poles hitting an HQ or air unit for a few points. If you want to make this more certain, upgrade an HQ to Von Manstein - you need him sooner of later and might as well build his experience early.

Will add to AAR soon.

[hellraiser]

Yeah, even if you fail 1 turn poland, it doesn;t matter idd

Turns 3 and 4 - Colin Axis

DoW on Benelux, they capitulate. On turn 4, germans kill a french army.

Japanese maul the chinese lines, line still holding.

Allies establish a fishing net around brasil shores waiting for Graf Spee - she bumps into an english BB and gets sunk.

French cruiser bumps into german u-boat raiding the canada-uk convoy lines, sub dives.

Turns 3 and 4 - Hellraiser Axis

Germans DoW and annex Denmark. British bomber carpet bombing Copenhagen and the danish port. German ground troops continue to redeploy near french and belgian borders.

Japanese capture Chengchow.

[Colin I]

Colin Axis

Despite the snow Germans continue to grind down French armies. Japanese still slogging in China.

Hellraiser Axis

Its pretty quiet near France but French Navy and British Bombers sap MPP by raiding. Chinese counterattack does some damage. He has raiders working my convoys.

[hellraiser]

Game 1. Colin Axis

Winter in France. French operate a M-line corps (previously operated there from marseille) near Paris to fill the gap left by the french dead army.

UK change the convoy routes.

In China, Japanese units pound hard the poor chinese who barely have the mpps to reinforce.

Game 2. Hellraiser Axis

Germans continue their march to the western border. Various units already in place, reinforcing.

Japanese lose a corps in northern China due to multiple bold hits by chinese corps.

Carriers retreated in ports for refitting. Various other units receiving upgrades to motors and IW and reinforcing.

[Colin I]

Game 1. Colin Axis

Germans get kind of playful in the snow, panzers behaving like cats, darting in and raking the poor French with their claws, but not quite going in for the coup de grace.

Paradrop on Denmark takes it.

Japanese try swinging round the Northern flank of the Chinese. Sometimes this goes well, sometimes not.......

Game 2. Hellraiser Axis

Not much that I want to talk about but Benelux goes down fast (Denmark already part of Germany).

[Colin I]

Game 1. Colin Axis

Germans are attacking Yugoslavia and KO Vichy in a rather blatant show of aggression. Not a very diplomatic approach.....

Japanese continue to work the Northern flank in China.

British hit Mogadishu with navy and land. RN active off France.

Game 2. Hellraiser Axis

Germany KO France with a paradrop on Paris. Hellraiser is a bit behind on France but has taken Norway which I've not managed in Game 1. British refuse to recognize Vichy France and gain some minor French colonies as a result.

[hellraiser]

Game 1

Colin Axis

France kaput, allied corps holding brest and bordeaux

Luftwaffe sink a RN BB

Yugoslavia and Vichy attacked by Germany.

UK bomber operating from Malta hits the italian North African ports to delay the ferry of troops.

Japanese hitting hard the northern chinese flank.

Game 2

Hellraiser Axis

France kaput - @Colin - a wizard is never behind, he is exactly where and when he wants to be

Since I don't operate troops from poland and i take a rather cautious approach, instead of march i get france in april or something - not really important.

Germans started to deploy troops in north africa.

Fort de France gold rush refused by the fuhrer - it doesn't make sense since allies can reach FdF in a few turns , faster than axis can.

Japan captured Changsa - or whatever the name that city east of nanning is.

Norway was captured as well 1-2 turns back.

[Colin I]

Game 1 Colin Axis

Yugoslavia gives in. Allied Corps in Bordeaux destroyed. Japan keeps slogging away. Italians in East Africa under pressure.

Game 2 Hellraiser Axis

Indeed - he is hitting China hard in the South and German troops are sent to North Africa. British put a bomber in Malta to show their displeasure.

[hellraiser]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Japs coming hard from north

Germans kill the Bordeaux corps.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Germans attack El Alamein. Allied bomber operated in Malta.

