Catacol Highlander Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Well that was a turn to forget, and no graphics required to show it. Specifically: 1. Marc took Grozny - a good move - and one that I had predicted but reacted to one turn too late and the army sent to defend the transport link down to the Baku oilfields was mauled just short of its objective. That has put me behind schedule and I will need to reconsider my priorities a bit :-( 2. I started the Battle of Britain to find that the RAF refused to come out and play, and the tac air I sent against London was beaten up by anti air. Bugger. Going to have to rethink it. 3. The bloody Poles in Warsaw rose up and took a host of mpp points away from the city. Thank goodness a unit didnt actually pop up there as I have no garrison, but it was annoying nonetheless. 4. The army I lost in central Russia last turn in 0 supply was seriously a dull move on my part and about 250 mpps wasted. 5. I count at least 8 active pop up Partisan squares in the vicinity of Moscow in all directions, and a good number of these have activated and given me a headache. Going to need to rethink my garrison use now. So all in all I achieved very little that turn other than moving a bunch of units around, and effectively wasting a good weather turn. I should have been a bit better prepared for spring, but perhaps going to Madeira on holiday made me a bit careless and forced me to hurry my turns. No excuses!! - but SC at this level is a seriously mentally demanding game... Going to spend a couple of hours mulling over my approach for this summer as it is not too late to alter it. Hopefully I will have a bit more to post next turn depending on what I decide. Note to self also - best check the finish date of the game to be sure exactly how long I have to defend my space should I decide to go totally onto the defensive. It is one option from here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abukede Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Okay... my offensive to retake the southern Oil continues. I took the well head north of Grozny. I also finished off a German army defending Makhackkala on the Caspian Sea and took the city. Intel has revealed Al has some armor north of Grozny. I am betting my force is sufficient to handle what he has there... likely 2 armies, an HQ and an armor or 2. Al has crept forth a bit toward Stalingrad. I sense a large battle coming. Partisans are springing up all over occupied Russia now. I know Al's battle groups reaching toward Stalingrad have some really long supply lines. All it takes is one Partisan to cut the rail line and supply becomes a major issue. A partisan cut the rail lines south of Kursk. I also got the Vichey cruiser Lorraine in the med this turn. The US airforce and army is growing large. The buildup in England is well underway. UK anti-sub tech has taken a great leap forward and the next time Al ventures out he will have a surprise. Also US carriers have arrived off the coast of England. I think I could probably launch an invasion of France and Italy or France and Spain this summer but not sure yet. It really depends on whether Al goes all in on the East Front. It is June 4, 1943 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ev Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 During WWII, the Allies called upon partisans in France to flare up their activities at critical points. Of course, they could do that because they had been arming and establishing liasons for many months and years. It would be cool if a Player could invest a given amount of MPPs per turn to set up a connection with partisans in a given teritorry (e.g. France, Ukraine, Belorusia, Norway, Spain, etc.) Once you achieved this connection, you could call upon the partisans to step up resistance for a few turns at a point of choosing (i.e. before a mayor landing or offense)... I guess we are talking SC3 now... but just thought I dropped this... and see how you guys reacted to the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abukede Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Ev, There is a decision event where you can choose to set Europe 'aflame' by investing in partisans. That said... I do like your idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacol Highlander Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 OK - into June and I was in a position to try and wrest the initiative back from Marc that I lost last turn. Near Grozny I launched a counter attack taking the oil wells once again: I did not lose as many mpps as I feared I might with the loss of the one oil well, but I certainly dont want to lose too many more. I am in rather a mixed mind about this unwanted phase of 1943 - I didnt want to have to commit good forces to this area, but at the same time Marc has no way really of fast moving stuff down and so it ought to be easy pickings in terms of kills. Does that help me in Stalingrad or not? Unsure. Anyway back at Stalingrad my forces are pretty much in place now, and the front with my air intel looks like this: No armour in sight, but I know it is there. I dont need to go about this in a foolhardy fashion - piece by piece will do just fine, and I may well start that next turn. However air power is still my greatest asset - I have moved some to the Grozny counter attack and got more in France, specifically supporting this diversion: A very limited sealion has been