Reasons to keep playing ;)

[Aussiematto]

Following up the thread about Germans quitting etc...here is a story to give heart to Germans who might want to quit.

----

I have been having an embarrassing time in one early game where, as Axis, I lost some 20 divisions by Xmas 1941 (mostly armour of course) and spent the rest of the year and most of 1942...

- practising losing more divisions in the retreat
- learning that it pays to read the manual to discover how Hungary surrenders
- understanding just how bad it is when Rumania surrenders
- discovering that a garrison in Helsinki and in the ports in Finland is a good idea if you want to save Leningrad and some 100,000 defenders, including Model.
- realising that disbanding 2 regiments from different divisions destined me to a life of 4 regiments that would not combine

By september 1942, I was on a defensive line from west of Koenigsberg down through the mountains to the Yugoslav border. The line had, at least, become a steel trap of level 4 and 5 forts three-deep in the north by this stage (game was in 1.03 for this period) and the mountains were helpful, but still -- early Soviet attacks brushed the defenders back, albeit with heavy losses. Eventually the south would give way too because the Italians would start to withdraw from 1943 onwards.

I had contemplated several times giving up -- during the early horrors of December; when I saw my allies surrender one by one; when the fort line I had lovingly crafted started to give way. These contemplations usually came after 2-3 glasses of red wine while playing. Then again, without the wine, I would have been in tears.

But a funny thing happened recently.

The 1942 December blizzard arrived just about the time the Soviet attacks were starting to do him more harm than good -- I had one in which 2 divisions in a level 4 fort, with 3 armoured divisions committed from reserves, caused 12,000+ casualties for 900. In the mountains I realised that my troops were actually winning, because of his out of supply state -- some surrenders and I was sneaking forward through gaps in the line and he couldn't counter attack.

I then noticed that the Soviet had stripped part of his front down to almost ant-like levels, in good forts, mind, to stack up for the piledriver attacks (9 units attacking 1 hex). Most of his front was also yellow -- 'far' from supply (in the mountains it was red -- out of supply). I massed 3 Panzer armies and attacked the weakspot. A break through ensued. More panzers trickled through. I had thought to just disrupt him and add a few months to the war. But his reaction was ineffective, perhaps because he thought the same way too. There was no reverse, no rush of reserves. The next turn saw the gap widen and the trickle became a flood of armour - I threw the final panzer army into the hole too, plus all the reserves that were building the last ditch defences on the german-polish border, no point in holding anything back -- defending infantry was shuttled into the hole, leaving their forts barely guarded

Last turn, in January 1943, I completed a huge pocket and have trapped some 50 divisions, linking up the infantry that broke through in the mountains with the armour from the north. More divisions are being trapped in the centre.

I probably can't win the game; I probably can't retake much ground (I disbanded all my FBDs to save manpower - another lesson learned). But it doesn't matter. I have had a hugely entertaining few days and, by hanging in there, have learned a lot about the way the game works.

Meine Kameraden Axis players... play to the end!

[carlkay58]

Congratulations - I actually have found that you can sometimes bounce back from disaster in games and still have a good time overall. I really hate it when my opponent gives up just because they could not win outright in 1941.

[Tarhunnas]

Sounds like a great game! Could you post a screenshot?

[Aussiematto]

hey Tarhunnas

will do -- need to find the old games; they will be start of turns cos I don't usually bother to take screenshots at the end

[Aussiematto]

Here are four screenshots coming up.

The first (this post) is the turn when I thought 'hello, chance here!'

Then succeeding posts show the start of the Axis turn; the final one won't show the cut off units until I get the game back for the next turn

[Aussiematto]

Plan Desperation: First week...

[Flaviusx]

That is an imposing late war German defense, my hat's off to you. Hope the Red Army has a lot of arty divisions...

[Aussiematto]

Plan Desperation; renamed Plan Possibility, Turn 2:

[Aussiematto]

Not late war, Flavius... this is December 1942 !! It's an imposing defence born of incompetence at the gates of Moscow in october 41

[Aussiematto]

This turn, believe it or not, the AI decided to promote Guderian to be in charge of AGN, which is one of the AG involved in this breakout -it must have been Heinz's plan...the encirclement was made, in the south at the end of the previous turn and it held easily; 10 divisions already surrendered. have now encircled more troops in the centre.

[Flaviusx]

Heh. Let's just say you got your backhand blow a bit further west than usual. Still very impressive.

If it's December 42, he's probably only just getting his arty divisions in line. You've completely wrecked his southern Fronts.

[Aussiematto]

ty . and genuinely I was going to call it quits at least 2 times. But I would not be so dishonourable -- my comrade opponent deserved the chance to storm Berlin for victory. What this is showing me is the complexity and depth of the game - I think Germans get spooked by the mobilisation in 1941-1942 and don't realise it evens out a bit as 1942 goes on (reference the truck park thread for example).

[HvB]

Wow that is truly inspiring. Please keep us updated with screenshots of your game if you have time.

[Aussiematto]

Just got my turn back from my opponent. 28 Jan 1943. Front below, showing cut off units (including 1 of mine now ...overreached a bit).

The red units to the far south, in the mountains, are not cut off just too far from raillines. I like the way this game makes it almost impossible to do anything in mountains -- very realistic.

The red units in the middle are his cut off forces west of my bulge around Lvov

The yellow units just above it are a pocket he broke last turn: main goal now is to re-stitch that pocket tight.

[Flaviusx]

I think you are in an excellent position to win a minor victory here if you take it all the way out to 45. These are truly devastating blows to the Red Army, you've set him back hundreds of APs. It's going to take him a long time to recover from this counteroffensive. You may even be able to push back into the Soviet Union and gain some breathing room.

[Aussiematto]

Thanks -- I am about to see if I have bitten off more than I can chew. I pondered pulling back or, consolidating, vs a further advance. I chose the latter! I doubt I will ever have this chance again. There's now a pocket around Staniskov (sp?)

I can't show the screenshot yet until turn is played but I did get the northern group pocketed and have reduced the southern pocket by 10 divisions. They are tough buggers - guards in level 3 forts.

I was delighted to bring my Italian armour into play --concentrated all the mobile and armoured units under the best leader available and voila! They had fun busting the eastern edge of the pocket where there were no forts. I am on a quest to make the best use of my minor ally (since everyone else is gone) before they withdraw.

[Skanvak]

Retreating back to germany to have the Soviet over extended and unsupplied. That's an interesting strategy.

[Aussiematto]

ORIGINAL: Skanvak

Retreating back to germany to have the Soviet over extended and unsupplied. That's an interesting strategy.

errr not strategy, necessity. My opponent was very good in defending in 1941... but supply is his major issues now. especially in blizzard.

[kfmiller41]

I sure hope my german opponent is not reading this thread[:D] 

[randallw]

That's like a mini-Barbarossa being run there. [;)]