AshesFall

Each of these turns were tested ten times for readiness increase variation The Us entry is a point I’m thinking about and debating, and am not quite sure what to think about myself. The picture shows testing done for the entry scripts, showing an actual increase of between 4- 10% possible each cycle, and a large jump inherent to the "support the movement" event. With these kinds of automatic leaning scripts, I would think it to be extremely hard if not to say completely impossible to stop the US from joining the entente. It also invalidates any strategy where the CP player takes a non historical route and completely avoids antagonizing the US. I'm nowhere near as read up on the Great War as I am regarding WW2, but what I have read is pretty one sidedly clear that the Us would have been unlikely to join without the extensive merchant raiding, the PR heist of the Lusitania, and the outright idiocy of the Zimmerman telegram. The germans pay a heavy price to avoid any hostile action already, embodied in the continuing enforcement of an absolute blockade, and a strong british economy, along with the loss of the unrestricted warfare Nm boost. What do you guys think about this all? Curious about different perspectives.

Strategy and reflections As always, there are so many “what ifs”, both in actual war, and a great strategy game like this. I’ve noticed a few bugs and have some thoughts overall. This particular AAR from my side really demonstrated the absolute necessity of a solid grand strategy from turn one in the SC games. The temptation to test out all those elite steps and the subsequent delay of an invasion in the west, the following passive stance and lack of action against the Brits were what really lost me the game. That, and Will doing a solid job of keeping the pressure up and not letting me recover from those mistakes. We both have lacking knowledge of events and mechanics, and those often threw me curve balls in the game. That’s war though! Unexpected things happen. There were a lot of bad breaks as well. Infantry tech just did not agree with me this game, the one early hit I had was on the ottomans, rendered useless by an equally early hit by the Brits. Aside from that, it took ages despite consistent investments, and even the Russians quickly matched the Germans despite investing in their chit half a year later. The whole Gallipoli debacle threw my course off, made possible by a British landing in Sedd al Bahr the turn before my full garrison arrived there. This led to the prolonged survival of the Russians, the Romanians causing lots of trouble, and so on. In hindsight, I would have been well served to cede Trento and Trieste to Italy. I easily lost that much morale in the continuing slaughter of Austrian units and captured cities. Their strength just completely surprised me, and I was stuck in historic thinking of them being near useless. Aside from that, ceding those cities deny the Entente another front, and most importantly three diplomatic chits. I'm curious about what you guys think of the Ceding to italy strategy, in terms of diplomatic and military consequences. Also, is the strength of the Italians at start accurate? I know this was wildly skewed by lucky inf hits and lacking commitment on my part, but the basic strength was still there... Still, the west held beyond all expectation, and I slowly clawed my way to a small shot at victory. At the very end, I think a lot of people would have thrown everything at the western front and let the other fronts crumble. I made a different choice, partly based on erroneous assumptions, but I think I would make the same choice again nonetheless. As was immediately clear once the real fighting started, german Nm dropped like a stone and the gap between French and german nm quickly grew despite more than twice the casualties on their part. I needed NM somehow, to allow me to reach Paris. If I had been slightly luckier with US diplomacy (30% chance during some five or six turns yielded only one hit), that would have bought me anywhere between two and five more turns. Given the final situation, my goal of capturing Cairo was within reach. With 1000 more nm from that, Germany might have been able to reach Paris. Another issue is that I never found a good way to deal with tanks, tanks in fortresses are beastly. Artillery is extremely random, perhaps a massed and upgraded airforce? I’m also a bit concerned about the viability of just sitting around with the Russians, withdrawing and skirmishing and “keeping them alive” passive aggressively that feels extremely wrong in the context of the historical period and imperatives that drove the warring nations. Sure, the Galician nm spots look nice, but keeping the Russian an annoyance and a threat in being until 1918 and beyond by playing an “army in being” doctrine could well be much more effective. Nevertheless, it was an awesome game, and close to the finish! On to bugs and oddities. I’ll summarize some of the things from the entire thread here; 1. Fixed treaty of Bucharest “earliest” date regardless of Russian surrender 2. The “spend MPP to raise morale” option did not appear for either Russia or Germany at 25% 3. Railway gun bug, when bombarding a resource/city with a unit on it, it suddenly “drove over” the unit and the unit vanished. 4. German commanders often bug out with their command, meaning that they can only command four units. If you remove all assignments, they can often command 5 again, but that is not good in terms of combat power 5. Romanian occupied Varna not returned to Bulgaria after treaty of Bucharest 6. Us entry (see separate post).