launched using paratroops only plus an HQ. The landing itself was so easy I was left rather scratching my head and wondering if I should have gone about this with more force. Should I have left Stalingrad alone and instead amphib attacked with 2 or 3 panzer divisions? I am not sure again. This landing will force some kind of response from Marc, perhaps alter some mpp spending, perhaps allow my jets to maul the RAF and perhaps also alter the stance of the US. From my angle this is all about letting the clock tick down because I never really intended to try and conquer the UK when I thought about my plan at the start of this AAR, but we shall see. I need to be flexible, and so what I do with my tac air assets next turn will be my biggest decision. Leave them in France and any ground forces that come close to my beachhead will be easy meat. Send them to Stalingrad and I can maul the Soviet armour once again. Decisions, decisions. It's all about testing Marc's response at this stage, and then adjusting accordingly. ... and finally I HATE partisans, but measures are underway that should hopefully nullify them much better. I am annoyed with myself that I did not do more in the winter to make sure their impact was negated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuniworth Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I think the map is so large that you should in another patch change the name of unit types. Armies should be renamed corps. And corps should be renamed to divisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyazinth von Strachwitz Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I agree to Kuniworth`s idea.. that would be the same scale as in the WWI version. Catacacol Highlander: I LOVE the late Sealion idea... wonder how that works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacol Highlander Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I agree to Kuniworth`s idea.. that would be the same scale as in the WWI version. Catacacol Highlander: I LOVE the late Sealion idea... wonder how that works out. With the air power I have it is a logical thing to do, but I am still musing as to whether I should have tried to do it better. I might find that Marc has most of the British Army meandering around the Mediterranean, in which case this back door is wide open, but 2 para units are not really going to be enough to do the job. We'll see. Much depends on how the battle for Stalingrad goes. I also still want to take Yugoslavia but havent quite got around to it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacol Highlander Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 ... and as an aside to all players one problem I have now begun to run up against is that I have bought every unit available to the germans - but dont have enough. I wasnt all that bothered with the thought of using diplomatic points to take Spain, but part if me is now wishing I had done as I could have bought a whole load of Spanish units. I will have a few to rebuild come winter as Marc has destroyed 3 or 4 in the last few turns, but basically I am at max and it is a bit frustrating! I wouldnt suggest playing this game with soft builds on though - I suspect it would make it very hard for one player to make a come back if his/her opponent gets ahead by mid game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyazinth von Strachwitz Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Honestly I think that Hubert will do some tweaking here.. Germany has too few unit for their MPP income. Either the MPPs have to go down or the unit limit has to go up. I bet on MPPs going down :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abukede Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Okay... very and I mean very busy turn for me. I launched a delayed offensive toward Moscow with highly mobile units. I have been holding them in delay allowing Al to push forward and reinforce as much as possible in the south against my Stalingrad wall and Caucasus offensive. As a result the advanced units I ran into seemed isolated. We will have to see if Al has anything in reserve around Moscow to hammer me. I was able to surround and heavily maul a powerful part of Army Group Center that had just fought their way into Kovrov. I destroyed an HQ, beat an armor down to 5, Army down to 1 which retreated into Korov and damaged 2 corps. I expect to hopefully destroy these units next turn. They were at Supply 4… now outside of Korov they will be at 0. In the Caucasus offensive… I hammered at Al destroying an SS unit and retaking the Grozny Oil well. I also moved units behind into his supply to hammer at a fighter. I was 1 move short of cutting off supply to his units in the Caucasus. Around Stalingrad Al crept forward to my fortifications where my arty hammered his readiness. I think I might have parity force wise with him down there. Not sure but regardless if he assaults this turn it will get ugly. My partisans are really becoming an irritant for him. They cut additional rail. On a side note, I also took back 2 mines. Elsewhere in England… Al caught me in mid amphib operation/preparation. I hit him with some of the units I have in England… a few were not upgraded… hammered an airborne down to 3 and another slightly. I also hit his HQ. I air struck the port but don’t think it will prevent him from leaving. My ground units were a bit distant from the action so I could not get