The Blitz is on!

[Blubel]

I think this is a really great idea. Have to try this some time.

[carlkay58]

I am trying to stress the difference in mind set that the Blitz Points forces the Soviet player into. You worry about pockets, but there is a cost for retreating from them that you have to weigh before you do give up that territory. Or you try to figure out how to keep the pocket from forming, which is what the Soviets managed to do for three 'turns' (weeks) in the Smolensk battles.

[mmarquo]

Carlkay58,

A few questions, please.

"1) German Panzer Corps are locked into Army Group boundaries on the first turn." - Is this rule needed with the new patch?


"3) Soviets MUST attempt to ZOC every frontline Axis unit each turn. The frontline is defined as a unit which has no or a single Axis-Controlled between them and a non-isolated Soviet-Controlled hex."

To be clear: the units one hex behind the most forward units do not count even though they may have a single Axis-controlled hex (occupied by an Axis unit) between them and a Soviet hex.

"4) There is a running total of "Blitz Points". If the Axis reach 15 by the end of Turn 25, they achieve an Automatic Victory (or optionally move the final victory condition two grades in their favor)."

What are the grades you are referring to?

"An additional penalty is that if a city that has awarded Blitz Points to the Axis is either isolated or recaptured at the end of a Soviet Turn, that city will no longer award blitz points to the Axis at any time."

Does the Axis player then lose any previously awarded points?

"8) Blitz Point Awards are based on the following city control by the Axis. Some of the turns are marked with a '?' and are awarded without regards to a turn. Where there are two turns indicated, they correspond to the two BP awards."

I assume no points if captured after the listed turn?

Thanks,

Marquo

[carlkay58]

Marquo,

1) Yes. The Axis can do the 'extended Lvov' opening without violating anything else. This will immediately trap about 50% of the Southwestern Front - about the same as if the traditional Lvov opening is used. So it would only be a swap between the Northern portion of Southwestern Front and the southern portion - oh and the Blitz points that would be awarded from running away in the southern area . . .

3) Good clarification, thanks.

4) A grade of victory is the Victory type: Decisive, Major, Marginal, Draw, etc. So a two grade shift from a Soviet Marginal would go to Draw and then to Axis Marginal Victory.

5) Yes. If the Axis capture Smolensk on Turn 5 they will receive 1 BP. If the Soviets, at any time after this, manage to isolate or recapture Smolensk, the Axis player will lose the 1 BP and not be able to regain it. This is a strong incentive for the Soviets to counter attack with the goals of recapturing the major cities.

8) Correct, if the city is captured after Turn 25 (and all these rules end after Turn 25 - because then you enter Winter and all of its other problems) there are no BPs awarded. Essentially the BP total is evaluated on Turn 25. A historical BP total, by our rough count, would be 9. If the Axis better that, then the victory type would shift one category in their favor. So a Pelton who plays for an Axis draw would be able to turn that into an Axis Marginal victory if he scored 10 BPs or more.

[Erik Rutins]

Great example of house rules in action Carl. Look forward to seeing how this works out.

I wonder if the units in ZOC requirement would be easier to keep track of for the Soviet player and thus a bit more straightforward overall it if was based on the number of Soviets divisions with ZOC on German units rather than the number of German units without a Soviet unit adjacent.

Regards,

- Erik

[timmyab]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
I wonder if the units in ZOC requirement would be easier to keep track of for the Soviet player and thus a bit more straightforward overall it if was based on the number of Soviets divisions with ZOC on German units rather than the number of German units without a Soviet unit adjacent.

The only problem with that is that it could lead to some ultra wacky gaminess.The German player starts retreating back towards Berlin on turn one and wins by a blitz point knockout on turn 25.
In fact, thinking about it, wouldn't this already work with the rules as they are?

[carlkay58]

Not really - a full withdrawal would be behind hexes that are already Axis controlled and thus no units in the front line = no BP penalty! A great offensive plan! The Soviets love it!

As the Soviet player, I do not know exactly where the Axis 'front line' units are. Thus, I have a great incentive to try and push back the Axis controlled territory. Gosh, Soviet offensives are forced on the Soviets in 41! Thus the mechanic is there to force the Soviets not only to defend forward, but to advance or counter attack into Axis controlled areas! The mechanic has made a large difference in how I view the game as a Soviet. The ZOC requirement forces the Soviets to try and maintain a front line at all costs. I have never before had to send troops into the Pripet Marshes or Baltic states just to keep a front line in contact with the Axis. On the other hand, the Axis casualties are pretty high in the game - about 25-30K per turn in attrition losses.

