AAR: Terif Axis - Jollyguy Allies

[Jollyguy]

Okay, another interesting game, as Terif always mixes up his strategies, and I am ever experimenting.

Game started normally, except that Terif did not operate Polish frontier units west, and I’m sure researched instead, so France held on until June or July. He also didn’t diplo his minors, opting for Spain instead, which I didn’t counter. Instead I diplo’ed Iraq, which I really shouldn’t have, but hey, I’m still learning. I took Norway. But his subs then started raiding my Egyptian convoys in 1940 which made me think he would go for naval supremacy, and I was also nervous about a possible Sea Lion which he did in our last game, so I put a chit on gun laying radar and anti-sub and both eventually hit. I also bought an infantry chit, as he was showing infantry level 2 during France. Then I upgraded a number of ships and used my bomber to keep Brussel’s port reduced, and held Brest as long as I could under repeated air attacks, and then also kept that port reduced. I also discovered that gun laying radar 1 ships are much less likely to suffer damage while bombarding, so that was a plus that I will use in future games. Since I was concerned about Sea Lion I also evacuated my Egyptian tank to Manchester and bought an engineer, who started fortifying in front of Manchester during the winter/spring of 40/41. I also bought most of my corps and an army. But since he was slow playing so much, and once England was secured, I decided to act, and backed by all three carriers (LR 1) and several ships I decided to hit Africa, and eventually ended up with both Vichy Algeria and Tunisia and the Italian city near Malta. Then I pulled all the way back to Algeria and Casablanca and didn’t even garrison the two eastern cities. Meanwhile Egypt just sat there, as I’m sure he didn’t want to raise US and Russian readiness which were both low due to no countries being attacked after France fell. Besides, he was raiding the convoys and gaining experience, which got him what he wanted.

Meanwhile, on the Mainland, I had been bombing and bombarding as often as possible with fair success, and had Brest (which I evacuated in the Fall of 1940 after the threat of Sea Lion passed) and Brussels and eventually Bordeux reduced to 0, and both mines hit regularly. But then as he prepared for and kicked off Barbarossa I counted his subs and cruisers but no BBs in-and-around Leningrad, while his bombers (two German, one Italian) were reducing the Russian mines. My bomber and carriers spotted no ship garrisoning the harbor on the Danish peninsula, so I issued orders for my commandoes to prepare for a raid near Denmark. After bombarding a level 3 infantry corp on a fortification at the neck of the peninsula for a couple of turns, reducing its morale, all three carriers and both fighters joined in. My paratroop and an army landed to destroy the corp which had almost no morale due to bombs continually falling on its head, and I took the port and landed my HQ to support the expected counter attack, and flooded the Baltic with ships while placing a BB in the neck so he couldn’t attack my land units. A sharp naval engagement ensued in which I was able to sink a Kriegsmarine cruiser and two subs, at the cost of one BB then, and one BB later by his bombers which he did eventually move west. I lost a corp, but was able to get the paratroop and army and HQ back home, since I controlled the port and he couldn’t reduce it since his bombers were in Russia. So, the Brits secured naval superiority, and I had the Yanks, who were up to anti-sub 2, pull two chits from anti-sub research.

He secured the Russian mines quickly, but since his Barbarossa started late, and with the help of mud, I was able to eventually blunt his attack. But, using his past advice and gleaning what I’ve seen of Terif’s screen shots, I decided to pursue a different Russian strategy, one of delay, in which I wanted the minimum of casualties for myself, while trading space for time. So I delayed around the woods between Leningrad and Murmansk, and made him mass for attacks elsewhere, then I would pull/operate back. I think I lost only five units or so in Russia in the first year, eventually establishing a solid defensive line behind Rostov and around Stalingrad, building up and researching all the while.

Meanwhile, out West, I retook Brest and after a sharp exchange he almost reclaimed it, but since I had it surrounded by ships and supported by airpower and carriers it held. I also kept Bordeux reduced and made it look like I was going to land there, so, with the risk of amphibs on the way, he backed up. But in actuality the Brits had embarked for Africa, as had the Yanks from the states. They landed in a joint operation and took Casablanca and that Spanish city, which was empty.