I agree with you on several points Better take this to the thread we will be starting dedicated to it!

Thank you all who have followed us through this Dual AAR. It has taken two months, 85 A4 pages of writing, and some 260 pictures to get here. I tend to make some attempt at a narrative through the game, and I thought it nice to conclude things with an epilogue of sorts. I hope you will all follow our next effort, whenever that may be! The Great War – Aftermath The road to Paris lies open. The French and British armies are in disarray. The army has done all that was asked of it under impossible conditions, and more, exceeded all expectation until victory lies within grasp. But the people are weak. Faced with hunger, harsh working conditions and years of warfare, the news of the Betrayal of the US and the prospect of yet another enemy ends them. Under immense pressure from the Reichstag, the Kaiser is forced to abdicate and peace is sought before even one American boot has marred European soil. Austria has no choice but to follow, even though not an enemy is anywhere close to their home. It takes time to bring the western front to order, and the fighting only stops after two more desperate weeks. By then Verdun lies in ruin, many thousands more have died in vain. While calm descends over Europe, the fighting still Rages in Egypt. Von der Marwitz, refusing orders to surrender, take up position as Sanders co-commander, formally inducting his army into the Ottoman armed forces. Cairo falls, and Egypt surrenders mere weeks before a fresh and overwhelming British-French army arrives with American support. It is all a show, as the desperate fight for Egypt is merely a false display of illusory ottoman strength, which is in reality close to completely failing. As soon as the Entente lands, peace terms are sought here as well. The peace is a bitter one. The French, eager to salve wounded pride, argues draconic measures against Germany and Austria, the British are more concerned with the ottoman problem. Charles the Ist, after days of hard discussions and humiliation, personally declares that Austria will resume hostilities and fight to the bitter end should Frances measures be imposed upon them. Unwilling to dirty their hands with actual fighting in place of posturing, president Wilson prevails upon Georges Clemencau to exempt the Austrians, but no such accord is possible for the Germans. The ottomans, officially standing behind the Austrian Emperor in his declaration of intent to continue the war, secretly negotiate with the British to reach a compromise. As war weary as all nations, the British finally agree under the prestigous condition of Von Der Marwitz extradition to face trial and execution, and support the co-authored solution of the Entente. In the end, Germany is burdened with all blame for the conflict. Losing all holdings outside Germany proper, including Prussia to newly formed Poland, she bows under the weight of war reparations and restrictions. The western powers impose a provisional government in Holland, in essence a puppet democracy under the sufferance of a jointly anglo-american controlled bureaucracy. All to ensure that valuable grain and goods are sold to the west on cue and at bargain prices... The ottomans escape with their pride intact, Egypt is released to Britain, and Basra retained by the Imperialists who also demand a protectorate in the form a single city to “monitor” Arabia, Palestine and Syria, Jerusalem. Austria is forced to relinquish Serbia, and deliver recompense for war crimes and damages. Otherwise, the ancient empire remains intact. As the years pass, trading on boasts of having won the war nearly single handedly and “gifts” to rebuild the war-torn nations, tendrils of US influence take deep root in France and Britain. Russia regains stability as a constitutional monarchy. As the war raged in the west, Kerensky fought for stability. Bolshevik insurgency and the chaos within the country did not aid his efforts. By the time of the western peace, aid from Finland and cunning politicking has seen an end to the uprisings. Though the former Tsar Nicholas and his wife were slain by rebels in their exile, their children survived, having been sent to foreign schools. Kerensky used Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov as a figurehead, bringing her home where she quickly became the darling of the common man and the poster child of the monarchy. Internecine troubles between the former members of the Russian Empire and enduring troubles with Bolsheviks and civil war in the newly formed countries would keep the actual Russia disinterested in the rest of the world for more than half a century. In Germany, deep resentment and anger builds over the years. As the republican measures imposed by the west fail to drag the country out of abject misery, many (forgetful of the past as people tend to be) yearn for the return of “the old days” when a Kaiser led the country. The “tripartite pact”, signed in 1934, is the ultimate expression of an ever closer cooperation between the enduring Ottoman and Austrian empires, and the German republic with increasing imperial ambitions. The three are united not only by ideology and preferred form of state, but by a shared distrust and anger against the west who they see as nothing but lackeys for “the upstart Americans”. Cooperation between the three create a gradual rise in wealth and production, helping Germany right its’ financial woes and giving them confidence that eventually leads to the overthrow of the republic in Germany. History repeats itself, and four years and millions dead have changed nearly nothing. Soon, a new Kaiser will rise…