Japanese DoW and capture Indochina.

[Colin I]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Japanese continue to erode the Chinese defenses from the North, goes better than the South. Germans attack Brest and take Norway with paratroops.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

British battleship bombards Axis troops off North Africa. Off Norway British carrier hits a German cruiser in port. China holding OK but pressure in the South. Awful Operation Sabine tips Iraq to Axis.

[hellraiser]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Due to massive pressure on Brest, british corps calls it a day and goes home.

Gerry capture Norway.

North Africa - calm, only the british bomber based in Malta hits the Tobruk port.

Somalia terror camp (got this terror stuff ideea from an older AAR, must've been Rambo's, can't be anyone else's ) under attack by uk minor troops.

Chinese kill a 4 star jap marine unit in the north.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

After a glorious and long voyage, Graf Spee managed to snuck into Bergen via Iceland but allied destroyer bumps into her mooring place. UK carrier off norwegian coast makes short work of the heroic ship.

In the Med, allied ships, sporting NW2, ping italian army near El Alamein.

In retribution for the loss of Graf Spee, nazi subs kill a cruiser in the north sea.

In the Med, germans storm El Alamein and kill the british defending army, italian army mauls badly an uk minor cruiser in Cairo port. German bomber hits the egyptian convoy starting port prompting the carrier Ark Royal to intercept. Italian sub and 2 italian cruisers sink the carrier and 2 italian battleships sink a british battleship.

[Colin I]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Germans go into a killing Frenzy and attack Greece and Spain. Norwegian destroyer forgets to leave Narvik and is boarded. Japan continues to make progress in the North.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Its good news and bad news for the RN. In the Med they sink an Italian battleship then flee. Getting pounded both at sea and land there. North sea is a LOT better, RN comes out on top against U-boats supported by German cruisers.

Chinese keep a solid front.

[hellraiser]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

I had no ideea about any norwegian destroyer going to the allies

Germans goosestepping all over europe. North Africa rather quiet - some skirmishes in addis abeba against the italian specops unit

China DoW French Indochina and corps near Nanning marches victorious in the enemy capital.

Due to chinese aggression, Thailand turns axis and starts the convoy route to Japan.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

RN takes revenge on my lvl1 subs and some cruiser in the north sea. In response, we risk some more uboats and a str 4 cruiser (used as a spotter) in order to kill a RN battleship.

Meantime, on the norh african front, germans occupy Alexandria and italian navy goes on the hunt in the red sea (RN BB survives at str 1 , O'Connor HQ bombarded)

[Colin I]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Germans take Spain and speed towards Gibraltar. Still marching towards Athens. US gets nervous but then calms down a bit. Japanese carriers kill the Flying Tigers. Japanese reinforce Thai allies.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

RN takes the offered cruiser in the North Sea and otherwise retreats. Final score: North Sea was 2 U boats and 3 Axis cruisers vs 1 RN battleship and cruiser. Med was loss of RN carrier and battleship plus various damage vs 1 Italian battleship. I'd call it about even. North Africa is bad, though. Syria jumps in but USSR and US get worried.

[Colin I]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Quite some shipping loss in the Med, culminating in the fall of Greece and the sinking of the UK carrier in harbour at Crete (took a L3 Italian sub with experience plus remaining Italian navy and airforce). Its been very bloody - both sides have lost shipping. Gibraltar hanging by a thread, with major German assault from Spain.

China bloody for both sides.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Germans stomping Egypt and Malta. China holding but Northern flank under threat. Not much else.

[hellraiser]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Axis fleet do some serious damage to allied med task force, carrier lost. Allies retreat their remaining ships into the red sea.

British and commonwealth forces attack Tobruk.

Japanese continue to attack in the north.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Germans capture Cairo, Egypt surrenders. Italian and syrian forces march towards Amman. Strong air units operated in Sicily, italian bomber and the Regina Marina destroy Malta city and port supply, time to get rid of that pesky RAF Bomber.

