On SC strategy and tactics - essays :)

Kuniworth · June 2, 2005

Originally posted by hellraiser:
100% true.
After Rambo discovered this move, SC should have been patched - added entrenchment 6 for Rome corps. Unfortunately it was not the case and the infamous RRI was banned forever

Well not only that, the whole Med continue to be a dead end for allies.

I want to see more tactics;

-Dutch gambit

-RACK

-Soviet defense(Finnish gambit, turkish gambit and others)´

-Terif's cookie cutter

-Spanish gambit(allies attack Spain)

-Condor's norway attack

Friendly Fire · June 5, 2005

Great thread Hellraiser. Just when I thought the forum was completely hopeless you post this gem!

FF

Friendly Fire · June 5, 2005

Great thread Hellraiser. Just when I thought the forum was completely hopeless you post this gem!

FF

Friendly Fire · June 5, 2005

Sea Lion

Type: Axis Mid Game Strategy

Game period: Mid game (1940 – 1942)

Sea Lion is Hitler’s code name for a German invasion of England. Historically this was an improbably venture do to the lack of suitable transports, but in Strategic Command it can be successfully mounted under the right conditions.

Sea Lion can be launched immediately after the fall of France, or after the conquest of Scandavia, or even just prior the entry of the USA or USSR (the latter is often referred to as “late Sea Lion”. (In games where the Allied player refuses to concede it will be necessary to mount Sea Lion after the fall of Russia, but this just a matter of brute force and will not be discussed further in this essay)

In all these cases Germany commits all available assets toward the invasion. Failure is not an option!

This strategy is viable under some combination of the following conditions

- overwhelming air superiority (quantity and preferably also technology) of the Luftwaffe over the RAF.

- UK has overcommitted to the defense of France and is weak.

- UK overcommitted to the Mediterranean theatre (and is therefore weak in the home front)

- Royal Navy weak in the North Atlantic.

The strategy may also be considered when chances of winning the war against Russia appear slim for whatever reason, although in this case it is simply a strategy of desperation.

The objective of Sea Lion is to knock the UK out of the war, therefore securing the Western front against invasion.

Tactical Tips

Axis Tips. Plan ahead. If the Allied player looks weak then prepare for SeaLion by purchasing extra air units and air tech at the expense of ground units. Long Range tech is very helpful, as are Subs are to protect the flanks of the invasion. London is the logical first target. Pound it with air and land all around to destroy the garrison. Land an HQ via the port at the first opportunity. Drive to Manchester as fast as possible.

Allied tips. Avoid the conditions listed above. The Royal Navy is the best shield against Sea Lion. Some cash in the bank is helpful to discourage Axis from launching the invasion. If you see Axis transports on the coast consider selling off R&D chits to fund the defense (but be aware of the possibility that it is all a feint)

Pros:

If the invasion succeeds then the strategic position is crushing. USA will not be able to mount an invasion without air fleets based in England. All units can focus on Russia and she will not survive.

Spain will likely join Axis

Cons:

Barbarossa invasion will be significantly weakened. If invasion fails the war is likely lost.! In the case of early Sea Lion, if the UK hold out long enough then the USA and USSR will join the war and even with the help of Spanish and UK production the Axis may still lose the war.

Conclusion:

A fine strategy against Allied player who has squandered valuable assets - especially carriers. The strategy is not likely to succeed against an experienced Allied player. Just the thing to liven up a dull game!

Friendly Fire · June 5, 2005

Sea Lion

Type: Axis Mid Game Strategy

Game period: Mid game (1940 – 1942)

Sea Lion is Hitler’s code name for a German invasion of England. Historically this was an improbably venture do to the lack of suitable transports, but in Strategic Command it can be successfully mounted under the right conditions.

Sea Lion can be launched immediately after the fall of France, or after the conquest of Scandavia, or even just prior the entry of the USA or USSR (the latter is often referred to as “late Sea Lion”. (In games where the Allied player refuses to concede it will be necessary to mount Sea Lion after the fall of Russia, but this just a matter of brute force and will not be discussed further in this essay)

In all these cases Germany commits all available assets toward the invasion. Failure is not an option!

This strategy is viable under some combination of the following conditions

- overwhelming air superiority (quantity and preferably also technology) of the Luftwaffe over the RAF.

- UK has overcommitted to the defense of France and is weak.

- UK overcommitted to the Mediterranean theatre (and is therefore weak in the home front)

- Royal Navy weak in the North Atlantic.