Yep yep... the real problem I think is the lack of nm boosts for germany with conquests in france. More on that in a separate thread!

Turn 61 – August 24th, 1918 The central powers are reeling from the entry of the US. Erich von Ludendorff suffers a nervous breakdown, and all around Germany councils of service men are forming. The western Front The offensive continues apace, the French and British army crumbles under the onslaught, everywhere they are cut down under bombardments and German stormtroopers. Two corps in the line of direct fire around Luxemburg and Brussels escape with a fraction of their strength (1-2), but more simply cease to exist. The breakthrough is total. Italy Stalemate. Near East The multinational Pensinsula army, now under the overall command of Von Der Marwitz, give the British no pause. As long as they cannot find their footing, Cairo is within direct reach. General Staff The general staff is in disarray due to civilian weakness, the chaos is spreading, even as Luxemburg and Belgium surrenders.

You're absolutely right Bill, I spiced it up a little for narrative purposes . That makes a lot of sense regarding Metz, do you know if all of these "bonus nm" events can be found in the editor? I was a little confused as I seemed to remember some of these for Germany from last time around. 100nm? Wow. On the map it just says 30, are there additional hidden bonuses? Thanks as always!

Turn 60 – August 10, 1918 The US joins the Entente, and Wilson outlines 14 points for “peace”. A thin piece of paper, an excuse to publicly cover their true motives. If they had not interfered, peace would have been had shortly in any case, one way or another. The Kaiser makes a public speech, wowing to fight until the will of the people can no longer bear it. The western Front Everything is ready for the assault on Metz. In truth, Hindenburg has arrayed a staggering mass of guns, knowing that any direct attack against the French metal fiends to date has failed to inflict any damage whatsoever. Instead, he hoped to reduce them to smoldering husks, and then walk into Metz before the enemy can react. A full barrage from all three emplacements (30 shells!) thunder through most of the morning and until midday. In the trenches, German soldiers hug the ground, watching dirt rise into the air in a massive cloud, so large as to obscure most of the front. When the guns finally fall silent, they await the word, will they have to cross a river into the teeth of entente tanks? As word comes “target destroyed”, a vast cheer rises from the men, and they surge forward. A British corps is overrun, and French guns are nearly brought down with them. Once the dirst clears the men can see the shadow of Verdun against the horizon. Additional attacks clear Nancy, but our forces are exhausted and cannot march to claim it. In sector A, Bulgarian and German forces push deep into the French lines, enveloping Brussels and Namur. The Dutch move up to Antwerp, bringing their guns. The Emperor has sent sharp words to the Dutch regarding the practice of leaving their borders open as they declare war. Their blunder has cost Germany dearly, as raiding French cavalry burns and ravaged critical mines. Italy Von Krobatin tries again, and this time his guns find the mark. Another Italian corps falls, and we are one step closer to Venice. More Austrian troops are brought to strength, ready for transport to the western front. Near East The British break and run the straits. Ottomans, long harried and bloodied by the imperialists, rush forward with a war cry feared by all Christendom in centuries past. Slow British guns are caught and destroyed. Von Der Marwitz pushes his exhausted troops hard, he knows that Cairo is within reach, and its capture can buy the home front precious weeks. General Staff The Austrians develop Gas/shell production 3

