Will95

August 1, 1941 We are now moving into the latter stages of 1941. Progress so far has been very promising with great gains in the south. 3 of the 4 mining complexes in this region have been captured and come Christmas, they should be pumping a good amount of resources into the German war machine. Kiev fell relatively easily, and we now face Dnepetrovsk. We have smashed the fortifications protecting the city and destroyed an engineer unit. Armour now flanks from Poltava. In the north, we have taken Riga and now stop to refit. A bomber notices a significant build up of Russian upgraded armour not too far away. In leiu of providing a rapid play-by-play of the turns as they go (because they're coming pretty thick and fast), I'll outline my strategy heading forward. My attack in the south has been highly successful. I now have the choice to split my advance, or continue pushing south. As the resources and oil fields all lie in the south, that is where the vast majority of my troops will go. It looks like Ash may be gearing up for an armoured assualt in the north, and I'm not sure I'm quite ready for him there. To counter that, I'm going to move some of my Luftwaffe up there and another HQ. The RAF has been causing me a real nuisance over in the west, where a lot of my mines have been reduced heavily. I am gearing up for a strike from both air and sea to tackle the navy which is giving them air cover from my fighters.

Operation Barbarossa Haven't updated for a while, so apologies. We are now in May 1941. Time to invade the USSR. I have opted for two-pronged attack. In the north, there is a small force which I gathered right up against the border, allowing Ash to see my armoured units, while I kept most of my units hidden in the south. Hopefully, this will have made him plan his defenses in anticipation of a mainly northern-orientated strike. Pre-jump off (notice the Kriegsmarine ready to strike the Russian navy): However, notice the huge force gathered in the south. We destroyed all deployed STAVKA units and captured the border cities. Odessa will be taken next turn. I recently recieved level 2 tanks and was torn between upgrading and waiting or attacking. I chose to attack, for the simple reason that time is money in this campaign, as far as the Axis is concerned, and right now, I do not need the sledgehammer that is level 2 tanks to crack the nut that is the Soviet industry in 1941. Afterwards: I lost a lot of experience and troops in France, far more than I had anticipated or planned for, which means many of my troops lack experience. For this reason I will be taking my invasion slowly and steadily, with my aim to take as few casualties as possible while building up my elite steps (very useful when the Soviet Winter event strikes).

I both love and hate that this is even possible. However it sounds like the problem is that Germany isn't at war with China. Go into the Maps panel, select the German flag and declare war on China, then you'll be able to hit his amphibs.

Turn 12 Lost a Panzer this turn. This was definitely not anticipated, but unfortunately the armour's forward position combined with a lack of upgrades meant it faced death at the hands of dedicated anti-tank units. The German generals decided to seek brutal revenge. I could have probably surrounded Paris this turn- but why rush? The French are facing certain capitulation now that they have abandoned the Maginot line, and their troops are of no threat to me. The British, however, will remain a potent force throughout the game, and any damage done to them now will yield dividends in the future. The panzers were sent to seriously damage British main forces, with paratroopers moving to cut the rail lines. If Ash wishes to escape with his British force intact, he will be forced to spend MPPs operating his troops to port. In Italy, we lost a battleship and a cruiser, but hit back; and sunk a British carrier. Carriers are expensive to build and very time consuming- a big win for the Italians, all things considered. The French will fall on their own. It is time to make the British pay for their actions.

Turn 11 We are taking the path of least resistance to Paris, and our Panzers are now in a good position to deal a devastating blow to the French army. We smashed through the defensive line at Reims, wiping out 2 armies. Our bombers continue to hit British carriers in the channel while the Luftwaffe spar with the RAF. In the Adriatic, the first shots have been fired, but I fear the Italians may be sorely outgunned. We dealt good damage to a battleship and damaged a British submarine, but if the whole French fleet is here, the Italians may be in a for a shock.

Turn 10 The invasion of France is proceeding nicely, with solid land gains and minimal MPP loss (mainly from the Luftwaffe). I would prefer things to be going slightly faster than they are, but I'm currently content. I expect I'll have Paris by August. With research maxed out and little point in investing in troops as we head into the height of summer, I decided to invest heavily into Spanish diplomacy. Franco just needs a little tip in my direction before he decides that a Facist alliance is very much in his interest... A Spanish partner will be critical in allowing me to take Gibraltar, therefore making offensive actions by the US and British against Italy that much harder. Italy really is the sick man of Europe, and a rather aggressive Anglo-French navy is now approaching the Adriatic. I have withdrawn as far into the sea as possible and I'm moving the Italian air force and even the land based artillery into position to lend a helping hand. There is also the possibility of moving the Luftwaffe to Italy to support the Italians against the British....

