Soviet player wanted for '44 scenario

[nicks1]

Hi all,

Experienced German Looking for Soviet player for '44 scenario.
Main House rules proposed.

[nicks1]

Sorry, Proposed House Rules were missed with last post.
Main House rules proposed
No Soviet first turn.
No Soviet air attacks allowed on OKH, OKW, West Front and Italian Front until Soveit forces move within 5 hexes of one of these HQ's

[Zerberus_MatrixForum]

Hi,
 
I'm interested in. I'm not sure, wether the games is really balanced with this rules, because the main problem for the Axis is the lack of infantery and guns in my opinion. But why not give it a try. Please send me a pm, if you are still interested,
 
Cheers,
 
Z.

[nicks1]

Hey Zerberus,

Thanks for reply. Agreed, game heavily unbalanced. However, I enjoy playing the scenario more than any other. I played a friend for years in WIR and we ended up playing this the most. I have standard version WIR 3.3. Just need to settle rules on first turn, Italy and minor issues. happy to hear any rule suggestions you have.
In all the games i have played of this scenario the Germans have not may it to May.

Cheers

[Josans]

hi nicks1,

Or you are crazy guy or you are a very skilled opponent or maybe both things [;)]
Really happy to see someone again looking for a 44 campaign as german. So many years passed by I played this campaign for last time but i remember i was exciting, very different from other campaigns, and of course, playing the germans I lost the game [X(] But i believe you have some tricks to play this game [8|]

An AAR would be fantastic if it possible!!!

[Zerberus_MatrixForum]

Hi Nicks1,
 
did you receive my pm? Adtional to your conditions I would suggest the usual housrules:
 
1) A corps can only change its commanding HQ before it has been supplied. No special supply twice (no changing the name of a corps then supplying it again).

2) No HQ may launch more than two missions of the same type, per turn. No single enemy target may be attacked more than 3 times per turn. Raise attacks and missions by 1 in the 1st clear turn of 42.

3) To plot more than 2 hexes of movement an armored Korps/Army must be composed of AT LEAST TWO Panzer, Tank, Motorized, PanzerGrenadier (PZG), Mechanized or Cavalry Divisions FOR EVERY ONE non-mobile Division. If an armored Corps does not have the minimum amount of mobile Divisions in it, it may only plot 2 hexes as if it were an infantry Korps/Army. )

4) All Soviet HQ's within 3 squares of the eastern edge of the map, are considered to be "beyond the Urals" and MAY NOT be attacked by player directed air missions, such as an airfield attacks. The air groups in these HQ's can't fight however, they must be in training mode only. This rule no longer applies once the HQ has one or more enemy korps within 3 hexes to it.

5) Finnish forces MAY NOT attack Leningrad (40,7) or it’s supply hex (41,6). The Soviets are required to garrison Leningrad with MINIMUM 3 Divisions even though Finland may not attack. If the Germans capture Leningrad, Finnish forces are allowed to enter Soviet territory and engage in combat but they must remain on or above the 12th parallel.

6) No Hungarian, Rumanian, or Finnish units may be sent to the West or Italian Front HQs. No Italian units may be sent to the West Front HQ.


Please send me your mail for the first turn.
 
 
Cheers,
 
Z.

[DavidFaust]

hi nicks1,

Or you are crazy guy or you are a very skilled opponent or maybe both things
Really happy to see someone again looking for a 44 campaign as german. So many years passed by I played this campaign for last time but i remember i was exciting, very different from other campaigns, and of course, playing the germans I lost the game But i believe you have some tricks to play this game

An AAR would be fantastic if it possible!!!

Maybe our next game, Josan?

[Josans]

ORIGINAL: kingtiger_501

hi nicks1,

Or you are crazy guy or you are a very skilled opponent or maybe both things
Really happy to see someone again looking for a 44 campaign as german. So many years passed by I played this campaign for last time but i remember i was exciting, very different from other campaigns, and of course, playing the germans I lost the game But i believe you have some tricks to play this game

An AAR would be fantastic if it possible!!!

Maybe our next game, Josan?

