Blashy Vs Jollyguy, AAR

[Jollyguy]

Early game was as per usual, Poland held until turn three which seems like more of a possibility with only two German HQ’s.

In France Blashy left the Siegfried line unmanned, so the French got out their shovels and crowbars and dismantled Fritz’s fortifications, then retreated back, so, maybe in 3 or 4 years this will help the Allies. Downside was that even with winter and mud Blashy kept the west most Maginot army from entrenching, and eventually turned that line and landed his paratrooper, trapping two French armies. But France held until late June, as the weather had an effect, and again, with only two HQ’s this seems like it might happen more regularly.

I also tried to bribe the Iraqis, but Goddamn Hussain was not cooperative and never shipped a drop of oil to ol’ Winston, although Franco was receptive to Blashy once, bumping Spanish readiness to 51, forcing me to send diplomats to Madrid also.

In France BTW he was up to mech 2, which gave him the ability to really sweep behind me with his units and tanks, hastening the rise Petain and his Vichy, Nazi sympathizers.

Second phase was I moved my bomber to Malta, which allowed me to monitor a large Axis Med force assemble. I hit Tobruk, so he sent much of his force to his west African city and moved up from there, but did eventually get three Luftwaffe to Tobruk, at which point my bomber pilots stood down, but the Malta effect hit for the first time, making him march cross country.

Near Alexandria my rearguard corps watched hexes turn brown and gray, as that massive Axis force rumbled east. That corp was all alone BTW, as the rest of my Mideast force decided to live and fight another day, as after watching his mech level 2 units sweep across France, I decided there was a fair chance that he could envelope and trap my entire force. All my units were evacuated without firing a shot, including my recently arrived Australian corp.

As the end of 1940 approaches US & Russian readiness is low, but I haven’t played the most recent turn, in which Blashy said he just discovered empty cities, so there should be bump in readiness.

Bob

[jon_j_rambo]

Come on Jolly!

[Blashy]

I waited until spring to DoW Denmark and Benelux which both fell in one turn, in that same turn I used my Paratrooper to drop on the french mine and move west one tile away from any possible attacks AND most important it cut off all 3 Armies, although one was destroyed the same turn as my 2 DoWs, my motorization level 2 proved usefull and it has other goals at hand.

My German fleet is staying cozy in ports.

After that it was time to move on to Egypt. Which I've discovered has been left empty from any British troops, all being sent to UK, an impressive force when D-Day comes along or something else.

Spain, I'm trying to convince but unlike Terif's "sure thing" I once again I'm not getting anything but one hit since the begining and it is now Dec 1940, not looking good.

[Jollyguy]

I don't see Spain as a sure thing, that's for sure. In my Axis game's I've yet to convince Franco of joining the Axis team.

In this game I waited for the first bump to Spanish readiness,then started buying chits. I've found some Axis players (Rambo) don't try to persuade Franco with talk, just guns. So why waste scarce mpps until you can verify something is up?

Bob

[Blashy]

Because you want to start blocking ASAP or if the

Axis is not investing and you start turning it towards Allies, better for you AND Romania and Hungaria will not join if they see Spain going towards allies.

Don't forget that for every hit there is a chance that you get the bonus increase of 20-30% so you want to try and prevent that as much as possible.

[Terif]

Investing as Axis in Spain is not a sure thing to get it . Only if Allies don´t invest into diplo, then it will join nearly for sure (25-40% chance each turn for a hit, 15 turns/year...).

So lastly the goal is to force the allied player to invest there also to prevent Spain from joining. And every chit costs Allies 75 mpps, Axis only 50 - while Axis has far more resources than England (especially at the beginning) . In consequence neutralising England for the first part of the game - 375 is a lot of mpps for the british treasury .

[jon_j_rambo]

YODL!

[Blashy]

Now now Terif, you stated that it was a sure thing initially .

[jon_j_rambo]

Muss i denn, Herr Yoda. Zee von TBlashy smackendorf pretzel pricenhoffer et SC2. Veni, I readen, I smackenfest.

[jon_j_rambo]

Para bailar la bamba

Para bailar la bamba

Se necesita una poca de gracia

Una poca de gracia para

Mi para ti

Y arriba, arriba

(y arriba, arriba, por to sere)

(por ti sere', por ti sere')

Yo no soy marinero

Yo no soy marinero

Soy capitan, soy capitan

Soy capitan

Para bailar la bamba

[Blashy]

Gotta love Latinos, great music, sexy as hell women (I married one after all).

