German strategies in 44 scenario vs AI

[Kuniworth]

I doubt anyone can win this scenario or get a draw. Resources are just to few to keep up the war-effort, a smart allied player will strike as many targets as possible in the beginning making it impossible for Germany to stabilize a front.

I ve made it on normal level until january 1947 before surrendering. Once your front begins to eradicate you are losin fast.

Here is my strategy - anyone got any better

what to do first?

1. The situation is plain hopeless and its only a matter of time before you will lose. The main objective is to flee the field in russia and stabilize a front running from konigsberg-warzaw-non mountain hexes down to rumania. You will be able to get some entrenchment this way. Note! Dont move minsk, Helsinki and riga corps - let the red army surround the cities = less pressure on your defenceline..

2. Sell your airforce to gain MMP. You will never be able to restrengthen them anyway.

3. Fortify every city with corps...never count them after that as an alternative to fill gaps in front. Keep them there.

After this I do like this;

WEST FRONT

Oh my fightin the beaches are a killing zone, however if you can beat the invasion force badly the allies wont try again for a year or two. Move armies, 1 hq and surviving tanks from the east to Bordeaux/Marseille and let the invasion unfold. Then strike back picking of the enemy one by one. Eventually in late 44 they will hold just Brest and thats ok, you will never be able to remove it without air and will end up dead instead. Move your troops out of range from the now higly experienced allied airforce to south of france and send the reserves to the chaos in the east. The allied airforce is a killer and will bomb everything in the lowcountries and France. If you have a corps in Bruxelles, move it away. Let them bomb the hell out of civilians instead.

After some years of gearin up they will invade you again, probably mostly americans. At this stage you must fall back on fortified cities and strikin US troops that rushed to far with 1-2 armies you kept in the interior in Germany. However dont waste any resources here, fall back to germany.

ITALIAN FRONT;

There is absolutely pointless fightin on this front. You got 2 own vital armies just standin takin a beatin forcin you to reinforce over and over again. And youre outside Rome far away from the supply-dumps in Verona and Genoa. Fortify those to cities with corps and move your armies away. These cities will provide good defensive ground with rivers around them. And even if the allies capture those cities - where can they go with that small force?

EAST FRONT;

Ok this is it, you got to stop the reds or you will lose quickly. If you hold out long enough the Red army will end up with few armies and lot of rockets and airforce which will kill you but not make them advance nor quickly or far - at the beginning that is.

First create your defensive line consisting ONLY with cheap corps and keep your armies in the second line ready to pound any enemy that breaks through. Only exception here is key areas as Konigsburg that faces a problem of beeing hit by 3 armies in one turn, that will kill any corps. Remember - s single gap in the front is not a problem as your armies will kill anyone coming through.

After a while your front will start to desintegrate as you cant reinforce. Faced with a red army with 4 bars rockets(that kills 1-5 strength-points) fall back to Berlin-line. Move your reserves there and let the red horde bleed on the walls of the fortified cities in the balkans. Sell some HQ as you got to many of them and hold out for as long as you can.

Final adive; Invest heavily in anti-tank tech as much as you can. This is the only way you can stop nasty panzer shock armies from crushin your corps in one massive blow.

So this is my strategy - anyone else got something?

[ April 23, 2003, 10:27 AM: Message edited by: Kuniworth ]

[santabear]

I have managed a few draws vs. AI, but using ONLY the "beginner, novice and green" settings. I don't notice much difference in MPPs between those settings, so they give very similar games. Certainly anything with an experience bonus is pointless, except for developing one's ability to cope with adversity.

The strategy you outlined is very much what I do: Fight the Allies away from their air as much as possible, and try to counter attack whenever possible in the East.

Try to make the Russians "run north and south" that is, to extend their attacks laterally along the line rather than driving westward through openings. Your idea of a screen of corps with a mobile "fire brigade" running around to problem areas is the way to do it. They will try to outflank the counter attack, but the counter attacking units can disengage and scoot away. Meanwhile, Germany survives two more weeks.

