Waiting for the spring miracle... Oleg (Sov) vs Senno (Axis), NO Senno

[karonagames]

I would also be scraping together some cavalry/and or tank brigade "cossacks" to slip through those 2 hex gaps he is leaving between infantry divisions to force him to either split into regiments and put his C&C under pressure and/or stop him concentrating his infantry corps.

I was bouncing Speedy's airbases for about 4 turns before he caught up with my cossacks.

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: BigAnorak
I was bouncing Speedy's airbases for about 4 turns before he caught up with my cossacks.

It's not cossacks, it's Red Cavalry mate!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hYaXpmJTtM

I will disclose Stavka's most secret plan: I have this role playing idea of putting old Semjon Budjoni as Cavalry Army commander once the winter comes. Dude with such a legendary moustache and seminal contribution to military fashion in form of Budenovka hat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budenovka) deserves his moment of glory in some AAR, regardless of how low his ratings are in the game!

[Oleg Mastruko]

Kazimir Malevich, painter I respect a lot. Êðàñíàÿ êîííèöà èä¸ò (<= that's "Krasnaya Konnitsa Idet" in cyrillic) is one of his most famous paintings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Malevich_cavalry.jpg

Kinda reminds of Sabre's sig picture, stylized into a modernist painting. Thing to note is that red cavalrymen are not painted in imposing, larger than life style, as one would associate with any totalitarian regime, but actually very small against faraway horizon.

Oh well, that's all nice and dandy but FOR NOW I JUST HAVE TO SURVIVE, FASCIST DOGS ARE ADVANCING TOWARDS LENINGRAD AND MOSCOW!!!!

[Sabre21]

That's a good point Bob brought up. You need to make Senno start to worry by making probing attacks here and there, especially where you can get in behind him. Losing a few units that might get cut off while taking the fight to him will be well worth it.
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If he starts breaking down divisions to cover his flanks, I do what I call "wave attacks". I attack the weakest regiment with adjacent units once or twice then move them out and bring in fresh troops and hit 'em again, then move them out and repeat the process untill either they retreat or I run out of troops. Once they retreat they are very susceptible to retreating again or even routing. Here is where cavalry can make an attack and force them to retreat again.

[Oleg Mastruko]

I actually counterattack Senno quite a lot - for a guy who oftenly complains how hard it is to counterattack as Soviet anyway [:D]

Last turn I pushed these guys back one hex. I think in games vs human such setbacks do have pretty important pyscological role, in making him afraid and cautious.... (AI wouldn't care)

[Sabre21]

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko

I actually counterattack Senno quite a lot - for a guy who oftenly complains how hard it is to counterattack as Soviet anyway [:D]

Last turn I pushed these guys back one hex. I think in games vs human such setbacks do have pretty important pyscological role, in making him afraid and cautious.... (AI wouldn't care)

Exactly my point. Pyscological warfare is almost as fun as being in the cav. I used it many times when facing opponents in the real world, both as a grunt and as a pilot, and even more so when I was married [:D]

When I first played Trey he was really ambitious in the way he maneuvered his Germans. For the first few turns I was cutting off every panzer unit he had. I don't think he made it to the Dnepr before we quit and tried again. Next time he was so cautious my boys were falling asleep waiting for him to advance. Needless to say after 5 or 6 games he was figuring things out pretty well and developing ways to breach my defenses more effectively. Trey learned pretty quick.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Okay, turn 14 north, situation is pretty clear now, as regards to which units will stay in occupied city, and which will try to defend Volkov line and Ladoga ports. It's three turns before mud strikes and I think defending at least one port, Svirica on the Karelian border, should be feasible.

That leaves him with the option of attacking LG directly over Neva. Not much to say about that option..... seems hard but doable.... at least it would be too late for him to redeploy before mud, and I will retreat below the New Finnish line, simplify the strategic situation and carry on.

Note two units to the west. The blue unit is a mistake. I clicked "assign nearest HQ" and there was some lost Western MD corps HQ in the unit heap and it became blue. The other unit is running to the nearest port three hexes to the west - if it gets there maybe it can be evacuated to LG LOL

[Oleg Mastruko]

This sad looking but solidly rated guy will stay behind in LG commanding the cut off 23rd Army. After the war we'll name some city Purkaevo, after him.

Pskov is leading candidate for now, because it's hard to pronounce.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Didn't I tell you there's no reason to panic in the center? Leo, my friend? [:D]

Vjazma penetration is nicely contained. For now, at least, but he has only 3 turns of nice weather, I think he just missed his best chance to endanger Moscow before mud. Who was the traitor suggesting I evacuate everything from the Red capital?

Also, this salient, unless he does something about it, may become juicy target for Soviet winter offensive.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Same area with recon flights turned ON [X(] [:D] [:-]

My god it's full of.... recon flights... I imagine frontline photolabs having their hands full, developing like thousands of pictures....

Wonder where he wants to go next.... [:D]

BTW, note one division amidst all this, that was NOT directly overflown. It's 365th rifle division of the 54th army. Lets remember this unit, because I think it's universe's way of telling me something special is planned for it.

[Oleg Mastruko]

He can't move things decisively in the south, but is couple hexes closer to Harkov with his tanks.... I am still reluctant to evacuate the T-34 factory. Maybe I can keep it intact thru first winter hm?

