Amoktrappen (FC, v1.04beta) / Bonners (Axis) vs Reconvet

[Reconvet]

Soviet starting situation on turn 4

Both of my Kharkov spearhead armies still suffer from poor readiness and are low on ammo. In future games I'll pay closer attention to readiness and supply of each unit before I move them or let them attack, especially on mud turns. It takes real long for units to regain attack fitness if you let them fall below 80% readiness and a supply stock lower than 1, because anything lower than 80%/1s will suck out all supply for readiness recovery. I am far from happy with how supply use is coded here, who needs soap when you are running low on ammo…

In addition to supply issues my spearhead army south of Kharkov - 6A - falls victim to an ugly command&control penalty. Minus 54 AP means no attacks with this army this turn, meaning Bonners gets more time to beef up his defenses at Kharkov.

[Reconvet]

Soviet offensive moves




***** Edit: Forgot to mention what kind of love Stavka dished out for playing the card: All 6A units got +7 morale / +24 readiness.

[Reconvet]

And an overview of developments around Kharkow (map at the end of the turn):

[Reconvet]

May 20th 1942 / Turn 5 / Clear weather

German offensive moves north of Kharkow:

[Reconvet]

German offensive moves south of Kharkov

[Reconvet]

Soviet starting situation on turn 5

This turn both my spearhead armies fall victim to command&control penalties. Offensive potential for my 6A is down 62% this turn, 20% minus for my 28A. That's the second turn in a row for 6A, plus the mud turn, which means in 3 out of 5 turns my efforts to take Kharkow have been severely restricted by random game mechanics.

How on earth am I supposed to take Kharkov with such a bunch of looney leaders? At least Stavka should recognize that delays caused by them are not my fault and give me more time to take a major prestige objective when such c&c penalties or muddy weather are dished out. War with politicians and weather gods is really hell...

[Reconvet]

In addition to the c&c chaos Stalin thinks it funny to dish out additional offensive minor objectives lying way out in the pampa or behind lines protected by SS-Elite-Divisions, while all available resources have to be used to have a minimum chance to take the main objective (Kharkov). Consequence of this: By early june I'll be down to zero prestige points. Trappenjagd can only be played with dismissal off right now (1.04beta) because dishing out new orders by high command (Stavka/OKH) really needs a workover. As I've suspected by the way, that's why dismissal is off in this game and will stay off for future games until Stalin's situational awareness has significantly improved...

At the current state of the game in Trappenjagd Soviets will have to play with zero prestige from early june until they can draw defensive orders, which can only be the case after they have lost Rostov or Voronezh (normally Millerowo should remain defendable longer than Voronezh).

[Reconvet]

Soviet offensive moves or whatever was more or less reasonable...

[Reconvet]

And some ponderings over the map at the end of the turn:

[Reconvet]

Last thoughts for turn 5:

Supply-wise I'm starting to get worried. Stavka's supply stock keeps dropping lower and lower. I wonder if the losses on the supply-sealanes to Kerch and Sewastopol will let me run out of food, soaps and ammo across the whole front all over the mainland map…

[wallas]

ORIGINAL: Reconvet

Trappenjagd can only be played with dismissal off right now (1.04beta) because dishing out new orders by high command (Stavka/OKH) really needs a workover.

Liquidsky and I are at Oct 1 1942 and we are playing trappenjagd original version and I am at 49 prestige as the russians using dismissal. I dont agree with your assessment. Once you hit zero you have three turns to get to positive and ambition gives you 1 prestige as soon as you play it. I also saved my prestige point and hoarded them to prevent dismissal. With dismissal off your game would turn into a route as you attrition the germans forces to death, and it would be august before they have recovered. Think of dismissal as a script to keep the game somewhat historical, and to maintain play balance.

How I see it

[LiquidSky]

There is a big difference in our game though...I started the Russians at Strategic Position level 4 instead of 5. (or was it 5 instead of 6? anyways, it is one lower). Which means every mission the Russians get in our game is a defensive one, not an offensive one. Which means no chance of dismissal, unless the Germans push hard and take territory through may/june. Without that change, every Trappen game will end in a Russian dismissal, unless they take Kharkov....and even then that may only delay dismissal until July.

[Reconvet]

As LiquidSky said: In your game you very early started to get defensive goals because your modded starting strategic position allowed for this. I only drew offensive ones, most of them ridiculously out of the way behind strong German divisions.

My suggestion for Soviet orders in Trappenjagd would be that they can't get additional offensive minor orders until they have taken or have failed to take Kharkow. After not taking Kharkow they should start to get defensive orders, which would make the game playable for the russian side with dismissal on. Not getting defensive orders inevitably has to lead to an early dismissial. I have yet to see an AAR where this is not true.

Not all people are willing/capable to modify game files to prevent an early dismissial, so I really hope that the dismissal mechanism will be looked at and implemented via an official patch.

[Bonners]

Having now read this I can see why we played with dismissal rule off. I could basically have sat around and done little of nothing and you would've still ended up getting dismissed. I've put some thoughts on this in the 'Suggestions for next update' thread, would be really interested to see what you think.

Love the AAR, really good read and informative diagrams, it actually makes the Axis look half way competent[:D] Reading this now I remember how desperate I was to try and keep the bridgehead over the river south east of Kharkov, just couldnt get enough forces there in time.

Could those Axis forces to the South of Kharkov really be in the wrong position?[;)]

[Reconvet]

Thanks, and I will try to invoque more memories in the coming days/weeks. [:D]

[Reconvet]

May 22 1942 / Turn 6 / Weather: Mud again...

German offensive moves:

Axis has a deadline for taking Kerch, so Bonners feels obliged to attack on a mud turn.

[Reconvet]

Soviet starting situation on turn 6:

Mud and c&c penalties for both my offensive armies turn any plans to attack into wet dreams. South of Kharkow I let my artillery lose on an Axis hex, only to realize that just a single tank brigade had enough movement points to participate in a ground attack. What a stupid waste of shells…

[Reconvet]

So my offensive moves this turn can be summed up with one word: Nada…

Bonners has had ample time to beef up his defenses at Kharkow and prepare his counteroffensive. Seems like my attempt to take my main prestige objective has come to an end, killed by 2 mud turns and too many c&c-penalties. I guess my next major offensive will have to wait until october/november '42. Time to start a controlled retreat out of the Izium salient and to evacuate valuable assets from the Kerch peninsula (especially HQ-units and artillery).

Losses this turn:

[Reconvet]

To finish this turn report a look at the supply situation. I have no explanation why Stavka sends out less than what was requested. After all the Stavka supply stock seems to be a reserve to cover requests which are higher than what is sent down from Moscow. And how much is lost due to damage in Kerch and due to supply interception on the sealanes is simply a mistery to me.

I haven't even bothered to keep track of what arrives at Sewastopol. Units there went out of supply turns ago as I had no inclination to expose my miserable fighter force to Axis airbase raids, and without fighter cover Sewastopol simply can't be kept in supply.

[Bonners]

We're playing the normal supply rules, so isnt the supply out request to cover all troops including those in the Crimea? Does that supply still count in the supply out request even though it is not received?