Turn 59 – August 1, 1915 The US climb extremely swiftly, due to no effort on part of the active entente powers. Only protests against the continuous blockade kept congress from immediately entering the war (they do that at 90% I think?). The western Front The Dutch are still mobilizing, and not yet ready to join the war. Two corps were lost along sector A and B, and Hindenburg largely paused to organize his lines and receive reinforcements before the next offensive. Von Hutier, relieved to the core to be rid of the purely defensive restrictions, threw himself into the offense with abandon. Sector A pushed forwards together with Sector B, closing in on Luxemburg and destroying two British corps (I took the screenie before the british corps crossed our here was destroyed). Again three guns stand arranged against Metz, we hope that the Entente will be unable to estroy them this time. Italy After preparing for weeks for the assault the artillery bombardment by strengthened Austrian artillery was so lackluster that the attack was cancelled. Dissapointing… Near East If Austrian artillery proved a wet slap on the cheek of the Italians, German guns were a nightmare for the British. After a furious barrage followed by attacks from the entire multinational peninsula army, the British corps in Gaza was destroyed. The British have left themselves in a precarious situation, leaving the line entirely open between the two cities. The ottomans punished the local British commander for his foolishness. Meanwhile, the British forces arrayed against Von Der Marwitz left themselves dangerously weak after an attack upon forward corps. Coordinated strikes from that retiring corps coupled with a staggered attack from the advancing men routed the British. General Staff With one final chance to dissuade the US from immediate entry into the war, Central Powers diplomats surge to the challenge, withdrawing from the mobilizing Dutch and flinging themselves overseas (2 more chits invested). Then, with bated breath, all nations opposing the imperialist entente awaited the result. ..... ..... ..... A formal declaration of war arrived scant moments before reports that talks had been successful… the Kaiser is confused, but nevertheless it seems that despite all efforts the Americans are coming. Austrians and Germans protest violently, citing no possible casus belli. No American ships have been sunk, no threats made, no threatening overtures of any kind. It is bitter, but it truly seems greed and hunger for glory are the sole driving force of the new enemy across the sea. (I got a prompt saying “The US declares war” at 89%, and they skipped up to 96 or so, then I got a hit for diplomacy for 9%, bringing them back down. Ah well, at least I tried, now its Paris or bust!)

That is definitely an idea, though I dont know if it would be possible within the engine... Another reason for island hopping was to create forward supply depots for land borne invasions, and in some cases fuel depots for long range naval operations. Just as you say though, mainly it was due to the fact that the Japanese had a lot of small land based air squadrons that could inflict serious damage to the fleet if not denied bases or air cover was given by own landbased air. After some serious thinking, I might have an idea to simulate this. I think we can all agree that it is highly unrealistic (given costs and ingame engine mechanics) for the Japanese to build a lot of land based air and place them in low supply around the pacific, this would just get that air destroyed for little loss by carriers. This then, is my suggestion; Create a continous event akin to Russian winter for US naval forces within different sea areas, conditional upon the Japanese owning Islands in the region. If possible, it could be tied to actually having a unit in a specific "town" on an island, or several islands. This would actually give the Japanese a good incentive to go after small islands around the pacific, as well as give the US an incentive to go after those islands in turn. The hits shouldnt be too bad, rarely a strength point (though possible), but mostly hits on readiness and morale. Maybe tie this to a Japanese decision with a cost, aiming to "create" those abstractly represented land based air squadrons all around the place. Thoughts?

This is a great initiative, and I wholeheartedly agree. Something would need to be done with Norway though, as one of the few ways to take Oslo on a historical timetable is to use paras. Edit: another thought appeared regarding large city para-invasions. There were actually several very successful examples of this during operation Market Garden. The straits the actual paras found themselves in is easily replicatable through their loss of supply and subsequent destruction without additional support. However, this does not take into acount the "grand theft capital" strategy. One option could be to significantly increase the buffer for surrender created by active units for a major, making it so that a simple capital capture simply wont be enough if the major in question has 20 or so land units left. Another thing that I have been thinking about since the days of SC: Pacific Theatre, is any sort of incentive to actually "island hop" through the pacific instead of bumrushing straight at Japan or an adjacent island to use as a stratbombing site. Can anyone think of one truly good reason to fight island by island as the US?

