[AAR] RAMBO WINS game #1 July '44!!!! A.I. doesn't count match --> Timskorn vs Rambo

[Timskorn]

August 1940

Luftwaffe continues bombings of London but RN runs into two German cruisers off the west coast of France and quickly sends more ships to engage. The Gneisenau is knocked down to 6 and the Scharnhorst to 5 as it sits in the port of Brest.

Rambo finds quick and easy success in Alexandria, strolling into the deserted city. Where's all the British? Two Corps. remain in Cairo but it's not enough to hold the Axis off, so transports are loaded and they're shipped off around the cape.

Still have yet to see any subs after the sinking of U-30. I imagine if they're tech'd up I'll be seeing them within a couple of turns now...

[Timskorn]

First "battle" of the Atlantic is beginning around Brest. My attack against the Gneisenau and Scharnhorst brought out the Luftwaffe and U-boats.

Rambo moves over 3 LF to the shores of France, 2 U-boats and another cruiser.

11 various RN ships swarm around Brest. One sub down, another wounded and surrounded. One LF hit down to 7. 2 RAF on standby, including 2 additional carriers for the Luftwaffe counter-attack.

Rambo's subs, surface ships and air all show level 1. If he stays to fight this battle will be bloody, but unless he has something up his sleeve Churchill will be popping cham-pain-ya soon.

Egypt falls but was expected as I've evacuated everyone from the area. US and Russia are alarmed and their readiness increases.

[jon_j_rambo]

It was a trap! German subs lost in English channel Romania joins.

[hellraiser]

don't worry JJR ...every n00b goes thru this phase on his way to l33tness

[Jollyguy]

Good AAR you guys, and well executed, Timskorn, but don't get too cocky, as in my first game with JJR I gave him a bloody nose in Africa, but he rebounded well.

But it would seem the Allies have dealt a setback to the Axis attempt to establish a strong naval prescence in the Atlantic, so the Western Allies should have some breathing room. In all liklihood JJR will now try to collect minors, as in the long run a broadened economic base will allow him to make up losses. But the Western Allies now have a good foundation to be an effective thorn in the Axis side.

Bob

[Timskorn]

Thanks Jollyguy and yeah, it's still very early and I know JJR's "combat" records so I'll definitely not underestimate him. Hopefully this'll be the last major showing of the Kriegsmarine. At the same time, I have lost the entire Middle-East and exposed Russia's belly.

I feel like against an opponent like JJR, you have to go all-in with the UK to either England or Egypt, but not both, or you're setting yourself up for short and long-term defeat. I think I'd rather have England, as now I have both strong sea and land forces, and a clear Atlantic for the US to move around in.

[jon_j_rambo]

I made a lazy move, it was obvious the RN was working that area, since he gave me Egypt. Those subs were cannon fodder. Tim sent the entire RN to wax those U-boats. Can't say I'm pleased with my poor move. It's typical weakness of mine, after multiple victories, I get overconfident.

[Yogi]

Originally posted by jon_j_rambo:

Can't say I'm pleased with my poor move. It's typical weakness of mine, after multiple victories, I get overconfident.

Now that's realistic! I think a guy named Hitler may have had the same type of problem.

[Yogi]

Just wondering, did this match end with the new patch releqase or for some other reason? Or do we just have a big slow down?

[Timskorn]

I've been on vacation, and also not sure if we're going to continue the old game at this point. We'd need 2 different copies installed on the system.

[jon_j_rambo]

I don't have any patches. We can finish if you want?

[Timskorn]

I'd love to finish, but I patched, so I'll be looking into making a 2nd copy on my machine in a couple days.

[Timskorn]

Back in action!

Except there isn't much action yet.

Early 1941. The Luftwaffe and Italian AF did some runs on my AF around England, and then JJR sent in the Bismark in an attempt to finish it off. A lone battleship in the channel and winter arrived to help keep his air down, so I sent most of my fleet in for the kill and was rocked. Bismark dropped to 6, but my navy took a hellish beating. Bad move on my part.