Turn 9 Haven't reported much since December as there hasn't been anything to report. However, finally, our sledgehammer was ready. Was I too cautious in waiting until all my troops were ready? Possibly. But there can be few downsides to attacking with such a frighteningly powerful force as the one the German army currently possesses. Here is the moment before jump off: Notice the 5 armoured columns. And after the invasion was launched: You will notice I left much of the Belgian and Netherlands' armies unmolested. Why? Simply put, it gives me greater MPPs when I plunder the country, and means there is no risk of losing MPPs to defensive action. As a result, I recieved over 300MPPs worth of plunder from the combined invasions, all for the loss of just 2 Panzer steps. I also carried out an invasion of Denmark, and conquered the country with my paratroopers. Next on the hit list in Norway. Now comes the interesting bit; how much British force has Ash committed to the defense of Paris? Experience tells me he will send a large force and he may even have tanks on the continent. As far as I am concerned, the more the merrier. With my additional forces grown over the winter and my large air force, any extra units he sends to defend the country will be destroyed. Now, to find a weak spot.

December 1939 The German army is growing. 2 new Panzers are due for March and April respectively, and the infantry force is amassing on the Belgian and Dutch borders. A tactical bomber and a paratrooper unit are preparing to seize Denmark and Norway. The Italians have invested in naval warfare and their fleet is bottled up in the Adriatic to protect from prying British eyes.

Turn 2 We complete our invasion of Poland by taking Warsaw. 4 total Panzer steps lost to force Poland's capitulation by turn 2; not terrible, but not great either. I violated the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and infuriated Stalin, apparently, who responded by increasing readiness to 42%. I redeemed my chit in rocket technology to increase my MPP base, and purchase myself a brand new armoured division, set to arrive in March. I have decided that I will not try to force an invasion of the Low Countries before Christmas, but instead wait for my critical mass of units to arrive in 1940. All MPPs until the invasion begins will be used for unit production; I have no need for superior technology against the French. Once the French are teetering however, I will invest heavily in infantry, armoured and industrial technology. Interestingly, it seems Ash is vacating his Mediterranean garrisons. Perhaps he wishes to bring Mussolini into the war early?

I think it would be an interesting decision. I mean, the penalty is pretty clear cut and not-insubstantial; 50mpps is like 2 whole mines lost. What kind of NM boost would 2 of those events give when stacked on top of each other? It'd have to be fairly significant to justify the cost.

Ah, that would be it. We both assumed it was a second event that stacked with the first one. Thanks for clearing that up, although it could be a little clearer in the manual

I wouldn't be too quick to judge by saying that it would have been certain death for the Entente had the game continued and German NM been higher; I had, by mid June 1918, gotten to a point where I had bought back every lost corps (due to arrive throughout September, something like 10 of them) and started to buy fresh corps as well. Even if I had ceded a great deal of territory, I could likely have stalled the advance well before Paris by the time snow arrived, at which point the Americans would have started crossing. By May 1919 I could have had a significant American infantry force in France. Also, the British line in the ME crumbled because I knew that German morale was falling so fast that the game would be over before the Ottomans could reach Cairo, so I just stopped sending reinforcements. Had German morale been higher I would've ceded more territory in France so as to reinforce the Egypt position, and in a worse case scenario, could have probably held more or less indefinitely at the Suez canal crossings.

