mrdozer2379 vs operating (active match)

[operating]

mrdozer2379(Entente) and myself(CP) have been in a MP match for about a couple of weeks now, currently next turn is 90 atm, hopefully it goes the entire 118 turns. Turn 25 I believe is May 25, 1915, we'll see as the screenshots (SS) get posted. There is no doubt that mrdozer is a competent player, as for myself: I am a bit rusty, laid off playing this game for quite a spell. We also agreed to play a second pbem match at the same time, however switched sides, both matches start in July 1914 turn 1. I'll try to explain symbols as the posts proceed. A match such as ours seemed worth the effort to record as a AAR. OK it's time to get down and dirty.


Turn 2

Skipped turn 1 for it's kinda mundane movement that most players should know. Mrdozer has gone on the offensive, his point of attacks are on Cattaro and Sarajevo while not leaving not much of a defense of Belgrade. Mind you this game has turn replay, meaning what's in my LOS will be seen during replay my next turn. He moved his garrison from the left flank of Belgrade to Belgrade's right (not fortified), then RR a garrison from Skopje to fill in the left flank, these movements as well as others weakens unit cohesion/morale. His attacks on cities actually had a fair amount of success, so much so that I had to RR an infantry to Sarajevo to save the city. Cattaro is not in much better condition, all I could do there was to repair the defender. It was quite obvious that mrdozer was trying to cut supply to my cities, I had very limited options to prevent this from happening. I'm not going to try and explain everything in detail for there are hundreds of SS yet to be posted. Follow the arrows to formulate what is not said. Green circles indicate repair, red circles indicate units destroyed, yellow arrows are for movement, red arrows indicate attacks, orange arrows is a air attack. AH decided to maneuver to cut supply to the main Serbian army by taking hexes to Belgrade's left and to attack to Belgrade's right flanking unit. Had limited success, nothing spectacular. On to turn 3.

I'll be back with the screen shot, going to have to resize it so it fits normal post widths, shutting down for now.

[operating]

Turn 3

Bare with me in getting organized preparing for this AAR. Had to resize Screenshots(SS) to fit correctly into post text area, otherwise the text would have extended beyond the right margin, what a PITA.

Before edit: Before movement

[operating]

Turn 3


Capture of Belgrade


Serb cav had advanced to red circle to perhaps surround Sarajevo (cut off supply), or attempt to capture Split with port for the Serb garrisons could have easily ran north next turn assaulting the SG (small garrison) their next turn. To blunt this offensive attacked Serb cav with Sarajevo infantry with infantry support from just north of the city, followed up finishing the cav off with the Split SG then advancing into the cav's former position. The Serbs withdrew infantry from Sarajevo right to attack AH general commanding the assault on Belgrade, but did not patriciate in action due to it's own losses from Serb counter-attacks, instead repaired. Belgrade succumbed to combined forces attack, first air and artillery attacks weakening defenders considerably followed up with infantry assaults eliminating defenders leaving it open for a AH garrison from Teneschburg to walk in for the city capture, then attack Serb garrison to Belgrade's southeast. Then RR Budapest garrison to box in/out Serbs, at same time repaired Temeschburg SG. Some players disband all SGs first turn, I do not, some I keep. Not feeling secure about Split, placed a AH garrison there from the production queue (lavender circle indicates all from queue in future), the garrison RR to Belgrade should had a yellow circle for movement. In this match decided to RR German artillery to support AH offensive, I do not always do so. You will see the effect of this in later turns. The AH cav was the last to strike Belgrade completely destroying defenders, the cav could have advanced into the city, chose not to, felt it was strong enough to hold it's ground during the next Serb turn. Plus it would interfere with expected Serb queue reinforcements. All-in-all felt this was a significant small victory for AH.

After edit

[operating]

Turn 3


In order for AH to release an admiral, it has to receive at least 10 naval kills. This was done by sinking a 10 strength French armored cruiser, trying to do so with the French pre-dreadnaught is not always successful, which can lead to headaches later on.

Not knowing what mrdozer's style of play, I chose a protected route of naval withdrawal for next turn by blocking the entrance to the Adriatic Sea with AH pre-dreadnaught after it was clear the current mission was accomplished.

[operating]

Turn 3

Pre Eastern Front movement

There are a variety of different maneuvers to use before Russia enters the war, for this match this is what I chose. Again it's been awhile since last playing this game, had I thought about it (strategically) from past experience the approach may have been different.

