Saper (Axis) vs Tyrone (Soviet). (no Saper)

[tyronec]

T25.
Tactics are to attack where I can win, rather than going for any objective, will see how things develop through the blizzard. Crimea is in snow but modifications are quite similar.

Leningrad front. Make 3 deliberate attacks, all against the odds. One wins and can follow through with a hasty.
NWest. Make 4 deliberate attacks and follow through with 3 hasties. There seems to be a weakness here so am railing two or the new cavalry armies in.
Western. Two attacks on the corner.
Apart from the corner the whole defensive line around Moscow is too strong so am sliding NWest front to the West and Kalinin front to the south.
Kalinin. Defences are too strong.
Bryansk. Get 4 good attacks in.
Transcaucasus. 3 good attacks.
Volkov. There is a gap in the defences so advance through. Bringing in another couple of armies here.
SWest. 2 hasties around Kharkov against Axis allies and 2 deliberate further south, one of which fails.
Southern. 2 heavy attacks, both of which win.
Crimea. Get 3 attacks in. Am shipping/railing in reinforcements as fast as I can get them there, expect to see more German infantry in the front line next turn.

Have used almost no cavalry yet, will avoid attacking strong defences with them.
Am leaving shell units to preserve my fortifications around Leningrad, Voronezh an Rostov but otherwise all out attack.

[tyronec]

T26 after recon.
6 divisions promoted to guards.
A couple of counterattacks in the center.
Rivers frozen in all but the south, and swamp doesn't slow down so much.
It is going to be very hard to break through at Pskov, though just to the East the defences are a lot weaker.
He has a few spare divisions around Moscow so progress will be slow. Will maintain a little pressure to keep them there.
Not sure what to make of the gap in his line from Kursk to Kharkov, can't see anything on recon. Will use the cavalry to flip as much terrain as possible.
Will continue to grind a few attacks out around Stalino.
Counterattack in the Crimea, I need to reread the snow rules (as I thought, there is little difference in combat value between snow and blizzard). Have some units at risk for next turn.

[smokindave34]

Near Kursk I'd focus on moving your cavalry north and south to cut off his rail lines and come in behind his front line. No use pushing straight west....your cavalry could become easily exposed to be cutoff by some sneaking panzers.

Sapper is a very aggressive player.

[Dinglir]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34
Near Kursk I'd focus on moving your cavalry north and south to cut off his rail lines and come in behind his front line. No use pushing straight west....your cavalry could become easily exposed to be cutoff by some sneaking panzers.

I would probably send one cavalry division racing straight west. If Saper has a north/south rail connection, destroying that will have its own benefits - especially if some partisan attacks can then happen in the south.

[timmyab]

Would be interesting to get some feedback from any experienced players out there, who has the advantage at this point ?
To me it sees reasonably close though am concerned about my industry losses and the wide front Saper will have available to attack in '42.

I think Sapper has a strong position here to be honest. You're about a million men short of a strong army and as you mention he has an excellent strategic position.
In a more traditional sort of game where Leningrad falls and Moscow doesn't the Soviet player can just more or less screen the North and concentrate his force for the defense of Moscow and the South. Here you'll be spread thin and he can swap the direction of his attack from one weak spot to another from his centrally dominant position.
This is the great advantage of a Moscow first strategy in my opinion.

Very interesting situation in the center. The mild blizzard German army is fairly strong these days even in December, but I think I'd be aggresive here and push as much mobility through that gap as possible attempting to roll his line either North or South. I wouldn't attempt both at once because his armor is quite strong and your force is too weak to split in two. Instinctively I would go North I think aiming roughly at Orel/Tula.
If you push West the resulting Salient will have to be abandoned in the Spring anyway.

[tyronec]

I think Sapper has a strong position here to be honest. You're about a million men short of a strong army and as you mention he has an excellent strategic position.
In a more traditional sort of game where Leningrad falls and Moscow doesn't the Soviet player can just more or less screen the North and concentrate his force for the defense of Moscow and the South. Here you'll be spread thin and he can swap the direction of his attack from one weak spot to another from his centrally dominant position.
This is the great advantage of a Moscow first strategy in my opinion.

My army is weak, too many divisions with a CV of 1 and even some cavalry corps the same.
However I do think the Moscow strategy has spread the Axis more. No Finns in the North and they are looking to defend the whole front from the Pskov to Azov. Hence my general objective to lengthen the front line so that more stacks of my weak infantry can get wins.

