Liam

Wanted some highlights of a game in an AAR, give some other players the opportunity to learn what I am attempting to. How best to defend USSR as you reach the last few units.. We opened this game fairly typically, UK attempted to convert resources in Norway-Iraq, succeeded in 1 and had to wait for the other... Egypt fell and lost an HQ there... no real frills Benelux-Denmark-France-Poland-Vichy-Spain all fell to the Germans without a fight...There was no real clashes aside from little petty border disputes.. Germany then converted North Africa-MidEast-Portugal along with Yugoslavia/Greece/Sweden right before Barbarossa. This kicked UK from Norway and cost us a couple units there and valuable investment of time & energy putting the UK behind in this game. Since the Axis had invaded so many minors there Morale was good and the USSR retreated from the frontlines... Back in the trenches, the Germans pushed in two major waves, Army group A toward Leningrad-Moscow-Archangel, very artic goals! Second wave, Group B, headed through the Mines in the Ukraine, Kharkov and then onward to Stalingrad. All this was achieved in record pace, 12 or so months and the German advance seem to nearly be unstoppable. Several advanced Rockets were used along with a 2nd Italian Fighter completely preventing any sort of Counterattack by My Forces. The only two attempts I made at a counteroffensive was in Finland and in the Kharkov Region. End result, major losses. All this only pushed the Axis onward As Winter set in, 1942, things did slow down some, Stalingrad and Moscow firmly in Axis hands, along with Archangel Supplies... The Russians sit behind the Volga and in the Caucasus Mountains, killing a few Greys here or there. In Total the death toll is something like 35 Reds to 15 Greys.. not good! The West has been completely silent, I'm certian Terif expects something, there have been a few skirmishes at sea, meaning nothing! France is a Wall and there are a lot of Axis units around...So I do not know if I can pull off taking the pressure off the Reds... They may be on there own and defeated before any salvation comes. I know the Greys have lost some valuable Manpower but they're reproducing quite well with so many resources, meaning every Minor connected to Europe but Ireland and Turkey! Tech isn't all that bristling or out of the ordinary, this game goes to show you gotta do more than just lay back with Terif. I have used no innovative strategies, just the ole reliable, too many attempts at minor defenses. Terif is the master of the Combined Arms offensive! I have sapped a little Grey MPPs in the West with Bombers and fighter harassment but not nearly enough to equal a Drain

Very Strong sub tech when the RN has been overly exposed in combat will matter. Also with the Home Isles still under threat. A combination of either a raiding-Sea Lion Strategy or a Mere Threat carries dire consequences if ignored. Generally by this point if not anticipated ASW will not matter. Later perhaps Very foul weather raiding has a good advantage, because the UK Carriers are useless and picking and choosing when to use your U-Boats. Even higher level U-boats are very vulnerable if they're engaged by a large fleet! I doubt that a reinforced RN and combined US Fleet will be done in...not without using Axis Surface Ships as well in this I suppose you have a true Challenge for Naval Dominance. Though historically did U-boats challenge the RN? I highly doubt that challenged a tugboat that was adaquetly armed! They did however starve the home Isles

I was playing a Hotseat with the 1941 Scenario, guess what happened. When I liberated Syria, the usual Garrison corps appeared in tile 119 28... Heh, neat...

Yes, it is true, ports offer no refuge for your ships! Submarines would sacrifice their own lives in most cases being used on Ports, i.e. Alexandria port would consume the Italian Frogmen, The equivelant British used a sublike device used to kill the Tirpitz in it's Fjord sleeping ground, Japanese MiniSubs at Pearl Harbour all were lost... I recall hearing of 1 case of a U-boat dealing a deathblow to a ship and escaping in WW2 history in Port... I think what Blashy brings up about utilizing every unit available makes perfect sense. It can all be game balancing if used properly, you will not imbalance a game by utilizing more units it's just what capabilities you assign them. Perhaps they're just a tad bit overpowered now... Engineers were not utilized till some of us here suggested a reduction in cost! Now look, few go on without them! Lastly on the subject of wiping a resource out with multiple bombers, this doesn't neccessarily ring true for 5 cities, but is deadly on 1 target. So again making Bombers very good at precision strategy. I suppose you must take in to account what AA research and upgrades cost the enemy. In a U-boat situation the ASW research and fear alone in both tactics... Neither are game breakers, but definitely difficult the first time you see them performed!