[PeeDeeAitch]

He carpet bombed you with film.

[JAMiAM]

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko

He can't move things decisively in the south, but is couple hexes closer to Harkov with his tanks.... I am still reluctant to evacuate the T-34 factory. Maybe I can keep it intact thru first winter hm?

You like playing with fire, huh?

Seriously, he's got some SS (high morale, hence faster movement in enemy terrain), and you've got flat terrain, and a few ants in the way. He could be there in two turns, without breaking a sweat. Move the factory before you lose it.

[Aurelian]

Double serious. Move that factory.

I think that if he moves next to the city, your factories are stuck. Maybe even destroyed. (IIRC that last happenned to me once.)

[76mm]

Get the factory out of there!!

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko

Okay, turn 14 north, situation is pretty clear now, as regards to which units will stay in occupied city, and which will try to defend Volkov line and Ladoga ports. It's three turns before mud strikes and I think defending at least one port, Svirica on the Karelian border, should be feasible.

That leaves him with the option of attacking LG directly over Neva. Not much to say about that option..... seems hard but doable.... at least it would be too late for him to redeploy before mud, and I will retreat below the New Finnish line, simplify the strategic situation and carry on.

Note two units to the west. The blue unit is a mistake. I clicked "assign nearest HQ" and there was some lost Western MD corps HQ in the unit heap and it became blue. The other unit is running to the nearest port three hexes to the west - if it gets there maybe it can be evacuated to LG LOL

Hmm... there is really insufficient defense in Leningrad, Pavlovo and the HEX just to the right of it (i.e. east of Pavlovo)... [:(]

My bet is that he will attack Leningrad directly because the defense there is just 59 (and that is with fort = 4 and with Urban HEX modifiers)!!!

I am afraid that he can take it the very next turn (Daniel "U2" did this to me many many time during ALPHA/BETA)... he has plenty of infantry units to rotate / attack and infantry only suffers minor MP cost and actual CV/2 over the major river due to disruption due to river crossing (the motorized / armored units suffer /3 and huge MP cost)!


Leo "Apollo11"

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko

Didn't I tell you there's no reason to panic in the center? Leo, my friend? [:D]

Vjazma penetration is nicely contained. For now, at least, but he has only 3 turns of nice weather, I think he just missed his best chance to endanger Moscow before mud. Who was the traitor suggesting I evacuate everything from the Red capital?

Also, this salient, unless he does something about it, may become juicy target for Soviet winter offensive.

Oleg, if I were in Moscow I would start running... [:D]

Seriously... the mud may be near but the blizzard is far away... you must start digging in and fast - consecutive belts of defense infront Moscow!


Leo "Apollo11"

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko

Okay, turn 14 north, situation is pretty clear now, as regards to which units will stay in occupied city, and which will try to defend Volkov line and Ladoga ports. It's three turns before mud strikes and I think defending at least one port, Svirica on the Karelian border, should be feasible.

That leaves him with the option of attacking LG directly over Neva. Not much to say about that option..... seems hard but doable.... at least it would be too late for him to redeploy before mud, and I will retreat below the New Finnish line, simplify the strategic situation and carry on.

Note two units to the west. The blue unit is a mistake. I clicked "assign nearest HQ" and there was some lost Western MD corps HQ in the unit heap and it became blue. The other unit is running to the nearest port three hexes to the west - if it gets there maybe it can be evacuated to LG LOL

Hmm... there is really insufficient defense in Leningrad, Pavlovo and the HEX just to the right of it (i.e. east of Pavlovo)... [:(]

My bet is that he will attack Leningrad directly because the defense there is just 59 (and that is with fort = 4 and with Urban HEX modifiers)!!!

I am afraid that he can take it the very next turn (Daniel "U2" did this to me many many time during ALPHA/BETA)... he has plenty of infantry units to rotate / attack and infantry only suffers minor MP cost and actual CV/2 over the major river due to disruption due to river crossing (the motorized / armored units suffer /3 and huge MP cost)!

Fort Modifier = Intrinsic Fort Level (from terrain) + Fort Level (from entrenching)

Adjusted Combat Value in Defense = Combat Value x (1 + Fort Modifier)


So you have:

"Adjusted Combat Value in Defense" = 59

"Fort Modifier" = 8 + 4 = 12

Thus "Combat Value" = 5 (rounded up)


You defend Leningrad HEX with 3 units that have actual combined CV of just 5...


Leo "Apollo11"

[Encircled]

In current games as the Soviet, I'm restricted to about four/five recon flights over the whole front

I've no range on my planes, and not enough of them.

When they take off, they get shot down.

Its very hard to spot German attacks when you can't even identify what you are facing, and if you have no way of knowing whats behind them, then you are in even more trouble.

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko

He can't move things decisively in the south, but is couple hexes closer to Harkov with his tanks.... I am still reluctant to evacuate the T-34 factory. Maybe I can keep it intact thru first winter hm?

You like playing with fire, huh?

Seriously, he's got some SS (high morale, hence faster movement in enemy terrain), and you've got flat terrain, and a few ants in the way. He could be there in two turns, without breaking a sweat. Move the factory before you lose it.

By the end of my turn and before I read all these replies, with heavy heart I did remove the T-34 factory from Harkov... Harkov is now empty of factories.