[operating]

Turn 3

The Baltic

This is very important to CP's Germany survival. Without supply fleets arriving in Koenigsberg, Germany will eventually wither away from loss of production and gains in Man Power, or be constricted in what it can invest in. I cannot know how to best employ the German Kriegsmarine, until I get an idea on how my opponent's strategy and tactics work here. At the very least I will position fleets for numerous opportunities as they arise.

[operating]

Turn 3

Belgium:

A lot of the German campaign here depends much on the roll-of-dice and movement. First off the Germans need to get enough "kills" to spawn a general for next turn and to achieve the best positions to strike from come next turn. Kriegsmarine hugged the coast to bombard Calais and Antwerp, supported by subs even though there is no immediate threat to the surface fleets. Secondly advanced units from Strassburg to restrict the French movement and to protect the main strike force in Belgium. Thirdly capture Liege and crowd Brussels. I felt as though attacking dice rolls did no go favorable for the Germans, I feel as though I did not execute the offensive correctly. OK then I will try to make up for it next turn with a general (Hindenburg).

[operating]

Turn 4

The French naval maneuver is exactly what I was afraid of and should have ignored it and headed for safer waters, but no, right now it looked like it was ripe for a kill. As you can see went with my heart instead of using my brain.

[operating]

Turn 4

Naval Battle:
Deployed AH admiral with dreadnaught, stuck the French with sub first, then dreadnaught, followed by pre-dreadnaught, then finally the AH armored cruiser all toll scoring 6 points off the French, but no real victory, although it may have resulted in spawning another AH admiral who will be needed for later naval campaigns. All else seems quiet here. Occasionally there will be SSs containing different information in the bottom status bar, just to keep the reader in the loop of developments.

[operating]

Turn 4

There is still a couple of turns before Russia enters the war (DOW) so best prepare for the onslaught once it starts. I've seen many different strategies here, all unique: From surprisingly good to dismal failures. In the FOW this chapter has me absolutely on my toes, especially where a competent Russian Commander disbands all unnecessary SGs to gain massive troop advantage in a relatively short period of time. When CTGW was first released there was no SGs, so a player's choice was to either go after Russia first, or go France first. The unfinished development of the game left a number of imbalances, however they can be overcome with good strategies and flawless tactics allowing for the least mistakes possible. It's fine line between being competitive or not. To me Warsaw is the great thorn in Germany's side, much as it was in the actual war. this is where I am going to concentrate attacks, at the same time develop defensive positions around Koenigsberg to hold against the massive Russian armies.

[operating]

Turn 4

These before SSs will be ending soon for there will be too many locations of interest to invest time and effort into that takes away from my actual playing the game (delays between turns). Put some movement arrows (always yellow) in this SS before the action begins. Take note that the Serbs killed off my AH cav that was just south of Belgrade, I'll miss that cav. Also observe that the Serbs did advance on Split, had I not deployed a garrison there last turn, the Serbs would be owning it right now. Had the Serb cav still existed he would have known a move towards Split would have been useless. The lesson here is: Do not underestimate your opponent..!! Why he attacked Belgrade with a 6 strength garrison to be ground down to a 3 is going to be a fatal mistake, plus I want to avenge the loss of my beloved AH cav.

[operating]

Turn 4

Revenge is sweet:

The Serbs took quite the drubbing this turn losing 4 units (2 garrisons, 1 infantry and 1 SG), I was very satisfied with the results, yet know all too well the battles are not over. My strategy here is to strike into the hills west of Kraljevo in the hope of trapping the Serbs to the east. First AH has to take the hills, in doing so lined up both CP guns to concentrate on the Serb salient northeast of Cattaro. The red circle with an X was where a Serb infantry got wiped out, however did not want to advance there after combat feeling it would be an easy kill for the Serbs (he wants revenge too..!!). Repaired an SG and repaired an infantry that needed rest. As you can see: Temeschberg is still being guarded by an SG preventing a Serb right flanking maneuver, for I realize that mrdozer is willing to take risks. Have to expect that the Serbs have more units in queue waiting to be deployed and is likely disbanding his labs to pay for more to cover the gap in his frontal line.

[operating]

Turn 4

The French(mrdozer) has made a slightly different approach to blunting the German offensive than I would have, regardless has merit, for I would have left the infantry in place to the northwest of front of Metz. He had a really good die roll knocking my garrison from a 9 to a 3 causing the garrison to retreat allowing the French infantry to advance into the unoccupied hex, that attack alone throws a monkey wrench into the German invasion.. You will see why in further SSs.