[tyronec]

T26.
Leningrad win two attacks and a follow up hasty.
NWest win 8 attacks and have six weak cavalry corps joining in next turn.
Western and Kalinin get in half a dozen attacks. A couple of Axis reserve activations.
Bryansk get in 6 attacks and are making some penetration, the corner of the Axis line is ZOCed. Send a cavalry army into the gap.
Transcaucasus & Volkov get 6 attacks, force a couple of retreats through ZOCs. Advance 5 hexes into the gap in the line. I don't know what is garrisoning Kursk but it is at risk of being pocketed.
SWest shatter a Romanian cavalry.
Stalino area - win 4 attacks. There are a lot of troops in the cities, think they will need to move out to cover their flanks next turn.
Crimea. Our two counter attacks win. Axis can very likely pocket some units next turn, including 2 cavalry corps. However they have 15 or so good divisions out of the main action and am not sure it is worth it for them.

Ground combat losses were 11k for 42k, can afford to keep that rate up.

[tyronec]

T27 before Soviet recon

9 new guards divisions. Quota goes to 10% in 2 turns.

Just one counter attack on the mainland to rout a brigade.
My forces in the Crimea are crushed and 6 units pocketed, including 2 cav corps. Had extracted their SUs.

Objectives for the turn is to get as many massed attacks as possible, am primarily aiming to build my army rather than capture terrain. By working around the flanks can force Axis to abandon their entrenchments and so get more attacks in.

With the gap in the centre will send Volkov front North and SWestern to the South, and just a few screening units to flip terrain to the West.

Will try and bring more pressure to bear coming down from the North on the rail line to Stalino. Should make some progress against the Romanians to the South of Stalino.

[smokindave34]

This is going to be a very exciting blizzard. Your offensive CV are very low indeed but he has left large areas of the front completely open. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

This is going to be a very exciting blizzard. Your offensive CV are very low indeed but he has left large areas of the front completely open. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

14 hour days kicking my azz @ work

Tyronec has to keep in mind there is a limit to how far he should go. Because if you advance as far as you can the situation becomes detrimental to your truck situation. You can easily blow through a GREAT many trucks if you are not careful in blizzard. PLUS The rail repair unit is 8 hexes(8 turns from even getting to Kursk to repair that hex. IMO keep your offense in the Center going forward at the detriment of your trucks. May be better to turn north and south and roll up units. The bulge makes a good pocket too

I see the Crimea area Sapper kicking butt still. He is sacrificing center for continued offense in Crimea. Gotta love the snow turns for the Germans down there

[tyronec]

T27.
Leniongrad get 4 wins, don't have the MPs to follow up safely.
NWest get 9 wins, have restricted supply to a few units below Lake Ilmen but it might cost me a cavalry corps getting routed.
Western win two battles North of Moscow, I shift all their best units over ready to attack there next turn.
Kalinin get in a couple of attacks, defences are too strong to follow up.
Bryansk win 10 battles and are expanding the salient nicely. Get some cavalry wins with few losses.
Transcaucasus. 4 wins, pushing up to Tula from the SE.
Volkhov. Turning North to approach Tula from the South. A couple of cav divisions sent West to flip terrain and threaten the axis railway from Gomel. Kursk left to spawn partisans.
SWest. 3 cavalry raiding West, otherwise turn SW. Am railing in 3 new armies here but the quality is mostly poor. 7 wins north of Stalino.
Southern. Win a couple of battles South of Stalino, but also lose two. Hit the wrong button on one of them so it went in as a hasty.
Crimea. Pulling back to Sevastapol and across the straights.

Can count 24 German armoured units in the front line, and 15 in the Crimea so there is not much in reserve. There is no rail near the Crimea so am guessing those ones are going to be appearing around D'town from around T31.

Losses for Soviet phase:12k for 44k.

Combats are from NWest front in the swamp.

[tyronec]

T28 after recon.

Just 1 more guards division, must be at the cap.
No German attacks, except to eliminate the pocket in the Crimea and displace a partisan. Only got 9 partisans from Kursk, not worth the trouble at that rate.

Leningrad and NWestern. Axis have pulled back, will try to get Leningrad to occupy any captured hexes and will push on through the swamps.
Moscow area. The defences are not weakening, same few attacks as last turn, will try and follow up.
Tula and south of Moscow. Axis have pulledback. Bryansk will push up towards Moscow from the south. Volkhov will aim NW to extend the line that has to be defended below Moscow. Am not going to get many attacks in here, perhaps some hasties.
SWestern. Can get within two hexes of the rail line from D'town, there is another leading through Z'town but it doesn't extend so far. Will continue to push SW towards the rail line.
Southern. Continue the assault to both sides of Stalino, if I can shift the three Romanian stacks to the south things will open up.
Germans are pulling out of the Crimea.

