"Dortmund!" Axis vs Soviet AI

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

AGN -

The infantry slug nearer to Leningrad and a link up between the Narva Forces and those from Pskov should be conducted next week.

Meanwhile the main drive led by LVI and XXXXI Pz Cps eastwards captured the towns of Lychkovo and Valdai ending up 30 miles from Bologoe.

36th Motorised Division has surrounded 3 Soviet Divisions against Lake Ilmen.

[Speedysteve]

AGC North - Vyazma was surrounded by XXXIX and LVII Pz Cps as the infantry moved up to support the flanks.

II and LII Corps was very active smashing the Soviet lines east of Velikiye Luki as well.

Do I keep on going or have a rest..............

[Speedysteve]

AGC South - XXXXVI and XXXVXII Pz Cps edged eastwards but found going tough over the Bolva River heding NW towards Kaluga.

Further south XIV Pz Cps secured Bryansk and is heading towards Orel.

[Chad Harrison]

ORIGINAL: Speedy

Chad - Most important things I can say for supply are to keep the Corps HQ within 5 hexes and under the MP limit for supply to reach the unit. Also important is to plan your rail repair strategy in advance. As in plan which lines you plan to repair and generally plan these into where your Panzers are going to head. With it being clear weather and the additional stock piles of supply built up I find that provided the abovce is done your panzers will have a decent MP allowance on the beginning of the following turn.

Other things I do to help the situation - I use JU52's/bombers to drop fuel/supply to spearhead ARM units at the END of my turn before moving HQ/AF's. Also having good leaders is important since their ADMIN skill determiens how many MP's units get as well.

Thanks Speedy. Some good advice.

Just one additional question, and this may be in the manual - I have not attempted the whole manual yet [:D]:

Does having surplus MP left in a HQ assist it in providing supply to its units?

Thanks

Chad

[ComradeP]

Speedy, I'd advise trying to establish something resembling a north/south line now with AGN and AGC and not going all-in towards, say, Moscow.

I'd advise expanding the area you control near Vyazma somewhat to the east so you don't lose the city during winter. Try to capture Rzhev, Kaluga and Orel (you could temporarily occupy Tula too if it's weakly held) and try to isolate Leningrad with the AGN mobile units east of Lake Ilmen. If you can achieve those objectives, your position in winter should be quite defendable.

What you need to prevent is having a huge open flank somewhere. Swing the AGC mobile forces towards Rzhev (possibly sending your units further north to meet up with AGN).

Not sure what would be a good idea for AGS, I'd have to see its turn 10 screenshot.

[Speedysteve]

Hi Comrade,

Really interesting points. It's bedtime here so will think on it and act tomorrow. I FEEL like I am in the same position the Germans were in RL. I feel like I can take Moscow and that I can keep going but should I....hmm........so hard to stop.

Here's AGS with not quite all of the units moved.

[Speedysteve]

And FWIW the current OOB:

[ComradeP]

Speedy, Kursk-Kharkov-Dnepropetrovsk/Zaporozhye would be the safe option for AGS, advancing to the Stalino area in the south would be a bit more chancy but it should still be possible.

The main reason why it would not be a good idea to go for Moscow (a reason that's even in the manual) is because your flanks will more or less fold on you by default during the winter and even if you capture part of Moscow, the forces you risk by trying to do so might not be worth it.

Ironically, AGC is currently the AG with somewhat open flanks, instead of AGS.

[Speedysteve]

Losses....18 Soviet Units destroyed

[Speedysteve]

ORIGINAL: ComradeP

Speedy, Kursk-Kharkov-Dnepropetrovsk/Zaporozhye would be the safe option for AGS, advancing to the Stalino area in the south would be a bit more chancy but it should still be possible.

The main reason why it would not be a good idea to go for Moscow (a reason that's even in the manual) is because your flanks will more or less fold on you by default during the winter and even if you capture part of Moscow, the forces you risk by trying to do so might not be worth it.

Ironically, AGC is currently the AG with somewhat open flanks, instead of AGS.

I have been deliberating over what to do. I have decide to create another save for this campaign and to do 2 things. I will play this current campaign as aggressive and will keep pushing forward to take Moscow. The other save I will keep and replay in due course with a conservative approach and with Winter preparations.

AGN - Substantial gains are made on the approaches to Leningrad and also the Panzer Truppen capture Bologoe and reach the outskirts of Vyshny Volochek. It's clear (IMO) that the Soviets are desperate as they're throwing in NKVD Rgt's and Rifle divisions that are shattering left, right and centre!

[Speedysteve]

AGC North - Knobelsdorff's LVII Pz Cps easily smashed through the flimsy Soviet defensive lines north of Vyazma, encircled 4 Soviet Divisions and reached the outskirts of Rzhev (Testers may weant to look at AI placement of AF's as I overran 6 of them and destroyed 200 planes on the ground.)

Harpe's XXXIX Pz Cps headed east from Vyazma (after annihilating 30,000 Soviets surrounded at Vyazma) at took Mozhaysk easily shattering 3 Soviet Divisions.

[ComradeP]

Speedy, the overrunning of air bases like you did has a good chance of happening to a human player too, as the air bases need to be fairly close to the front to support the troops. However, the AI has a tendency to concentrate air bases in a small area (you would've loved some of the 15x15 hex air parks the AI made during testing).

[Speedysteve]

AGC South - Balck's and Vietinghoff's Pz Corps move NE towards Kaluga smashing 5 Soviet Divisions along the way.

The infantry eliminate 5 Divisions behind the lines and encircle 6 more Divisions.

Further south Von Schweppenburg's XIV PZ Cps reaches the outskirts of Orel which is protected by the 61st Rifle Division.

[Speedysteve]

AGS - Kiev is taken by XLIV Corps with 55,000 Soviets captured.

The Panzer's break out further east and from Cherkassy reaching the outskirts of Poltava. Soviet resistance is weak and limited in this region with no defence in depth. Maybe it's due to the sheer number of Soviet Units I've destroyed...more on that in the next post.

Further south if the Soviets don't withdraw from the Odessa salient there'll be a further 20 Divisions that will be annihilated.

[Speedysteve]

My main aim of this so far has been to destroy as many Soviets as possible. I'm fairly happily with this as it's my first GC......I've destroyed 299 Soviet units to date.....

[Speedysteve]

Losses......

[Speedysteve]

Current OOB status. Very few Soviet AFV's around.....

[stuman]

I was reading your AAR, and had the urge to ask you how many carriers both side had lost so far [:)]

[Speedysteve]

Hi all,

LOl Stuman....right era....wrong war [;)]

This is the start of turn 12 in AGS. Interestingly/weirdly the AI has VERY little opposition arrayed in AGS (have reconned).

Question is this due to AI focussing on Moscow (as I'm near)? Due to the fact I've wiped out 300 Soviet Units? Or a glitch?

[Speedysteve]

AGN - L Corps secured Oranienbaum, routed 2 Rifle Divisions ansd surrounded 244th Rifle Division further to the west.

1 and XXXVIII Corps moved east breaching the Novgorod - Leningrad rail line encountering sporadic resistance.

269th Infantry Division forced 3 Rifle Divisions to surrender SE of Lake Ilmen.

The area west of Torzhok has been virtually abandoned by the Soviets. As such II Corps is heading NE to join with the Panzer Forces around Vyshny Volochek.

LVI and XXXXI Pz Cps have surrounded 2 Divisions at Vyshny Volochek which will fall next week.

6 Soviets Units were destroyed and 61,000 casualties caused by AGN this week