Viva las latinas mamasistas.

OH and in this game I'm testing something regarding the new patch, should be interesting when I get to it, I'll let you all know.

[jon_j_rambo]

reaa ouya tillsa ivingla ithwa omma?

[Blashy]

Dec 1940,

Egypt surrenders.

Romania joins Axis.

Franco is being a wanker or my diplomats (Italy) are confusing Italian with Spanish and no one can understand each other.

Tech is absolute crap. If the Allies manage to get better tech (USA/UK) I'm dead once they are ready to attack in force.

[Blashy]

July 41, I declare war on USSR even though I knew they had IW3 and I only had IW2, luckily at the end of that turn I got my IW3.

First northern city Taken (it was left unmanded), Odessa surrounded.

Jollyguy is seriously bombarding Brest and striking it with air power.

Spain has not moved, the Italian fleet will have a hard time breaking out of the Atlantic if wants to. The kriegsmarine is attacking the 2 Russian cruisers, they are now cornered.

Finland just joined.

[Jollyguy]

Blashy kicked off his Barbarossa with Russian readiness around 70%, in July I believe, as I don’t think he wanted to take the chance that a late invasion would run mud and snow. IMO the Axis player will have to do this more often, otherwise he might not dig out the entrenched Russians before the weather turns.

Blashy ran into anti-tank 3 and infantry weapons 3 corps in fully entrenched frontline cities, except for that northern Russian city near Finland that I abandoned, but only after I let the Axis sniff a level 1 infantry weapons corps with a BB, even though I was up to 3 and 3 at the time.

What Stalin did was order his scientists away from their bunson burners and test tubes, and told them that if they didn’t reverse the order of their research that a gulag awaited them in Siberia. This got their attention! So they first researched intelligence, two chits, then three chits in infantry weapons and three in anti-tank. This is what Blashy can see at the moment, with remaining allocation of mpps between research and units a highly guarded State secret.

He has taken several frontline cities, but only after having to dig out those borsch eating, vodka drinking fanatics, and take high losses doing so. The Finns joined, but against a Leningrad army at 3 IW and 3 AT, they don’t stand a chance. Blashy has moved numerous units and a bomber near Leningrad and is working on the entrenchment, while I have left one corp east of the city, which will make him swing around if he wants to fully isolate the city down to 5. Does Stalin have a counterstroke in mind if the Axis tries to flank me? Again, a State secret.

In an interesting move that shows diplomatic acumen, Blashy invaded Syria, which piqued the interest of Goddamn Hussain’s rebels, moving Iraq into the Axis readiness column. Then, when the Iraq coup happened, Iraq fully joined the Axis, so the Axis is getting those mpps. Blashy can probably explain this better, but IMO it was an interesting, bloodless…and chitless way to activate Iraq that I have made note of. Of course US and Russian readiness went up, but getting Iraq in so cheaply is something to consider.

Out west one poor Wehrmacht corp that thought the most fighting he would see would be with Madams of the French brothels, on how much to pay for services rendered and wine consumed, isn’t getting a moments rest. The RN is hitting them up to eight times a turn with BBs and CAs, then the RAF joins in, and then three RN carriers take target practice. I am finding that after the first few shore bombardments or carrier raids that damage received by the RN drops considerably, as experience rises. I would say four times in five the RN receives no damage now. So initial experience can be expensive, but with persistence…and the willingness to invest some mpps repairing, ships can become quite effective. If the Italians decide to foray into Atlantic now they will be bumping into experienced ship, plus I could take out the French ports, which I haven’t done yet, which would mean the Italians would have crap supply. The RN has expanded the shore bombardment campaign to include that other French city to the southeast, and Brussels, while the British bomber is gaining painless experience against the French mine every turn. Goring and his flyboys have not made an appearance out west yet.

In the Med Blashy rules except for Gibralter and Malta, while US readiness is around 70% now. Unlike 1.0, the US can research at will, as there is no fear of invasion. I will also note that the six square range of amphib is something to keep in mind, as without amphib tech it severely limits the ability of the Allies to invade. It will take some thought and planning from now on, as if you look at the map many, actually most countries are out of range, meaning an island hopping type campaign will be required.

Other items of note: Norway is still neutral, as is Spain, Vichy, Greece, Sweden, Turkey, Iran, Switzerland, etc. So it’s not a minor collecting game, or not yet at least. I continue to monitor Franco, who is too busy drinking sangria I guess, as his interest has been stuck at 51% for close to two years now.