Yeah!Of course you playing the germans [:'(]

[DavidFaust]

Yeah!Of course you playing the germans

I would like too play Germany

[nicks1]

Hi Zerberus,
 
Got your PM.  Sorry for delay in replying.  I will get a turn to you ASAP.  Might be another day away due to other commitments (Tour de France is on during my computer time).  1st German turn of '44 takes longer than any other scenario.  I am generally good to get one turn a day done.  I live in Australia so we have opposite time zones so more than 1 turn a day may be difficult.
House rules are all senisible and with the last person I was playing against we had similar.  Only played one other human and this is my first appearance on matrix games forum.
 
AAR:  I will do my best.  Haven't tried to copy screenshots etc before.  With my previous opponant we would have a great time providing details of turns to each other.  My best turn as the Germans in the '44 scenario involved over-running two tank armies involving the loss of 1,200 Soviet tanks.  I bagged another one the next turn.  I laughed and laughed. . . until Berlin fell.
 
I have played this scenario about 10 times.  We have teried about 1/2 dozen different strategies as the Germans.  None are succesful.  However, all were great fun games.  The Germans know they are going to lose, it is a matter of how painful they make it for the Russians.

[nicks1]

Early German Turns
Run away!
It has been agreed for no Soviet first turn.  Germans agreed to man Italian front.  Standard House Rules are in play.
Germans have decided not to defend forward.  Full retreat has occured.  Retreat from Normandy has also occured.  Defence of West Wall has begun.  Italian Front is static.  Finnish front is first to feel the heat of Soviet firepower.  Rumanians will soon follow.
More details on defence lines being dug once Russians catch-up to them.

[PaxMondo]

I've havent even tried this scenario yet.  It looks so tough for GER and so simple for SOV ....  This is going to be interesting to watch.

[nicks1]

German Turns 4 and 5 (No german Turn 1 as Soviets moved first).
 
Soviets dashed through and took Polesti on Soviet turn 3.  Germans are defending Bucharest and River and marshes S and E of Bucharest.
Finland is also looking very grim.  Soviets broke my lines early in Finland and I had to retreat to Helsinki.
A rush of Pz Divs to the West Wall should hold that line.
Soviets have moved onto the Hungarian plain and E Poland.  German defence lines can't be to far away.
Helsinki and Bucharest will come under great pressure in next two turns.  A Tank army has tunred up a few hexes from Helsinki.  That can't be good.[:(]
 

[PaxMondo]

Yeah, things happen fast in this scenario ... too fast for me ... how do you react to so many threats?

[nicks1]

[font="times new roman"]Soviet Turn 5.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Breakthrough in Rumania – Bucharest surrounded.  10 Rumanian Divs have so far exploded in a blaze of not so much glory.  I can only hope the USSAF is still distracted to attack Bucharest over long term locations like Munich.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Central Poland:  Krakow fell.  Actually, part of a trap that failed to spring.  Two Hungarian Divs were annihilated in the region.  I expected the Soviets to have spotted these bits and plotted certain paths leaving him open to counter attack.  However, he had not spotted them so went on his merry way blundering over the top of my scout corps.  I could take a risk and go after a Tank army that may be on its own.  However, there is one hex next to it that I haven’t spotted so I don’t know what lurks there.  I get this wrong and 2 SS Pz corp could disappear.  If he plotted as I had planned I could have seen his bits dangling and moved to chop them off.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]I have made several small tactical errors so far due to not having played in over a year.  Finland will fall about 3-4 turns earlier than planned and Rumania will fall 1-2 turns earlier than planned.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]I have made other small errors across the map as well.  While these are all relatively modest, for the German player in this scenario everything needs to be planned in detail and small mistakes leave you open to increasing problems.  Every German mistake gets magnified.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]The only good news for the Germans is the air campaign is going very well over Germany.  The USSAF campaign over Germany can go very bad very early for the Germans depending on the first 4-5 turns of targets the US goes after.  Fortunately, they have done a number of deep strikes that I could knock down.  Apart from some HI losses on Turn 1 there has been very little lost in Germany to bombing.  After Rumania falls the USSAF from Italy tends to obliterate Munich, so I have this to look forward to in the near future.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]The main battles are about to begin around Western Poland and the Danube/Budapest region.  The next few turns will tell the story of the strength of the German armies.  If I can not hold these lines for even a few turns then all will be lost.  I have held these lines into November against a human opponent.  But I am a turn or two behind the curve at the moment which might result in big penalties once the battles begin.[/font]

