HB (Axis) vs MM (Allies) No MM for now

[Harrybanana]

This is my first AAR in a long time so bear with me. And if you are looking for something flashy or amusing, you better look elsewhere. All I can promise you is to show you in as much detail as possible how I play the game. If you see something you like or dislike in my play let me know.

I am very worried about these games. MM has destroyed his last few opponents and is more experienced than me, especially with the current version of the game. So I fear I am just going to be his next victim. But I do have the advantage that I have read his AARs, so maybe that will give me something of an edge.

Below is the map of Poland after my September 1 Turn. Although I failed to capture Lodz, losses were surprisingly light, only 10 army and 4 air.

[Harrybanana]

Unfortunately after I ended my turn the save refused to upload to the server. Below is my screenshot after an hour of waiting.

[Harrybanana]

So I redo my turn and below is the result. I capture Lodz, but don't cut the units in the West out of supply. I also take more air and ground losses. Note that my Westernmost armour has moved onto the rail lines for the trip West next turn. I also railed a corps to the Danish border and captured Luxembourg. I moved all my fleet except the subs to Stettin. The 39 tech sub was set to priority replacements and my subs stayed in port. I reduced my upgrade replacement level to 20. Just enough, I hope, to upgrade the sub.

[Harrybanana]

Below are my German Research Settings. Nothing surprising I don't think. Oops, I made a mistake, I meant to set my breakthrough tech investment to 5; I will need to correct that next turn.

[Harrybanana]

And the Italian Research Investment. Some people may be surprised that there is no investment in either of the armour techs. IMO Italy just doesn't get enough research points to be effective in too many areas. So for me the decision is to forgo armour. Instead I prefer to build a lot of infantry and mountain units. We will see if that works out for me this game.

[Harrybanana]

In terms of grand strategy I am open to suggestions. Here are a few things I am considering and would love to know your thoughts:

1. Not invading Norway. The advantages are that I deprive the UK of 48 MS and will save myself the expense of invading and garrisoning Norway. The disadvantages are that I will lose the Norwegian production and if the UK captures Narvik my winter iron ore route is lost.

2. Not invading the Netherlands. The advantages are depriving the UK of 30 MS and 3 escorts. The disadvantages are it will probably add at least a turn or more to my conquest of France. It also gives the Allies an easy way to get back into Europe.

3. Building 3 new U-Boats which would give me a total of 6. Too few? But it would make my Russian campaign stronger.

[Harrybanana]

SEPTEMBER 15, 1939

Warsaw Falls and Poland surrenders. But the cost was not cheap. The Germans build 1 armour and the Italians build a mountain corps. I debated what tech to give the armour and decided on Heavy Armour. Perhaps because I gaffed on my tech investment last turn my Breakthrough tech didn't advance nearly as much as the Heavy Armour. Meanwhile my U-Boats head out to the South Atlantic and my 2nd armour rails up to the Danish border.

[Harrybanana]

SEPTEMBER 29, 1939

MM and I are concerned that U-Boats may be overpowered. But you wouldn't know it from the start of this game.

[Harrybanana]

Meanwhile Denmark is conquered. Casualties are a little higher than I would like. Especially in comparison to the game where MM is Axis. The Germans build an armour and a paratrooper. I don't intend to start building U-Boats until after I have my forces in the que for France 1940. Is this a mistake?

[Harrybanana]

OCTOBER 13, 1939

Not much to report. The repaired U-Boats return to sea and the Wehrmacht moves West. The Germans build an Air Superiority Unit.

Forgot to mention earlier that MM and are playing with the following House Rules:

1. French colonial troops cannot be moved at all until Italy joins the Axis. This is to prevent them from being replaced by UK units or weaker French Units.

2. Neither side can invade in the Caspian Sea.

3. Axis can’t enter the Far East Box (or whatever it is called). I think currently they can paradrop into it.

4. After the Winter War the Finns can’t enter the ceded territory until after they are at War with Russia, even if not occupied by Russian troops.

5. The Western Allies can move fleets into the Baltic (which of course requires that they deactivate the mine fields). But if the Axis subsequently reactivate the minefields then they can’t use oilers on any fleets trapped in the Baltic.

6. If the Axis invade Portugal they also have to DOW Spain.

Thank you to ComradejaKorps who compiled this list of what, IMHO, are good House Rules to play by.

[MorningDew]

Good house rules.

Would love to see all three of these codified in the game.

[Harrybanana]

OCTOBER 27, 1939

Happy Hunting for the U-Boats. At least for now it easy to avoid the Allies ASW Hunter Groups. A bit confusing, but there are 3 separate screenshot in the picture below. I am no graphic artist. The Germans build a Mechanized.

[Harrybanana]

NOV 10, 1939

Not much happening, except I go brain dead and move my newly built U-Boat within range of his shore based bombers. I will have to wait until next turn to see if this costs me. I don't think the ASW patrol will affect his escorts chance of hitting this unit as it is guarding the North Atlantic and I am raiding the South Atlantic. My other sub fleet of 2 subs sunk 4 more MS. The Germans build a sub and couple landing craft. The Italians build a mountain unit and a landing craft.

[kennonlightfoot]

The patrol boats have a range of 24 so they are hitting you. Assuming the bug is only in the message not the combat resolution.

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: kennonlightfoot

The patrol boats have a range of 24 so they are hitting you. Assuming the bug is only in the message not the combat resolution.

But don't the patrol boats have to be in the same convoy lane as my subs?

[Harrybanana]

NOV 24, 1939

My subs escape detection on all 4 air attacks. Otherwise not much happening. I sink another 2 MS. The Germans build a ground attack group.

[Harrybanana]

DEC 8, 1939

Nothing of interest happening. I do sink another 3 MS and an escort. So my U-Boats are so far doing better in the BOA than MM's U-Boats are doing in our mirror game.

[Harrybanana]

My U-Boats continue to out perform MM's, for no better reason than luck I guess. If I was him I would be whining like crazy. The Germans build a mech, the Italians build an infantry corps and a LS.

[Harrybanana]

JAN 5, 1940

Germans build 50 supply trucks. In retrospect I think I should have built another mechanized. After glorious hunting last turn against a partially escorted convoy, the U-Boats come up empty this turn against totally unescorted convoys. Perhaps MM turned off the North Atlantic convoy, but I doubt it. I really do think that escorts should reduce MS damage and that unescorted convoys should be easy pickings.

[ago1000]

This leads to an excellent Allied strategy. Leave a DD on the route and then turn it off. It will bait the German's into thinking it's open.