Bob Flemin's AAR se!

[warspite1]

Turn 54 - 6th July 1916 (cont)

In Serbia I lose two points with my French Infantry and the Bulgarians and Turks are closing in on my Italian Garrisons - that's not so clever.

Italy

I continue to attack the hex north of Venice, just as the Axis keep attacking my hex south of Trento!

France

I continue pouring shot and shell into the German lines, but the attacks are as costly for me as they are for the enemy. The RN let me down, failing to damage the unit in Calais this turn. Knife-edge stuff.

[Myrddraal]

Wow, at lot to read and catch up on here...

Wow, your East Front looks nothing like mine! Where are the Russians getting all these PP and men from in my game?!? Thanks again for the pic

It looks like Warspite is dedicating quite a lot of units to the Caucasus. Warspite, I would suggest that you can hold the Turks at bay with fewer units there, and use mostly garrisons. That would save you a few PPs for the west.

I have yellow triangles against my Italian Garrisons and Serbian unit. Not sure what that means - I await developments...

This means your units are not connected to any capital and are therefore on half supply. It makes them vulnerable, watch out!

Really, the only hope to counter the Bulgarian entry to the war is to give ground early, and make up for the loss of PPs by bringing over French, British and Italian troops. It hurts to give up precious cities, but with the Bulgarians in the war you will be outflanked.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Myrddraal

This means your units are not connected to any capital and are therefore on half supply. It makes them vulnerable, watch out!

Thank-you [:)].

Warspite, I would suggest that you can hold the Turks at bay with fewer units there, and use mostly garrisons. That would save you a few PPs for the west.

Well I'm the general, and I don't have enough guns, men, cavalry, ships, in fact everything...the game is borked!![:D]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Lukas

That is a lot of Artillery! Make sure you balance Artillery production & Ammo production properly, or those guns become nothing more than decoration [:'(]

And be warned that having Romania enter the on your side is a bit of a double edged sword: Yes you have more troops, but not enough to cover the whole Romanian borderline! If you are not careful, it just gives the CP more chances to bypass your defenses.

warspite1

See post 132 [;)]

[warspite1]

Turn 55 - 20th July 1916

Russia

I take back Riga at last!! Not a moment too soon as the Germans are trying to outflank me northwest of Brest-Litovsk. Its vital I hold here because, so long as I have this city and the similarly named port in the northwest of France, no matter how bad the game gets, I can always say I am holding a pair of Brests [8D]

Bulgarians are showing up everywhere!! Vinnytsia is under threat from a Bulgarian and German Infantry and so I pull my Romanian back behind the river.

In the south I take the Black Sea port of Varna. I buy an Infantry...I'm going to need it!

Serbia

I continue to exert pressure on Cetinje. The Italian battlefleet pummell the AH Garrison there, and they are joined by the French Infantry and an Italian Garrison, reducing the AH unit to 2. In Tirana, my newly arrived Serbian Infantry inflicts 3 points of damage on the Turk Garrison.

Italy

Nothing to report.

France

A better turn for the British. The RN damage the Calais defender and then an Infantry/Cavalry attack forces a German Infantry to retreat.

[warspite1]

Turn 56 - 3rd August 1916

Russia

The Germans begin retreating from Kovno - and I start to follow....from a discreet distance!

Romania

I repair units.

Serbia

I end the earthly existence of the AH Infantry in Cetinje, although I have nothing to move into the city. I also inflict some pain on the Turkish Garrison east of Tirana.

Italy

I conduct a rubbish attack on a German coastal Garrison, losing 2 points for nil return [8|]. Nice one warspite...

France

The British continue to exert pressure on the German right wing. Calais is down to 6-strength. The French assist with an attack in the centre.

[Myrddraal]

although I have nothing to move into the city

Just in case you hadn't noticed, you can advance with a unit which has just attacked if it destroys the enemy or forces them to retreat. You can then move into the hex they just vacated.

[warspite1]

Turn 57 - 17th August 1916

Romania

I repair units, waiting for my Infantry reinforcement next turn.