The strategy may also be considered when chances of winning the war against Russia appear slim for whatever reason, although in this case it is simply a strategy of desperation.

The objective of Sea Lion is to knock the UK out of the war, therefore securing the Western front against invasion.

Tactical Tips

Axis Tips. Plan ahead. If the Allied player looks weak then prepare for SeaLion by purchasing extra air units and air tech at the expense of ground units. Long Range tech is very helpful, as are Subs are to protect the flanks of the invasion. London is the logical first target. Pound it with air and land all around to destroy the garrison. Land an HQ via the port at the first opportunity. Drive to Manchester as fast as possible.

Allied tips. Avoid the conditions listed above. The Royal Navy is the best shield against Sea Lion. Some cash in the bank is helpful to discourage Axis from launching the invasion. If you see Axis transports on the coast consider selling off R&D chits to fund the defense (but be aware of the possibility that it is all a feint)

Pros:

If the invasion succeeds then the strategic position is crushing. USA will not be able to mount an invasion without air fleets based in England. All units can focus on Russia and she will not survive.

Spain will likely join Axis

Cons:

Barbarossa invasion will be significantly weakened. If invasion fails the war is likely lost.! In the case of early Sea Lion, if the UK hold out long enough then the USA and USSR will join the war and even with the help of Spanish and UK production the Axis may still lose the war.

Conclusion:

A fine strategy against Allied player who has squandered valuable assets - especially carriers. The strategy is not likely to succeed against an experienced Allied player. Just the thing to liven up a dull game!

hellraiser · June 5, 2005

Nice addition FF.

I would like to add some more tips.

Timeline for a Sealion may differ and it is highly dependant on allied gameplay.

1. Early Sealion.

Axis might attempt an early sealion (shortly after France campaign) if certain conditions are met: several UK ships are killed; UK committed and lost too many MPPs during the battle of France; readiness for USA/USSR increased normally.

Tactical tips:

- place airfleets in striking range of London (HQ as well)

- use Brest , Antwerp, Arcachon and Kiel ports to load troops in boats;

- the flanks of the invasion force must be protected by german/Italian ships as well as corps transports - cheap blocking solution;

- focus first on capturing London to get supply for the next objective - manchester;

- alternatively you can place transports along the whole english coast (manchester, edinburgh to force uk split troops - landings near manchester will trigger Spain into joining Axis;

- a smart allied player will be placing heavy troops in manchester to delay the fall of uk till USA joins (they will most likely use a tank) - if the tank had time to entrench, axis may consider buying a bomber in Brest to remove 2 levels of entrenchment per turn - otherwise the tank may be a pain in the *beep*;

2. Late Sealion.

Most likely when attempting this, axis enjoy good Jet tech and especially Long Range tech. A preffered strategy of mine (when i have the said advantages) is to place HQ/AFs in northern France/Norway and to force intercepts hitting the harbours/HQ/troops in UK and after that hitting the RAF directly. After destroying the RAF/USAF in UK you can begin the landings. In the east Axis will usually assume a defensive stance, trying to stall the reds until UK falls (koenigsberg-warsaw-carpathians line for example or Riga-minsk-dnepr line if axis went that far).

hellraiser · June 5, 2005

Nice addition FF.

I would like to add some more tips.

Timeline for a Sealion may differ and it is highly dependant on allied gameplay.

1. Early Sealion.

Axis might attempt an early sealion (shortly after France campaign) if certain conditions are met: several UK ships are killed; UK committed and lost too many MPPs during the battle of France; readiness for USA/USSR increased normally.

Tactical tips:

- place airfleets in striking range of London (HQ as well)

- use Brest , Antwerp, Arcachon and Kiel ports to load troops in boats;

- the flanks of the invasion force must be protected by german/Italian ships as well as corps transports - cheap blocking solution;

- focus first on capturing London to get supply for the next objective - manchester;

- alternatively you can place transports along the whole english coast (manchester, edinburgh to force uk split troops - landings near manchester will trigger Spain into joining Axis;

- a smart allied player will be placing heavy troops in manchester to delay the fall of uk till USA joins (they will most likely use a tank) - if the tank had time to entrench, axis may consider buying a bomber in Brest to remove 2 levels of entrenchment per turn - otherwise the tank may be a pain in the *beep*;