Greetings fellow SCers, and welcome back to another AAR. Ash and I just can't get enough of this game so we're going to jump right in to one of my favourite scenarios- Storm over Europe. We were going to switch sides on the WW1 game, but that was a particularly intense and gruelling match, so we're going to let WW1 have a short break. Strategy and Plans As always, one must try to develop a strong but adaptable plan for both the long and short term. The destruction of Poland comes first and should be done with the greatest care to avoid any lost Panzer steps or HQ experience. I will then move swiftly to the West and if possible, try and invade the Low Countries before 1940. A quick beating of France is imperative if I am to correct Hitler's mistake of launching Barbarossa late in June. My approach will then be to focus on the MPPs that Russia holds; namely the oil in the Caucuses. This southern drive will use about 80% of my force, while another 20% seizes the easy land holdings near the border such as Riga, to get the Finnish on board and pressure Leningrad. I'm not going to bother trying to fight over the Italian-African holdings; there is little benefit to be had in my opinion unless you can go on the offensive, which by extension requires you to take out Malta, which I don't plan to do. With any luck, I'll have increased my MPP base to well above that of the Allies by the time the USA starts getting excitable allowing me to turn west and deal with any invasion. As for submarine warfare, this will be a secondary priority until I've upgraded my subs a little. Hopefully I can start a proper chokehold of the UK by 1941. Italy will also focus on its navy, so they can spar properly with the RN. Turn 1 We begin things with a very standard invasion of Poland. The HQ is gone, as are a couple of corps. I should be able to take Warsaw next turn without a problem. I also plan to reject to share my gains with Stalin. He'll be pissed, but then again, it's a lot less territory to fight over too.

A hell of a game, and extremely well played by Ash to have made it so far despite the Belgian elite units fiasco I shall summarize my thoughts thusly; - The guide needs a serious update!! Stuff like Romania coming into the war as a result of Gallipoli was a complete surprise to both Ash and myself (although it was less of a good surprise for one of us ), ditto the lack of a morale boosting event at the 25% mark. Also, the fact that troops tend to stay 'alive' after a country's official surrender if they are outside the borders isn't well publicized. - The commander bug that Ash mentioned happened to me all the time! Very annoying. - I don't think the US entry would have been such a blow if the Germans had taken more NM objectives. As it is, the only big objective they took was Belfort, and it was way too late (having lost Metz 2 years ago). - I found the transporting of troops as British to the Middle East to be quite tedious (at first having to send transports all the way through the Atlantic, then to the Med, later having to operate through Italy then transport). Is there any chance of getting a loop from Britain (like in the WW2 scenarios)? I don't have as much to say though, interested in hearing other's thoughts!

The Entente is victorious! Ash has a nice bit of prose to round things off in his thread. We'll make a separate thread for feedback and end of game thoughts. Thanks for reading, let us know if there's a scenario you wanna see next!

Turn 60 The USA has finally entered the war. And thank Christ for that! The German offensive is just steamrolling my perfectly laid front line. The Central Powers fired no less than 3 full artillery barrages at the poor armour at Metz. They didn't stand a chance, and we almost lost the artillery behind it. Our counter-attacks were weak as we scramble to reorganise. Fortunately, the US entry has dropped German morale to just 3%. I just need to hold out a little longer... In Italy we lost a corps, then promptly destroyed one right back. In the ME we continue to beat a hasty retreat. There isn't much to do here except dig in and protect Cairo. All now rests on the German NM. We must prevent them from taking any objectives!! British battleships are en route to the Baltic. Next turn I will send the subs. Time to start sinking the German navy.

Turn 59 This was an interesting turn. Highs, lows, you name it! Well, to the West then. The first thing you will notice is that I have managed to get a French cavalry unit all the way into Dusseldorf, as well as capturing 2 mines. The second thing you will notice is that the Dutch have declared war, their border became open to me, and as such, I was able to waltz right into the heart of Germany. The cav is a lost cause I know, but wiping out 2 mines = 60MPP loss, and wiping out Dusseldorf is another 10MPP (although it was already low from air ship bombing) plus a large NM kick in the teeth for Ash (down to 11% at the end of the turn). Now, to the fighting itself. Alarmingly, no less than 3 German guns now sight their targets on Metz- the next German objective is clear. I was able to do serious damage to two of the besiegers but only time will tell whether this is enough to prevents its fall. We didn't actually destroy a single unit on the western front this turn, but we did more than enough damage to make up for it. 3 corps outside Brussels were also mauled. One of the Austrian armour divisions was struck badly by our recon bombers. New reinforcements arrived at Lille to stem the tide in the north. In Italy, no action. In the Middle East, we now face a most difficult situation. The Ottomans are breaking through our lines, and we have had no choice but to fall back, hard. If necessary I will fall back to the Suez canal to await reinforcement (but at this stage, I don't see much point; if I commit everything to destroying Germany in the West then they will capitulate before the ME becomes a problem). The USA are at 95% or so. They are on the brink of entering, and plunging German NM further. The last stand is soon to arrive- all I have to do is hold onto my key NM objectives, and I'll have won!