the powerful stuff up. His Me-262s hurt so I decided against performing a comprehensive airstrike this turn. Let’s see if he lands more or withdraws. All in all… a very fun and interesting turn. I think I’ve given Al some headaches and something to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacol Highlander Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 OK - the next few turns are going to be massive, and they will represent my attempt to win the war. We have 5 separate battles going on now - I intend to win 3, will lose 1 and will try and at least get parity in one. Here goes: 1. The Oil War in the south around Grozny has now swung my way. This was the end of the turn: I destroyed a soviet armoured unit using tac air once again, plus a corps with my armour, and will now reduce this pocket slowly. In no hurry to do so actually as the more crucial battles are elsewhere, and I am now glad that these units were not adding to the defence of Stalingrad and cluttering up the approaches. 2. The Battle for Stalingrad entered its 3rd turn (by my account) and from this graphic I would expect it to fall next turn: I destroyed 3 units on the approaches and have very considerable firepower here. I spy 3 soviet armour units - and crucially Marc revealed 2 more to me to the east of Moscow. This made up my mind that I could hit Stalingrad without having to move any air power straight away, and that the battle would be won by my guys. Intel is a huge factor in the game, especially of armour. They are the killers. 3. No graphic from me about the Soviet counter offensive to the East of Moscow. Marc conducted it very well and will take Kovrov next turn, but I will take the loss of 1 armour and 1 HQ plus some other units for the intel it gave me. He could possibly be at the gates of Moscow in 2 or 3 turns, but with poor supply and no chance of taking the city... 4. As a result of the intel I began my slow attack on Leningrad. You will see it is slow simply because I do not have any really big units up there, but enough to grind down what I think is defending it: Italian units showed their worth, with some supporting Germans. This will be a slow fight with the units I felt I didnt need elsewhere, but I hope to grind the city down by the end of summer. 5. Lastly I decided I was able to leave my main tac air force in France once I knew where all Marc's armour was, and I destroyed a British army with it while also taking time to reinforce my bridgehead a little: Still nothing like enough to take the UK, but the RAF and USAF had to take to the skies that turn and I know my jets must have done some damage. I dont mind losing all 4 of these units if it takes Marc the whole summer to take them out: by that stage I intend now to end the effective war in Russia. So happy all in all. One final graphic - if you guys out there play without making mistakes like this then you are better than me!! I did not bother to keep an eye on the isolated garrison in Sebastopol and it has now taken 2 mines back. :-( Stupid error - costs me mpps - but the unit will die, the mines will be retaken so not a biggie. Annoying though. Not sure why Marc's unit hasnt appeared once I fast moved a corps in to the area - is that a bug or intentional Hubert? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John DiFool the 2nd Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 You guys using the new tech system, or the old one? I ask because this campaign started several weeks before the official release of the WW2 campaign, and perhaps Hubert hadn't put it in yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abukede Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Well... I dished out a bit of a beating this turn. That battlegroup from Army Group Center that was surrounded was completely destroyed. I hammered Al next to Stalingrad and took heavy casualties doing it. I nailed an armor, HQ, Army, Anti-tank and damaged a number of other units. In the Caucasus... I he managed to get in behind me... but I mauled one of his armies. I still hold Grozny and the oil well. But not for much longer. I still have no counter for his massive air superiority in the East. It is literally killing me. The western allies are a bit stronger airwise and I've cost Al some damage to his Jets. In England I used air heavily and struck the army that had landed and destroyed it. I also moved up more units and attacked his HQ too. The British landed in Sardinia as well. I think Al lost 3 armies this turn, 2 or 3 corps, 2 armor, an HQ, and an anti-tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert Cater Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Al are you sure that his unit was there to be revealed? If so send me the turn before you made your moves and I'll be happy to take a look. John, I believe they are indeed using the new research system but we made some changes to the chit caps and I believe costs prior to release as the AAR revealed that some very quick advances were possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abukede Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Hubert... I think he operating in that corps so he would not see the unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacol Highlander Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Vicious fighting indeed - I lost 9 or 10 units in Marc's turn but I reaped a terrible revenge. ARound Stalingrad 3 soviet armoured units