2. Late Sealion.

Most likely when attempting this, axis enjoy good Jet tech and especially Long Range tech. A preffered strategy of mine (when i have the said advantages) is to place HQ/AFs in northern France/Norway and to force intercepts hitting the harbours/HQ/troops in UK and after that hitting the RAF directly. After destroying the RAF/USAF in UK you can begin the landings. In the east Axis will usually assume a defensive stance, trying to stall the reds until UK falls (koenigsberg-warsaw-carpathians line for example or Riga-minsk-dnepr line if axis went that far).

hellraiser · June 5, 2005

Algiers naval battle

Type: allied delaying tactic

Game period: mid-game

After France is conquered, Axis will immediately begin the capturing of certain minors in order to improve their MPP basis. One of the next targets is Vichy France (Marseilles, Algiers, Beirut). Vichy France is a two-capitol country, i.e. capturing marseilles (1st capitol) will have Vichy move its capitol to Algiers. This means Axis will try to seize both town in the same turns to force Vichy surrender.

Now, defending Marseilles is impossible so if allies want to interfere with the Vichy attack they will do it near Algiers. They can amass an impressive fleet (BB, cruisers, carriers) and try to delay as long as possible the capturing of Algiers by sinking troops transports and some Italian ships.

Tactical tips:

-after the fall of France, a vast number of ships sail towards Gibraltar;

- gibraltar garrison can be temporarily replaced by a RAF unit or Bomber unit to provide spotting for Algiers area;

- immediately when allies notice the buildup of transports along the algerian coast, they will launch the attack;

- do not attack with carriers unless it is necessary - germans can place HQ/AFs in Sicily to provide air cover for the invasion forces - try to hit first with the gibraltar air so you can assess the presence of german air;

- do not overuse your units down there - if you encounter strong naval/air resistance or very bad rolls, don't stay more than 2-3 turns;

- killing some transports is ok but you should aim to kill off some italian ships - the only assets that can challenge your naval supremacy.

Pros;

- killing italian ships will come in handy later on (D-Day, post D-Day);

- delaying Axis for several turns is good as well - one of the few spots you can really interfere with Axis' cookie cutter strategy;

Cons:

- Allies can expect to suffer some serious ships losses - don't forget, Sealion it is possible even after the war with USSR starts and UK ships are one of the most valuable asset in fending off a Sealion;

- some players use carriers even if they know axis air is present in Sicily - you can do this to finish off troops/ships; otherwise if you use them for nothing it is not good - they cost way too much to refit;

hellraiser · June 5, 2005

Algiers naval battle

Type: allied delaying tactic

Game period: mid-game

After France is conquered, Axis will immediately begin the capturing of certain minors in order to improve their MPP basis. One of the next targets is Vichy France (Marseilles, Algiers, Beirut). Vichy France is a two-capitol country, i.e. capturing marseilles (1st capitol) will have Vichy move its capitol to Algiers. This means Axis will try to seize both town in the same turns to force Vichy surrender.

Now, defending Marseilles is impossible so if allies want to interfere with the Vichy attack they will do it near Algiers. They can amass an impressive fleet (BB, cruisers, carriers) and try to delay as long as possible the capturing of Algiers by sinking troops transports and some Italian ships.

Tactical tips:

-after the fall of France, a vast number of ships sail towards Gibraltar;

- gibraltar garrison can be temporarily replaced by a RAF unit or Bomber unit to provide spotting for Algiers area;

- immediately when allies notice the buildup of transports along the algerian coast, they will launch the attack;

- do not attack with carriers unless it is necessary - germans can place HQ/AFs in Sicily to provide air cover for the invasion forces - try to hit first with the gibraltar air so you can assess the presence of german air;

- do not overuse your units down there - if you encounter strong naval/air resistance or very bad rolls, don't stay more than 2-3 turns;

- killing some transports is ok but you should aim to kill off some italian ships - the only assets that can challenge your naval supremacy.

Pros;

- killing italian ships will come in handy later on (D-Day, post D-Day);

- delaying Axis for several turns is good as well - one of the few spots you can really interfere with Axis' cookie cutter strategy;

Cons:

- Allies can expect to suffer some serious ships losses - don't forget, Sealion it is possible even after the war with USSR starts and UK ships are one of the most valuable asset in fending off a Sealion;

- some players use carriers even if they know axis air is present in Sicily - you can do this to finish off troops/ships; otherwise if you use them for nothing it is not good - they cost way too much to refit;

hellraiser · June 15, 2005

Okay, the essays continue

Axis north atlantic domination. The limited minors DOW option.