[timmyab]

I smell an opportunity at Tula if that guards cav corps has high MPs.

[EwaldvonKleist]

Your match vs. Grognard was simply crazy, and this is another one.
You have a talent for getting into "WTF" games.

[tyronec]

Your match vs. Grognard was simply crazy, and this is another one.
You have a talent for getting into "WTF" games.

Yes, I have been defending 'on the edge' and Saper is very aggressive. Left him some opportunities in the Crimea because I didn't think he could take them and perhaps the result has been he has left his center open and there is a race to see how much damage I can do before his reinforcements arrive.

[chaos45]

With his defense strategy you have some good opportunities....leaving a massive hole in the German center is an interesting tactic.....think even a screen of regiments would have done him worlds better...IMO a critical mistake for him as you have months to capitalize on it.

[tyronec]

T28.

Leningrad and NWestern. 11 wins, am almost through the swamp.
Moscow area.9 wins and am able to follow up. Northern area is weakening as are Axis out of their fortifications. Just missed isolating 2 divisions to the SE after a failed hasty attack.
There is a fort unit in the front line with no fortification, so Saper cannot have been expecting the advance to be here yet.
Tula. Just manage to make a pocket, by pushing a weak panzer division back twice. About 15 infantry and 3 armoured isolated. Some low Axis CVs around.
SWestern. 10 attacks, isolate an Italian division. 3 hexes from the Axis rail line to Stalino. Fly fuel to my advanced Tank division.
Southern. Win 3 attacks and lose 2, am realising that the units south of Stalino have higher defence values than displayed, probably a combination of Southern weather zone and Mountain units. Have another army coming up so the pressure is building here.
Just to show I am not intimidated by a few panzer divisions, make an attack in the Crimea.

Battles are from south of Stalino; with displayed CVs showing similar odds was winning battles elsewhere.

Ground losses: 13k for 40k, improving…

[tyronec]

T29 after recon.

10 new guards divisions, thought it might have been more as have another 40 eligible and are up to 10% quota.
It is January so the Axis combat values go up.
I have about 170k manpower in the pool and climbing so 293 Armament Points is definitely not enough for the way this game has played out.

Axis have routed my cavalry screen away from the Tula pocket, still worth it though because every turn without supplies hurts in the blizzard.

Can see 20 German armoured divisions in the front line so 4 missing from last turn, am guessing they are on rail somewhere. Have recon'd the blob moving up from the Crimea, there is a rail line from Z'town down to the Crimea so they are on that. No link to Nikolaev..

Leningrad. Will likely only get 2 attacks with the German pulling back out of the swamps.
NWestern. Little opposition, push forwards for Velike Luki and the Axis rail line. Just maybe this indicates he has no reserves as pulling three armoured divisions from here is leaving a big gap that possibly I can exploit in a couple of turns.

Moscow area. Continue to attack any corners available.
Tula area. I calculate that the panzers on rails will not be able to attack till next turn. Don't think I can reseal the pocket so will work to squeeze the throat and perhaps I can catch the tail next turn. Will also aim to threaten to close it from further west as well.

SWestern. Germans have pulled some units back to block the drive on D'town so will continue to press along the whole line. Some units from the Crimea will arrive this turn so will not do any wild advances. Possible just 3 MPs short of cutting the rail line which would have been major damage to AGS
Southern. Continue to attack south of Stalino.
Crimea. Axis appear to be pulling out.
Am expecting AGS to be made secure over the next couple of turns so the objective is back to building up wins without exposing lead units.

[Nix77]

ORIGINAL: tyronec

I have about 170k manpower in the pool and climbing so 293 Armament Points is definitely not enough for the way this game has played out.

Armament pool will go to zero no matter how many factories you save, it gets better in January when the armaments production multiplier ramps up and moved factories start working.

[tyronec]

T29.
Leningrad and NWestern get in 13 attacks, in most places am able to do a deliberate and follow up with a hasty on the retreating units. He has to leave some cover around Velike Luki or I will be threatening the Smolensk railway by February.
Moscow area. 8 attacks.
Tula pocket. 6 attacks, have not sealed the pocket but 15 units that are not going to be getting much supplies and are getting more difficult to extract. Have cut the rail line that was being repaired to link AGC to AGS.
SWestern. Run into a panzer division which must have been railed up last turn. Otherwise just 3 attacks.
Southern. Win all three battles this turn.

Ground Losses: 10k for 28k.