The Game is Called!!! A-Game welcome!

[smokindave34]

Here is my situation - in the north. March 1944

[smokindave34]

And the south...

[smokindave34]

One other thing I thought of from my last game that may help you. When I was backed up and cornered near Berlin I had so many non combat units (HQ, security div, airbases) that as my infantry/panzer divisions retreated they had nowhere to retreat to and they surrendered. I had something like 16 divisions surrender in one turn because they had nowhere to go. Make sure you disband unnecessary units as you get close to Berlin - it may help you hold out a few more turns.

[Disgruntled Veteran]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

How have you chosen the units that "don't upgrade"? I'm in March '44 and I'm slowly starting to see units turn from the '39 rifle squad to the '43 rifle squad. I'm drained on armaments but I'm getting 3 or 4 divisions per turn to upgrade. I expect to see better results once the mud hits in April. Have you just picked out units with the old rifle squads and disbanded them? I appreciate any help you can give me although the odds are slim that I'll make it to '45.

Well its a bit different for me. 95% or more of my rifle units upgraded in a decent fashion. My problem was my motorized units. None of them upgraded. The only units I have that contain 43-45 motor squads are the divisions that arrived in 44. So my 99 morale Gross Deutschland division is a roadbump along with all my SS divisions. They would accumulate support gear and tanks but without rifle squads they would get 3-5 CV and really just be a drain. So by disbanding them my industry focuses only on building infantry gear. Once the panzer brigades start arriving I'll get some of my mobility back

[Disgruntled Veteran]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

Another lesson learned for late game Axis players. When a Soviet units gets adjacent to Bulgaria or Yugoslavia they become "no entry" hexes. I had a panzer division trying to escape from Rumania after its surrender so I sent in another from Yugoslavia and now that Yugoslavia flipped they are both toast! In the future I'll be pulling every German unit out of Rumania as soon as the Reds get close.

I think I am going to use the 2k man SS Brigades to garrison allied capitols along with some security regiments. This should increase the odds of your allies holding out longer than normal according to the manual. Had I still had my Hungarians right now I still think 45 would be doable...likewise the Finns.

[Disgruntled Veteran]

[center]TURN 164 - AUGUST 4, 1944 [/center]

Any previously optimistic calculations about seeing 45 have been nullified. This damage was completed in 1 turn. With week long turns one cannot parry this without running at least 6-8 hexes.

[smokindave34]

Ouch - not a good day back at the Wolf's Lair. I don't see any prospects of rescuing 9th army and 2nd army may get the same treatment next turn. At this point even a solid fort line (like you have) is little defense - the rifle corps break it open and the mobile units rush right through ('41 in reverse). I was hoping to see you pull off a "miracle on the Vistual" but it doesn't seem to be.....

[Disgruntled Veteran]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

Ouch - not a good day back at the Wolf's Lair. I don't see any prospects of rescuing 9th army and 2nd army may get the same treatment next turn. At this point even a solid fort line (like you have) is little defense - the rifle corps break it open and the mobile units rush right through ('41 in reverse). I was hoping to see you pull off a "miracle on the Vistual" but it doesn't seem to be.....

No probably not. What makes his accomplishment so amazing is that the Screenshot before the trap was before my moves. I actually backed up a couple hexes forcing him to cross a contested river (Bug) before any deliberate attacks were made. So he crossed an enemy river, blew my line to pieces then exploited 5-6 hexes into rear positions. Luckily next turn 14 divisions become unfrozen from AGA/B's disaster that are full strength. They are low 50 morale but full strength. This should help rebuild a front...long enough for him to trap another army. Rinse ..Repeat.

[morvael]

ORIGINAL: Disgruntled Veteran

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

How have you chosen the units that "don't upgrade"? I'm in March '44 and I'm slowly starting to see units turn from the '39 rifle squad to the '43 rifle squad. I'm drained on armaments but I'm getting 3 or 4 divisions per turn to upgrade. I expect to see better results once the mud hits in April. Have you just picked out units with the old rifle squads and disbanded them? I appreciate any help you can give me although the odds are slim that I'll make it to '45.

Well its a bit different for me. 95% or more of my rifle units upgraded in a decent fashion. My problem was my motorized units. None of them upgraded. The only units I have that contain 43-45 motor squads are the divisions that arrived in 44. So my 99 morale Gross Deutschland division is a roadbump along with all my SS divisions. They would accumulate support gear and tanks but without rifle squads they would get 3-5 CV and really just be a drain. So by disbanding them my industry focuses only on building infantry gear. Once the panzer brigades start arriving I'll get some of my mobility back

You probably started the game ,as I did with cpt flam - on a version when there was no upgrade path for the panzergrenadier squads. They added it in a later patch (to generic data), but before 1.7.07, so the upgrade path is not fixed in on-going games by the procedure included with 1.7.07. Therefore there will be problems with GD getting their PzGen boys, unless you fix it in the save on your own, as I did for our game with cpt flam.

[Disgruntled Veteran]

[center]TURN 166 - AUGUST 17, 1944
[/center]
I can't remember if this is the 4th total catastrophe in as many months or the 5th. I lost count.