Game period: early to the end

Type: axis overall strategy to win the war.

A rarely used axis strategy, the Limited DOW option/ NA domination , focuses on gaining complete supremacy of the sea and achieving a decisive upperhand in the west. It is rarely used because the Cookie Cutter is more potent in terms of mpps but, nevertheless, it provides an interesting game for both sides.

It can be played form the very beggining or you can switch to it if the France campaign becomes a drag.

Objectives/tactical tips:

- during the french campaign, axis will try to kill several uk ships even if it will take them longer to reach Paris. Early Paris is not so important under this strategy, crippling the Royal Navy is

- after France is conquered, Axis will DOW only Norway and Sweden, to provide a reasonably fair MPP basis - the objective is to prolong the entry of USA and USSR till 1942;

- during the middle game, Germany will invest in subs tech and buy 5-6 pieces; Italy will invest in GLR (max 2 chits) and keep its fleet afloat

- USA and USSR will be DOW-ed during the same turn (somewhere in the beggining of 1942) - the axis fleet will kill the 2 US BBs in their home ports (use subs for this) and retreat in the middle of the ocean, establishing a 'fishing' net in order to keep any US transport from reaching UK mainland -> UK alone won't ever be able to mount a powerful D-Day thus Axis will be able to conquer the remaining minors and fight safely on only one front (USSR); not to mention the possibility of a Sealion if in the east everything is ok;

It is debatable if under 1/5/30 bidding system this strategy is viable. Back in the 1/5/20, it had chances to succeed, especially if the allied player was not prepared for it.

Pros:

- severing one allied hand , denying a coordination of the two allied fronts;

- with a bit of chance, winning the war by killing UK;

Cons:

- lower mpp basis (at least until fortress Europa is completed) than the Cookie Cutter leading to potential big difficulties in the east;

- you need average to good techs to keep the reds at bay and be proficient in the naval actions (longer date for USA and USSR war entry helps here);

- allies can always check the reports tab and notice this option axis took - counters exist to it (heavy LR investment combined with placing air units in Canada, Ireland to attack the subs; careful management of the remaining RN);

- if the western allies manage to sneak some transports into UK (especially HQ) early on, you can face a d-day, not so powerful maybe but enough to split several units otherwise used in the East; early on this is very bad for Axis since this strategy needs several 'quiet' turns in the west after Barbarossa kicks off, to be able to enlarge the mpp basis.

Note - IT should be considered under this strategy

Conclusion:

Better play it under 1/5/20 bidding system. It provides an interesting and different game for both sides, sometimes if you're after fun, try it

[ July 16, 2005, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: hellraiser ]

hellraiser · June 15, 2005

Okay, the essays continue

Axis north atlantic domination. The limited minors DOW option.

Game period: early to the end

Type: axis overall strategy to win the war.

A rarely used axis strategy, the Limited DOW option/ NA domination , focuses on gaining complete supremacy of the sea and achieving a decisive upperhand in the west. It is rarely used because the Cookie Cutter is more potent in terms of mpps but, nevertheless, it provides an interesting game for both sides.

It can be played form the very beggining or you can switch to it if the France campaign becomes a drag.

Objectives/tactical tips:

- during the french campaign, axis will try to kill several uk ships even if it will take them longer to reach Paris. Early Paris is not so important under this strategy, crippling the Royal Navy is

- after France is conquered, Axis will DOW only Norway and Sweden, to provide a reasonably fair MPP basis - the objective is to prolong the entry of USA and USSR till 1942;

- during the middle game, Germany will invest in subs tech and buy 5-6 pieces; Italy will invest in GLR (max 2 chits) and keep its fleet afloat

- USA and USSR will be DOW-ed during the same turn (somewhere in the beggining of 1942) - the axis fleet will kill the 2 US BBs in their home ports (use subs for this) and retreat in the middle of the ocean, establishing a 'fishing' net in order to keep any US transport from reaching UK mainland -> UK alone won't ever be able to mount a powerful D-Day thus Axis will be able to conquer the remaining minors and fight safely on only one front (USSR); not to mention the possibility of a Sealion if in the east everything is ok;

It is debatable if under 1/5/30 bidding system this strategy is viable. Back in the 1/5/20, it had chances to succeed, especially if the allied player was not prepared for it.

