Thinking of putting together a Meta-campaign - Any one interested?

[Vergeltung]

I have to check my source(s) (my copy of Nipe's book is in my office), but I think he got his hiney handed to him at the 3rd Battle of Kharkov. Something about the name rings a bell.

will advise. :cool:

[JasonC]

Sure. Although it was Popov who was the most overextended, hit first, and cut up worst by Manstein's counterattack, Rybalko's tank army was sent south to try to stop the drive, and ran into the SS panzer corps. It got the worst of it, most of the formation getting surrounded. They fought their way out but with heavy losses.

[tdogg]

Count me in for the German side!!!!

[Bigduke6]

3GTA got beat up pretty badly in this campaign I'm looking to simulate as well, even if you discount for Goebbels being an important source of German victory claims.

Of course, v. Manstein presided over the loss of the entire Ukraine and was directly involved in the failure to relieve Stalingrad, among other less than spiffy achievements, but somehow his reptutation stayed nice and shiney.

Coming up with the first attack through the Ardennes helped of course, but how you write your memoirs and who reads them seems to have a real bearing on how you go down in history as a commander.

Rybalko as far as I know is the only Tank Army commander that didn't write a memoir.

[JasonC]

Vatutin didn't get to write his either, since Ukrainian partisans managed to kill him in 1944.

[Bigduke6]

Well, of course Vatutin commanded one of the top Fronts, and Rybalko a Tank Army.

But even Vatutin supports my point, I think. Consider how Vatutin broke up v. Manstein's attempt to relieve Stalingrand, blew through v. Manstein's defense line on the Dniepr, wrong-footed v. Manstein during the Kiev operation, decoyed him at Korosten, and faked v. Manstein out again at Korsun-Shevchenko.

Yet what is the standard historical verdict? Von Manstein was a better general than Vatutin, as he kicked Vatutin's butt at 2nd Kharkov.

Fanboyism, that's what it is.

We're off topic. This campaign needs warm bodies, let's get some volunteers in here!

[Baron von Beergut]

Count me in if you still need more bodies. Prefer German but I'll go with which ever side you need me.

As a postal worker my turn around time slows some in Nov/Dec when they work us to death, but otherwise I'd be a loyal player. You can see my CM battle record at www.theblitz.org I've Baron von Beergut over there as well since 1999. I was involved in some similar to this over there but they always seem to end from too many dropouts. I'd say the GM should either assign the passwords or be told them so that if players drop the GM or team leader can assign replacement players.

Good luck in your efforts with this sir!

BvB

[Bigduke6]

The interested list as of three days:

Sgabuzzino

Vergeltungswaffe

AdamL

Vergeltung

Bonxa

ParaBellum

Earl Grey

Fizou

Stndrtnfhr

PeterLorre86

Moonfog

TDog

Baron von Beergut

I'm going to see if I can rustle some people up at BoB, but stay tuned to this station and keep those pledges coming in!

[ May 05, 2007, 09:53 PM: Message edited by: Bigduke6 ]

[Guest Guest]

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[Bigduke6]

Well, it certainly wasn't my greatest operational hour, although part of the Soviet side's early strange moves was due to my not really understanding how Jason's movement/order system worked. My fault not his, Jason's approach was really quite simple but for some reason I didn't dope it out right off. Also I took over the Soviet command using another player's intial set-up, which had some weaknesses AFAIWC.

The Soviet plan was just to hold and grind the Germans down, and hopefully to whittle away his armor until we could bring in reserves. At the end of the campaign we had a couple of armor masses just about to whack the German panzer spearheads; I was pretty optimistic.

But our secret weapon was Platehead, he was just a skilled player and I tried to keep him fighting the most critic battle. Some one ought to recruit him for this campaign, hint hint.

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[Drescher]

Hi there, I too would like to take a battle command if there still is a free slot. Doesnt matter which side.

And if you are still looking for a communications board, I could set up a forum at a free forum-hoster, probably not the best thing, but better than nothing.

[Bigduke6]

Drescher,

Outstanding! And if we get a communications forum up and running, then as chief GM I will shamelessly and in a clear case of GM bias assign you a choice of One Of The Really Kewl Units You know, something like a Stalin III regiment :eek: or maybe a full-strength Royal Tiger battalion with elite crews and dedicated Stuka gunships including Rudel :eek: :eek: flying high cover.

Although, since one of the aims of this campaign is Replicating a Real Historical Engagement unfortunately those particular units are right out. :mad:

But you get the idea.

AdamL,

Those losses were not by accident. Well, not completely. If you check you'll see that Platehead got the lion's share of the anti-armor engagements over the course of the campaign, including the famous "76mm Battery Retreating Across The Supposedly Featureless Steppe Battle" that did the number on your mediums.

Just goes to show you how a good tactical commander can pull operation mistakes out of the fire. I ordered that 76mm battery to pull up stakes and run way too late, partly because I was still learning Jason's system but also because I forgot. When your panzers caught up with the ZiS-3, the only thing I could think of was giving the battle to Platehead, and telling him to take as many panzers as he could with him.