Terif you're speaking of some artwork with U-Boats! I have had them wreak havoc on my Surface Fleets, only because the player had amazing dice! I do not know how you'd personally utilize level4-5 Subs in the late game and what 6 of those puppies even at the cost could do, I'm sure in the right hands they're deadly as they can dive quite a bit and inflict a hell of a lot of damage. Not just but they can hit a port... In my 4 of my games vs Rambo, which I have about equal skill level to we have had major U-Boat warfare. They were quite deadly if the Axis got Level4 in 1940 which ended the game as at the time I was having Battleships sunk in London Port, earlier version of SC2... The other games I probably didn't utilize my U-Boats well enough, but I used the fear tactic alone to keep the Baltic and North Sea a place he must defend! He adapted well to my strategy in another and sunk my entire U-Boat Command Xs 7 or 8 boats. I split them up and with the American fleet and ASW, GLR I still couldn't contest for Naval Dominance. I don't think making U-Boats cheaper would make the game more interesting I think making them weaker vs Surface ships and more powerful vs Raiding Commerce and more Commerce Lines would be very interested! The Entire German Economy was blockading in WW2, something we just don't simulate in SC2 As for Bombers, usually when I see these wonder weapons at a higher level along with Rockets it's because one side has won. I do not see subs-Bombers-rockets generally used in highly competitive games where one side fears losing. those extra 3-4 armies, 6-7 corps, 2 tanks, HQ, airfleet...that is X10 more valuable and an entire Army Group... I've seen countless times though where Bombers and Subs are great for Recon or precision strikes

I was a part of this Bloodbath, as the Axis Side... Indeed this is where the Allies utilized Multiple landing sites and confusing the Axis as to where the main thrust was going to be in the West. However it didn't much matter the Allies had already slipped into the Baltic via the Straights in Denmark and crushed the Baltic Fleet and I had foolishly gambled the Italian Fleet at Taranto trying to lower the strength of the RN... It is essential that the Axis utilized their Fleets to defend and support their missions not attempt to dominate seas! Rarely can she have naval domination. Doing this Terif had managed Naval Domination in both of my backyards, able to perform any sort of amphibious mission with little or no risk to his land forces making far away missions on Axis soil. I had no counter weapons, regardless he held North Africa and took Sweden-Finland and the MiddleEast turning the tide of Power toward the Allies. The Russians in this match were formidable and when I had launched Barbarossa I got bogged down in entrenched Red units behind rivers. This is goes with the ole saying "Don't attack a fixed fortification headon!" Even still I put up a decent fight, but it gained no ground, a few key locations where Russain attrittion killed German Experience and Airpower... 2 units to my every 1 unit, trading is a key component and knowing where I would strike! Bombers played no role vs me and rarely do! I know that they are powerful weapons that can in a tactical situation payoff, but actually are worthless as a strategic weapon if a Player counters them. Heavy Bombers deliver more pain, BUT as of yet do not possess more body armor when upgraded, an Ahistorical portion of the game. I think we should either make them Faster, bristling with more MGs, or more armored when you upgrade, better defending from Flak and Enemy Fighters! Plus Countermeasures to air defense...An interdicted Bomber or one that hits a high AA defense target will be damaged a great deal and may be out of service a turn, so all this talk of Endless City Leveling is untrue, even base defense many of these cities can rebuild and refit...and there a lot! of cities and Capitols in Western Europe. You will more than likely lose with a Bomber strategy vs a Player who knows it's comming... It is a possibility and I think it neat but not practical. Like U-boats, who really uses them? Only vs Inexperienced foes