Turn 58 We are in the height of summer, and bitter fighting ensues. Due to thin lines and a serious lack of support, we lost Belfort. This is not great, but not terrible either; the NM shock seems to be quite limited, and the positioning of the fortress means that losing it is no terrible shame. I imagine I would be a lot more unsettled by this attack if the Austrian armour was in good shape- as it is, their readiness remains terrible. We were able to strike back at the Germans after taking 4 French corps losses to destroy just 2 of theirs, but brought an additional 2 down to 10% strength. The armour remains at Metz, holding firm. In Italy, an Austrian corps was cleanly wiped out. Germans in low supply in the mountains were attacked again to solid effect. In the Middle East, we badly damaged a German corps but were unable to destroy it. We lobbed a few shells into the Austrian lines to stave off an assault on Gaza. A recent government edict has ordered that all new British reinforcements from July 1918 onwards are to be sent straight to France, so there won't be much relief for the desert rats for now. It seems Ash is trying to bring the Dutch into the war, as their readiness reached critical levels this turn. I know from gaming it in a hotseat match that the Dutch have a not-insignificant army, but they lack artillery and without it, they won't be able to do much against Antwerp. I do need to send more French to the north though, and let the British handle the center for the time being. The USA suddenly decided now was a good time to protest at our blockade of Germany and slipped from 85% to 84%. Fortunately they are but a whisker away from joining now, and bringing with them that delicious morale boost. The British got the Swedes further on side this turn, and I am beginning the process of upgrading my subs to level 2. Once they are ready, I will send them, plus a fleet of battleships and destroyers on a search-and-destroy mission in the Baltic. I cannot afford to wait any longer for the Swedes to grant me access to their ports. Destroying a large chunk of the German navy, even if I lose a significant amount myself, will be worth it. The British are in a far better position to weather morale shocks than any other major combatant for the time being.

Turn 57 Yikes, forgot to take screenies this turn, sorry! Both offensives seemed to take a breath while reinforcements arrive. I'm sure Ash is wiping the sweat from his brow, as am I. 3 new French corps arrived this turn to supplement our defensive actions in the south. Belfort is now seriously up against it, and we may lose it next turn. However, a small glimmer of hope; our French artillery actually struck and destroyed the Bulgarian artillery. We left the Saar mines unguarded while we carried out some minor offensives to destroy a corps threatening Metz. 2 new British corps arrived in this sector this turn, and we upgraded the British armour. Next turn is going to be brutal, for both of us. In Italy we traded blows with a weak Austrian unit guarding Trieste, but failed to destroy it. We had better results further north, where an Austrian corps was reduced to 10% for few losses. Small skirmishes in the Middle East, no decisive victor. The US continues to slide very, very slowly towards the Entente, and the British finally got shell production level 3. We are in the end game now gentlemen, time to see who will be the last man standing. German NM sunk to 21%.

Turn 56 The Germans are joined by an alarming display of Austrian armoured firepower and have made quick headway towards Belfort. French newspapers still espouse that Germans have yet to set foot in France, but this looks like its about to change. We lost 4 French corps once again, but hit back just as hard, maintaining control of the Saar mines and thrashing a number of corps. The artillery at Metz was in a perilous position, and now replaced by much sturdier French armour. British armour also got its first taste of battle, destroying a corps. Upon close inspection however, the Austrian threat is not as serious as it first appeared. For some reason, all the Austrian troops here are extremely low in morale and readiness, below 50% in both categories for the armour piece that I can see, which is going to seriously hamper combat proficiency. Italy is a quaint sideshow compared to the brutality of the west. Neither side made any major attacks besides doing some decent damage to an out-of-supply German unit in the mountains. The Middle East, too, seems suddenly rather unimportant. We hit out at the Germans in the desert for good damage while taking none ourselves. The French navy removed a few steps from the Austrians in the region. Sweden continued to slide our way, although not fast enough for my liking. The Americans are finally over 80% readiness now though, so their entrance can't be far off. The Germans dipped below 25% NM this turn too- unless they make some quite spectacular (and unrealistic) gains in the very near future, I think they will exhaust themselves into submission. For now, Belfort and Metz are probably safe. Unfortunately I have another couple of turns to go before my major reinforcement waves arrive. Luckily, 2 British corps arrived at Calais this turn, and will be send to reinforce the area around Nancy. The Americans got a lucky breakthrough with level 2 infantry, so as soon as they are fully mobilized, they will be in a position where I can start sending combat troops immediately. I just hope they arrive in time... This one's really coming down to the wire!

Ah brilliant, so that's about +6% NM to UK and France and -4% to Germany. I could dig that.

Turn 55 Good lord, this is every bit as bloody as I expected it to be, and more. The Germans attacked brutally into the countryside outside Belfort, destroying two corps and an artillery piece (again!). Our Saar mine occupiers were also lost. In fact, the last 2 turns have been the heaviest losses the French have taken to date. But our counter attack...was just as bad. We blasted away the Saar defenders once again and marched in. The French also broke through and joined them adjacent. In the south our tanks mauled the invaders (who still have yet to set foot in France). I'm beginning to lose track of losses taken versus those inflicted, but sufficed to say, we mauled half to death as many as we killed. We also came within a hair of destroying an artillery piece, bringing it down to 1 strength, but it retreated in the nick of time. In Italy we lost Trieste. A heavy blow. We back up a bit to regroup and continue rebuilding losses. We broke through the lines in the Middle East, attacking the elite German artillery, but succeeded only in exposing ourselves and removing the elite steps. As our friends in France would say, c'est la vie. More promisingly, our reinforcements with the help of some artillery pulverized the line of German flankers, and we did some serious damage to the infantry here. The Brits got their level 2 armour this turn, a well timed tech as our armour has been operated to the front line. Our 2nd British HQ is now 'boots down' in France and will shortly be joined by 2 corps from the UK to bolster the somewhat weak lines in the south of the western front. Oh, and I took some shots of the MPP damages so far. Pay particular attention to what the most recent fighting has done... France: Germany: It makes for fairly grim viewing, but does show that the Germans are bleeding hard with the most losses taken this turn by a good 3-400 MPP margin. Their NM is nosediving while France is just about staying ahead of the curve. The British and Italians, of course, are still riding high. During Ash's turn the US turned away from mobilization slightly- the work of dastardly German diplomats. I think it's a waste of MPP for the CP though- now that the US is over 70%, it's entry into the war must be all but secured. I don't expect Ash to send the Zimmerman telegram, but I'm sure that if we just let nature take its course (with a small diplomatic push from our side of things) the States will see sense...

Cool beans. Well I've removed all my chits in Norway for the moment anyway, everything is plugged into Sweden and the USA. I don't suppose you know the exact stats for the NM boost when the USA enters the war?

Turn 54 The terrible grind continues with fighting across the western front. The French lost 3 corps, so we destroyed 3 of theirs. We were beaten back from Strasbourg by a large German force, so taking it is probably out of the question for the time being. However, the big news is that we were able to destroy the Saar mine defenders...and take it for ourselves. I fully expect to lose the mines next turn, but the damage has been done; the Germans will endure a 30mpp hit next turn, reducing gradually but continuing for 9 more turns. Our first rail gun has also arrived, because I have noticed that there is a spot in Belgium just by Antwerp where I can place a rail gun and actually have a direct line to Dusseldorf! I have also ordered a French heavy bomber due to arrive by the end of this turn. To further increase French aerial dominance, we got ground attack level 2 this turn. In Italy there was sporadic fighting, but no decisive winners. We took the opportunity mainly to reinforce and withdraw our armour from the front line so it can be upgraded. Our main reinforcements have now arrived in the Middle East. The line should be, for the time being at least, fairly secure. Our Royal Marines hold fast, still blocking the railway line. The Americans continue their gradual slide towards full mobilization. They also got their first tech hit this turn, with level 1 infantry. Getting them into the war will hopefully tip French NM back above the magical 50% line, I need them to stay strong! Our first British armour unit also arrived on the continent this turn, and we continue to invest in Swedish diplomacy, as well as sub technology. My subs are going to be like a bad dream when they make their appearance.

Thanks mate! This has got to be our longest AAR so far, and it's really been terrible fun to play so far. It's just a shame we didn't make an AAR of our last campaign, which was Barbarossa to Berlin, which went on for over 100 turns...