For the glory of the Kaiser

[hjaco]

Taking up the gauntlet as the Kaiser well both anyway against Ulver to disprove his claim that the CP in no way can win this game i decided to make an AAR.

Events will be reported when it can't give away intel to my foe [;)]

Trying to be sneaky Germany setup to a France first without violating Belgian neutrality. AH artillery was setup in the alps.

Ample forces defended East Prussia as a backup plan to my Kaiser plan of a left hook through France. In case this didn't work i needed a decent starting position in 1915 against Russia.

[hjaco]

Oh dear - some improvement is needed to this AAR. Hope my warfare will be better [:D]

[EUBanana]

How odd, I'm wondering if theres any way the CP can lose!

Looking forward to an Entente game when I'm done with Blackhorse to see how I fare against the Hun hordes...

[hjaco]

Ample forces was deployed in Prussia to prevent its outright downfall. If my 1914 left hook Kaiser plan failed i would need a contingency plan against Russia in 1915 with ample staging areas.

[hjaco]

Right - nice improvement.

I agree with you in part EUBanana. But then again most players will probably have most experience with CP so only time can tell. But no question about that the Entente has been given the first opportunity to loose the game.

Anyway in coherence with the backup plant the Kaiser persuaded the other Kaiser to forget about the Serbs which was screened with some Cavalry and the AH army was deployed in Galicia. Note that setup was in the strong defensive position within the fortifications in case the Tsar wanted Galicia rather than something else.

[hjaco]

The general idea was if Russia deployed heavily against Galicia they wouldn't be getting any where. If they had evil plans against Prussia or perhaps even OE my AH forces would punish Russia By launching an offensive against Brest-Litovsk to at the very least draw some Russian attention and forces away from their main offensive.

Being the Kaiser well in fact both Serbia would have to wait and our master plans would of course work so that was not going to be a problem [8|]

I must sadly admit that i got carried away because it has been a seldom intense and bloody 1914 indeed so i can only deliver screen shots at end of every turn. Hope it will work out.

Entente setup indicated extreme setup against OE from both Russia and Britain. Some Russian forces was spotted east of Königsberg and around Lublin.

Making sneaky plans the Kaiser ordered everything into research of a new secret weapon called Poison Gas. One research point was saved to further research in that area if necessary in September.

Two SUBS was bought.

Not so surprisingly Germany declared war on Luxembourg and the Entente on OE. Apparently they had anticipated a major European engagement and had deployed for that contingency with violating another hapless backward nation in the Levant. Tell me about the morale in this ! Strangely enough other neutrals and America couldn't care less about this [&:]

No naval engagement this turn.

Interestingly enough Britain deployed both air factors in the middle east leaving France with only two air factors. Great that should give me a large advantage against France.

Verdammt ! No air support for Germany [:@]

WHAT !!!!! France got 1 air support with only 2 air factors

The Kaiser was not amused i can tell you [:@] [:@] [:@]

[hjaco]

August 1914 Impulse 4

Germany invaded France on the two clear hexes blindfolded because of lack of intelligence from our incompetent blind pilots and some barrages was exchanged. Being cleverly occupied by French cavalry only both hexes was taken clean. Well the northern cavalry was hit by 5 barrages so i guess it didn't survive to retreat. Big Bertha succeeded in destroying the fortresses at Verdun. AH artillery which was deployed in the alps and moved the center of the front.

With a very heavy Russian setup against OE (at least 4 army groups)
the turks were screwed. Not much i could do to help them as they were stuck with setup along the Russian border. dinner was served.

Russia obliterated any border defenses which i anticipated. What was new to me was a French [X(] invasion of Gallipoli and British invasions of Smyrna and Beirut together with a drive from Egypt towards Jerusalem. The sultan immediately send for the German ambassador screaming for help showing no understanding for the German long term strategy.

OE would be gone within a couple of turns that was sure and the German assault into France was not going just as expected.

But the Kaiser immediately sensed a major opportunity in Russia. Orders was promptly wired to Prittwitz to immediately attack toward Warsaw from East Prussia while Krasnik who was in overall command of AH forces in Galicia was ordered to drive hard for Brest-Litvosk and northwards while bypassing and isolating major enemy strong holds.

It would cost a lot of offensive points but if the French gambit failed at least i could get a decent starting position for a 1915 offensive against Russia.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: hjaco
Apparently they had anticipated a major European engagement and had deployed for that contingency with violating another hapless backward nation in the Levant. Tell me about the morale in this ! Strangely enough other neutrals and America couldn't care less about this [&:]

[:D] poor Ottomans. Nobody luvs them.

They'll fall real fast if the Entente are making them #1.

But one has to wonder - why? The only strategically important reason to take them out is to ferry supplies to Russia and then let the Eastern Front be the decisive war winning front later on in the game.

But surely this leaves France terribly vulnerable? I would have thought the first priority for the Entente is to make sure France survives, and I think thats pretty tall order right there requiring maximum effort.

A very odd strategy indeed from the Entente I think. Be very interesting to see how this goes!

[hjaco]

I agree. Well there is also the OE resources you take away from Germany but you can occupy these hexes a couple of turns later.


With no intel available to the position of the French forces and forced to do something very quickly a deep - very deep breath was taken.