Meawhile, the Russians had taken Iran and Iraq, and finally Syria, around the time he was finishing up Egypt. He probed Amman but I pushed him back, and that’s where that front sits. In Russia proper I held near Rostov and its riverline into the spring of 1943, supported by two fortifications and mud south of Rostov, then I pulled back, as he was massing and better weather loomed. But I need to point out that I constructed my Russian fortifications different this time. Instead of building south of the river running between Rostov and Stalingrad, which he always takes anyway, I instead built a string of fortifications around those two cities west of the Urals. This is because Terif always takes those cities and then uses them for supply for his eventual attack on the Urals. So, in the early summer of 1943 came his expected attack on Stalingrad, in which the Russians revealed four fighters at tech level 4. This tech was to try to blunt his standard use of about 5 luftwaffe and 3 minor fighters. He took out one plane due to bad placement by me, but that was because I’m not used to the old SC1 type fighter to fighter engagements, as it’s been awhile since my Russians had that many fighters. Anyway, I pulled back again, but lost a tank and corp and the Stalingrad army. But, up north, about 20 Russian units moved out to reclaim that city at about the right-center of the board, just below the forests. I reduced it with a Russian bomber, and last turn took out a corp, and have surrounded two armies which are now out of supply and can’t retreat.

So, as we sit in mid-summer of 1943, the Axis have Spain as an ally and hold all of Scandanavia, while the Russians hold all of the Middle East. In Africa I’ve begun softening up his Spanish tank at Gibralter from my two west African cities. I’ve also reduced Algeria. I have Ireland of course, but hold only Brest on the Mainland but keep Bordeux and Brussels and Paris and the French mine reduced, and also hold the two cities on the west African coast. He has to worry now about an Egyptian invasion around the Horn, which I pulled off against him in our last (Sea Lion) game. He just took Stalingrad and will eventually secure all of the Caucusses, as I’ve operated most of the units from that front to my fortress west of the Urals. I should easily hold until 1944, which is a big improvement, and who knows, with level 4 Russian fighters it will be harder for him to advance, as he first has to get beaten up getting through my fortifications, and then scale the Ural mountains.

Bob

[Jollyguy]

Oh, and one other thing. Terif posted his two German bombers around Paris which hit the London port despite heavy losses by intercepting RAF fighters and level one anti-air for the port, to neutralize the Iraq convoys.

Bob

[jon_j_rambo]

Nice job JG

[SeaMonkey]

Jolly, if you're worried about Sealion, buy and use that engineer first around London.

If you can get two forts(garrisoned) adjacent to London port pre-SL you can almost assure denying the Germans a port for landing and subsequent prosecuting an invasion northward.

Ie...Seelowe avoided!

[Terif]

Yep, a very good and interesting game where Jollyguy played his Allies excellently till Summer 1943 – the moment where he lost control over his warmongering russian generals that following a coup d´etat lead his men into disaster .

This war is a good example that you always have to adapt to the enemies strategy and depending on the actual situation on the battlefield have to change your plans if necessary in order to win the fight:

Germany planed to follow a more historical path – giving priority to Poland which got conquered in 2 turns, sending the soldiers on their foots westwards in order to save ressources for operating and denying Allies increased production by delaying the assault against LowCountries. Also after France and Denmark no additional countries got attacked by Axis and instead Spain influenced diplomatically (intention was to force UK into countering it and hereby reducing allied ressources furthermore – but since it didn´t counter it, Spain joined instead). Africa was destined to be surrendered to Allies, both italian armies evacuated back to mainland Italy where engineers were heavily fortifying Sicily and the surounding of Rome to repell any potential allied landing on the italian boot.

The intention of the powerful concentration of all axis forces against Russia instead of conquering Africa or other nations was to destroy the expected resistance with a hammer blow. In previous wars Jollyguy usually defended Kharkov and Leningrad-Moskow area heavily with large mass battles which were costly for both sides. This time the defenders should be overwhelmed and destroyed by an iron fist and with minimal losses for Axis while the west would be no real threat due to the missing war declarations and therefore low allied pre-Barbarossa income.

But history should unfold differently....Russia adapted to the situation and couldn´t be lured into any battle...instead evading the approaching german forces every time before they could strike. Russia trading space for time to build up and also bring western Allies into battle.

Germany getting denied the decissive victory in Russia, was now running low on supplies and war material while Allies were outproducing Axis 2:1 every turn. And so it was forced to change the planed strategy and look for other areas to strike against in order to gather the necessary ressources to feed its war machine. Consequently the offensive in Russia was put to a hold in Summer 1942 and defence lines established at Kharkov and Moskow to free up forces to be sent to new theatres – only one task group remained - pursuing the retreating Russians into the russian taiga around Gorky/Archangelsk to stop allied convoys.

In Africa the first opportunity presented itself when after conquering Vichy Algeria and Tunisia Britain was unwilling to send more soldiers to Africa and even evacuated their forces from there as an italian bomber in Sicily could observe...after some scouting with the italian navy, Axis decided to despite the original plan now dispatch Rommel and his Afrika Korps into the desert. The desert fox liberated or conquered Africa from Cassablanca till Suez in record time and cleared the Mediterranean from all allied forces – german Oberkommando was excited about the unexpected assimilation of Africa after the original intention was giving it up to Allies .

