Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: The German-Soviet War 1941-1945 is a turn-based World War II strategy game stretching across the entire Eastern Front. Gamers can engage in an epic campaign, including division-sized battles with realistic and historical terrain, weather, orders of battle, logistics and combat results.
The critically and fan-acclaimed Eastern Front mega-game Gary Grigsby’s War in the East just got bigger and better with Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: Don to the Danube! This expansion to the award-winning War in the East comes with a wide array of later war scenarios ranging from short but intense 6 turn bouts like the Battle for Kharkov (1942) to immense 37-turn engagements taking place across multiple nations like Drama on the Danube (Summer 1944 – Spring 1945).
You might want to take a look at the attrition model and static units. It seems like units in static mode are not getting replacements. Every division was down to around 50%, the four naval brigades on the Finnish border north of Leningrad were down to 16%. Units not set static were around 70%.
Even units not set to static have a hell of a time getting replacements up there. Stuff just tends to waste away no matter what you do, you have to rotate units in and out of the front line to keep them up to strength.
The real villain of the piece, imo, is the change to refits on front line formations, which is now very restricted. In the past you could brute force your way up here past the attrition by putting all the stuff on the front line to refit for a bit and bring it up to speed. Now, not so much.
If you have a Leningrad garrison that is isolated, it too tends to waste away and you eventually have to shuffle units in and out of there via Lake Ladoga to keep the garrison reasonably fresh.
I've started several GCs as the Soviets, and find that the Axis AI will often tend to stack 3 divisions to attack very weak units. I've seen examples of 3 Pz Divs (or 2 Pz and 1 Mot Div) stacked to hasty attack an NKVD Border Regt. Even a full strength Rifle Division in the open doesn't need 3 Divisions to push it back, certainly not in 1941. I think much AI attacking momentum (ie: Movement Points) is wasted by having 3 divisions stack together to push back a single weak unit.
As the Soviets, I play against the AI on Challenging level.
Edit: Forgot to mention that I'm still seeing the same thing in my latest GC started under 1.05.40.
Even units not set to static have a hell of a time getting replacements up there. Stuff just tends to waste away no matter what you do, you have to rotate units in and out of the front line to keep them up to strength.
Yeah, that is what I'm doing now. Also, the reason my static units were not getting any replacements is because I had most of the army on refit and they sucked all the replacements out. WAD...my goof.
Playing Axis v soviet AI - as always - I had to abandon the first couple of GCs as the AI was 'cheating' and pocketing Pzs that were doing uber Guderian advances [:)]
I'm definitely fidning the AI more aggresive but perhaps not as responsive? [need to try a few more games] The same thing with CRs as it feels there are more holds but can't say yet.
At end September with Rostov taken and Leningrad creaking and soon to fall - I hope- but Moscow looking like a Bridge too Far scenario if I went for it. I'm going to 'branch' the campaign at this point and try an offensive and a conservative scenarions to see how it goes in the winter.
The AI is stymied by the uber defense behind the river lines. He has only made one attack in all of July, attacked D-town with 3 panzer stacks and got repulsed. Has not made anymore attacks since.
I think he could breach the center towards Kursk/Orel. I have very few hexes not behind river or in woods. In May he had a panzer division across the river right where the Desna goes from a major to a minor river, but I pushed him back across the river and he hasn't tried it again.
I think the AI has problems calculating the odds when attacking across river lines.
It is loosing lots of bombers to fighter interception during interdiction attacks. Doesn't always escort them.
Just waiting for October and the good rifle corps right now. I'm bombing Ploesti for want of anything better to do. Decided to take out the fuel plant first, then the oil. It looks like refinery capacity is shorter than oil supply, not sure though. I built 15 type 2 rifle corps and am going to try and relive Leningrad.
This was a bit strange. We are dug in on opposite banks of the Dnper, all lvl 3 forts and he had max defense. Oct 1, 1942 rolls around and he withdraws everyone from the bend without me even attacking.
I guess the AI is programmed to expect the Oct42 good rifle corps?
I was wondering how I was going to get across the river.
Gift-Horse-Mouth.
41GC vs AI AI 120 me 100
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In my current game, Feb 42 has seen a snow turn and the Axis have attacked over the Luga River and driving on Leningrad. In AGC they have started a counter offensive towards Moscow. They seem to be blowing right by the river lines and forts at level 3 seem to not even slow them down!
They are routing my troops with single divisions that have been in the front lines over the past two game months - a very fast recovery from the winter blues!