D-Day in the West is very difficult decision. It's primarily due to the fact we're all use to France, historically it was the #1 option, it has some symbolism and a perfect location to strike out at all of Germany's resources... The problem as stated it's also the most protected point and it's only possible to bomb out most of the French cities, Vichy-Northern Italy, Southern Germany are usually open. If Switzerland is in tact that is also open. Even Spain can be a place to slowly manuever troops from operations... You think of that and you realize that having 4 bombers minimum with advanced technology, the cost and the perfect timing to use them, you'll also need good Fighter coverage and plenty of time. Which will alert the Axis to your possible strategy way ahead of time! Really it's just not practical to use Brest as the Launching Pad as it was before unless as Terif stated you know that the Axis are pretty battered up anyways on the ground. I have had few successful Normandy Invasions. I find Scandanavia, Spain, Italy in most of my games a kinder option. There is one alternative here, the fact is that Performing Normandy will force the Axis to operate West, and regardless of losing your invasion force, if you supply it the Western Allies can rebuild it. At the same time that you perform an all out Normandy, Invade from the East... You will lose ground on either side but ultimately you will draw enough Axis resources to one side or the other to lose enough real estate and iniative to compensate.. It's called attrittion D-Day, instead of bleeding the Russians you turn your Yanks and Limeys into BodyBags, on suicide mission

Start with Axis Fall Weiss '39 basics are this: do not mess with any preset issues with your units! Do not even go there... All your units automatically fall under supply and control of the nearest HQ so long as you do not mess with anything. In Germany or France and especially in the Low Countries there is pretty much a zero chance unless you run deep into those tiles you'll ever hit 0 supply. Secondly: click on a unit, the HQ in control will highlight itself it will also reveal everything about the unit. there is no real skill to killing and taking Poland & France. Just move in a wave of units and take your objectives, against the AI, these two nations are the only requirements along with the Low Countries to get to the second half of the game. Thirdly, before you attack the USSR so long as you've no annoyed any minors you'll have Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria... You do not need anything more. Should have bought an extra HQ and 5 or 6 land units, which 1 HQ will control and invade Russia, stay close to Cities till they reach 5 supply and then attack out.. Use Air to unentrench and soften a target then use multiple land attacks to kill... Do no put your units out alone, keep them in batches to support and protect... It may take you about 10 times, but you should be able to defeat the Russians, when you are going to attack on a unit, if you look on top of your screen you seen the projected losses and projected casualties you'll inflict. If this figure is not a good one, maybe you shouldn't always throw your units into combat. The game is complex, get past the Training wheel stages and you'll kick butt...as it becomes very simple, all you need is a mouse and a little patience, the manual comes in handy after the basics. Good Luck and welcome to SC2 Community

Retributar, I can already see the expansion of SC2 into SC3.0. You already see the basis for GREAT advancement...

I had Taojah perform this against my UK Force. I sent a half butt force to Norway really cost me. I would imagine the cost of taking it, though doable would be very "grave," I'd trade lots of Ships to get rid of the Axis Navy right then and there and consider that a more valuable target than Norway Itself!

I have recently began attempting to learn what to do with the Scandanavians as the UK and USA. Finland is also part of this with the USSR... It seems that in 1940 that Sweden is an easy target unless the Axis are thinking of Conquoring it, generally because of USA readiness they leave it alone at that time. Spain & Sweden are costly. The UK generally waits til Barby, I did that with a Player and I suffered. He anticipated it and I had to evacuate Norway and Sweden! To be honest I had equal footing just less Morale because he was taking a lot of Minors... I think that if you're going to take Sweden as the UK, it is best to do it before the Axis have a prepared Counter attack and cut off the Supply as quickly as possible, if the Axis operate it and wipe you out, it can break the game... As terif mentioned Winter is the worst Time, and Sweden's Port is highly accessible to all German Baltic Controlled Ports.. regardless of what land Germany concedes she is gaining a vital Target so close to all of her Resources... A tip make certian to blockade the UK out of the Baltic, 1 way or the other or without Naval Domination of the Baltic there is no defense of Sweden! Nor Finland really

Plus Counter Tech, each level of opponent Intel Tech, counters spotting! Also dummy units misleading a player. Done in East Anglia and Egypt during WW2. This would make Intel a fearsome tech indeed, if a large percentage of the time you had a decent chance of spotting an attack before it happens. Just like Strategic Bombers, U-Boat Raiders, just as big a Service as I mentioned Spies and Intelligence gathering.

