Matrix Games Forums

I thought I'd show some highlights as I go. I'm (as always) the Soviets. I try to form up the first real defense on the Pskov-Velikiye Luki-Smolensk-Dnepr River-Kiev-Southern Bug axes and hold Odessa. I try to salvage as much artillery via rail as possible by moving it back to these lines.

Tracking the Panzer Groups North to South (I track the areas the Corps are in);
- 4th PZG - through Riga, headed for Pskov or north or both
- 3rd PZG - through Daugavpils - going E or SE - not sure
- 2nd PZG - road to Minsk but not a hard push
- 1st PZG - into the Dnepr Bend

The Southwest Front has plenty of Mechanized Corps not trashed in the first two turns, so I pulled them back and will attempt to bloody the nose of the 1st PZG in the open terrain in front of Vinnitsa. The goal is just to slow these 1st PZG units up and cause losses. The Soviet Mech Corps usually yield unpleasant results in Summer '41, so I'm thinking of keeping them stacked for sheer numbers. The Center - holding the right wing at Velikiye Luki is difficult but the Germans then get into the forests east of there, which is in my favor.

The North - I bring up one of the big Western Front armies to help. Currently, the 16A is assembling at Dno.

First line of defense plan;

Like the way you're presenting the AAR with a mix of operational and strategic views. Also, anxious to see the "Dragons".

Regards

Last time I put it nobody caught it; https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 8&t=390027

"Here be dragons" (Latin: hic sunt dracones) means dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of a medieval practice of putting illustrations of dragons, sea monsters and other mythological creatures on uncharted areas of maps where potential dangers were thought to exist.

I think I once saw Larry sending some Panzers up there...

Cpl GAC wrote: ↑Tue Sep 24, 2024 7:54 pm I think I once saw Larry sending some Panzers up there...

So, no dragons? Bummer.
Watch out for Larry. He's still making Panzer IIs.

Turn 5 - Northwest Front Here is what I think is going on - the 4PzG is headed up and around to Narva; The 8A and 10MK will attempt to slow the advance down until the 55A can set up along the Narva. The 27A will hold the Pskov-Ostrov axis while the 11A rebuilds behind it and the 34A assembles.

16A is assembling at Dno, and will try to hold the Dno-Loknya axis but limited rail movement may prevent a successful defense.

48A is a spread out and useless, and the 54A is assembling on the Volkov River. The 67A is staffless for now and will be used to dig and defend Lenigrad's approaches along with the Opolchenie.

Rino, Larry may be still making Pz IIs but I think he would make short work of me if we played head-to-head.

The mechanized assault group didn't fare well - I got a solid shot on a 16Pz Regiment, but otherwise it was cast aside. Corps reorganizing is frustrating as one can't bring them all to bear at once. I attacked on turn 5 and here's the start of turn 6; the 25 MK reoganized itself out of any offensive activity...

Regarding AGN and AGC - I found the panzers. The battle for Estonia is underway, and I hope to ruin the 4PzG at the Narva River. I'm preparing the forest defenses West by Northwest of Moscow and it's lone road/rail from Velikiye Luki to Rzhev to stop the 2PzG and 3PzG and may bring the 50A from Bryansk Front reserves to backstop any penetration on the Rzhev-Safonova axis It's July/August 1941, so everything looks good and set on the screen each turn and then German Elmer erases your plans.

Here's the look from space;

i didnt stop reporting - Helene threw me for a loop. Just getting to normalcy again.

Be back soon.

Nice AAR. Keep it going. Good luck and hope all will be well.

You playing vs the AI?
Could you post a screen grab of the Red Army inventory at your current turn? (just the top of it I am sure it's pretty long )
\
Tx for the AAR!

governato wrote: ↑Sat Oct 12, 2024 8:34 pm Could you post a screen grab of the Red Army inventory at your current turn? (just the top of it I am sure it's pretty long )

Before taking the screen shot, you might want to sort the equipment. Suggest sorting by the number deployed, highest-to-lowest, just so the most numerous equipment types are on top.