Playing as Germany vs Challenging AI, historical weather
General performance: My first time as Germany, so I made a number of mistakes. Failed to get Leningrad, let alone Moscow, and only as far as Kharkov in the South. Gave ground during the winter, with my panzers in the rear. Cut off his spearheads in March in a very historical manner, then tore up significant chunks of his line in May/Jun. Now in July, and preparing to continue on a larger scale.
Notes:
1. Only real success in '41 was capturing tank and armaments factories in Kharkov in September. There was plenty of time for an evacuation - the panzers took two turns driving directly for it to make contact. Similarly D-town was only evacuated after I contacted it, and then had to withdraw due to supply issues.
2. In May/June clear/mud season the AI pushed three tank corps through my lines on suicide missions.
3. In general, when isolated along with some free space, units will abandon fortifications (even cities, with level 3 forts) in an attempt to move toward the borders of the pocket. This in situations where there is a "wall of steel" ie panzers solidly round the pocket. Makes the player's life much easier in subsequent reduction of the pocket.
4. A bit of caution for the Soviet AI in Feb '42 would be a good idea. A better force mix too - the larger pocketed spearheads had 4 gds cav corps in the north, and 10 tank brigades in the south. Recon around the spearheads would have spotted panzer korps forming up on the flanks from mid-Feb onwards.
5. In general the AI seems to form a single, sometimes double, line with significant strategic reserves. This is arguably a decent enough alternative to carpet, however the front line units should then be considered disposable ie All Corps units in the reserve, rather than on the line. A rifle brigade checkerboard behind the line would reduce the size of pockets significantly and cheaply.
Oddities:
1. I killed the 10th Guards Cavalry Corps twice in one turn, then again on the next turn. Does the AI not use unique naming, or is this a special kind of maskirovka?
Did Gary tweak the AI for both sides? Which AI is "stronger" now, or is it hard to say? I'd like to start an AI game, but I'd prefer to play against whichever AI gives the player a more interesting challenge.
Did Gary tweak the AI for both sides? Which AI is "stronger" now, or is it hard to say? I'd like to start an AI game, but I'd prefer to play against whichever AI gives the player a more interesting challenge.
You can try playing as Soviets at 100% vs. Axis AI at 110% (or above if you are not afraid [:D])...
I think that it's more challenging (i.e fun) to play vs the Soviet AI, because - due to the nature of the game - the Germans need more finesse to be successful, whereas the Soviets can rely more on brute strength; something that the AI is better at.
Just got the game yesterday and after tutorial and few turns as Soviets in Road to Leningrad, I jumped into GC as Soviets. I am just doing Soviet Turn 1 and already feel violated by aggressive German AI. And this is Normal 100/100.
"To meaningless French Idealism, Liberty, Fraternity and Equality...we answer with German Realism, Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery" -Prince von Bülov, 1870-
Strange behavior from AI here. When he stuck Totenkoph out on an island last turn and let me easily surround him I just took advantage. This turn when he did the same with Wiking I have to think there is something fishy in the AI. Not that I'm not going to surround him as well.
Strange behavior from AI here. When he stuck Totenkoph out on an island last turn and let me easily surround him I just took advantage. This turn when he did the same with Wiking I have to think there is something fishy in the AI. Not that I'm not going to surround him as well.
I'm working through a similar GC right now (AI on Challenging. I think my next GC I will give the AI an extra 10% difference). I'm planning on posting an AAR soon. On T23 now. A couple things I've noticed:
1. The AI offensive stopped dead in mud. Some attacks were made against pocketed units and units that were in very exposed positions. In 1.03 (my last GC as Sov vs AI), the AI was still making some strong attacks in mud and pushing back my units. Mud stopping the offensive in 1.05 seems more realistic.
2. The AI makes a good strong push for Lenningrad. Only a priority commitment from me can save Lenningrad. This seems accurate.
3. 2nd Panzer Army does well and usually drives for a Kiev like pocket. However it seems to scatter too much in the central region. Seems like it should concentrate more for a late summer and winter offensive towards Moscow or somewhere else.
4. AG South needs more help. It feels too easy slowing them down south of the marshes. Holding AG South and the Rumanians west of Kursk-Kharkov-Stalino (before the Blizzard)seems a little easier than it should be. If I really wanted to, I could hold Dnepropetrovsk and Zaprozhye. I'm basically backing off down here just to make a bit of a game about it.
5. The AI seems to make a strong push through the Valdai Hills to the North and North-East. I like this as it is usually a weak sector, and can get scary at times.
6. 3rd Panzer Army makes a pretty strong push direct to Moscow. Only well laid and early started defenses on the Moscow approaches can hold back the tide.
7. Overall, the AI should make more effort to make pockets. I don't run away, but I do retreat when exposed too much. With Panzer capabilities, even small pockets should be more common.