In the Middle-East Rambo finishes off the lone NZ Corp. left there and is now completely unhindered in securing the rest of the ME. UK bomber remains in Malta, weathering repeated attacks by the Italian navy and German AF.

For the most part this game has been a series of skirmishes, with only the Battle of the Atlantic and France seeing a lot of combat. Looking forward to the war in Russia.

[Rolend]

Did the Hood get sunk? Glad to see you guys picked this game back up, I am looking forward to see what Rambo does in Russia.

[jon_j_rambo]

Yep, the war is back on. The MedFront is mine, it's January '41. Bulgaria joined. So I own:

-Poland

-LC

-France

-Egypt

-That country East of Egypt

-Allies still have bomber in Malta, he'll leave soon enough, I now have 2-LF's pinging him each turn.

-Bismark sailed back to Brest for repairs as the RN sailed away.

-RAF & LF (plus Italian Air) fight sorties over the Channel.

-Basic game so far. Tim had the advantage earlier with the whipping of my subs But the Bismark brought back confidence & honor to the 3R.

[Timskorn]

Jon launches Barbarossa, as well as DoW's on Iraq and Yugo in late Aug, 1941. US gets another jump in readiness, now in the 70's.

Nothing much happened from my last update to this one. Jon tried getting a cruiser back from Western France to N. Germany through the channel, but was stopped by a French BB. Subsequent turn the UK sent it to the bottom. The Bismark still sits in the port of Brest, protected with laser beams apparently. Unless Jon has implemented a massive ship-building program, his bite at sea is gone.

Churchill complains to FDR that they're not sending enough over, and that he has "Plenty of men and armor, but not enough ships to transport them!" So the brave soldiers of the UK remain landlocked, watching the war through occassional news reels.

Jon is showing IW2, AT1, MT2, HT1 and L3 jets. It remains to be seen how much Jon has in the Middle-East. So far I've seen about 5 units, 2 German (1 Army, 1 Armor) and the rest minor or Italian. With the Mech.2 Jon's Corps have exceptional range on them, tearing across Russia in a single bound.

Stalin, obsessed with recon of the Polish front, left a brave Soviet AF there which was immediately crushed at the outset of war. Jon dinged a couple Corps in Kiev and Odessa, but I op-moved them out. The one in Kiev managed to surprise one of his Corps, knocking 4 points off.

Not too many units were visible on the front, but with mech 2 he could have easily kept them out of range and move them in quickly. Russia has had exceptional luck in research, and is looking forward to using them on inferior German units.

Finally, the real war has begun!

[Timskorn]

Late October, 1941.

German units are slicing deep into Russia as fast as they can go. Two German Armies bypass Leningrad and throw themselves at Russia defenders near the Valdai mountains. Rag tag Soviet partisans try to disrupt them from behind and manage to nearly destroy one.

So Jon seems to be full throttle in Russia, trying to capture Russian cities off guard but his units are scattered. I haven't seen his air yet so I'm sure this is simply his advanced force trying to lure me out of hiding.

Vichy France is betrayed! The horrors! Italian troops capture Algiers and Marseilles is about to fall. Franco lamely opposes the move and the US shoots up to 85%. Churchill enjoys his peaceful island.

[jon_j_rambo]

Weather hits, Wolfgang bogs down.

[Timskorn]

Late April 1942. Mud.

Stalin has formed a defensive line from south of Moscow up through the NW mountains. Jon's main attack force is up north, slogging through the mud and crossing rivers attacking the 14th Army valiantly performing its dutiful task of holding the right flank. Looks like Jon is getting clear weather up there in May for his turn, so I doubt they'll last through his next attack. Hopefully when the Siberians arrive Moscow will be standing for another winter.