were destroyed, plus 2 air and some other ground damage. Stalingrad fell, the Soviet government fled and the final image was thus: Is this the end of the Red Army? What are they planning around Moscow? We shall see... In Britain more vicious fighting leading to the destruction of a British Army and damage to a US one. I also landed paras further up the coast to try and stretch Marc further: Quiet around Leningrad and the Caucasus, but I think the axis now are in a very strong position indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuniworth Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Hubert you got PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abukede Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I got hammered very hard around Stalingrad. I withdrew my forces this turn. My force in the Caucasus is isolated and soon to be destoryed. I finally got air tech for Russia. I expect some pretty intense fighting soon. Al is fighting his way into Lenningrad. I expect him to Take the city within the next 3 turns. We have quite the airwar going over Britain. I nailed one of his airborne units this turn and a sub. I put the Royal Navy forward and I expect the German navy is laying in wait. I expect to get hammered pretty hard. All in all... very fun so far. I love a defensive fight. Though I am working on changing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ev Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 By now, both sides in the AAR have incurred a fair amount of losses. Have you guys (the players) noticed any effect on National Morale? Do you feel/predict/fear National Morale, or lack there of, could become a factor in the game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacol Highlander Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 No need for a graphic as it was fairly quiet. Having taken Stalingrad I pushed out of the city, destroyed an army and mauled some artillery and otherwise tidied up my advance. Took out a corps on the outskirts of Leningrad and then decided to land some panzers in England. My little beachhead looks fairly secure now I think - I sank a couple of ships and badly damaged another as well, so I am not sure that Marc can dislodge me from here now. If I get a strong toehold in England and win the last battle of the year with the Red Army to the East of Moscow then all should be done and dusted pretty much. I'll post some graphics on the next turn so you can all see what my disposition is half way through summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacol Highlander Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 By now, both sides in the AAR have incurred a fair amount of losses. Have you guys (the players) noticed any effect on National Morale? Do you feel/predict/fear National Morale, or lack there of, could become a factor in the game? No - NM seems redundant in this scenario. I have posted in the Beta Forum that I think this is a shame, but I do not know if there are any plans to make the most of it. Even Russia still has an NM in the 80s somewhere despite the loss of Moscow and Stalingrad. That I think has a negative effect slightly on battle performance, but NM is not a big factor to consider in this scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ev Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Thanks Catacol, Do you have guerillas/partisans in Spain? France? How is the occupation in these countries going? How did you manage with the guerillas in the eastern front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacol Highlander Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Thanks Catacol, Do you have guerillas/partisans in Spain? France? How is the occupation in these countries going? How did you manage with the guerillas in the eastern front? There are partisans in Spain, but not ones that pop up as actual units - just hits on supply. Having played this AAR game I see no point garrisoning any part of spain to prevent them as they are infrequent. France has not had a single guerilla or partisan attack which has surprised me. Maybe Marc opted not to help La Resistance? In the East it is a different ball game. I have approximately 15 units tied up dealing with Partisans, either units that are attacking pop up partisan units that then can cause mayhem, or simply garrisoning key towns to allow supply to flow and operational movement to occur. Partisan attacks in the East have been very frequent - they are a real and potent headache. Without the axis minors and Italy on board it would be a very tough job to contain them and also fight the Red Army. It does occur to me that one potentially powerful allied tactic would be to try and take out Italy - a lot of my anti partisan troops are Italian - and maybe even invest diplomatic points in Romania or Bulgaria etc early on to prevent them joining the axis. This would be a serious blow to axis chances - as I have said in an earlier post I was at maximum unit numbers at the start of summer 1943 and to my mind it wasnt enough. No minors? No successful offensive I would suggest as many good German troops would be needed to fight the Partisans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abukede Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I am traveling this weekend. I will try to fit in a turn if I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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