AAR, Terif Axis vs Jollyguy Allies

[Colin I]

Terif,

How many MPP do you have in reserve as Axis or Allies? I assume from the speed you put big operations and strategic shifts into place you have a big reserve for massed operational moves or purchases. True?

[Terif]

Just the normal turn income - in fact it is crucial to avoid unnecessary operating if possible as it drains your ressources too much. Most of the units for my last offensive came out of the production queue (rebuilt units from the previous battles...) - since in winter turns represent a larger time frame than in summer, everything you built in summer will then appear within only a few turns when the turns get longer and so in spring there are enough new units for new offensives .

[Blashy]

From reading this it seems Jollyguy made one crucial error and pulled a JJvR move (impatience) which cost him the game.

Overall he played great, he's really studying the game although not quite to the extent Terif has obviously done but he'll probably get there.

[SeaMonkey]

See why I say the bombers are the most important unit in the game. :cool:

So Terif...those 3 bombers are too expensive...eh?

Not only can they isolate the battlefield, they can reduce supply levels to nothing, but even these features are secondary to their recon ability.

If Jolly would have had a Red Bomber, perhaps he would have seen the juggernaut coming.

[Terif]

Yes, bombers can be important - under the right circumstances and in the later game . Early in the game there are more important things to finance and first both sides need the basic stuff.

A mistake many players do is buying the toys first (like bombers, rockets, subs...) and then having no mpps left to build the basics they need to survive the early years and then get simply overrun - often cause they go for the fast win or loss and don´t plan for a long game (kind of the problem why bombers had been underrated sometimes in the forum - in short games they in deed create a bad return on investment... ).

First priority need to have the things necessary for immediate survival and for Axis to enable their initial offensives - when this is ensured and spare mpps are available, the more expensive things with long term effects can be built like bombers . In the later game when enough land units are already built and when supporting the right ground missions, bombers are very powerful weapons .

[SeaMonkey]

OK...okay ...Terif....that's enough....we don't want to give the farm away!

[Blashy]

You can actually win just using Armies, Corps, engineers and Paratroopers. With full tech of course.

I call that strategy the "goblin deck" . From my Magic the Gathering playing days when I would defeat my friends with a simple goblin deck.

Bombers are not games winners. No one unit is.

[Jollyguy]

Yes, this was a great game. Terif doesnt cut you any slack, so you need to learn the hard by getting smacked down. But that's the only real way to learn.

So, this game made it clear that I need to be willing to trade space for time and not linger too long, and be a bit more cautious in launching offensives. It also highlights the balance of the game. By keeping Terif in a clench at every opportunity through 1942, but more so trying to throw off the Axis timetable early in the game, I was able enter 1943 with the most Allied forces I've ever had:

1) All original Russian units, plus some. Level 3 infantry; level 1 anti-tank; ind tech 2.

2) Two English HQs, two bombers, two fighters, and probably about 2/3s of land units. LR 2, infantry 3 and anti-tank 1, heavy bombers 1.

3) Almost all US land units; two bombers at level 3 heavy and LR air, one fighter in action and another in the queue; Level four ind tech, level 2 production.

Also, reading between the lines, Terif says his Russian garrison was very lighti. Again, this highlights the game balance. If I was as experienced as him what I should have done is also used the Winter of 1942 to quietly withdraw from France, leaving behind a small screening force so as not to give away my intentions. I also shouldn't have launched that Odessa offensive, at least not in 1942.

Now that I've seen better how it works, IMO 1942 is a crucial year for the Allies to begin to build up, but not get reckless. Keep that Russian engineer building fortifications. By 1943 the Allies should have enough forces to begin offensives in areas that are harder for the Axis to counter, probably on the flanks somewhere.

Anyway, I think I see better how to play the Allies against a player of Terif's calibre. The keys I've deciphered so far: 1) Attrit the Axis up to Barbarossa, but more importantly, try to throw off his timetable 2) Keep attriting 3) Trade ground for time in Russia, and don't linger too long 4) Careful thought given to early Russian counter offensives 5) Try to make it into 1943 with as many units as possible. 6) Try to gauge what the Axis is up to, by keeping track of what's in theatre and not only what's hitting you, but also importantly, what's not.

History showed that the strategic balance shifted in 1942, at Stalingrad and North Africa, which is basically what happens in SC 2 if played right. But it wasn't until mid-1943 that the Allies really began to pickup steam, and 1944 that they really began to roll. I think with a little more experience that's what would have happened here...but live and learn.

Okay, I'm going to take another game break, but I'll be back. Want to enjoy the summer some more. Meanwhile I'll digest this game a bit more.

Bob

[Iron Ranger]

Nice sumation Bob, number 6 is interesting in many ways.