Regards

Versus AI. Orders are almost always; Rifle & Artillery - Ignore Losses, Tanks - Minimize Losses on defense, Ignore Losses on attack or if surrounded, Air - Ignore Losses (also - I follow Lobster's Barbarossa house rule; Air Superiority or Combat Support only, must fly until until red).

START OF SOVIET TURN 6 - loss penalty 18 versus Gerry 3; Tank - (not showing; KV-I on hand 165, 0 assigned 0 lost; T-34A on hand 344, 128 assigned, 655 lost; T-34B on hand 260, 0 assigned, 0 lost).
Planes American-supplied planes (I read that Soviet pilots didn't like flying the US planes—it looks like the game took that to heart).

I spent turn 6 building the defensive walls and breakwaters - then lo and behold the Soviets start 1st on turn 7 (this seems to happen every game at this point and is almost unfair).

I'm up to 33,119 Rifle Squads and 10,836 on hand.

I'll post the outer space shot after I'm done moving, but here's the summation of my two-in-a-row turns;

Turn 7 Gerry about to go. Note - Minsk has no pressure and the 13A still stands it's defense. I'm hoping to withdraw the 13A through the Bobruisk-Zhlobin axis back behind the Dnieper after it falls in the next two turns; Here's the current situation of the South West Front - The 37A and 19A defend Kiev. The remnants of the 19MK are all that's left of my turn 5 tank counteroffensive; I play trying to hold Kiev to the bitter end. It's the 3rd most important city (? - any comments) of the Soviet Union and should be treated as such. The 28A is assembling at Gomel and can be directed south since the panzers are far to the north but in front of Kiev.

Thanks for this AAR. Very interesting. I like both maps. For the slightly colored one, the white hexes are not snow, right?, it is plain terrain I guess. I liked the boardgame style. And regarding the bottom one (full desaturated/black white), can you tell me how did you do it? is it photo desaturated with photoshop or paint? and you add the Armies IDs by hand or using a software to automatically detect the HQ and map the IDs as a mod in WiE does it ?
Indeed, the map reminded me the map of Traces of War boardgame.
https://boardgamegeek.com/image/7737978/traces-of-war

If you have the desaturated map similar to this inserted in TOAW game, could you allow me to use it ? It really resembles real WW2 operational maps from Germany/USSR HQs...

Cpl GAC wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2024 1:52 am Turn 7 Gerry about to go. Note - Minsk has no pressure and the 13A still stands it's defense. I'm hoping to withdraw the 13A through the Bobruisk-Zhlobin axis back behind the Dnieper after it falls in the next two turns;
Turn 7 .png

Here's the current situation of the South West Front - The 37A and 19A defend Kiev. The remnants of the 19MK are all that's left of my turn 5 tank counteroffensive;
turn 7 SW Front.png

I play trying to hold Kiev to the bitter end. It's the 3rd most important city (? - any comments) of the Soviet Union and should be treated as such. The 28A is assembling at Gomel and can be directed south since the panzers are far to the north but in front of Kiev.

fulcrum - here's the thread and downloads on the light map look; https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 6&t=404758

In this thread Cathar1244 and I discuss how to add the map background to a spreadsheet; https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 4#p5035074

Here's the map if you want to try it; https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bclouk0t ... nxnu8&dl=0

I did it in paint.net...I think. Sorry I don't remember all the steps. Exporting it from the game was quirky - I remember that part.

The unit #s - I do in Google Slides and download as transparent background pngs. Then I upload them as images to the spreadsheet and drag-and-drop and resize as needed - its a fantastic way to track formations and their movement.

the Soviets start 1st on turn 7 (this seems to happen every game at this point and is almost unfair).

You can turn off Variable Initiative in the Game Options.

sPzAbt653 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2024 2:39 am
You can turn off Variable Initiative in the Game Options.

Yes, but I'm not usually thinking that far ahead when I'm getting ready to play and I like the designers' settings for this one...