Japanese back off a little bit in order to upgrade their weapons to IW2.

[Colin I]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Gibraltar falls, hopefully that does his North African adventure no good at all. Right wing sympathizers influence US and increase isolationism in a population otherwise getting concerned about Hitler's success. U-boat raiding but UK gets lend lease destroyers. Saigon taken and Lanchow too, splitting China in two.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Its really calm but Malta is under extreme threat.

__________________

[Colin I]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Japanese attack Chinese leaders. Not much action in Europe except UK attack and take Tobruk. Sub raids convoy from Far East.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Italians head towards Iraq. China holding but he has L2 Infantry (I have L1). Malta getting pounded.

[hellraiser]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Chinese counterattack moderately, reinforce and pray.

British bomber from Malta and the canadian bomber from some sort of oasis south of Tobruk attack the italian port west of tobruk + malta effect kicks in = bye bye supply for quite some turns for axis forces.

Colin already had some 2 diplo hits on USA (i think). I don;t usually bother with diplo but I guess I'll have to.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Japanese kill a corps near the capital in central China after previously upgrading their IW to 2.

Germans kill the sudan defender using a tac bomber, soon we will march into the city. Italians capture Amman and continue to march east.

Malta bomber killed, next turn italian corps will land there.

[Colin I]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Chinese continue to get hit, with regular and TAC bombers joining in. his forces are mostly trapped in central China thanks to the Northern flanking attack. British are active in North Africa.

@Hellraiser - Axis diplomacy with US was necessary given early Axis aggression.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Despite his IW2 am holding Japan in China but suspect that means his resources have gone elsewhere. Middle East and East Africa are Axis.

Both games fairly quiet before an eventful 1941 gets going.

[hellraiser]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Japanese kill a HQ (i think), chinese kill a jap corps in return. TacBombers and carriers raining blood over chinese heads.

In North Africa, british forces make contact with the Benghazi defender - Ghadaffi better hide, we're coming

UK intelligence tech pays off - we spot things that were not supposed to know about

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

German cookie cutter at its best. Panzer unit enters Somali capital, italians advance towards Iraq in order to secure that british port. Malta captured by italian amphib corps.

Japanese don't really do much except for capturing Foochow and reinforcing the CAGs. Actually they do something, i.e. trying to buy all the available marines before bonus troops arrive in the theater (a nice way to exceed the allowed limit, you can go as far as -7 or something).

[Colin I]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Germans fairly quiet except TAC bombing of UK in Middle East. Japanese rolling well, Sian falls and Chinese looking fragile.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

Germans very active/strong in West, but Chinese wall of Armies is holding good.

No more turns for a week or so.

[hellraiser]

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Japanese hit hard and capture Sian. Minor chinese counters in the south. China at IW1 finally.

UK forces attack and capture Benghazi; Malta effect keeps kicking in and together with malta based bomber and canadian bomber based near Tobruk, keep axis supply down.

A massive british (asw lvl2) armada engages the german fleet trying to sneak through the Iceland-Norway passage. 2 cruisers, 2 subs and an amphib corps sunk. I suspect a powerful counter during Colin's turn since I am pretty sure he has many more units hidden throughout the area - germans preserved their naval units so far.

A lvl 3 sub raiding the atlantic convoy was driven away by a destroyer.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

German troops advance towards Addis Abbeba, still held by the italian specops unit. Italian units enter Iraqi territory to help the native corps capture Kuwait.

Japanese slug it out in central China, Colin has units well entrenched, I miss tac bombers because I first invested in some xtra carriers, techs and bought all the available marine units. I am pretty slow with China always, I let them live thru 1943 most of the time.

Games postponed till 10th or something, Colin is busy IRL.

[Colin I]

Back

Game 1 - Colin Axis

Japanese keep moving forwards destroying two entrenched corps. Axis navy hit hard and poor weather this turn stops retaliation.

Game 2 - Hellraiser Axis

US continues to listen to UK cries for help. China solid but Axis very dangerous in Europe.