Pros:

- severing one allied hand , denying a coordination of the two allied fronts;

- with a bit of chance, winning the war by killing UK;

Cons:

- lower mpp basis (at least until fortress Europa is completed) than the Cookie Cutter leading to potential big difficulties in the east;

- you need average to good techs to keep the reds at bay and be proficient in the naval actions (longer date for USA and USSR war entry helps here);

- allies can always check the reports tab and notice this option axis took - counters exist to it (heavy LR investment combined with placing air units in Canada, Ireland to attack the subs; careful management of the remaining RN);

- if the western allies manage to sneak some transports into UK (especially HQ) early on, you can face a d-day, not so powerful maybe but enough to split several units otherwise used in the East; early on this is very bad for Axis since this strategy needs several 'quiet' turns in the west after Barbarossa kicks off, to be able to enlarge the mpp basis.

Note - IT should be considered under this strategy

Conclusion:

Better play it under 1/5/20 bidding system. It provides an interesting and different game for both sides, sometimes if you're after fun, try it

[ July 16, 2005, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: hellraiser ]

Edwin P. · June 15, 2005

Really good, now only if the AI can read these notes.

Edwin P. · June 15, 2005

Really good, now only if the AI can read these notes.

hellraiser · June 15, 2005

Eddie, why don't you play online? It's a whole different story, much more fun, much more challenge.

hellraiser · June 15, 2005

Eddie, why don't you play online? It's a whole different story, much more fun, much more challenge.

Edwin P. · June 15, 2005

I agree, much more fun, more challenge, But for the next week I am really booked.

Edwin P. · June 15, 2005

I agree, much more fun, more challenge, But for the next week I am really booked.

hellraiser · July 14, 2005

Red storm rising – russian overall strategy

Game period – mid to the end

Starting with the 22nd of June, russian readiness increases slowly (2-4% per turn during 1941 if I recall correctly) unless axis clog the polish-russian border or have too few troops near the border (the readiness jumps more). Usually an experienced axis player won’t give this to the allies They keep one unit in Koenigsberg, and 2 units placed directly on the border (the right side hexes near Warsaw). If Axis did not DOW several minors, Russia can join in early 1942 but any axis player should be aware that starting with 1942, readiness increases at a faster pace than in 1941 (10% per turn or something).

The average time period when operation Barbarossa begins is October 41 (under a ‘normal’ Cookie Cutter minors DOWs effect on russian readiness). Anyway, the axis player has to check carefully the join percentages, just to be sure.

Operation Barbarossa

When USSR readiness reaches a critical level (i.e. the german player received the ‘USSR prepares for war’ message at the end of his turn – usually readiness is in the 90s), axis have to DOW USSR. Under a good prior axis gameplay assumption, the invading axis army is extremely powerful, consisting of over 12-13k worth of mpps. With a proper units placement and proper sequence of moves, axis usually manage to kill/cut off all the 9 soviet border armies, kill the 2 existing red tanks (minsk, kiew) and kill/cripple some of the starting 3 red Afs plus killing a red cruiser near Leningrad. The MPP blow for the soviets is terrible, they will have from now on to make good use of their bonus mpps (obtained via the bidding system) to try to stall the axis onslaught until they are ready to push the invaders back.

The situation looks very bad for reds in the beginning – outproduced, outteched, zero experience troops, thousands of mpps lost due to axis’ first strike. But there is always hope

During their first turn, the reds buy troops for establishing a contiguous frontline, some troops placed in the rear for minor counteroffensives (gap closing) and invest in tech.

a) What troops should russia buy during the first turn?

This very much depends on the axis’ power and tech level as well as the might of the western allies. If axis show a medium/high tech and numerous army, Russia will go for a corps defence along their first defence line (Riga,Minsk,Dnepr) with tanks placed in Riga and Minsk (entrenched tanks in cities with HQ support are a pain in the @ss). HQs can be bought to support the frontline troops but beware of german LR tech – too high LR tech and bye bye HQs …

If axis show a weaker army (often a result of an early mediocre gameplay), Russia can buy more heavy pieces, supported by HQs to try to go aggro on germans.

This also depends on the power of the western allies. If allies are powerful and can begin the D-Day during the same period when Barbarossa begins, Russia will usually play defensive, racking up cash and waiting for tech upgrades. If the west was battered during the mid-game phase an it is still recovering (i.e. too weak to properly D-Day), Russia must do something to harm the germans. Lack of initiative on both fronts means only one thing: Germany wins the war. Thus they will buy some more heavy pieces in order to kill some axis’ units forcing their mpps to be spent on replacements instead of new stuff.