Turn 58 – July 13th, 1915 Morale is well below 25%, and yet no option to further support the morale of the troops present itself. Perhaps at 20? (this is pretty bad, I had counted on these to offset the penalty for Holland ) The western Front German NM now at 19%... The only theatre of note was the western front, and a severe blow to our hopes of victory. Though our estimation of a single corps being able to strike at the newly arrived Bulgarian artillery was correct and that damage expected, we did not expect the efficacy of French artillery. In a seven shell barrage, it destroyed 80% of our artillery utterly, and wiped it out. That is… truly fell news. OKH has yet to devise a way to deal with the plentiful entente tanks, these steel beasts seem utterly impervious, and we had hoped that a massive barrage from three guns would suffice. As this is no longer an option, Hindenburg contented himself with clearing space around sectors A and B. Four French corps were destroyed, including one by sally in sector D. French railway artillery that has been savaging our industry in the north was also struck. The one major victory came as sector A reached its designated objective, and took Belfort. As the Entente now seems to have switched entirely into the path of sectors A and B, and are pulling back from Sector A, it is time for our last and most desperate gambit. Most of the remaining central powers diplomatic strength is invested in the Dutch. We must strike wherever the enemy is weak! Italy The Italians continue to savage the central powers here, and counter attacks are weak at best. Near East Rebuilding strength… General Staff The Dutch swing 10% towards us, and reach 90%. Hopefully this means that they will shortly mobilize. (I seem to be operating under a misapprehension regarding the nature of the NM objectives. When the french took metz they got a "celebrate" event that raised their morale, but I cant seem to find any for germany in the editor now that I check after the fall of Belfort. Eek! )

Turn 56 – June 29th, 1918 The western Front The offensive slows down to allow artillery support to catch up. The last of the Bulgarian artillery arrives in Sector B by train, setting up near Saarbruchen. Belfort is now enveloped with stocked artillery in range, and no less than three guns take sight on Metz. The german forces, albeit in French hands, is a necessary stepping stone on the road to Verdun. Losses are comparatively light on both sides, as two german, one French, and one British corps falls in the continuous battles raging along the line. Italy Repositioning and preparations. Near East Reinforcements are a byword of the day on all fronts. The multinational peninsula army gains new strength, looking to stockpile shells and break through the British shortly. Von der Marwitz shifts his lines continuously to staunch the worst losses from British attacks. General Staff All production is dedicated towards reinforcements, as heavy losses strike many corps along the west front. Our diplomatic advantage is yet at least 3 on the US, but it yields no results this time…

Turn 56 – June 1st, 1918 The western Front The assault continues headlong, and so far the French opposite sector A and B have neither dug in nor prepared. As the Austrians reach Belfort, Bulgarian artillery debarks trains in front of Strasbourg. A more cautious advance, lacking the momentum or space for a massed attack, brings forces out of Sectors B and C to start enveloping Metz. Nonetheless, two French corps crumble under the advance, and two more Perish in the bitter fighting around the Saar mines and sector D’s cracking defenses. Austrian armor is brought into play for the first time, and everything stands ready for an attack on Metz should the French counter-attack prove too weak. Italy Repositioning and preparations. Near East The British struck hard, harder than anticipated. Not only did they break through the line at Jerusalem to destroy surplus ammunition stores and rout much of the pickets, but unforeseen strength in to the rear struck the flanking Germans and hurt them severely. Nevertheless, the British breakthrough was beaten back by barrage and gun, and the invaders cut down. Von Der Marwitz shifts his lines, awaiting the Critical breaking point that must soon arrive unless the British have even more reserves. General Staff The demands of diplomacy leave little room for other adventures, and reinforcements for the western front is a priority.

