http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPz_eTg3UIE
This is my hand notes on paper for opening moves. Warning its messy, but what I have for notes letter for letter. This doesn't include the small pocket that can easly be formed just north of the Lvov pocket.
I have seen some amazing poor first turn moves by GHC players.Which in most cases is game set match other then wasting a few hundred hours.
This should be used as a guide only.
Take these "notes" and play the opening vs yourself not the computer. This way you can counter your crap moves/mistakes and over 3 to 4 hrs come up with your own perfect opening. save your moves and your moves vs yourself each time. After you have figured out how to make air tight pockets then you can work on turn 2.
I have seen better openings(MT tm.asp?m=3075748 ), but this basic opening is air tight. It leaves you with options and reserves to counter any hold results.
The air war I use Katza's system tm.asp?m=2944453 . Other then possibly bombing Riga's ground units. When it comes to air war Katza is the man.
AGC:
39th pz corp clear left flank
23rd XXX hold north flank
VI Clear Kaunas
V hold right flank
42 XXX corp move north to be AGN right flank
8 corp north east side of pocket
20th support 8th if needed f not move north east
Security units hold west/north west side of pocket
7th corp holds south side and clears pocket over time.
AGN:
12th clears border hex to east then clears hexes along border going south.
The rest of 16th army clears as many border hexes as possible to north.
26 corp pushs north along coast and Tot SS clears all the ports.
The rest of infantry clears a wide path to 52/41ish
3rd Mot clears 54/40 once Riga is cleared move towards Riga clearing hexes.
6th and 1st PZ clear Riga. Attach pioneers first!!! I generally ground attack the units in Riga 2 times then turn ground support to 300% and then attack.
Then move east as far as possible
AGS:
Get FBD-1 on a train and get to border.
295th+71st to 51/78 clear hexes to ne/e/se
68/1st MT/24th to 51/79 clear to south. One unit moves to occupy hex and do one attack.
Security units and 101+100 Jag Divisions hold the Lvov pocket to 68th.
262 to 53/81
296 to 54/81
57th to 56/81 once hex is clear of zoc
75th+297 55/82 attack south east
9th 55/83
168 56/80 XXIX push east
XXXVI pz corp to 57/82
DR divisions clear
10th pz clear 56/85
29th mech end at 59/83
57th move to 57/82
GrossD regiment to 57/83
11th pz to 61/94 split unit
16th pz to 61/86
14th pz to ends at 62/89!
13th pz ends at 62/92
XVII corp moves east along swamp.
The AGS railhead is out of 61/96 using 2 RR units. You have a bunch of pz units in great supply for the first 4 turns and HQ build up easly possible for the first 6 turns unless the SHC player runs.
The russian player can try to counter this, but simply makes for a nice pocket on turn 2 as 6-7 other SHC have found out the hard way vs this and might slow down the RH by 2 hexes if they are lucky and your unlucky. The old throwing good money after bad thing.
I personally slowly close the pockets killing a few units in each. Unit that surrender respawn after turn 10. When they appear they suck up recriuts. So if yu can slowly clear the pockets over 6 to 9 turns this will cause a slow drain on replacements for the SHC. if you clear the pockets quickly the units will respawn to fast and they have a chance to rebuild and train( up morale). If you killem off slowly as possible they be usless until after mud. This effect pays off turns 14-17 and I beleive during snow, not totally sure on that.
the rail unit in center goes to help clear the Riga line turn one, then turn 2 helps with the Kaunus line, then turn 3 starts the line at 55/42 to Vitbesk.
The Kaunus Minsk line then heads to Smolensk then turns south east.
The AGS line split at 72/88
AGN turn 2 should be over the Pskov or atleast by turn 3. HQ build ups on turn 4 or 5
At this point a left hook around lake or drive to Leningrad. I corps should be 4 90+ morale divisions run by Model. 2 poineers and 1 stug per divisions. ground support off all time unless your bombing enemy units in a hex. End game Leningrad then try and help the drive for Moscow.
AGC should be to land bridge by turn 2. turns 3-6 are kind boring do not waste tanks. HQ build ups are doable starting turn 5, but generally not that useful unless linking with AGS for a pocket. the main drive for Moscow starts around turn 9. So AGc panzers can be shipped to help with Leningrad fron turns 4 to 8. Allot of options in center take what SHc gives you. End game Moscow.
AGS basicly pocket what you can and try to cross rivers by turn 4 -7. Once over you can turn north or south. I try to return the PZ Corp from AGC asap as the south now is a back water for SHC and requires little in the way of mech units once your over the river. The end game is Rostov and the 3 small towns that release another AG. This AG is a huge bonus.
Over-all ignore taking industry its to easy to rail it out. Focus on pocketing russian units and taking manpower centers. I raid, but to cut rail lines not industry. Cutting rail lines will help with making pockets. My goal every turn is to pocket a few units every turn. Checker boards are easy to counter, its a few dozen or so units pocketed every turn same with screens. Have a pocketing mind set forget about industry.
It takes some time to learn how to do, but learn to chain HQ build-ups. Turn 101 HQB corp 1/turn 102 HQB corp 2/turn 103 hqb corp 3/ turn 104 air drop fuel. Your have to mess with this to figure out which divisions from which corp attack first then put back to HQ to be HQed and which ones drive east. Again this system is not set in stone, but is very flexable and has worked from when game went gold to present. Dont get hung up on how many tanks you have during 1941, they are junk. You should have around 800-1200 by turn 17. 0 is fine in my book. The less I have the better after turn 7 in AGS. The less tanks and men the less fuel and supplies required. I funnel replacements into AGN/AGC pz/mot units. Most panzer divisions after turn 12ish are basicly Mot infantry which is fine for my play style.
Some games I only use 7 to 8 HQB's other's 15-20. Its depends on the SHC player and patch. Its when you use the chain that matters. If you pull one off right its totally throws the SHC into a panic and unbalances the defences for the summer.
Turns 1-7 are huge huge huge for the GHC. You dont have to take Leningrad on turn 4 or Moscow turn 12 or Stalino turn 7, you simply have to be near Leningrad, Smolensk and over the river in the south by turn 7. From turn 7-10 SHC will get very few new units. Your railheads will be close to front and the 2nd half of summer(turn9+) you will have allot of good options. 7+ your on your own, but atleast you will have a fighting chance.
Turn 1 is huge, if you open poorly you will not recover game set match.
Before playing vs a human and wasting both of your time. Perfect your opening moves, writem down. Read the AAR's, there is an amazing amount of great info for both sides.
Reserve activation set-up: tm.asp?m=3132188