Bob

[Canuck_TAR]

Jolly..........I'd watch Norway.........I notice in went I left it alone it stopped suppling the AXIS after awhile (This was vs. the computer).....just a fyi.

[Jollyguy]

Canuck;

That's interesting, as my guess is the Allies threw a couple chits to Norway, similar but in reverse to trying to the bribe the Iraqis in the early game, so the 30 mpp per turn Iraq convoys starts.

[Blashy]

Originally posted by Canuck_TAR:

Jolly..........I'd watch Norway.........I notice in went I left it alone it stopped suppling the AXIS after awhile (This was vs. the computer).....just a fyi.

The AI invested in Norway, happened to me as well.

[Blashy]

August 1941.

All 4 Westernmost cities are taken, units have received the proper IW upgrade.

Leningrad is bombed to 0, now time to hit the port as well, entrenchment is slowly being taken down, just happen to encircle the city. Next turn it will get pounded.

The Italian navy decided it was not about to stay home and do nothing with its big guns, GLR L2 .

The German navy AND subs have been totally silent apart from sinking the 2 soviet cruisers.

No other countries are being taken, keeping USA in the 50s, low cash for them and far away from joining.

[Canuck_TAR]

Originally posted by Blashy:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Canuck_TAR:

Jolly..........I'd watch Norway.........I notice in went I left it alone it stopped suppling the AXIS after awhile (This was vs. the computer).....just a fyi.

The AI invested in Norway, happened to me as well. </font>

[Rolend]

Originally posted by Jollyguy:

...

In an interesting move that shows diplomatic acumen, Blashy invaded Syria, which piqued the interest of Goddamn Hussain’s rebels, moving Iraq into the Axis readiness column. Then, when the Iraq coup happened, Iraq fully joined the Axis, so the Axis is getting those mpps. Blashy can probably explain this better, but IMO it was an interesting, bloodless…and chitless way to activate Iraq that I have made note of. Of course US and Russian readiness went up, but getting Iraq in so cheaply is something to consider.

...

Jolly I have taken Syria in 6 or seven games I have played and Iraq does not always flip, a couple of times they 'became alarmed' so there must be a random factor or something else I was doing effected it but it is not %100.

[Blashy]

There is a chance that Iraq increases towards Axis when taking Syria. So always take Syria first and hope you get lucky .

[Jollyguy]

Besieged Leningrad still holds, absorbing blows by Goring’s flyboys, bombers and fighters, not to mention those vaunted Italian and Hungarian pilots. Meanwhile, my own Russian flyboys are hitting the Iraqi mine with no resistance. The first Winter looms with Blashy holding three or four of my Russian cities, as he also sets up a skirmish line across from the Russian mines.

Out West the RN has pulled back from Brest, while the still neutral US naval command, in an ill timed show of force, tried to set up pickets near Spain to intercept the Italian navy, which had just punched through the Gibraltar port. President Roosevelt was extremely upset when he heard that this unilateral show of American resolve resulted in a 26 point increase in Franco’s readiness! I read the changes to the patch but had forgotten this, but experience being the best teacher, the Americans won’t make this mistake again.

Meanwhile, in the Med, the Italians confirm that the English bomber that had been keeping an eye on things is the same one now seeing action over France, as an Italian corp poked his head out to take a look. The bomber was operated-out in a top secret operation in which a British corp was convoyed in, surrounded by the RN’s finest, in case they encountered the Italian navy, which they didn’t.

Bob

[Blashy]

Italian Navy is in the Atlantic...

Things are going slow in Russia.

I'm trying something different with the Axis, we'll see how the patch changed this.

Fall and Winter approach.

[Blashy]

April 1942 is a all clear in weather and the Germans make the most of it.

Leningrad is taken with a combination of Air power and ground troops.

The Italian fleet is still in the high seas.

The previous turn a UK Battleship was sunk in scapa flow port by the kriegsmarine and this turn another one was sunk while the bulk of the British navy bombards Brest and Bordeaux.

The surprise of the game (or maybe not) was troops in Syria and Bulgaria attacking Turkey (USA was joining at the end of the turn), the cities of Istanbul and the eastern most are both taken cutting off the possibility of USSR operating troops to the Capital. Italy has a small participation in the event.

Spain is doomed, Franco will never join... a serious blow to the Axis.