Yeah, them was the times...sure hope we can get this thing off the ground, looks like the sticking point is going to be senior commanders and GM/admin.

Any BoB members out there? I am trying to join up but it'll take some time before I'll be allowed to post on their board, house rules. Maybe a member of the club one reading this, could post the advertisement at the beginning of this thread, on the BoB forum.

Let's keep those phones ringing! Volunteers are standing by!

[Bigduke6]

Baron v. Beergut,

Maybe there is some way we could pitch this campaign to people reading The Blitz? Whattya think?

[Drescher]

Bigduke6,

I took this as a mission

Forum is up and running, contact me via email so we can talk about what should be in there.

Oh, and the idea with royal tiger battalion sounds fair to me

(though my guess is, that I would have little trouble loosing them all during the first engagement )

[Baron von Beergut]

ok sir. I posted something at Blitz's Combat Mission message board and also another smaller group I belong to, "prodigy exiles".

[cargol]

Hi to everybody

Count me in if there are available slots.

[Bigduke6]

Drescher,

Thanks, I'll contact you today or tomorrow, once I figure out how I want "security" to work.

I wouldn't get too excited about those Royal Tigers of course, this is March 1945. Fuel is rare, and it's not much fun to command an Abteiling of expensive pillboxes.

[Earl Grey]

As long as the Germans get any tanks at all, that won't matter. I, for one, have an affinity to get gun damage on King Tigers very often, so they wouldn't be of much use, anyway!

[Vergeltung]

I forgot to add that though I'd prefer German, I will gladly play as a Hero of the Soviet Union should the nunbers require.

[USS Wyoming]

This sounds like something I would really enjoy. I like larger games and I do have a respectable return rate. You can check me out at theBlitz or FGM. I would take either side.

Thanks,

USS Wyoming

[Bigduke6]

Well, the recruitment rate is slow but steady. After a weekend, we are up to:

Sgabuzzino

Vergeltungswaffe

AdamL

Vergeltung

Bonxa

ParaBellum

Earl Grey

Fizou

Stndrtnfhr

PeterLorre86

Moonfog

TDog

Baron von Beergut

cargol

USS Wyoming

In terms of players, theoretically, that a shade less than enough. If every one on the list so far were dedicated and and hard core it would be sufficient, but we have to figure for drops and those who will try it and won't like it.

The main problem as I see is admin people, not much interest there, although I am talking with some one about using a program to compute casualties and so forth.

We need two GMs and two people to create battle maps. Tell your friends!

In any case, I'm about 2/3 through writing up a campaign rules text, when I'm finished if any one else who has META campaign experience would like to give it a once-over, that would help us all.

Let's find some GMs! Where are the grogs when you need them? :mad: :mad:

[Earl Grey]

I'd volunteer as Assistant GM if that doesn't mean we loose a player. If I can manage to do both, I'll do it! And sadly I don't have enough friends that play CM...

[Bigduke6]

And the phones keep on ringing!

I have a few more positive responses via e-mail appended here, and to keep things interesting I'm updating the list with info on who has expressed an interest in doing what.

Sgabuzzino - Available 4/5 months

Vergeltungswaffe -

AdamL - Command or Admin

Vergeltung - Krauts

Bonxa - Assistant GM

ParaBellum - No side preference

Earl Grey - Krauts or if asked nicely Assistant GM

Fizou -

Stndrtnfhr - Krauts

PeterLorre86 - Either side

Moonfog - Krauts

TDog - Krauts

Baron von Beergut - Krauts first, then Commies

cargol -

USS Wyoming -

Michael Dorosh - "Small role"

John Nash - Battle manufacturer

So right now, roughly, we have about 1 - 3 people willing to have an admin role, and 14 - 17 interested in a player role.

So, we are almost there with players, we are already past the minimum but campaigns like this have to assume people drop out, so ideally we want about 5 more player volunteers for a margin of error.

What we still need is about three grizzled and opinionated CM players willing to be the two side commanders, and the two side senior GMs.

Right now Adam is the only person even vaguely fitting this description, who seems to want the job, and frankly to participate on the admin/command side he's going to have to be a good deal more cranky.

JasonC has expressed a little interest but unless this campaign is going to run smoothly he won't even think of participating, and rightly so. Which brings us back to experienced GMs, and also it means the German senior commander needs to know what he's doing even more.

Also, we need at least one more battle manufacturer.

And it would be nice to see some volunteers to serve in the Godless Commie Hordes.

[ May 07, 2007, 02:51 AM: Message edited by: Bigduke6 ]

[cillmhor]

Hi,

I am an inexperienced CM player, have only played a handful of games, but if you need a standby player for this I would be very interested in playing for either side. I have a quick, and dependable, return rate and so count me in if you want. If you want experienced players only I understand. It looks like it will be a great campaign.

PS I saw the campaign advertised at the blitz.

Cheers

Alasdair