[Disgruntled Veteran]

So after a bit of conversation A-Game and I decided to call it quits on this game. The train wreck of no upgrades bit too deeply into my army and I have not been able to even put together something resembling a defense since mud. A-Game has been able to encircle between 10-20 divisions every turn so we've decided not to waste any more time on it. The Good news is that we are going to have a 3rd and final bout and hopefully finish a game where we both are able to put forth our best. I will remain axis and the only difference is that I am asking for non-random weather. I am still waiting for a reply which should come tonight. (A-Game runs on Aussie time while I'm in the Southern U.S)

My main shortcomings on review:

-Allowing myself to be drawn into a straight up battle in front of Leningrad instead of a war of maneuver. Honestly, I don't know what exactly I did wrong (if anything) but I came as close to losing the Leningrad drive as possible while still taking it. I lost a lot of battles and sent all my reinforcements north to assist which of course allowed A-Game to easily hold Moscow and simply run in the South. I need to have a better advance plan in the future.

-Not garrisoning allied capitols!!!!!! For any new guys who have never played until the long war, Garrison your allied capitols when the Russians get close to them. Use your small SS units and some security/luftwaffe troops to garrison to increase odds of allied troops holding out. I lost Hungary and Finland without Russians ever entering their soil. This cost me about 1million men in short secession which devastated my defense. This game could have been played out had Hungary and Finland not died so quickly.

- Not capitalizing on my Vyazma victory. Here I destroyed some 60 Red Divisions in one campaign but failed to win a decisive victory out of it. Part of this was the annoying mud turn that crippled me but A-Game caught his breath and rebuilt a defense. And while I still managed to destroy many more divisions it merely delayed his resurgence instead of destroying it. I managed to get to 233/260 VP's but Moscow was never in any real danger so an outright victory just wasn't possible.


My main criticism of A-Game would be that he let me off too easy in the Blizzard. I was almost wondering whether he didn't want to break my spirit because there was a few turns where I thought I'd lost a whole army but constantly managed to wiggle out of a ZOC lock. Overall I lost 1 division and 1 regiment in the whole Blizzard which allowed me to have a strong OOB in 42. Other than that A-Game played very conservatively until he was sure he could advance with strong flank support. Its hard to say how things would have turned out without the upgrade bug. I was still being driven back in late 43 so it would have been a very close game.

Some final thoughts: For axis players who have a bad start: Keep Playing! The defense starts to get a lot easier in the late game. For one your front line gets shorter which allows units to refit n the rear, build fortifications, and be put on reserve, the terrain really starts to get nasty for the attackers, and you get a lot of reinforcements past summer 44 including the Volksgrenadier which have a lot of firepower. TBH, I was really enjoying the late game defense. I think I enjoyed the late game more than the 41 drive. Being on the defense isn't that bad as the axis.

If anyone has any thought or questions please fire away!!

[Michael T]

I can only say you must insist on non random. Otherwise you are just handing the Soviets the game.

[smokindave34]

What slowed you down in your drive to Leningrad? It sounds as though you committed enough troops to it....did the weather effect you here as well. In most cases if the Axis makes Leningrad a priority it will fall and probably in the first 17 turns. Just curious as I'm planning on starting another campaign shortly...

Also, after two games into '44 as axis I think the correct strategy for Rumania is to get every German unit out of there before the Soviets reach the border. This whole deal where the Rumanian units flip and the rail lines flip is a disaster for any axis units in Rumania. Put your units in Hungary and as soon as Romania falls send them into the grap the mountain passes.

Good luck in your next game!

[Disgruntled Veteran]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

What slowed you down in your drive to Leningrad? It sounds as though you committed enough troops to it....did the weather effect you here as well. In most cases if the Axis makes Leningrad a priority it will fall and probably in the first 17 turns. Just curious as I'm planning on starting another campaign shortly...

Probably a short coming on my part, but random mud on T10 really hurt me. Every turn I couldn't achieve a strategic breakthrough but instead I had to claw through multiple rows of fortified russians with 2/3 reserve activations.In hindsight I could have bombed the ports or went around, but A-Game's defense was pretty tough to crack.

[janh]

Nice game, and a good AAR. The few random mud turns can be a pain, but so they are for the Russian side as well. I would say the random weather does benefit the Axis defense in mid war quite a bit by requiring the Soviet to keep a low pace/penetration depth when attacking, else risk having your spear heads cut off-- which are usually the best units you have. It is just that the 41 rush is so tight that you can only allow little to go wrong as Axis, but who know how history would have looked if they had had a much more rainy summer than they did. Perhaps the war wouldn't even have lasted until D-Day then. Fate... or dice rolls.

The key to LG -- decisive use of AGN's Panzer force in that sector right from the beginning, and not getting PG IV side-tracked towards Kalinin or anywhere else. It may seem boring to push the AG via Pskov directly to LG, but I think this is the best way to go. Sending a Panzer Corps West past the landbridge north of Peipius can be sound when the direct resistance in the area towards Novgorod and the Volkov is stiff, but else I think bullying your way in there seems to work in most cases, and the earlier AARs. The terrain there isn't exactly best Panzer terrain, but Wehrmacht is qualitatively so superior that even if the Soviet player sends all initial reinforcements up there and allows AGC and AGS to roam free, you still have the better chance to force your way to LG's back door. And the alternatives, like going through the poor terrain via Staraya Russia and Demyansk through the Valdai hills and coming up on the East side of the Volkhov/Novgorod means a narrow attack channel through much worse terrain, the best defensive terrain on the map in fact, and a very long supply line -- that has little prospect a seems like handing your cards to the Soviet side.