41-45GC - A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL - GLVACA (Sov) v SJ80 (Axis) - NO SJ80

[glvaca]

Destroyed units

[glvaca]

And finally, production. ARM's are still plentiful so I must be doing *something* right [:)]

[Scook_99]

You fight like a Russian! Your losses are painful, but not critical yet. The hardest time will be right after the mud, the November offensive; I often do my best work then, and take the steam out of those Blizzard offensives. Since he is not trying to cross the Oka, I would assume he will try to snap off the troopers you have north and west of Moscow. I wish I could give you better advice, but I tend to play as Axis most every game (even though I am an equal opportunist). Dig in as best as possible, and try to keep the flanks wide and deep. Oh, do the same in the other areas too. I would think though, keeping your armies intact at this stage of the game are most important, the cities you lose now you should be able to take back come December.

You have the making of a tremendous game here, this is balancing on the blade of a knife. Good luck, and may Providence smile upon you.

[Flaviusx]

I think he stripped the south of armor. I'd be marching forward from Rostov and slamming into all that infantry before it gets dug in.

Am not impressed by his hey diddle diddle up the middle approach to Moscow. It virtually guarantees that this push is just a raid. Even if he takes it, he can't hold it through winter. In order to do that he needs to clear out the entire area, not just stick his nose into the city and leave the flanks gathering strength.

[M60A3TTS]

Agree with Flavius on Moscow.  From the looks of things, he could have caved in the defensive line north of there much easier.

[Q-Ball]

Hopefully you moved the IL-2 factories from Voronezh?

And if you haven't yet, move all aircraft from Moscow, there is alot there

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Hopefully you moved the IL-2 factories from Voronezh?

And if you haven't yet, move all aircraft from Moscow, there is alot there

I wouldn't bother with the MiG-3s though. They stop prod in December.

[Schmart]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

ORIGINAL: randallw

I'm seeing Soviet players have a total of tank + mech corps at about 40, so for that target 'throwing away' tank brigades will require more than just a few tank/motor/mech brigades to be raised up.

That's about what I build as well, but note that mech corps don't use tank brigades.

You will have more tank brigades than you know what to do with. Trust me on this.

Historically, the Russians kept a large number of independent Tank brigades. The game doesn't provide enough Tank Bdes to build/maintain the historical number of Tank Corps and independent Tank Bdes.

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: Scook_99

You fight like a Russian! Your losses are painful, but not critical yet. The hardest time will be right after the mud, the November offensive; I often do my best work then, and take the steam out of those Blizzard offensives. Since he is not trying to cross the Oka, I would assume he will try to snap off the troopers you have north and west of Moscow. I wish I could give you better advice, but I tend to play as Axis most every game (even though I am an equal opportunist). Dig in as best as possible, and try to keep the flanks wide and deep. Oh, do the same in the other areas too. I would think though, keeping your armies intact at this stage of the game are most important, the cities you lose now you should be able to take back come December.

You have the making of a tremendous game here, this is balancing on the blade of a knife. Good luck, and may Providence smile upon you.

Very astute observations! The game is currently at turn 24, almost Blizzard, and you come quite close to predicting what has happened. Won't spoil the fun though, but it has been a real nail biter for me.

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

I think he stripped the south of armor. I'd be marching forward from Rostov and slamming into all that infantry before it gets dug in.

Am not impressed by his hey diddle diddle up the middle approach to Moscow. It virtually guarantees that this push is just a raid. Even if he takes it, he can't hold it through winter. In order to do that he needs to clear out the entire area, not just stick his nose into the city and leave the flanks gathering strength.

I considered it, but I'm not really that stong and I'm happy to leave things as they are, besides, my attention is rivited on Moscow (and to a lesser extent and unexpectedly also Voronezh) it's the center piece of my whole campaign.

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Agree with Flavius on Moscow.  From the looks of things, he could have caved in the defensive line north of there much easier.

Perhaps afer he made the large pocket it would have been better for him to move North, I agree. Still, he may not have been in a very good position to do so fuel wise, or he just thought he could outflank me, as he tried with the Bryansk front. If that would have happened, it would have been very difficult to hold him back.

Anyway, quite happy he didn't!

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Hopefully you moved the IL-2 factories from Voronezh?

And if you haven't yet, move all aircraft from Moscow, there is alot there

Unfortunately I was unable to move anything from Voronezh, he locked it in a blitz move.

I decided against moving the factories in N-Moscow and the Moscow hex, it's a gamble I know...

[randallw]

Sometimes a Soviet player can make a mini sacrifice and move a single factory of a specific weapons type; it'll take time for the factory to grow to max size at the new location but it'll make more rail cap available for whatever else needs to be moved.

[glvaca]

TURN 16

Before Soviet moves, Center, Close up.
3 Divisions in fort level 3, of Vatutin's 10th Army are unable to stop or delay the German offensive. The defeat opens the way for infiltration to the South of Moscow.
In the North, 2 or 3 hexes are gained and Moscow is now in accute danger of being encircled.
1 more turn to mud, it's going to be close.

[glvaca]

Center, overview.

[glvaca]

South, overview

[glvaca]

Rostov, close up. All quiet and happy to leave it like this. I'm not strong enough to go on the offensive just yet. So, I'm left with building up defenses and gathering strength.

[glvaca]

Voronezh, close up. He dashes across the Voronezh river. This is getting dangerous!

[glvaca]

Soviet moves. Center, close up.

Judging the risk too high for an encirclement on the right flank, I withdraw behind the Moskva-Volga Canal.
I give up a couple of hexes on the right flank as well. Bryansk front is getting stretched and I need more troops in the center of the line.
Battered elements of Western Fronts 4th Army and Kalinin Front's 49th Army are railed out 10+ hexes for R&R.
1 more turn before mud and I'm feeling reasonably secure.

[glvaca]

Center Overview