Caspian Crusade

[KamilS]

It seems I am ignorant.


Can you reveal secrets for Soviet successful winter offensive?

[gingerbread]

Although I have only seen it done from the Soviet side with FoW, saper (in s vs Harrybanana) used broken down divisions in order to minimize retreat losses to the Germans. He lost quite a few regiments, but the idea as such seems sound.

While the Soviets does not have problems with drawing supply, they do have problems with replacements to units many MP from rail. So after an initial wave they must choose to either hold/move back or cannibalize units by merging (aggravating the AP squeeze)in order to keep units attack capable.

It's logistics yet again - go for the rail.

[Flaviusx]

Problem with that broken down regiment idea is it feeds a lot of easy wins to the Sovs. Pretty sure Harry maxed out his guards count in that game. It also causes them very minor losses, and they're less likely to hit unreadiness as a result. Still, Saper did avoid a total crackup and maintained the integrity of his front.

[Michael T]

I just got M60's T8. Looks like he has blinked first. He has been in my face for the past 3 turns but he is now back peddling somewhat. Up north it looks like he has left Leningrad and its defenders to their fate. I see a long conga line of fleeing Soviets on the rails. This has been my intention from T1. I figured if I drove hard towards Kalinin and beyond it just might force M60 to give Leningrad up. It appears to be working. So I will gain Leningrad without much of a fight really. Excellent news. I should be able to begin the withdrawal of 4th PzGp (really only Corp strength) now.

In the centre I am now driving towards Tula with a PzGp and I raided an undefended Kaluga last turn. M60 had been fighting hard around Vyazma (much to my annoyance) but he has now withdrawn from a developing salient between Vyazma and Kaluga.

In the south he had been throwing good money after bad since the big Kiev pocket but has finally left the table, but minus his chips. I now have Stalino's Ind locked down. This turn I will consolidate my gains down there and begin reducing the big pockets.

He had been ahead in the Arm race but I think he may end up losing around 80-90 Arm before the summer ends, maybe more, but not certain yet.

Anyway I will try my best not to screw up the T9 screenies.

[Peltonx]

Sounds like your doing good MT.

You might want to consider a January fort line in the south.

I am guessing M60 is not going to go down unitl late 42 atleast so you will get a Blizzard O from him. Game will probably go the distance as you will not beable to go to much father in south and center is going to stiffen allot.

Also Leningrad is not that easy to take as before last few patchs, the air drops can keep the CV high if hes doing them right. I had a hard time vs Bobo, did not take it until febuary and I had it cut off in around turn 12.

[randallw]

ORIGINAL: Ketza

The best Axis move in the Blizzard is a slow retreat keeping a few hexes between themselves and the Soviets. It is wise also to be wary of areas where a "fast" stack of Soviets can pinch off bends in the line.

It is very surprising how fast a Soviet army made up of refitted tank divisions and Cav corps can be. Of course eventually those tank divisions go "poof" but having 40+ mps during the blizzard causes extreme chaos.

By the time of the blizzard most of the tank divisions have converted over to brigades.

Mobility is good because moving over frozen ground is not necessarily worse than regular temperature ground...perhaps even easier?

[Ketza]

If you mange them carefully you can have 4 or 5 refitted tank divisions for blizzard. In my current game I had 5 divisions of which 3 became guards that did not go "poof" until the end of January If I recall. The time I needed them was December and they were a big part of a large pocket that was created.

[Seminole]

If you mange them carefully you can have 4 or 5 refitted tank divisions for blizzard.

Someone mentioned once that they undergo an additional (or maybe higher percentage?) chance to covert to brigades if they are routed. So if you can keep them from getting mauled, you stand higher odds of having a few left.

[randallw]

Are the MP's for the tank divisions still poor, through the blizzard period?

[Seminole]

Are the MP's for the tank divisions still poor, through the blizzard period?

I would say that their range into enemy territory is comparable to cavalry corps. I think the best you could hope to get out of a cavalry corps (considering morale, clear terrain, and blizzard) would be about 7 hexes. I think the farthest I've pushed a tank division is 6 hexes.
Advantage is that they have more punch than a bde and convert adjacent hexes unlike a bde.
I can't recall the max MP I had in Dec-Jan, and if it actually conformed to the max MP listed in 14.1.1.

[821Bobo]

Theoretically they can get 50 MPs. So fueled and rested Soviet tank division in Blizzard will have something between 40-50MPs.

[Seminole]

Theoretically they can get 50 MPs. So fueled and rested Soviet tank division in Blizzard will have something between 40-50MPs.

So the divisions are being treated like corps?