Churchill finally gets the shipments he needed from the Yanks and embarks on Britain's first pro-active move since the crushing of the Kriegsmarine over a year prior. Two UK armies supported by the RN land at Oslo. The BEF suffer 40% landing casualties and don't have the punch to finish off the Norwegian Corp. Another Army lands and takes it out, but Oslo remains in Axis hands. RN carriers strike the Corp. at Bergen and damage it. It'll be op-moved to Oslo soon, but the British should finish it off and secure Norway.

The US gets into the first action of the war. Two Italian cruisers shell the port of Gibralter, but unlucky for them the US fleet happened to be in the area, damaging one cruiser. We'll see how much the Italian-o's want to stay and slug it out with Uncle Sam.

The Spring/Summer of 42 opens with a lot of questions. Can the Soviets hold the line at Moscow until next winter? What are the UK plans with Norway? Is Sweden next, or Berlin? Where will the tenacious forces of the US throw their weight in?

STAY TUNED!

[Timskorn]

Italian Navy tucks tail and flees. British capture and plunder Oslo. Jon's devastating air attacks reduce Leningrad to rubble, but the defenders there remain steadfast. Panzer and army units are encircling the 14th army on the right flank but they hold, for now.

[jon_j_rambo]

May 1942 ---

-Italians sail back, attack US Battleship in The Rock.

-Germans sail to The Rock from the West & sin US Cruiser

-Lennigrad converted

-Copenhagen coverted

-Russian Army destroyed

[Timskorn]

Summer 1942.

Siberians arrive but Moscow abandoned. Jon has only killed a few of my units so far and sticking around Moscow at this point will only lead to unnecessary losses for a minimal time gain. Unfortunately I've been unable to inflict much damage to him in Russia as well, and with all the minors he has the MPP's are surely rolling in. His tech seems to have stalled though, so far.

Meanwhile a lone US BB holds its ground in the port of Gibralter, getting hammered from both Italian and German ships but dealing back some damage. Another US BB enters the area and exchanges fire with a German cruiser.

So mid-42 is still rolling in Axis favor. Russia has preserved most of her military units, but is still waiting for the opportunity to do some real damage to the Germans. The British are getting a sizeable chunk of MPP's from captured Norway, and the US can't get into the war fast enough. Level 2 bombers are on the way though, and hopefully can start leveling production in France and Germany.

[jon_j_rambo]

Helmut & Wolfgang take the Moscow gift. We continue to send the mob of thugs East, attacking entrenched units in cities, why not? Slow moving Italian Army is doing rear support in Russia, along with the air. LF is sniffing the area for Russians.

The U.S. Battleship in The Rock is fighting for his life. Whatever ship came West near my fleeing Nazi ships off Portugal got sunk. Italians are rotating & resupplying to battle for the Rock.

Just West of Denmark, some Allied Carrier only strength 2 starting sniffing around my Bunta port. He got his ass sunk, sniff somewhere else.

[Timskorn]

August 1942

Jon's mobs continue their drunken attacks, taking Vologda and eliminating an armor and army unit while losing a couple units of his own. The rest are beaten up, but their confidence clearly lies in the Axis airpower which is the 'finger o death', choosing who they wish to tear asunder next.

A joint US/British attack commences on Sweden and the brave US BB at Gibralter finally takes a mortal hit. The winter of 42 approaches and the Russians are on the ropes, hoping for their Allied friends to take some pressure off from the Axis onslaught.

[Timskorn]

September 42

Jon easily thwarts the attack in Sweden. Roughly 8-10 units are either transported or op-moved into Sweden with better tech and experience, pushing the Allied troops back in a manner of a couple weeks of fighting. Some US and British units manage to escape the Grey Horde, but a few units are lost, namely a British HQ and tank, both of which I can thankfully buy back.

Stalin goes on an offensive in the south, capturing Odessa and threatening Kiev and the Balkans while the Germans are off playing with the US and British.