[nicks1]

[font="times new roman"]German Turn 6/Soviet Turn 6[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Early August[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Germans may have cut supply lines for Soviets in Rumania.  I did not see the movement and there was no combat so I think so.  One lone Rumanian Cav Div did more to delay the Soviets than the rest of the Rumanian army.  Soviets quickly obliterated these incursions behind there lines.  Another ½ dozen Rumanian Divs disappeared.  I am hoping shattered Rumanian remainders return to the General German force pool.  Although I have never known for sure if shattered minors return to general force pool or are merely scattered to the 4 winds.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Bucharest still holds but has been out of supply for two turns.  Two Russian Tank armies are lining up for final assault.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]I did not check the state of the Finns this morning (quick log on to see results of Soviet turn).[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Soviets tried to march across the Danube just north of Budapest.  The SS were very welcoming.  Soviets losing 40 vehicles and numerous men for their troubles.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Hungarian formations were attempting to hold the Soviet hordes back in the mountains SW of Krakow.  They had received orders to hold up the Soviet advance for at least one week.  Hungarian forces failed in this mission.  Soviets then bumped into 1st and 2nd SS Divs with Kingtiger/Elfant/Tiger attachments just to the West of the Hungarian defence line.  70 burning tanks later the Soviets gave up on the assault.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]I do not have total losses for campaign so far, but the Germans must have lost an impressive 3,000+ squads.  Fortunately more than 90% of these were from the minors who will choose not to be involved in the apocalyptic battles to come.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]First turn of problems over Germany in the Air campaign.  Berlin HI was reduced to rubble.  It will take some months for this to return to full working order.  With the loss of other HI this will cause some heartburn for Speer.  Where are my wonder-weapons to turn the tide![/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]I have not attempted to load pictures of German defence lines as this will give my positions up.  So far the Soviet air spotting of my lines has been poor.  The German spotting of Soviets has been far worse due to not having an airforce.  I am waiting for the right time to use my 109E’s as target practice for the Soviets.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]

[PaxMondo]

Ok, I'll bite: what is "HI"? As in Berlin HI? I don't know this acronym. [&o]

[DavidFaust]

HI= Heavy Indrustry

[nicks1]

[font="times new roman"]German and Soviet Turns 7[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Calm before the storm.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Germans continued to consolidate their defence lines along the front.[/font]
[font="times new roman"]USAF Bombed a major oil facility in Germany.  That is not good.  Especially once you lose Rumania and Krakow the Max German oil from that point is 70.  You have to have no bombing and several months’ growth to get to that figure.  Where are my 262’s!  It has been explained to Goring the consequences of these continued failures over the Reich .[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Soviet Turn:  Helsinki and Bucharest both fell [:(].  This releases three Soviet Tank armies for use elsewhere.  It is important on these two fronts to delay the surrender as long as possible without wasting any actual German units for their defence.  Another two turns delay on these front would delay the arrival of these tank armies to the main front to just before the mud starts, missing the entire summer on the main front.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Soviet armies used this turn to reorganise and get their supplies built-up as they wait the rail lines to catch-up.  One crossing of the Danube N of Budapest was attempted.  More organised than last time but with worse results for the Soviets.  150 burning tanks later  the Soviets halted their attack.  The 30 odd German tank losses come mostly from StugIII and Hetzer categories.  Soviets jumped the Danube only to find the 12SS dug in with Tiger II’s and Jagdpanthers at the ready supported by a full strength Panzer Div and support Btn’s.  12SS are now building a formidable reputation[&o].[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]The Soviets did not re-attack the German Panzer corp sticking out like a pimple defending the rail line from Krakow to Vienna, just at the bottom of the Oder River.  I expect this hex and the hex next to Budapest to have particularly large amounts of attention paid to them over the next few turns.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Germans are still two turns behind setting up their main defence lines.  But I am more confident than two turns ago that I will be able to set them up properly.  They are however, under-supplied and need opp points to get them to full strength.  Something I was hoping to avoid.[/font]

[Zhukov43]

Nicks1,
 
Awesome AAR. Thanks it is very entertaining. Keep it up. Loss of oil and HI are just too devastating to production of the tanks you need to slow the Bear.
 
Good hunting!