In June 1942 a british task force under O´Connor landed in Denmark, opening the Baltic for Royal Navy....in a heroic battle at the narrow street south of Copenhagen the german baltic Kriegsmarine lost 75% of its naval units, but in the end successfully repelled the intruders and reclaimed Baltic for Germany after Denmark got cleared by air and land forces from invaders.

Also in June 1942 USA finally joined the war when Germany started claiming the smaller nations on continental Europe and integrating them into its empire...Sweden also got occupied in order to be able to liberate Norway from the allied oppressors.

End of 1942 the consolidation of the Axis empire had been completed and troops from all over the world got sent back to Russia...preparing for the battle of Stalingrad.

Russia again was not willing to make a stand and fight...probably because of watching the endless rows of german soldiers approaching and countless bombers and fighers preparing to unleash a firestorm....so they evacuated their fortifications behind the river at Rostov and retreated into Caucasus and east of Stalingrad – the city falling after a short fight.

Unfortunately for Allies, in 1943 the russian generals were no longer willing watching deedless while Axis occupied more and more russian territory – especially since Allies were meanwhile around 2:1 superior in forces against Axis and western Allies successfully landed in Morocco, establishing their airbases in Africa and preparing the jump on the continent at Spain. And so the russian generals staged a coup d´etat in Spring 1943, overthrowing Jollyguys regime...the people on their side which were crying for revenge and the soldiers shouting loud hurrays while moving to the front, starting to run towards the enemy....throwing all caution to the winds.

From the russian generals perspective the offensive against Gorky was not a bad idea since all german forces seemed to be concentrated around Stalingrad and marching against Caucasus with battles also east of Stalingrad around the Caspian Sea.

But German high command was expecting such a move of the numerically far superior red army and meanwhile had prepared a gigantic trap around Gorky...sending secretly forces into the forests north of the city out of russian spotting range and also concentrating all available tanks south of the expected enemy offensive path while Gorky itself was only lightly defended by 2 armies and a corps.

In June 1943 the russian main army approached, supported by 4 HQs – the german corps chosen to lure the enemy into the trap died after a heroic fight but achieved the goal with its sacrifice...drunken of their first victory against german forces, russian soldiers loose every control about themselves, moving forward in a mad rush, not noticing the german forces looming on their sides...slowly closing the bag behind them...

...and so on July 4th, 1943 the end of the war came completely unexpected for Allies – one day in the offensive and certain of victory, the next one complete and utter destruction of all hopes :

In a swift pincer movement german forces moved in from north and south, destroying half a dozen russian heavy units in a single day, cutting of the russian forces that moved too far westwards into the trap and taking them prisoner...the russian generals were struck by horror and scared stiff when they watched their entire main forces ending up in smoke and beeing completely destroyed within a matter of days.

Having large fortifications around the entrance into Urals, but no soldiers left to man them and after loosing Caucasus to a german task force having not enough ressources to rebuild them, Russia decided to surrender unconditionally before the last remaining units would have been destroyed. Without their Ally on the continent, UK and USA had no choice but to accept Axis domination over Europe and sign a peace treaty. And so the war ended in an Axis victory in Summer 1943 .

War photograpies:

June 1942 – UK invades Denmark and Northern Germany, minor nations still neutral – Allies beeing the aggressor so far:

May 1943 – Axis forces concentrating for a Battle of Stalingrad which gets canceled when Russia retreats all forces from behind the river:

German forces approaching Caucasus, battles around the Caspian Sea – russian tank that was cutt off last turn destroyed, the rest of the russian forces including a damaged air and HQ operated away in the allied turn:

Russian offensive in the north – turning point of the war were the russian forces got completely destroyed in the encirclement battle of Gorky:

[ October 25, 2007, 04:32 AM: Message edited by: Terif ]

[n0kn0k]

Wtb WAW AAR with pics

[Jollyguy]

In poker you play the opponent as much as your hand, so my impulsive nature to attack got the better of me, again, as in games past. But the good news is that my mid-game has improved, and like they say, the third time is the charm, so with a bit of restraint I won’t go off half-cocked again during the summer and leave my fortifications and entrenchments. I watched and half played the turn where Terif smashed my drunken generals and soldiers, and realized I goofed. But the interesting thing is that the Germans were fairly beat-up too. So, the lesson is that the Russians have to very, very, very, patient, and although not as much fun, accept that if the Axis don’t provide an opening than the best thing to do is try to fall back all the way to Urals if needed and bleed the Germans against your fortifications and entrenchments, allowing the Western Allies time to build-up.