A massive all out pincer maneuver was attempted to cut off Nancy while a major assault on Verdun was ordered.

A heavy French concentration of forces aided by their not blind pilots [:@] was killing my troops en massé south of Verdun.

The Kaiser was going nuts !

Well, at least the Austrian siege artillery finished off the center fortification with a clean shot in the French line [:D]

This resulted in big time attrition as the German pincer maneuver
was succesfully carried out isolating what later showed to be a fully stacked Nancy. Meanwhile Frenchie was blasted out of Verdun with 18 artillery support factors. Apparently they couldn’t stomach that.

The Kaiser was on top of things again [:D]

Some more maneuvering was carried out in the East with one Russian corps in Lublin killed clean while two others nearby was almost wiped out.

The Entente continued having great fun against OE mopping up all around. I remember a poor class B Infantry in the Caucasus with 4 strength points and no readiness been steamrolled by a fully stack of Russian veterans [8|]

Apparently some French HQ was used to save British offensive points – interesting tactic.

[hjaco]

Oh dear [:D]

[hjaco]

Well the previous happened in Impulse 3

Have mercy on me [;)]

August 1914 Impulse 2

At last there was some really results in France. Their artillery and pilots with falcon eyes was still murdering my troops south of Verdun. I even lost a corps to that pesky artillery before it could be pulled out of the line [:(]

Nancy was taken by storm with immense French casualties while the German sledgehammer drove unstoppable westwards outflanking the river line north of Verdun.

French casualties was stockpiling now. Germans as well but i could stomach it.

The Russians consolidated in Warsaw which clearly used up some rail movements. Grodno was only garrisoned. The remainder of two Russian corps was eliminated.

More senseless killing of turks. Who cares.

[hjaco]

August 1914 Impulse 1

At last the French resistance broke all over the line although my forces have been mauled in the process.

AH and German troops joined hands east of Warsaw. Some corps was pocketed and a total of 4 – 5 Russian A corps have been eliminated for good so far and some more been pocketed.

I forgot about OE. They were dead anyway. Didn't even care to move them.

[hjaco]

August status

Germany has taken 175 losses which is a bit high for my taste but the French have been mauled for an estimate of 300 strength points so the carnage is good enough for me.

I am only refitting units with high readiness as they are ready to attack instantly thereby benefiting the most from my new recruits.

Despite this enough naval points is bought to build further 3 SUBS in a couple of turns. I am gambling that France will fall in summer and i will hit British transport capability hard to hinder shipping of the immense British reserves from England to the Balkans.

I decide to continue research in gas as well as aircraft and artillery. Who cares about trenches anyway with this kind of warfare. Gas was not researched so the spare RP was used in gas.

AH was persuaded to send their entire stock of raw materials and industrial points to Germany [8D]

[EUBanana]

Wow.

You've bought 7 submarines with Germany?

I hope for the Entente's sake that they are researching ASW - if you have enough naval assets to keep those subs at work in the North Atlantic his transport fleet is going to be heinously mauled...  in my experience four submarines is plenty to get Britain making a maximum effort against them!

[EUBanana]

Bought, bleah.

I mean.

You have 7 subs in your fleet?

[hjaco]

September 1914 Impulse 3

Not much fighting spirit left in the French. France holds Lyon, Belfort (surrounded), Paris, Epernay in force. Otherwise it is pretty empty. I prepare to take out Lyon & Belfort in the south and attack east of Epernay to outflank Paris to the cities in the north trying to seal of the coastline before British units can enter in force. I will outflank Paris to the west in order to get artillery into position. otherwise i will wait for Poison Gas to take the hexes around Paris and mob up the remainder.

[hjaco]

September 1914 Impulse 2

The French Line east of Verdun was breached on the two eastern most hexes. French survivors from the Ardennes was cut off and retreated into a neutral Belgium ? Hopefully they will not be able to attack me from there !!!!

In the meantime German and AH forces joined hands east of Warsaw. It was pure maneuvering with the Russians content of garrisoning cities which i bypassed [:D]

[hjaco]

September 1914 Impulse 1

More maneuvering in east and west. Lyon, Belfort and Epernay was taken and German troops moves next to Arras and Lille.

Meanwhile the heroic turkish 4 corps was ordered to stop the invading Russian hordes.

[hjaco]

Well i have bought the naval points in order to buy the SUBS to eventually hurt the British yes.

Given the opportunity my reasoning behind this is:

1) Having fun in general.

2) Hurting The Entente economy.

3) Hurting British amphibious capability.

4) Hurting British food stock to prevent them from being send to Russia.

5) In general hurting my opponent.

[EUBanana]

I think a lot of the defence of France must come down to guessing when you are exhausted.  Look how screwed some of your front line units are.  Readiness 3.

If he could counterattack a stack which was down to that level of readiness, you'd get mauled.

Problem is guessing when you're in that condition.

I guess the Entente player should try and arrange matters so that all strongpoints have a considerable reserve by them, so when Verdun or Paris or whatever falls, you can smash the forces who took it really hard, when their readiness is presumably in the toilet.

The problem is - you just don't have enough units for this!  I've not seen many games where people can keep a two hex deep front, for example.  With the hard caps in the game engine on the size of the armies I wonder if you ever can, in fact.