It is indeed an option! And there are quite a few Austrians on the west Front already, including those nice tanks of theirs! Hm, this means that the Capture of Cairo would be a nice boon for the Germans, but otherwise not much to write home about. We'll see how the fight for the peninsula goes... Are you sure about those US mobilization numbers? The preparedness movement sparked some five turns ago as a bulletin, sending the US an immediate 20%, then they have swung by 4% several turns after that. Maybe there is some other factor at work as well? At any rate, the entry of the US does indeed mean death for me NM wise. My only option then would be to somehow reach Paris and have the French surrender before my NM ran out, which seems unlikely.

Turn 55 – May 4th, 1918 The US continued to climb as Will did his turn, and going into the start of the grand offensive stood at 78%. Looking again at the graphs, it seems Will invested one more chit into them in his turn for a total of five. The western Front The emperor himself visited the front on the 1st of May, days before the offensive was scheduled to begin. He is said to have remarked “So this is what the kitchen sink looks like”. The entente hit the German lines in their accustomed fashion, and after so long fighting and dying to defend them, they finally took the Saar mines. A very large concentration of Entente troops is gathering around the perimeter of Sector D, worrying, but not unexpected. Then, at long last, it was time for the Entente to feel the wrath that brought low the colossus of the east. (cue last ride of the valkyries). When the offensive kicked off in Sectors A and B, it seemed to take the Entente completely by surprise. Their lines seem thin in this area, and again paths to their artillery had been left open near Metz. After a furious shelling destroyed the French near Strasbourg, more troops struck and wrecked the emplacement. This makes the possible loss of our own artillery in Sector C less painful. That offensive came off at a limping crawl, managing only to eject the British from the mines and retake them, albeit weakly held. Preemptive shelling around sector D brought down one French corps, now we can only brace for the counter blow. Italy A General offensive begun by Von Krobatin destroyed the Italian corps holding Trieste, and advancing Austrians was able to strike the pickets of the artillery behind. In the cauldron near the border, another Italian corps was brought near destruction. Pressure is slowly increasing, and with Italian economy being fairly weak, they cannot hope to replace all their losses. Near East Another coordinated assault, supported by shelling from experienced German crews severely hurt one British corps on the line. Von Der Marwitz offensive mauled the detachment severely, and it barely escaped into the deserts at a sliver of its strength. General Staff Germany invests two more chits into USA, Austria one chit, for a total of seven. We are rewarded, as the US backs off slightly, back down to 78. We decline to send the Zimmerman telegram, not wishing to antagonize the US needlessly…

Thanks for the comments as always Strategiclayabout! The Dutch will probably be able to deal with it, as they seem to start with their own artillery piece if persuaded to join through diplomacy... Hm, are the Nm locations in the middle east one hit things on the UK only, or are they also a one hit bonus for the conquering power?

Turn 53 – April 6th, 1918 Sheesh. The entente hit the US again with diplomacy, that’s twice in a row, and it just keeps racing up by 2-4% extra per turn as well. I was under the impression that the chance was not that great of it going up barring German aggression… Another thing that threw me was a diplomatic hit on Norway from Russia… their chits are still active? Hm. Anyway. The hit on US this turn caused some panic, and I took a long hard look at the diplomatic spending of all the countries. At absolute most (and it might not be that much) will has placed 6 chits in the US. Two hits consumes two of those. I burnt all of Germanys’ 600mpp into three chits, and went so far as to disband a unit and cancel a tech for the ottomans to place another. That brings us, at worst, even. If Will invests more in his turn there will still be a risk. Its all down to the random number gods now. If the US joins, it’ll all be over before it even begins. The western Front Another game ending threat is the loss of Strasbourg. The Entente destroyed a corps on the Saar mines, and in the city, but could not advance to claim the prize. Lucky, as the resulting nm hit/gain would also mean that my already slim chances of winning would effectively disappear. The assault in the west got off to an early and unexpected false start, as two French corps are destroyed near the city in an attempt to prevent its occupation. The Austrians have begun moving, and the sector A artillery has been deployed from the reserves. Italy The Italians are as frisky as ever, hitting several of my corps along the line. For now, given the demands of the west, we can do little but shift and prepare. Near East Prolonged shelling of one British corps on the line to weaken its offensive potential, some shifts, and Von Der Marwitz moves through the desert to Aquaba to direct his Army against a detachment guarding the British flank. General Staff All efforts into diplomacy. The US moves another 4% (gaaaah!) and are now at 74….

Thank you very much! Very appreciated.

Excellent, thanks for the insights as always Bill!

Turn 53 – February 23rd, 1918 The western Front The west is shaken by Entente assaults. Though only one corps fall, our chances of counter attack are nonexistent. All we can do is dig in and wait as forces gather for the summer. Italy The Italians hit back, though we suffered no outright losses, an audacious attack on Von Straussenburgs HQ cripples supply lines in the Region. Forces shift to compensate, and prepare another assault. Near East The British move up to Sanders line, bombarding as they go. We are content to reinforce and dig in, gathering shells for a possible counter attack. Von Der Marwitz retakes Aquaba, a stepping stone to a possible flank through the desert. General Staff All production is directed towards reinforcements and preparation. 1918 Strategy Well, we’re finally here. Whew, I actually never thought I would last this long. If you would have asked me honestly at the start of 1916, I would say this was completely and irrevocably lost. I’ve always been a scrapper, and I tend to focus and play harder the more I’m behind. Against all odds, the western front has held up, and that gives me a chance. That said, it certainly isn’t a very large chance. Astute readers will have noticed that morale was 24,421 (French) to 20,331 (Germany) as of September 1917. I wrote the wrong way around in the strategy interlude. Now, by February 1918, the gap has increased to 5000nm, despite all efforts. That is a lot. I could, if I were inclined, keep fighting defensively and simply decline the "prolong the war" decision to effectively end this in a draw. But, that seems both boring and against the spirit of the game. I'll do the only right thing! The Western Front The basic strategy is straightforward and simple, I have to attack in the west. I’ve done all the buildup I can, 27 actual German corps are on the ground with four more held in reserve and not deployed. By May, no less than six artillery pieces will be present in the area, beyond any that I can transfer from other fronts if possible. To support the Germans, Seven Austrian corps with two lvl 2 tanks will be ready by May, possibly with more to arrive as they can be built or transferred from the Italian front. The actual war plan cites Verdun and Belfort as the ultimate goals. None of the other targets nearby will hit French NM directly, and increase mine. If I’m to have any chance at all, these must fall. The Austrian contingent, directly supported by one of the six artillery, will push hard in that direction along the Swiss border. I’ll call this sector A. Germans from Strasbourg up to the vincinity of Saarbruchen will push straight ahead with the support of two artillery pieces. These forces will shift their weight to support either the Push for Belfort or the drive to Verdun as needed. This is sector B. Germans in and around Saarbruchen and the Saar mines, sector C, will push straight for Verdun, also with two artillery pieces dedicated to them. Sector D, the area Between Luxemburg and the Dutch border, will remain pure a defensive one with a single artillery piece and the least priority for new forces. Should the situation become untenable, and additional help desperately needed, I have left the Dutch at 80% to be able to quickly Diplo-Blitz them into the war. That will allow me to outflank the forces pressing from Belgium. I have no illusions about this, with this large a difference in National morale, it is likely that I will succeed mostly in breaking myself with this push. However, should I actually reach my objectives and meet with success in other theatres of operations, I just might have a shot. Other Concerns The extremely rapid lean of the US worries me a lot. It has gone from virtually nothing as of October 1917, to nearly 60% by February 1918. If the US enter the war, it is over. Not due to their military, which I am not worried about, but due to the nm boost the entente will get and the hit I will take. This means that I need to invest in diplomacy on them, expensive, and very hard to do in the middle of a large offensive. Still, it cant be helped. I debated long and hard whether to withdraw German forces and artillery from other fronts, and decided ultimately not to. Their presence there is very small in the light of the scale of west front warfare, and they do a world of difference where they are. Also, I will continue to push in both the Near East and Italy, trying to reach NM objectives that I can grab with the Germans to indirectly help out with their struggle in the west. Any British forces diverted to the Near East costs the entente both transports, and presence in the west. That’s it. I think a fitting theme for 1918 would be “the last ride of the Valkyries”.