14.1.1. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM MOVEMENT POINTS
Maximum MPs: The following are the base maximum MPs for on-map units:
Non-Motorized Combat units (except Cavalry) units - 16 MP
Cavalry Combat units - 22 MP
Headquarters units - 50 MP
Rail Repair units (FBD and NKPS) - 16 MP
Axis Motorized Combat units - 50 MP
All Soviet Motorized Combat units 1941 - 25 MP (18 for Divisions prior to October 1941)
Soviet Motorized Combat Brigades 1942-1943 - 30 MP
Soviet Motorized Combat Brigades 1944 - 35 MP
Soviet Motorized Combat Corps - 50 MP

[821Bobo]

Maybe I am wrong here as not many Soviet tank divisions survive till Blizzard, but as far I can remember in the rare occasions I had tank divisions with more than 25MPs.

[821Bobo]

I was wrong. Tank division stays with 25MPs. Sorry for misleading information. Mea culpa.



PS. Sorry Michael for hijacking your AAR.

[Ketza]

I could have sworn I had got some divisions to the 40mp zone but perhaps it was just the intoxication of victory disease clouding my memory.

Sorry for the hijack as well [&o]

[Michael T]

No I have definately seen Tank xx with 40-45 mp iin 1942.

[juret]

ORIGINAL: Michael T

No I have definately seen Tank xx with 40-45 mp iin 1942.

me to
my last mp game i had 2 tank divs with mp30+ as SHC player used em to blitz very deep into german hexes each turn to flip em and make alot of zoc

[Walloc]

Here are the rules per manual or lack there off depending how u wana view it.

All Soviet Motorized Combat units 1941 - 25 MP (18 for Divisions prior to October 1941)
Soviet Motorized Combat Brigades 1942-1943 - 30 MP
Soviet Motorized Combat Brigades 1944 - 35 MP
Soviet Motorized Combat Corps - 50 MP

Well in 1941 its pretty clear. Max 18 MP pre October and then max 25 MPs until the end of 1941.

Since there are no rules for Divs in 1942+ per manual they prolly arent covered by any special rules and presumably why ppl see 40+ MPs in 1942. Its neither a brigade nor a corps which there are rules for.

While ppl can try and save the tanks divs, by avoding routs and the roll for that. Other wise its a 20% total random chance per unit, per turn, so its a crap shoot whether u will have (m)any by 1942. U could have non or u could have 10. Given reasonble statiscal rolls u shouldnt have many if any, but play enough and u will have "the lucky rolls" and thats the joy of the RandomNumberGenerator. I do understand what ppl mean by the saving part, but really its a crap shoot on the 20% ToE rolls.

Playing SWTOR i missed 53 20% Reverse Engineering rolls in a row.. any thing can happen.


Kind regards,

Rasmus

[Michael T]

End Axis T9 (14th Aug 1941) Clear

For the past two turns I had been readying for a new push in AGC. I positioned my Panzer forces in the blue circled areas on the map. The yellow lines are the threats I intended to make. My plan was to head in the path of the yellow lines if M60 did not react with enough units to stop the lines of advance. In M60’s T8 he reacted very strongly to the threats and moved many troops from in front of Moscow along the reds lines shown and built a line in front of Tula and between Kalinin/Rybinsk Res. I had envisaged such a move and was in position to strike directly toward Moscow if an opportunity were to arise. It did. So hey didle didle straight up the middle. Green lines.

In the south it’s a real mess for M60.

I have his T10 and its obvious his morale is shot. So I have offered him terms. Waiting for his reply.

[Seminole]

While ppl can try and save the tanks divs, by avoding routs and the roll for that. Other wise its a 20% total random chance per unit, per turn, so its a crap shoot whether u will have (m)any by 1942. U could have non or u could have 10. Given reasonble statiscal rolls u shouldnt have many if any, but play enough and u will have "the lucky rolls" and thats the joy of the RandomNumberGenerator. I do understand what ppl mean by the saving part, but really its a crap shoot on the 20% ToE rolls.

Does the div/bde conversion chance start on turn 1?
If I understand you correctly there is an 80% chance to remain a tank division each turn. But over 20 turns that would be about a <1% chance (per unit), right?
(always preferred history to math)


Excellent campaign, MT!

Kept him off balance the whole go. Stinks you had the screenie problems the last few turns so we missed the 'dogfight' around Moscow and redeployment of 4th Pzr Grp.
What was the MP to rail for your HQs during the two turn resting phase before this latest plunge? I don't have the Axis exp. to know how much fuel gets to panzers when your HQs are 50+ MP from rail.
I've seen <40% fuel panzers make seemingly enormous leaps the next week. I can only feel comfortable when I cut them off. [8D]