Tech investment

Most allied players will go for an AT/Jets tech investment program. Russia starts with lvl 2 IT, lvl 1 HT and 3 free research chits. Going for AT is obvious – the more the strength of an unit, the more enemy troops needed to kill it thus the less enemy troops can be used for breakthroughs. Going for Jets is obvious again because without at least a reasonable air power, Russia cannot go on the offensive and cannot harm german airpower. Some players go for LR – sometimes a good ideea, you can reach Manstein, Runstedt or other juicy defenceless HQs as well as engage directly german Afs placed near the front.

[ July 14, 2005, 01:17 AM: Message edited by: hellraiser ]

hellraiser · July 14, 2005

Red storm rising – russian overall strategy

Game period – mid to the end

Starting with the 22nd of June, russian readiness increases slowly (2-4% per turn during 1941 if I recall correctly) unless axis clog the polish-russian border or have too few troops near the border (the readiness jumps more). Usually an experienced axis player won’t give this to the allies They keep one unit in Koenigsberg, and 2 units placed directly on the border (the right side hexes near Warsaw). If Axis did not DOW several minors, Russia can join in early 1942 but any axis player should be aware that starting with 1942, readiness increases at a faster pace than in 1941 (10% per turn or something).

The average time period when operation Barbarossa begins is October 41 (under a ‘normal’ Cookie Cutter minors DOWs effect on russian readiness). Anyway, the axis player has to check carefully the join percentages, just to be sure.

Operation Barbarossa

When USSR readiness reaches a critical level (i.e. the german player received the ‘USSR prepares for war’ message at the end of his turn – usually readiness is in the 90s), axis have to DOW USSR. Under a good prior axis gameplay assumption, the invading axis army is extremely powerful, consisting of over 12-13k worth of mpps. With a proper units placement and proper sequence of moves, axis usually manage to kill/cut off all the 9 soviet border armies, kill the 2 existing red tanks (minsk, kiew) and kill/cripple some of the starting 3 red Afs plus killing a red cruiser near Leningrad. The MPP blow for the soviets is terrible, they will have from now on to make good use of their bonus mpps (obtained via the bidding system) to try to stall the axis onslaught until they are ready to push the invaders back.

The situation looks very bad for reds in the beginning – outproduced, outteched, zero experience troops, thousands of mpps lost due to axis’ first strike. But there is always hope

During their first turn, the reds buy troops for establishing a contiguous frontline, some troops placed in the rear for minor counteroffensives (gap closing) and invest in tech.

a) What troops should russia buy during the first turn?

This very much depends on the axis’ power and tech level as well as the might of the western allies. If axis show a medium/high tech and numerous army, Russia will go for a corps defence along their first defence line (Riga,Minsk,Dnepr) with tanks placed in Riga and Minsk (entrenched tanks in cities with HQ support are a pain in the @ss). HQs can be bought to support the frontline troops but beware of german LR tech – too high LR tech and bye bye HQs …

If axis show a weaker army (often a result of an early mediocre gameplay), Russia can buy more heavy pieces, supported by HQs to try to go aggro on germans.

This also depends on the power of the western allies. If allies are powerful and can begin the D-Day during the same period when Barbarossa begins, Russia will usually play defensive, racking up cash and waiting for tech upgrades. If the west was battered during the mid-game phase an it is still recovering (i.e. too weak to properly D-Day), Russia must do something to harm the germans. Lack of initiative on both fronts means only one thing: Germany wins the war. Thus they will buy some more heavy pieces in order to kill some axis’ units forcing their mpps to be spent on replacements instead of new stuff.

Tech investment

Most allied players will go for an AT/Jets tech investment program. Russia starts with lvl 2 IT, lvl 1 HT and 3 free research chits. Going for AT is obvious – the more the strength of an unit, the more enemy troops needed to kill it thus the less enemy troops can be used for breakthroughs. Going for Jets is obvious again because without at least a reasonable air power, Russia cannot go on the offensive and cannot harm german airpower. Some players go for LR – sometimes a good ideea, you can reach Manstein, Runstedt or other juicy defenceless HQs as well as engage directly german Afs placed near the front.

[ July 14, 2005, 01:17 AM: Message edited by: hellraiser ]

hellraiser · July 14, 2005

Continued...

