Buzz/Larry FITE modded 4b Sov T1

[freeboy]

movies?

[Zort]

Yep I found the in game movie button I hadn't clicked. It's on now. Here are my losses.

[Zort]

Ok here is the map comparisons for turn 4. I attacked in Finland on turn 4 against Larry and haven't attacked yet against SMK. Two different styles of defense. Larry is forming a line the river line in front of Smolensk and basically gave me the rest of the map.

SMK has pushed lots of units forward to slow me down. He has put more units into the Stalin line then Larry did but he did give me Riga a turn earlier. His defensive line is closer then Larry's in the south and north of Smolensk.

[SMK-at-work]

Yeah I actually screwed up at Riga with a couple of moves - putting a retreated artillery onto trains was a bad move - it couldnt' go anywhwere 'cos I forgot to check the rail connections, and it couldn't unload 'cos being retreated it only had part of its rail movement left and it won't let you unload rail unless it has 100% of its ral movement left!!

the other different thing is the random seizure of armies - I simply couldn't move a lot of units where  wanted too - no doubt Larry is experiencing the same, but I imagine his frozen units are mainly differnt from mine!!

At the Stalin line I'm applying the experience I had in our shortlived game with a previous build with me as the Axis - individual forts are easy to surround and reduce - it becomes a lot harder if they have just a modicum of support from decent adjacent units - hence I've tried to put a rifle division or something similar next to each fort unit. We'll shortly see if it buys me another turn or 2!!

as far as I can see Larry & I are both starting a line "at Smolensk" starting at Orsha aren't we?

it's interesting to see what you can't see too!!

[larryfulkerson]

Yeah, my defensive line goes right through Orsha as you can see in this photo below:

[SMK-at-work]

Pretty much what I'm planning on too - only I've had most of my units near Moscow frozen for 1 or 2 turns!![:(]

[Zort]

Am I hearing some whining or are your commanders just in shock and can't move!!![:D]

[SMK-at-work]

Hey grumpy - do you want feedback or not! [:'(]

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the minmap moves movie from turns 2 thru 5:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's some of the Soviet losses so far:

[Zort]

Here are the losses for turn 5 in both games. I took Minsk in both games on turn 5.

[larryfulkerson]

Here it is the 6th Soviet turn. Here's the minimap moves movie from turns 2 thru 6:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's some soviet losses so far:

[ according to my carefull calculations Zort killed the following Soviet units:
......turn.......units killed
......1...........98
......2...........14
......3...........44
......4...........34
......5...........34
......6...........41 ]

[Zort]

Larry, just out of curiosity, it looks like you have been able to lose less against Karri. What are you doing different or is it because of the modifications in this game?

[Zort]

Here are the loss comparison thru turn 6. Different defensive strategies equal different losses. SMK continues to push numerous units to hold places that Larry on sent 2 guys too. Not sure what SMK's losses are but I suspect they are higher then Larry's.

Larry has his planes up and SMK doesn't it seems. I do kill some on the ground though.

Another interesting to me item, in the stock game the german inf regt had the 150mm gun and I would be losing them left and right. Now that I have replaced them with the 150mm light gun I am hardly losing any.

[SMK-at-work]

Jut wait 'til you get to Odessa big boy, then you'll see how it's supposed to be done!

1000 more heavy rifle squad losses is quite a difference - enough to say that my tactics are causing you more losses than Larry's IMO.  I'm sure I have lost more than Larry - but then I consider Rifle units (divisions, Brigades) of the Red army as completely expendable and have no qualms about chucking them forwards into hopeless positoins where I know they will get destroyed - as long as they also slow you down!

I'll post a shot my my losses when you send me my next turn.....

[Zort]

Yea I see the big army in front of Odessa. Think I'll go around

[SMK-at-work]

Gonna leave them behind you are you?  That should be fun......[8D]

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Zort
Larry, just out of curiosity, it looks like you have been able to lose less against Karri. What are you doing different or is it because of the modifications in this game?

Um.....I'm using the same "run-away" defensive strategy in both games and in the stock version against Karri my Soviet units aren't frozen in place or in reserve until turn 2 or turn 4 and I'm able to remove them from the line of fire easier. Also, there are fewer units in reorg status from turn to turn ( higher shock I guess ). So I have more units, and they have higher supply when they get to their final place in the defensive line.

I'm finding that the lower rail allowance in your modded version has hampered my putting units in the forward defensive lines more than I think I have allowed for, so you may have some holes to thrust through when you get to them ( the defensive lines ). Also, I'm finding that after you kill the unit(s) and they reconstitute, they need more time to refit ( gain in proficiency and supply ) before they are usable in the defensive line. I mean, you don't really count on a unit that has 35% proficiency to stand and fight in any really important terrain. So I tend to leave them out of the fighting longer than in the stock version against Karri.

Also, I removed the aircraft to Moscow to recuperate somewhat ( until their proficiency was higher than 35% ) and then put them back into the fight and that will probably lead to higher losses than SMK is experiencing. If I understand you to have said he's holding his planes back, he's probably waiting for the opertune time to use them to good effect. Like holding onto Smolensk or Kiev or someother good time.

[SMK-at-work]

I've got a few fighter groups on AS well behind the lines to act agaisnt deep interdictoin and bridge attacks whilst keeping out of the way of the Me-109's.

Buzz only destroyed about 1600 a/c on his T1 and a few hundrd more on T2 - since then reported losses have been been between about 2:3 in my favour and 3:2 in his - so I figure my airforce is doing reasonably well, and the bomber force is recovering rapidly. 

I intend to use it en-masse somewhere as you suggest - not sure where yet but at this stage I think I'll be trying to avoid hte main strength of the Luftwaffe.

The random freezing of formations is certainly a major nuisance - my Moscow front was frozen for 2 turns in a row startign the turn when hte militia divisions arrived - they aren't much good at fighting but I was hoping they'd be useful for digging defences and they didn't even get to doing that for a week!  Also "stray" divisions coming up to the front will get frozen, and even whole armies wwhen they are half way through deploying into defensive positions .....very frustrating

Significant front line hexes have flak units, as do important river crossings.