Fight along rivers, in the mountains, in swamps, trees--anywhere but in the open.

Use units like "speed bumps" in Italy, forcing the Allies to advance through the worst terrain.

It's more important to preserve Axis units than to destroy enemy units. The Allies would love to trade units one-for-one--they can replace them.

I've never thought about cashing in the air, but that could be a good idea. It doesn't last long anyway.

[lwchen]

I've tried this scenario many times against the AI since it's the only one I can't win. This is what I do.

-Operate units from the Russian front line closer to Germany. Try to form a solid line near the Polish/Russian border and on down into Rumania. Must protect the oil fields.

-Operate some units from the eastern front to the western front. Keep them south of Paris so the obscene Allied air force can't pound them.

-Move all air to the Italian theatre. Can take Rome in 3 turns, but risky to move down the Italian boot. Once you smash the Allies in Italy, the AI pretty much gives up on it.

-Play defensive in Russia till the AI blunts its attack on your front. Keep armor in reserve to plug holes.

-Play defensive in France as well, but it's ok to sacrifice a corps to completely eliminate a piece. Keep in mind that any piece north or Paris will get bombed to death in one turn so only move your units up when you see an opportunity. It's not hard to hold France.

The problem is I run out of time before I can conquer Russia. The closest I've gotten is to the gates of Moscow, but they just move the capital. Sea Lion or Invasion USA is a pipe dream. If anyone has won this scenario, on any setting, I'm all ears.

[Kuniworth]

To Santabear;

You say that allies love to trade units one by one. Actually as long as I keep my own lost units at the same level as the allies I seem to be winning. The AI often just reinforce expensive airunits from strength 8-9 to 12 instead of out-produce you. Granted that if the allies start pounding a lot of your units you will eventually drown as you cant reinforce them.

Izwich;

How the hell do you do to advance to Moscow??? I can barely defend my own turf.

Do any of you guys like to play a TCP/IP game with this scenario tonight? We can play both sides and compare tactics.

Regards

Kuni

[Kuniworth]

Iwchen;

about takin Rome...it seem pointless gettin Italy into the war with to low tech-levels...why not just withdraw as I said to the north and ijust ignore the front?

[santabear]

Kuniworth: I have a troublesome computer set up here (in Europe) so I can't do two-player SC. When I get back home (this fall), though, I'd like to play a game with you. We could play two games--in one I'll be Axis, in the other Allies--and we can try things out with each other.

You're right about AI--I was speaking "hypothetically" when I talked about trading units. AI will just keep grinding ahead with what he has in France. But Russian rockets appear frequently, and AI buys lots of corps for the Russians. I think it's programmed to rely on air in the West, and ground units in the East (that's just a guess, but that's what I run into).

And anyone who gets to the gates of Moscow in this scenario has my undying respect--I'm as likely to capture Venus as Moscow in this scenario. I think if the Germans stay alive until May, 1947 they've won, even if there are some Allied units in Munich! A stalemate is possible, but it's a rare event in this scenario for me. I went home last night and played it against AI and got my ass well and truly kicked.

Napoleon: "Do you expect me to hold back the sea with my hands?"

Perfect quote for this scenario.

[ April 25, 2003, 10:45 AM: Message edited by: santabear ]

[lwchen]

I suppose you can just ignore Italy altogether. It won't make a big difference either way.

But Italy gives your air force a chance to earn safe experience. After Italy, I usually move my air back to the Russian front where they can do some intercepts and then act as spotting units. I generally don't build the Luftwaffe back up until I go on the offensive in Russia.

Taking Italy will allow you to create an Italian corps every 2 turns or so. Although these units have little combat value, they are good for mop up duty and fighting partisans. By the end of the war Italy can actually field an HQ, some armies, and even an air force ... albeit with minimal experience and zero tech.