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AAR Colin Axis vs Jollyguy Allies: Start until Jan 1940.


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WEST

Spain falls to the Axis. It seems like there is a British naval presence off the Iberial coast - Axis sub clashes with a British battleship and the Italian destroyer contacts its British counterpart. Italian battleship shells Gibraltar harbour.

In Russia, lead armoured formations drive on Smolensk and Rostov. In the vicinity of latter, the Russian engineer is overun before it can dig in. Neither Rostov nor Smolensk have been assaulted but it looks possible next turn and its becoming important where the Russian reserves are being held. Kiev falls. Russian Black Sea fleet tries to slow down the German advance.

US continues naval movement against the advice of some members of Congress.

EAST

Japan has China on the ropes - a Chinese HQ and a combat unit is destroyed.

OTHER

Peru declares for the Axis.

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WEST

Allies catch and kill the Axis sub and destroyer in a nicely executed envelopment. But the Axis are reducing Gibraltar fast.

Russia is the real action - lead panzers are close to Smolensk, Moscow, Kharkov and Rostov. A Russian paratroop unit is caught in the open and killed plus a couple of corps. Meanwhile, he is lining up on Finland with formidable heavy armour (L3). The Finns have foolishly just entered the game. A German sub hits the Russian Baltic fleet. Its an interesting problem - Jollyguy can certainly take the Finns - he has the firepower. Hopefully his lack of motorization will help the Finns a bit in the forests but they cannot win. However, meanwhile, the damage the Axis will do elsewhere is extremely large - given there are still a few turns of good weather and there is little opposition. The panzers have little to fear and can let rip.....

EAST

US cuts off oil. More action in China.

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WEST

UK DoWs and takes Syria.

Axis takes Gibraltar and DoW Portugal. Lots of U-boat raiding.

Soviets back off Finland which is reinforced by the Axis. U-boat finishes the Soviet Baltic fleet. Smolensk falls and panzers range around the place looking for targets. This includes a low grade HQ around Stalingrad. He has 3 L3 armour now distributed fairly evenly. Axis have 6 L2. One panzer gets out of supply but is resued. Basically, Soviets are hurting but far from finished. I'd expect a few more cities to fall before the big freeze.

EAST

Japan takes another city and are one tile from the last Chinese city.

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WEST

Portugal falls. Massive sub raiding.

In Russia, Soviets mass heavy armour in the South and kill a German army in counterattack. Germans back off Rostov and secure Kharkov for the winter. We could push to the historical extent of the Axis advance but I think the result would also be historical. The Finns are angry at the Russian threat to their homeland and start to pound on Leningrad with German air support. Germans deliver weapons to the Finns, stoking the fire.

EAST

Japanese kill more Chinese corps and occupy some mines in West China. Elsewhere, Japanese labour to create a world beating fighting machine under conditions of oil limitation. this cannot be endured....!

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Quiet turn, in part due to rotten weather in Russia and at Sea.

WEST

U-boats encounter Russian navy around Iceland. Guess he is probing the Kriegsmarine using expendable units. There are a lot of subs at sea - am expecting big Allied response soon.

Allies knock over Iraq but Turkey quite irritated and shifts to Axis.

Finns batter Leningrad.

Snow comes early - combined with mud shuts down the action in Russia.

EAST

Very quiet rather ineffectual turn.

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WEST

Encouraged by the lack of opposition the U-boats try and shut down Allied convoys by blockading the UK. If his fleet is within striking distance this is a mistake - last I spotted it was off Iberia but have lost track. If its not too close might manage to reduce the ports.

Russia - more bad weather - doubt there is much action until next year.

EAST

China goes slow. No Pearl Harbor yet.

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WEST

Kriegsmarine swarm UK home waters despite defending bombers from UK and Iceland. Turkey joins Axis.

EAST

Japan takes East Indies, New Guinea, Solomons, Brunei and Thailand. Lands in Malaysia and Philippines but no take out. Most goes smoothly but Philippines is botched (no HQ and rain kills air support and paras from Formosa).

Last Chinese HQ killed from the air.

There was no Pearl Harbour - he had obviously been shifting his fleet. Carriers were used to ensure the big prize, Dutch East Indies, fell.

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Keep in mind I haven't played SC in several years, and Colin's game was only my second one at SC Global. I got bored in a few turns playing the AI, am not proud, and have no problem learning along the way. For matters of national security I will not say all that I've learned in my games w/Rambo and Colin as I want to keep some cards up my sleeve, but playing opponents of the calibre of these two may make the learning curve steep...but quickly informative. I played a few turns of Weapons and Warfare years ago, but SC has changed a lot since then. However, like much of gaming (and sports) it's a long season, and a few losses along the way are to be expected. I can say this, Colin is a good player and I enjoyed the contest. If I end this one early it will only be because I don't want to waste both our time, when a more challenging contest is in the offing. I already chatted w/Colin along these lines and he wants me to play the Axis next time, and I have every expectation I will lose as I'm a predominately an Allied player, but the experience of seeing the other side of the fence will be worthwhile.

Bob

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Bear in mind JG beat me repeatedly in SC2 and he is ahead in wins overall. I had the advantage of playing WaW and PTO so got used to the new stuff slowly. Thanks for the game, JG and I doubt I repeat this.

I'm curious as to one point - where was the UK fleet towards the end of 1941? I had it spotted off Iberia earlier, and figured that it was heading back to the UK. This made my move to blockade risky but I thought it had to be done now, given Japan was about to trigger US entry.

GC is an excellent game with a gradual build towards total conflict and a full range of strategies. Particularly like that Germany does not have to cripple Barbarossa to pursue an effective war of the Atlantic. There are quite some interesting strategies to be revealed.

Would ask a few changes from Hubert. One is that amphibious assaults against an occupied tile should be far more bloody - basically you either get ashore or are mauled trying - its do or die. Right now, neither side takes much damage.

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WEST

Kriegsmarine continue to swarm around the UK and it looks like he has shut down his convoys. Axis air (with Italian navy) concentrate on reducing Malta. Britain moves on Turkey from Syria but Germans reinforce their new allies and bomb UK special forces who look to be trying an amphibious assault in the Eastern Med. German engineers fortify Paris. Russia is frozen solid.

EAST

Probably China surrenders next turn. Malaysia and Philippines surrender and East Timor is annexed. A US cruiser sells itself dear. Japan cuts the Burma road and takes Mandalay and starts to bomb British India. Japan spots a US sub off New Guinea but it dives. Dutch navy either flees or is sunk.

Lets see what the US intends.....

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Yes, it is dire. The Allies, after seeing those damned long knife Turks join the dark side, did send out peace envoys. But then last night, after close review of the global situation, the leaders of the West got some backbone and decided to continue the battle, for justice and the American way.

Suffice it to say that the Axis are swarming all around, like Orcs in the Lord of the Rings. The US has yet to make an appearance, even though tea time is upset in England, the Pacific Allies crying out for help, the French upset. Everyone wants, but the Allies have only so much. But in the US men crowd the enlistment stations and new units are ready to join the fray, and the British fleet, a little battered but still proud, wait to see if 1942 means the sun will still never set on the British Empire.

Bob

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WEST

U boats swarm UK coast and kill a carrier being launched. It looks like JG has routed his Indian builds to the UK. This makes me think his main fleet is heading to the Far East or the Middle East.

UK corps in Malta killed by TAC.

Axis forces in Turkey menace the British, hitting the WDF with armour.

Russia still frozen, but action soon.

EAST

China gives in. Burma garrison destroyed by carriers. Lots of bombing into India. Hong Kong garrison destroyed.

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Was discussing with JG - sometimes scripts really cause reinforcements to show up at the wrong time. As this is often in situations where there would be some control over deployment suggest the following:

Scripted reinforcements come with a 2 option DE. Accept reinforcements now vs delay. If you pick delay they are delayed a random 1 to 10 turns then arrive for sure. Gives some choice but not complete control.

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What happened is a UK carrier arrived automatically at the end of my turn, with U-boats and Kreigsmarine BBs surrounding the Home Islands. Gave this some thought and it could go either way. First, if sloppy decisions earlier in the game result in a cost later on, so be it. The other option which would be more realistic, as the Allies would not launch a ship with unmolested wolf packs lingering just outside the harbor, would be to give a DE like Colin mentioned. This would deprive the country delaying the launch of needed firepower, but also reflect realistic and reasonable considerations that would go into a launching. Afterall, for the non-automatic builds we can delay turn-after-turn, which sometimes is the best shortterm option.

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WEST

Lots of bad weather slows Russian and Turkish conflicts. Anglo-Russian force take the Eastern Turkish city. Axis retaliate by attacking the Russian fleet and killing the UK army. A big fight is building here.

Germans mostly chase partisans in Russia.

UK still surrounded by U-boats.

EAST

Japanese advance towards India supported by long range air. Japanese amphibious units retreats from Wage Island which the US garrisoned.

Overall a quiet turn - in part due to weather and Japanese recovering from China. Its March not Feb btw - not sure how to edit the title.

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WEST

Situation is reaching boiling point in the Middle East. The UK and Russia have moved in on Turkey en masse. But the Germans aren't fazed, they do not blink in the face of a potential onslaught. In fact, that old-blitzkrieg-spirit is still alive and Syria is liberated by paradrop with heavy TAC support. REALLY hope its bad weather there next turn - spot even more UK and US air power in the region as the turn goes on. I'm hoping the mountains take a lot of the sting out of his attack.

Rest of Russia thaws and the Germans take Verozneh and are now adjacent to Moscow. We bomb his front line down South and bombard the coast of Turkey with the Italian navy.

UK is still swarmed by U-boats.

EAST

Japan takes Burma and Hong Kong. There is serious strategic and carrier bombing of India. It turns out Japan is at War with Russia. When did that happen, neither of us DOWed? I guess triggered by US war entry? Not sure. Anyhow, we steal that isolated island city in the far North from Russia with a sea landing.

Hmm. JG seems to be concentrating in a few key locations and letting others go to hell - the other interesting point is where the Western Navy is. I think I can guess - there aren't that many possibilities. The UK has to be hurting, USA must be huge and Russia doing not so bad.

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The British navy sails back into their home waters full steam ahead. The RN was shamefaced at having to retreat from Doenitz’s raiders, who had been told that they could change the tide of the war…and were almost right. The British were tired of drills back at the Colonies, including Boston where those damned rebels once tossed the King’s perfectly good tea into the harbor. RN destroyers ram sub-after-sub, and the ones that don’t dive take considerable damage, as they are all at very low supply after wintering in the North Sea. Two and maybe three subs (I can’t remember, it was quite the running battle) are finished off by carriers. Other ships move into blocking positions, to bottle-up three more subs, and a Kriegsmarine cruiser and BB in the Irish sea. Spotters in England report those ships are also at very low supply, 1 and 2, so they should be dealt with fairly easily. The USN also joins in, with the vanguard of their fleet, an upgraded carrier and cruiser, joining the fray near Southern England.

In Turkey the standoff continues, but the eastern Turkish city is secure, an important Strategic objective as otherwise the Caucusses would be threatened from the south. Stalin doesn't like the presence of El Duce's ships in the Black Sea, but there's not a lot he can do at the moment. In Asia the Japanese run rampant, with several carriers showing up off India and harassing several retreating British units.

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He hits the Kriegsmarine hard around the UK. We try to flee, sinking a couple of minor ships but it was always the case that wherever he deployed the RN it was going to smite like the Hammer of God. A lot of submariners went under for the last time.

Turkey may be a stalemate but we see opportunities in the Middle East - bombing the Suez canal to disrupt convoys and, finding Tobruk to be empty, landing an Italian corps (en route for Malta) and retaking the place.

The weather rather channels the Germans in Russia. Stalingrad is subjected to a massive air and armour assault and falls. Russians could use motorization about now, to be faster on the counterattack. The Russian engineer, an unlucky unit, gets in the way of an armoured assault for the second time.

EAST

Japan advances into India and shuts down convoys to the UK.

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Kriegsmarine is sinking fast.

MIDDLE EAST

Need a new category. Broadly the USSR and UK are in the Caucasus, Eastern Turkey, Iraq, Egypt. Axis are in Syria, most of Turkey, Cyprus, Tobruk, Libya and strongly in Russia north of Rostov. furthermore the Italian Navy has the Med and Japanese Navy the Arabian Sea. The Japanese army has China SE of the Middle East. Basically, the Middle East is strongly Allied but encircled on a global scale. Axis chips away here - killing a W. Allied corps in Iraq and in Russia heading South from Stalingrad, stripping away defending corps. Italian navy sinks Russian Black Sea fleet. This is a huge encirclement, his Navy can break it but I'm not sure it will arrive in time before the Anglo-Russian force is really quite stressed. The Russians have combat power but not manoeuverability, the British have air strength but not much punch on the ground.

EAST

Japanese run riot in India, British accumulate their forces around Delhi. Rest is quiet.

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WEST

He kills the last subs and Allied carriers start to attack Fortress Europe.

MIDDLE EAST

Axis attack into Iraq and Caucasus killing armour, HQ and 2 corps with a combined arms approach. Axis troops land in Syria to reinforce this effort. Japanese join in, taking a southern Soviet city. Benghazi falls to the Italians and Malta is finally taken by a German corps. JG is hardly passive here, a Soviet paratrooper takes Iran and his armour destroy an Axis paratrooper. He stops trying to defend the river line around Rostov. Meanwhile Italian and Japanese navies conspire to isolate the area.

EAST

Japan advances in India. UK has accumulated a lot of forces around Delhi but is not very active elsewhere in the sub-continent - I'd suspect MPP limitations. Ceylon falls to the Japanese. Apart from the incursion into Russia mentioned above, a second Japanese attack near Mongolia is rather ineffective.

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