Spain is an easy source of cash and it's close, you don't have to cross an ocean to get to it... North Africa and MiddleEast are a harder target if the Allies go for it... Possible interdiction by the Royal Navy. Definitely taking USSR Resources if Partisan Blocked is a viable route. Finland alone ups MPPs for Axis, 2 mines that alone is 20 MPPs. Not evening hitting the interior of USSR

Again, good point against a good Axis player, abandon Spain and just attempt to make it semi expensive or it'll cost you more than it's worth, a defense is only possible if the Axis doesn't align his forces down the Middle properly.. There is no chance for the British to hold Spain without dying there. The Axis can slowly grind them out and the gain is not worth it. Against a bad Axis it'll never fall..or will cost them the game entirely

The Russians did a very good job at cracking German Intelligence. They also did well at cracking British Intelligence earlier on in the century.. Some of the things that the enemy might recieve via intelligence wouldn't be for example a entire Map without FOW. Individual commanders and army groups ran on their own orders for various nations. There is no way to know precisely what was reported to the High Command. Thing how Rebellious von Bock was and it gives you an idea... Plus decisions are made in the field which might take a lot longer to be made at the Command Center! You might get an idea of an enemy buildup, by seeing several of his FOW Units. Or less... This may give you an idea of his next Plan of Attack! Intel Tech could represent the Various Intricate SpyRings and Spies operating along with the technology used for overflights by High Flying Recon, offshore Recon, etc... etc... etc... It's neverending... It could be faulty and it could be true, depending on various factors tied into Intel! Intel 5 say gives you a good chance at detecting % of FOW units within 5 Tiles of your FrontLine Units. Representing a huge hole in the enemy Intel which cannot Counter at Intel1, forcing people to take it seriously. Use it perhaps more often rather than ignore it and also have fun with it.. Technology was one of the few things Intel Gained! At Sea, in the air and on land Intelligence was a huge factor influencing World War II. It may have saved tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of lives For the British. At Sea in the Air for them, very very valuable. For the Russians, gave them the edge at Kursk. For the Germans, did them in, not reinforcing Normandy and driving the Allies back into the Sea. A Catastrophe that may have pushed the West to Sign a Treaty and the East as well! So manny possibilities, even befitting for a Strategic Game. hard to incorporate though

Taojah took Germany in our last Mirror game... Ending my Axis struggle for world supremacy. A grave error I had him then! Of course having someone and not protecting your King means nothing, even if your opponent is down to 1 pawn, in this case 2 pawns! Always protect your Capitols! I've lost more games this way with a lead than any other! The Axis expected that I would attack and get destroyed by more experienced and numerous units in 1941, but I waited until 1942... Russians had finally researched all their techs, and built every tank. With these tanks we drove through Iraq and Conquored the Entire MiddleEast. Because the British sacrificed their MPPs to delay the Germans and Italians in North Africa all the way into 1941... I met the Full might of Barbarossa in 1941 and '42 and completely kicked it out of Russia but I let him back in, due to his Airpower so I could fully conquest the MiddleEast.. Drawing manpower he didn't have to Egypt... If this classic manuever wasn't enough, I also drawed some German resources West in a complete wastful invasion of France that would've never succeeded. I went in early and exchanged a few units to draw more resources there. The Axis were overextended conquoring the whole world and attempting to protect every inch of soil, they could never take the USSR. Which when we quit was building about the same MPPs as the Axis. Still didn't get Ural Industry, but didn't need it... Didn't need USA or UK that bad to defeat him... Finland and then German itself would've been next.. Taojah despite being completely destroyed the entire game after France, didn't quit until he saw that inevitable Russian Firepower was impenetrable, that Leningrad-Minsk-to Odessa would never be conquored! Also England and the USA were never going to be taken either. No way to go but to surrender. Once you let the Russians dig in and build up you will lose, this is a signal to all amatuer Axis players. I know it myself.. The Russians can defeat the Axis alone, only strategy I think viable would be an Economic strategy, requiring the removal of the English... otherwise the USSR must be half taken by the end of '41 and still on the defense thru' 42 or Game Over