Russia

Once again I undertake 3 risky attacks to remove a probing German infantry west of Kovno. Major casualties on both sides - I hope the Axis haven't got reinforcements handy....

Serbia

Oh dear....

A mixed Bulgarian, Turk and AH army group remove my heroic French Infantry in Cattaro. Mmmm.

Italy

I just re-organise the line. All I can do.

France

I bypass Calais, launching an attack north by the 1st Cavalry Army (now promoted to Guards status due to that attack). I try and dislodge a Garrison 2 hexes southwest of Brussels, but it holds firm. A launch a number of attacks across the line but the attack eventually peters out.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Myrddraal

although I have nothing to move into the city

Just in case you hadn't noticed, you can advance with a unit which has just attacked if it destroys the enemy or forces them to retreat. You can then move into the hex they just vacated.

warspite1

Thanks myrddraal, but what I meant by that was if I advanced I would only end up vacating one city for another and so I preferred to stay put.

Btw I really appreciate the timely answers to my questions from the moderators - it really helps [:)]

[warspite1]

Turn 58 - 31st August 1916

Southern Russia - Grim... I am being pushed ever backwards and the Turks are expanded from Batumi.

Northern Russia - more high cost action in the north. I reduce a German Infantry to 5 and force an AH Infantry to retreat 1 hex southeast of Koenigsberg.

Romania

I decide to go on the offensive and pack 3 Infantry and 2 Garrisons in and around Iasi, ready to march west.

Serbia

All units in the southwest are yellow triangled. I have a plan to get out of this predicament but.........

Italy

I decide to go on to the attack as the Axis could not maintain a solid line last time. I destroy an AH Garrison next to Trento too.

France

The pushing back of the Axis continues, albeit slowly and at cost. Calais is almost liberated!

[Myrddraal]

Looks like the tide is turning in your favour [:)]

[warspite1]

Turn 59 - 14th September 1916

Northern Russia

The German and AH units make no effort to attack, but simply fall back on Koenigsberg.. a good sign. I get carried away and not only attack the AH Infantry, but advance when it retreats.... My confidence was misplaced and there is a 10-strength Infantry in the Prussian port [&:]

Romania

I advance with Army Group Chisnau and try and surround a seemingly lone German. Turns out he has a Bulgarian chum tagging along too. I attack the Bulgarian and an expensive 2-2 result ensues.

In the south, figuring that the Bulgarians can't be everywhere, I advance with two Infantry toward Sofia.

Serbia

I land a Portugese Infanry north of Cattaro and use the French battlefleet to bombard a Bulgarian in the next hex.

Italy

I continue to attack both north and east toward Trieste. The attacks are reasonably successful and the Germans continue to take losses.

France

The BEF are now just outside Antwerp and 2 hexes from Brussels. The French still struggle to make any impression further south, but that's okay - just being there means the Germans can't abandon their positions opposite the French to halt the British.

[warspite1]

Turn 60 - 28th September 1916

Quality, absolute quality play on show there warspite [8|]

Seeing the Turks withdraw from Tiflis, I decided to advance.... oh good grief, can I play this theatre any more poorly??

Let's move to better news...

I pull back in the north behind the river west of Kovno. A German Army has pitched up camp outside Vinnytsia.

Romania

Three Bulgarians Infantry Armies and one German are now north and west of Iasi. I try and form a line, but there are no rivers to assist.....

I count at least four Bulgarians outside their country though, so I continue the march to Sofia with my two Romanian Infantry.

Serbia

Nothing to report.

Italy

I continue the march east toward Trieste, while screening the Germans in the north.

France

Brussels is re-captured!! I fail to remove the strong German unit south of Antwerp and so expect a ferocious counter-attack, but good news - even if temporary.

[warspite1]

Turn 61 - 12th October 1916

I'm in all sorts of trouble in Russia....all self inflicted.. what an a%^&*^%!! [:@]

But it gets worse... my Army Group Varna arrives chez Sofia and I tentitively advance with one unit to test the strength in Sofia. I find nothing there, but then, accidently stop my second unit one hex short of the Bulgarian capital!!! AAARRRRGGGHHHH [:@][:@]

Serbia

In better news, my Infantry arrives and, because Belgrade and environs is not properly sealed off, I am able to place in a hex southwest of the capital.