Before SS

[operating]

Turn 4

Withdrew Kriegsmarine to safe ports and shuttled subs down through the English Channel, at this time do not have a plan as of yet what I am going to do with them. Sent fighter from Posen south with the intent to assist AH in Serbia. Repaired the damaged garrison from a 3 to a 6. Like everybody else I am anxious to get into France and do a lot of damage. OK, captured Brussels and pushed around that PITA Belgium AC (armored car). Here again I could have proceeded differently, this is where my game rustiness is exposed and it's going to cost me badly. Killed one French garrison and damaged another, both holding up the offensive now general'd now by Paul Hindenburg. Felt it was a good time to crowd Nancy and Verdun with an infantry and attack both cities to cause French PP loss, all this did was take a good infantry away from the main offensive contributing to loss of initiative. . All attack ratios did not look promising attacking the French infantry salient, so left it alone hoping to isolate it later. Needed my strength to fight on to Paris, even though by now the French should be receiving reinforcements on it's turn. If I cannot push through to Paris the Germans are toast.

[operating]

Turn 5

The one thing I do not want to do here is to not have contact with English navy, it's their home waters (identified with green dots in hexes). I'd rather have mrdozer wonder where my subs are?? (Could they be in the Baltic, could they be up by Scapa Flow, could they be in the Channel?).. [8D] [&:]

[operating]

Turn 5

What's different about the French attacking the AH fleet is: His ships received no damage, yet my dreadnaught lost 3 strength points. It costs nothing in PP to repair a pre-dreadnaught or armored cruiser (as in the French pre-dreadnaught's case), however my weakened dreadnaught costs 1 PP per turn in port to repair till it reaches 10 strength, plus the 2 PP per turn for the upkeep of this fleet, that's another thing about pre-dreadnaughts and armored cruisers, they have no upkeep PP costs.

I do not want the Entente fleets in the Adriatic Sea, do not need them attacking my ports or army units, so I have to block them at the choke point entrance to the Adriatic and prepare for French sub attacks to open this channel from the blocking fleets.

[operating]

Turn 5

The game does not allow CP to attack Russia first(it's hard coded), in the meantime I will have to keep setting up for Russia's DOW by placing 2 new garrisons near Koenigsberg, also RR another close to Lemberg. Because of unit loses in Serbia I was not able to increase the AH presence here. With the exception here of 1 AH garrison including a general, all more so for defense than offense. Also moved German Atlantic fleets to the Baltic. Hopefully many units will have a chance to get dug in and fortify while building morale. It's wait and see..

[operating]

Turn 5

The Serbs were able to kill off one of my AH infantry near Kraljevo, at the same time weakening their units and reducing morale, likely assisted by their artillery. This opened the door for a fierce AH counterattack killing off Serbian last remaining infantry (unlikely they will have enough PP to produce infantry replacements) and had success assisted by German artillery in destroying another Serb garrison northwest of Cattaro leading to an assault on the city itself. Certainly having a general here helps a lot. Repaired 1 garrison, all other reserve units entered the fray assaulting Kraljevo and moving around to the city's west. New here is the German fighter getting into position to join the fight next turn. Likely the Serb artillery is out of ammunition and will run to save itself during the Serb turn, as well as other Serb units. That's 6 Serb units eliminated during the last 2 turns, they cannot afford any losses if they wish to hold a line and stay organized. One of the aspects of this game I could not understand is: Why are there no Serb generals, or no generals for many nations? After all the game is called "Commanders" The Great War.[&:]

[operating]

Turn 5

This is where I completely lose the push on Paris. That pesky most northern French infantry once again belted my garrison down to a 3 and forcing it to retreat and be repaired.[:(] The Germans cannot ignore this and have to take steps to rub this PITA out. Used a fighter on them followed up with artillery then infantry assaults "AND THE FRENCHMAN SURVIVES"..!!![X(] SOB..! Too boot, the Belgium AC repaired and is in the way of my advance, it took 2 assaults to back him up to where he is now, really slowing down the offensive allowing the French to have time to build even more reinforcements, while my units are starting to have morale issues.[8|] mrdozer was smart enough to RR a French Cav into Antwerp and shove the Belgium garrison into the path of my advance stifling German initiative. Not only that: I did not allow for reinforcements to arrive here as reserves, every new unit was being allotted for the Eastern Front. I'm Screwed..![:@]

[operating]

Turn 6

To my surprise an English sub attacked my German cruiser making itself known, the sub caused no damage, if anything woke the sailors out of their bunks for battle stations.

Before action SS: