The Red Bloodbath (Sickle and Hammer) - HLYA (Soviet) vs JasonBroomer (Axis)

[K62_]

But I do have to say I am not much in the mood to play Germany lately . I have the Soviet urge since I don't have as much time as Soviets.

Let's see how we feel by the time OOB 2.0 comes out (sounds like it may be a while)! Having only played Axis campaigns for over a year now, I also don't feel very excited at the thought of re-doing Axis T1 anytime soon.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Just an update.

Currently I have turn 6. I am traveling around Japan at the moment so the turn won't be back to Jason until the first week of October. Been a very interesting game so far.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Now, having said that I have a couple of questions. Please answer substantiating your answer with a few lines or just give a number from 1 being least to 10 being very important. Either will do. Would like to get some feedback on this. You can already find my answer in the WITE1 forum if anyone wants to dig for it . Now let's see what people think today.


First question


How important is the Velikie Luki area of the map for the Germans in 41? (Consider Velikie Luki area the 9 hexes out from Veliki Luki)


Second question

How important is the Velikie Luki area on the map for the Soviets in 41? (Again, consider Velikie Luki area the 9 hexes out from Veliki Luki)

Thank you in advance to all that answer.

[FortTell]

Hmm, I am not an expert or anything, but the area is not critical for either side, maybe if you include the Polotsk-Vitebsk double rail, but it just technically fits under 9 hexes. And I have not seen anyone refer to Vitebsk as being "in the V.Luki area", which shows what city is more important.

Now, for the USSR, all the bad terrain around VL makes it an enticing target to draw in Germans for slow holding actions and grinding them down in the logistics phase. There are also opportunities for cav raids on the Pskov railway, which could severely harm AGN's supply and/or isolate units. But if you give the area up completely (or even mostly), you could get away with bigger force concentrations in the other areas of the front simply because the panzers will be too slow to pocket you. Overall, I would give it a 4/10.

For the Germans the area is slightly more important, as V.Luki is a lv2 railyard (and more rail capacity is good) and one of the few airfields in the area. You also have to set up at least some units to protect AGN's right flank. So 5/10?

[Beethoven1]

How important is the Velikie Luki area

I think very important for both sides (at least if Moscow is the/a focus of the Axis advance). Not so much just the hex itself, but what is important are the rails to the east of it through the difficult terrain.

The reason is it provides extra supply for an advance on Moscow, but due to the rough terrain, it is not a given that Axis can take it easily. Axis can get a lot of freight in the Baltics from the ports, but if the only route to Moscow is the double line, or lines to the south, that limits how much freight can be sent.

If Axis can attack Moscow from the northern flank as well as just straight on and from the south, that advance is a lot more threatening for Soviets.

All this said, if Axis supply is managed properly and you use some superdepots, there is probably enough supply for a good push on Moscow regardless. But if you want more, this is how you can get it as Axis.

Also, if Soviets can hold in the rough Valdai terrain, that makes the front line longer, and Soviets can subsequently attack from there in winter offensive. A longer front line is a lot harder for Axis to hold in winter than a shorter front line, due to the limited # of Axis units.

[Beethoven1]

This AAR will be Soviet side trying to survive "grinding" and "mass German grinding" to the Soviets.

Jasonbroomer is certainly a very good player, but I am not sure if it will really be a test of grinding. At least in previous AARs, JB's playstyle has been very different from grinding. Lots of resting Panzers, sudden lunges, and pockets. Grinding is a specific playstyle, and is not even just doing deliberate attacks, but is doing deliberate attacks in a particular way which inflicts the most damage (like what Vet does as Axis - in particular first attacking with infantry, and using proper herding techniques to get units to retreat to the right hex, and then doing a follow up attack with overhwelming odds - preferably up to 99:1 final CV - in order to reliably inflict 100% losses or close to it on the defending units, while also losing very little CPP due to the high odds, and not ending up fatigued and vulnerable to counterattack from lots of ZOC-ZOC movement like you would if you went for pockets instead of simply for direct assaults).

That said, maybe JB is doing a different strategy from his previous games. I guess we will have to see.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Update 2

I am still roaming around Japan and will be back in the States next week. I still have turn 6, haven't moved a unit yet since I have been too busy. Lugged my computer around because I thought I would have time but Women seem to fill all the empty time with things to do . Now that my wife's sister is here in Japan with her I should have some time this weekend to do the darn turn.

I will also reply to the "few" people that posted to my questions earlier in this AAR next week too.

Thank you for reading my "junk" ramblings

[HardLuckYetAgain]

This AAR will be Soviet side trying to survive "grinding" and "mass German grinding" to the Soviets.

Grinding is a specific playstyle, and is not even just doing deliberate attacks, but is doing deliberate attacks in a particular way which inflicts the most damage (like what Vet does as Axis - in particular first attacking with infantry, and using proper herding techniques to get units to retreat to the right hex, and then doing a follow up attack with overhwelming odds - preferably up to 99:1 final CV - in order to reliably inflict 100% losses or close to it on the defending units, while also losing very little CPP due to the high odds, and not ending up fatigued and vulnerable to counterattack from lots of ZOC-ZOC movement like you would if you went for pockets instead of simply for direct assaults).

Oh, you mean what I did in our game to your units . Gotcha. Good thing I know what grinding is now I would have never known ;-P

Welcome back Beethoven

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Sometimes I have to ask, "Is there anybody out there"?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtBLZP_RGeQ



AAR will be starting back up next week as I finally get turn 7 over to JB . Game back on for all the "Tombstones" out there.

[M60A3TTS]

Anything forthcoming?

[jasonbroomer]

Hopefully, waiting for the turn...

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Life events happened. I am almost done with the turn as I remember what the heck I did previously. Please don't upgrade to the new patch. I am on patch .52

[HardLuckYetAgain]

LOL, I guess this fighter group is not too bad for the Soviets....

Fighter Exp1.png (398.31 KiB) Viewed 700 times

[M60A3TTS]

LOL, I guess this fighter group is not too bad for the Soviets....



Fighter Exp1.png

Neither is this one.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

LOL, I guess this fighter group is not too bad for the Soviets....



Fighter Exp1.png

Neither is this one.

That one of yours is just obscene

I know how you did it but I won't do it. Relying on air battles to bring up mine. But congrats on that nice unit, the weakness now will be the Aircraft

[HardLuckYetAgain]

JB has turn 7 now, just sent 5 minutes ago.

[M60A3TTS]

LOL, I guess this fighter group is not too bad for the Soviets....



Fighter Exp1.png

Neither is this one.

That one of yours is just obscene

I know how you did it but I won't do it. Relying on air battles to bring up mine. But congrats on that nice unit, the weakness now will be the Aircraft

I just did that one for show. It's a highly inefficient use of resources and would not recommend it in a regular game.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Neither is this one.

That one of yours is just obscene

I know how you did it but I won't do it. Relying on air battles to bring up mine. But congrats on that nice unit, the weakness now will be the Aircraft

I just did that one for show. It's a highly inefficient use of resources and would not recommend it in a regular game.

Gotcha . Ya, very "inefficient"

[Shupov]

Neither is this one.

That one of yours is just obscene

I know how you did it but I won't do it. Relying on air battles to bring up mine. But congrats on that nice unit, the weakness now will be the Aircraft

I just did that one for show. It's a highly inefficient use of resources and would not recommend it in a regular game.

For us uninitiated, how did you do it?

[Beethoven1]

For us uninitiated, how did you do it?

There is a hint in the screenshot, but it is one of those things where it is probably better that the knowledge of how to do it should not become widespread.