Italy

I lost an Infantry last turn which wasn't clever, but is going to happen if I try and open up the front. I'm looking a little stretched in the north so pull back one hex to be safe.

France

The British push northeast but resistance is stiffening. I need to get the French involved. I lose my French aircraft, but he takes a strength point off a German Army in dying and that helps me push into a gap north of Verdun.

[warspite1]

Turn 62 - 26th October 1916

I am being outflanked east and west around Brest-Litovsk so just hunker down and hope....

Romania

Better news here. I destroy or force to retreat, one of the Bulgarian units. I then take the capital Sofia with one Infantry and move on Skopje with the other. No Bulgarian production for a while at least [:)]

Serbia

I lost the Portugese Infantry - a bit of a rubbish operation all things considered [8|]

Italy

Reducing the Infantry in Trieste is painfully slow, but not helped by a German Garrison next door that appears invulnerable....

Need to be careful as there are three powerful German units in the north still.

France

Antwerp still holds out, but the British and French continue to make ground. Only concern is that all armies are running low on strength points [:(]

[warspite1]

Turn 63 - 9th November 1916

Russia is a basket case. I just hope what is happening in the west will mean the AI decides to divert troops...

[wodin]

Hmmm..your now well ahead of schedule on the Western front, which brings concerns about how fragile the German front was. I'd want a WW1 game to at least hold me back until mid to late '17 in making a successful breakthrough and the previous attacks been to weaken them for the main breakthrough in mid 17 onwards.

If you end up storming the Western front now and pushing on into Germany it would certainly for me bring into question the game being able to recreate WW1.

Historically the Germans where well into Russia and the Ukraine and still holding back any attacks on the West Front.

Others are say as the germans it's very tough. Maybe the CP need some work in patches to give them some more staying power\clout.

[warspite1]

Turn 63 - 9th November 1916 (cont)

Romania

I have got myself slightly out of position, but I think worth it because I could destroy a Bulgarian Infantry that is not coming back [:)]

Serbia

The Romanians take Skopje and are closing on Nis. The Serb Infantry next to Belgrade continues to take lumps out of an AH Garrison.

Italy

Italian Infantry take Trieste and now threaten Zagreb. Only two German units in the north and I attempt to outflank these units.

France and Belgium

The Germans abandon their line in front of Strassburg, but the French cannot make a line of their own because I make a mistake and their is no undo button [:@] However, the German position surely is desperate? isn't it?..please?

[warspite1]

Turn 64 - 23rd November 1916

I'm so depressed about Russia, I start in the west this time [:D]

France

Antwerp falls, Brussels is secure and Vedun is surrounded. Good work boys! [:)]

Italy

I form two separate army groups - West, to Isolate Trento, and East to take Zagreb.

Serbia

Its like the United Nations! Romanians and Italians vs Turks; Serbs and Italians vs Turks; Romanians vs Germans and Sers vs AH....

Romania

I send an infantry north to assist Army Group Chisnau, leaving a Garrison in Bucharest. The two Infantry armies continue on their missions; one to take Nis, where it runs into a German aircraft and Skopje, and the other to attack the Turks menacing Tirana.

Russia

I pull back everything toward Vilna - what a piggin' mess [:-]

[warspite1]

Turn 65 - 7th December 1916

Southern Russia

The Turks heading north from Batumi have run into my Garrisons, who give them a bloody nose [:)]

Northern Russia

I continue the pull back and destroy the AH unit that got itself out of supply....

Serbia

The Romanians re-capture Nis. I hold fire in the north and launch attacks against the Turks with little effect.

Romania

This is a bit untidy now, I hold fire and repair what I can.

Italy

I continue with the current objectives but slow progress.

France

Tanks!!

I consolidate my gains and wait for some cash to replace losses....