Turn 52 – December 29th, 1917 The western Front While the western Entente rests and simply moves forward in a long line under cover of winter weather, the Germans strike back. Hindenburg knows what is coming in the summer, and every loss to the French now is one he wont have to go through then. Despite heavy shelling, only two French corps are destroyed, with a third suffering minor damage. The central line uses the opportunity to dig in, and more reinforcements arrive. Two more corps are now held at reserve readiness, to be called up where needed. Austrians continue to gather around Stuttgart. Italy The Italians know now pause either, as Mackensen and Krobatin push their advantage through the winter weather. One Italian corps is forced back on the brink of destruction, and another near Trieste falls under Austrian guns and shells. Near East As the British advance, Von sanders immediately unleashes everything at his disposal. A massive bombardment, followed by staggered strikes from all corps on the line bring down the advancing Brits. Surely, the imperialists cannot have endless reserves in the baking deserts… Von der Marwitz pauses briefly to rest and refit, sending a corps out to deal with reports of an insurgent squadron nearby. It is caught and wiped out. General Staff A final artillery piece is commissioned to arrive in may, at ruinous cost, but it must be borne if the summers endeavors are to meet with any success. Austrians develop armored warfare further (lvl 2), fitting, as they will soon supply that component to the western front…

@Ancient Demon: I included the count this time! Will try to remember each turn! Turn 51 – December 1st, 1917 The western Front Aside from minor attacks across the front, nearly destroying the unfortunate detachment and scattering damage across the line while weakening our defensive works, only the defenders of SaarBruchen fall. Massive reinforcements arrive across the front, and Saarbruchen is reoccupied, but lacking any form of defenses. Near Mannheim, the forerunners of preparations for the summer begin to arrive. Italy The Central Powers continue to advance across a broad front, contacting an Italian corps and wounding it severely. Von Krobatin reinforces and prepares to assault the forces near Trieste. Near East A massive and well coordinated attack supported by hailstorms of artillery finally broke the defensive line on the Pensinsula. Belatedly, Von Bohm-Ermolli and Von Sanders call a step back to find new footing. Von der Marwitz catches up with the British command staff in the foothills, unfortunately the man himself barely escapes with his life… (at 1 str…) General Staff Our attempt to send aid to our beleaguered forces in south Africa fails due to British misinformation. More artillery is built by OKH…

Not at all! It's a consequence of Imageshacks resizing. I'm trying to include a running count of actual morale in the top of the western front screenies, but I always seem to forget checking it before I end my turn . I'll try to do better!

Turn 50 – November 3rd, 1917 The western Front The blow fell, but not as heavily as Hindenburg feared. Instead the entente destroyed a single corps near the Belgian border, and nearly routed another. The French moved up on Saar and Saarbruchen. In counterpoint, Hindenburgs return blow felled four French corps, as all guns blazed until stores ran low. Not entirely depleted though… A logistic miscalculation left no corps to replace the severely depleted front line men retreating to the back, and a detachment took up the point in front of the artillery. Austria The treaty of Bucharest is finally signed. The Emperors displeasure must have been heard loud and clear. Austria as a front in and of itself will not appear in these accounts unless the situation changes. Italy The exposed Italians in the mountains near Innsbruck are broken and taken Prisoner, and Mackensen aligns his forces with the advancing Austrians. Mackensen is no fool, the Italians so far have been isolated and ill supplied, the fight is about to get much harder… Near East British marines land on the shores of Iskerun, taking Adana and severing the railroad to the capital. Forces immediately respond, looking to quash the threat before it grows more serious. The last British corps in Maan is shelled to near extinction, and broken by the German army of Von Der Marwitz. The British headquarters is escaping into the desert, and at present it is doubtful if the big man of the orient can follow. General Staff OKH has nearly caught up with losses, and instead focuses on procuring more artillery for the coming summers activities. Austrians increase industrial efficiency, now lvl 3.