A defense perimeter is possible, if the British have time to both entrench in the mountains and hammer a foolish German from the Coastal Regions. These require a little bit of skill. As it also leaves open Egypt and England possibly. Egypt isn't really a concern as it's not a gamebreaker but the UK itself will fall if they relocate too many troops to the wrong place at the wrong time. Making not usually smart to do this strategy... You'll probably see a protection of Spain only if O'Connor and the Egyptian Units were evacuated and in the area and Germany goes in weak... Against a good Axis player, with Tech Spain will fall and it'll cost the British 10Xs what it is worth holding.

Terif's defensive strategy for Great Britian is a very fine strategy especially for defense of the Island too... You can abandon Great Britian and take North Africa if you want, your Convoys will arrive there from the USA and go to the USSR. It is relatively easy to take Libya if you go in force early enough, especially if the Axis are doing Sea Lion. But not the only strategy, when the weather is bad, the Port will rebuild and you can research AA and really hurt any Bombers! It's not the best strategy because the Axis do not start with a Bomber! They should really get one in this game, but I suppose that the creators didn't want them overpowered. Plus bombers are deadly on other targets. Italian Bombers I find are fine for reducing strength of Strategic resources all over the map. Good vs Naval Targets... Great for Recon... Far more valuable than trying to fight the RAF, AntiAir Tech and stick themselves on 1 target! Diversification of Targets is all.. Just like the same U-Boat isn't smart to take the same route every time and raid in the same place, same with bombers, unless you suspect a real weak defense. Personally, these days, the money spent on a bomber is safer spent on a Engineer who can build 20 Forts that the Western Allies have to crack their Air on while you deal with the USSR. That's money better spent on the all... Remeber even if you use Bombers to reduce MPP values to lower a Unit Supply below 5, the build limits will not hurt the Western Allies so much, they can afford losses more readily and wait to rebuild since their Islands and not under direct threat... They can afford to rebuild from the bottom up.

Spain has to be over 40% toward the Axis You have to do nothing that will upset Romania or Hungary and they'll join before the Winter of '40-41. I may have seen Hungary wait a few times quite late. I do not think I've ever seen it happen that often... Really high odds they join Before Summer hits! Which is well before the USSR joins, unless that the Allies have invested Diplomatically to prevent this... Check the diplo screens to see if the percentages move. If they do not join you before Barby, because you have upset them, then invade them before the Russians! Most people upset Spain with attacking Vichy too early and fall into a trap not knowing they'll lose Balkan Support. If you aren't invading Spain and diplomatically hitting Romania and Hungary then you'll lose them.

Lucky we've got Hubert to be so openminded with our Forum. It keeps a lot of Opinions where they belong and keeps a lot of the variety comming to these forums and feeding the game. Small Mini WW2 Tribute Community. He's also made a great game, fine tuned by some of his aids I'm sure, but Right now the King of WW2 Sims...strategy level at least! As for War today "And they say this is the Golden Age, and Gold is the reasons for the wars we wage!"

I do not think that Stalingrad will prevent Oil shipments North, in fact cutting off the Caucasus as far as I recall doesn't even reduce the Oil to 5 if your Capitol is in the Urals! As I recall Bombing Liverpool is an exotic move, I've seen it done to me once. I really loathed it... It's expensive and maybe worth it IF you get good dice, no enemy opposition... Otherwise that Bomber is really expensive and what about the Bad Weather Months?

Keeping the Brits Honest, is really difficult. You tip readiness by taking any of the objectives that may keep them honest, you can risk diplomatic success at a cost to yourself. If your really wanting to hurt the UK, you can pray in some Naval Techs but they're very difficult to acquire and pricey. Still won't make you unstoppable... The UK is usually only threatened by a weak Player, best to ignore it and give it less by making swift and decisive decisions. Also be weary of the location of it's Navy for it'll do in any sort of amphibious operation you may have, plus severely damage you if you attempt to move in certian narrow land areas... Other than that, you can outproduce her 3 to 1, so do not worry, just invest and build for bigger fish unless your Fish is Great Britian. But good luck, with that fleet and the USSR/USA you will not likely win with taking her out alone... not later in the game anyway