I think I’ve hit on something by fortifying around the two cities west of the Urals, at least when you play Terif, as he will be all over you and inexorably push east. By denying him those two cities as long as possible the Axis will be lower on supply, which historically was a huge factor. And Terif just told me the Russians shouldn’t counterstroke in the summer as I did, but in the fall/winter, blunting his air superiority. IMO a Russian bomber also helps, and perhaps LR 1, as then you can selectively hit occupied cities to knock their supply down and also deny the ability to operate to certain sectors of the front. I would say against Terif advanced air 2 by the time you fall back to the Urals would also help, but level 3 would be even better. And then let his air attack, so you can just reinforce yours. The Russians fighters will be in full supply, his not as much. Also, some ind tech would be good, and prod tech 2, both which I had.

Anyway, back to the drawing board, but I believe my mid-game continues to improve in that I’m not just repeating the same doomed strategies over-and-over, but learning key concepts that with luck will pay dividends. When you play Terif if your Allies can get past 1943 then the odds improve. And I don’t believe what Terif does is unlearnable, it’s just that he does it so much better due to a wealth of experience that most of us don’t have time to develop. But the broad Allied strategy is based on trading space for time. Had I not left my Russian fortifications my Western Allies would have had a formidable force to wield by the spring of 1944, and could have seized the strategic initiative at will in two and perhaps three places. All he had out west was minors, as he had to strip his garrisons of the good units for Russia. He had operated a German HQ to Spain, anticipating my interest there, but seeing that I could have just as easily continued east in Africa, further stretching his defenses.

Anyway, another great game, and as usual I look forward to the next game.

[Terif]

Yes, now in Summer 1943 Germany was able to concentrate every unit against Russia – all defenders from France already operated east to establish the trap of Gorky, only one single german corps had been left behind, everyone else was in Russia... . Together with every axis air having clear Summer weather, any russian offensive at that time was doomed.

By waiting half a year until Western Allies had established a real second front and bad weather would have grounded the axis air, things would have looked much different. Then Axis would have been forced to operate a sizable force west and the odds for a russian offensive would have improved tremendously .

In any case – very well played during the mid game by Jollyguy. His gameplay is improving with every war .

[jon_j_rambo]

Terif is a serious Bunta. Headcracking the Reds with intense power.

I'm glad to see the growth of JG.

Folks, we need more Icons.

Folks, we need more Legends.

Folks, we need more characters.

-Legend

I saw this Legend twice in concert. Thank goodness I didn't see this live concert though!

[SeaMonkey]

Sounds like JG has got the Allied side down if he can just exercise a little discipline.

Timelines are sound, strategic realization about supply interdiction incorporated. Now get those Russian bombers some LR in late 43 for good recon, then you can strike, but make sure you coordinate with WA incursions.

The word is reconnoitred patience.

[Blashy]

Told you guys JollyGuy is the second best player in this game and he is the one person who has the potential to continually challenge Terif and defeat him more than once.

He just needs to have the same commitment to the game Terif has.

JJR's biggest weakness is lack of patience and JG weakness is the same but on much lesser extent. JJR is impatient from the get go, hehe.

[jon_j_rambo]

JG is good, he beat me last time out...I have just lost interest in the game. Think I had enough in 1942 against him. I did beat his Allies twice before in my "Give War a Chance Tour".

SC-1 had tons of limitations compared to SC-2, but I was more addicted to that, it's because there was constant fighting from start to finish. SC-2 is more of a build up game. I like it, played hundreds of games, but just not the intensity of combat? The squares have gotten on my nerves too, they just never "clicked" for me. Not that it's a show stopper, just a time stopper. The mud drives me nuts too. I think it's too widespread. Hell (Heaven) aren't there roads in Europe?

Anyhow, come winter time, I'm sure I'll ramp up for the Expansion Pak. Maybe I'll check out the scenarios since there are more tactical type additions.

Image is Everything,

-Legend

[Liam]

Very interesting Allied strategy, with the Russians. As for what I see in the Images, the Axis had a Speartip, the Russians a Gap for it to be pushed into and the only hope would be to let the spear in to the wound and to bleed the Axis. That is what I think the original hope was for JG, as there is no way for the Russian Military to destroy that Military form it's position... I have to say that JG and Terif have a greater Mastery of Positioning and Deployment than the rest. Very very important, and here recon and and ancitipation played a huge part. More than Units, or MPPs... Or even luck

GG JG

P.S. Your Challenged