The defence of Momma Russia – tactical hints.

A long time ago, old Yoda posted some valuable tips for defending (not necessarily Russia , his tips work for the whole war map) in his help thread. The ideea is: the reds will make good use of natural barriers (river, marshes,cities,mountains) defending behind them (or in cities) so as to reduce the attacker bonuses – attacking from a river hex, attacking a mountain hex/city is both time consuming and costly. The first obvious defence line is Riga-Minsk-Dnepr. Forget Kiew – this city is undefendable (only open terrain surrounding it). Kiew can be held only if germans had a weak barbarossa/not enough troops to push forward. Reds will usually place tanks in Riga and Minsk (Kharkow as well but you can do it a bit later) since tanks in cities, supported by HQ are very difficult to remove. Swarm of corps/armies will take positions behind the rivers and a strong units will occupy the central russia mine hex. Some heavy units can be placed in the rear (HQ supported, ofc) with the mission to kill axis spearheads and allow the reds to reform the line.

But the germans will eventually breakthru … then, the reds will step back and form another defence line: Leningrad, marshes NW of Moskow, Moskow, the city starting with ‘V’ (can’t remember the name), Stalingrad, Rostow.

An intermediary defence line: marshes east of Riga. Smolensk, Dnepr can be used for a limited amount of time. Smolensk is not to be heavily defended usually – a lot of open terrain nearby (bad for defence) and because the allies can hope for axis to do a mistake and and place units in the trigger hexes between Smolensk and Moskow (Siberian Transfer trigger hexes).

If the Leningrad, etc line falls, Russia will retreat behind the river near Moskow and try to defend as much as possible before fleeing for the Urals (if axis went for Moskow). If axis went for southern Russia (to try to cut off Caucasus with its rich resources) probably the threat in front of Moskow is light and russians can stay longer there.

Now…defending, defending but one must attack in order to win the war… Russia will attack should several conditions are met: acceptable techs, axis operated air/ground units in the west to fight the western allies. This is usually when the game is decided. When axis operate units in west, they don’t operate them just to delay the allies – they do it to kill them off and eliminate their possibility to mean something any more. As in the real war, axis cannot fight indefinitely a war on two fronts. When the time is ripe, they will transfer HQs, air and ground stuff to face the western threat, leaving in the west usually a contiguous and entrenched front line. If axis kill/drive back to the sea the western allies and Russia cannot attack and push axis back, the game is 90+% over for allies. The key for an allied victory lies in the coordination of their two fronts – usually one defends and the other is in the offensive.

I will not go forward with tips on how to properly attack and stuff like this – I think it is more interesting for every player to try it and OTOH it would be very difficult to write it – the situation in the east can be so different from game to game at this stage.

Early russian offensive actions aimed at capturing minors and improving its MPP basis (brief presentation)

Most of the times, russia will attack Finland to get the plunder and get a nice springboard for future operations against Skandinavia. It can be done via landings near Helsinki along with Afs hitting the city or a slow grind on the ground if axis retain full control of airspace and their baltic fleet is around.

Another interesting strategy for Russia is middle east.

First thing – DOW on Turkey -> Transports from southern russia sail and land near Istanbul to cut the middle east off and deny axis reinforcements pouring into the area. The eastern turkish city must be captured first turn or the campaign can become a drag. After Turkey is conquered, russians turn to Iraq and liberate it, dealing a serious MPP blow to the axis. If, somehow axis managed to establish a link to Turkey and operated stuff near the capitol, usually you can forget about Turkey. But having captured the eastern turkish city, the russians can still go for Iraq. The troops used in Turkey are usually 3 HQs, several tanks, corps,armies as well as a significant number of AFs. Obviously the defences in central russia are thin (corps defences) and allies can only hope they get turkey/Iraq before things start to look ugly in Russia’s mainland.

If the reds did not dow Turkey, they can try to force the narrow mountain corridor between Russia and Iraq – it rarely works (too time consuming) but sometimes is worth trying especially if axis placed a corps there (if they placed a hq-ed heavy unit, you can forget it)

Once the middle east is red, a new set of strategical options opens – invasion of the Mediterranean area, North Africa,Greece, Italy, etc The possibilities are vast and each player will probably have some ideeas of his own

[ July 14, 2005, 01:34 AM: Message edited by: hellraiser ]

hellraiser · July 14, 2005