Band of Brothers is the finest WW2 Miniseries and at this time, best feel of World War II out. I suggest also Enemy at the Gates and Saving Private Ryan. To be honest aside from these flicks, there are no real true hardcore WW2 movies I'd suggest made in modern times. Perhaps Schindler's List, which is a masterpiece of Grade A Film History.. That is how it felt, I'm 110% certian of it, well, at least 105%... I have seen the old ones too, I'm not discounting them, just saying they do not make them much anymore, much like the cowboys, a forgotton Genre... As for the Pains of War, many of these boys volunteer to go. Many people do not question the Loyalty to Nation and to Flag... It is a hard question we have to ask ourselves, when a war is just or when a war is for an unjust cause. Or perhaps as in Iraq, taken too far, and more for Black Gold and less for the Iraqi People. Even when I was a boy, I asked, as our troops stopped outside Basrah? "WHY!? Victory is in sight? What a foolish move! George Bush what is wrong with you?" I do not point my finger at volunteers, I do not say because you get wounded, you are nolonger a patriot. You are a casualty forgotton by your nation who has no ability to deal with mental and sinful disability. War forces normal men to sin... That is the deepest root of suffering for these souls.. I would not want to be a man sitting on a WW2 Island with my chest torn open by shraplen, God Forbid such a life, at the tender age of 18! Likely Virgins, gotton drunk since entering the service, picked up lucky strikes there too... Promises of Exotic lands and ladies and lots of Kills. There is a Gungho aspect to American Society hard to break from that. We're no the only ones, I have a firm feeling that in WW2 Germany, the feeling was that we will prevail or we will die. I'm not saying the survivors were cowards, they cleaned up a mess and made a Nation of rubble. Though A hardline German wanted to Fight, wanted to kill, enjoyed his job. Much the mentality of Americans. There is pleasure in death. Who wouldn't want to try being a Sniper? The Thrill of the Kill? So long as your not the casualty, and killing an enemy you deem to be evil? Only someone with such a mentality, such a hardcore sentimental in regards to their cause can inflict such Horror and devastation upon this Earth. The others we hear about as an AfterThought in the Annals of History.

Tao, Yes, that's a wall of Grey Units. So far 17 German field losses 7 Russian 30 British, a lot of Minor Dead but I'm sure a lot of others too...

I'm quite shocked at the level of German Strength on the frontlines in the USSR, if they hadn't stuck their head out so far to nearly get it cut off I would've been a little more afraid. Though I have known that you're a lot of places and the USSR can go on the offensive, even my air can fly and not worry. Egypt wasn't worth it. I think your next game you might say hell with it, take 2/3rds of the USSR with the same effort and time and then take Egypt later in the game maybe? or England instead! You're in Spain-Syria-Iraq soon-Sweden and I see extensive defensive units in France you don't need because I'm in no position to take it. You need to recon better Taojah... of course you're a cautious player and a strong one... You let me have the iniative and in this game unless you have a superweapon, the Reds with no losses can completely destroy Germany, I am making more as USSR, I've got more units soon, and better tech.. In my notorious games that go into a longhaul Barby, you will see A LOT of Red units with a good player, they're like Ants... And in #s they're deadly.. You gotta stomp em before they get too high in #s or you're dead as Germany. By the way in luck, talking about it... I had a game just now, 1 in 20 of my games where an attack failed... That's pretty awful, but the breaks! Guess what though, I got lucky in tech and will probably get repaid the losses of MPPs due to the early Gambit I tried. It was a Norwegian attack, failed. Though I got Iraqi Oil with 2 chits for UK, so I'm smiling otherwise that would be the pits! Luck does push you off your game, somtimes gamble when you get unlucky like your Malta, if you feel you'll lose perhaps it'll take the pressure off if you get luck to replace a little misfortune! Because I really was worried in this game! Thank the Dice! P.S. Germany cannot run a late Barbarossa, something I've found, just doesn't work! I have never fair'd well in my late game Barbarossa's EVER and I have never seen anyone else do it either.