Unfortunately, I can't think of how this type of thing could be programmed into the game. The Soviet ZOC requirement is really a necessary portion of it all, but it is the most difficult portion of the whole idea.

[timmyab]

Oh I see.This is pretty cool.
I'm thinking it may still be gameable if the Axis player is that way inclined.Also I would incorporate a ban on bomber refueling.
If you could also come up with some rules for the blizzard this could get us to 42 in reasonable shape.
I would also add Tallinn and Sevastopol to the city list.Their naval bases had an importance that the game doesn't recognize and it would add width to the game.
Oh, and another thing.If the Germans are locked into army group boundaries perhaps the Soviet SW and Southern Front units should be too?

[carlkay58]

Historically, on turn 1 two formations are railed from Southwestern Front to the Western Front. 16A and a corps that starts back by the Dnepr.

[timmyab]

Stavka units could be free to move.

[mmarquo]

Carlkay58,

May I suggest that non-frontline noncombat units do not have to displaced or ZOC'ed? Also, what about the Axis player who tries to game this system by either breaking down divisions to regiments to increase the number of units needing to be ZOC'ed, or purposely falls back one hex to create a buffer to impede Soviet units with limited MPs from rushing into contact?

Great concept; I would like to think it through and watch this AAR before I try which I will.

Marquo 😄

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Thanks for the AAR Carl (and interesting Hose Rules)! [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"

[carlkay58]

Axis Game Turn 3:

MUD! in the Central Soviet Zone gives me a major breather. But I have also gotten my one mud turn in a critical operational zone during a time (Turn 3) where the Axis are usually in a recovery turn anyways. I will still take it. No Blitz Points were awarded and all but one pocket was opened up by the Axis. The single German Panzer XX near the Zilupe line is still vulnerable.

AGN: The Axis advanced their infantry across the Daugava and approached Limbazi but did not get very far into the mud. The Panzer Corps appear to have adjusted to reopen supply lines and hold on to their gains so far.

[carlkay58]

AGC: The Axis broke my pockets and pocketed Minsk again. It appears that the Axis infantry has reached Minsk itself but that is about as far as they have gotten so far. The mud really helped here.

[carlkay58]

AGS: All of the Axis units are back into communications. They have formed a pocket near Brody isolating the 15th MC. Another pocket has two NKVD IIIs cut off. The Stanislav Salient (no longer the Lvov) is in large danger of being pocketed as the Romainians drive north from their border. The threatened pocket is actually most of my frontline at the moment stretching from Chernovtsy to Rovno. I will have to be serious about withdrawing and probably give up a BP or two in doing so. Too many troops are in danger to do anything else at this time.

[carlkay58]

Romania: The Romanian front is now open and a typical advance of a few hexes occurs. There are no deep penetrations and no real threat to any of my forces, but I will have to ZOC them all and that will take some troops.

[carlkay58]

Soviet Game Turn 3:

Stalin is being merciful as the mud turn stops the Axis offensives. All of my leaders have survived the turn. Something of a miracle - and Pavlov is still in command of the Western Front. Next turn I will begin to switch from Soviet Alpha formations into the Soviet Beta version. Hopefully I will have the Soviets up to Version 1 by turn 25. The mud does put a hamper on starting to counterattack. I have a reserve army (24th A) based in Rzhev that is trained up and ready to be comitted somewhere.

AGN: I formed another pocket near Pskov but failed to open up the one XX pocketed near Madona. The Axis infantry is across the Daugava but has another turn or two before they reach the Pskov area to continue the offensive.

[carlkay58]

AGC: I reopen the Minsk pocket and cut off some of advanced Panzer units again. The Axis infantry is just coming up on Minsk now so it will take another turn or two for them to reach the Dnepr in force and try to cross. My land bridge defense is solid, with a backup line protecting Smolensk, but it could be easily cracked. I do have the 24A in reserve near Rzhev for emergency use, or to start a counter offensive.

[carlkay58]

AGS: I cut off the eastern arm and isolate them, but the main arm is still within range of closing the Stanislav salient. I did pull out as many units as I could, but there are still quite a few that will be pocketed and lost soon. Soviet forces did counterattack at Proskurov and forced the 14th Panzer XX to surrender. I doubt that would have been possible without the mud weather. It is my only victory this turn so I don't change the BP count in my favor, but it is a great moral victory!

[carlkay58]

Romania: I was not able to counter attack anywhere to try and add to my lone victory in AGS, but I was able to only leave two Axis units non-ZOCd.

I move the rest of the Leningrad factories I am planning to save leaving the HI, BA10, and T50 factories behind. I tend to only move a single factory for tank and aircraft factories because I usually need the rail capacity to move as many factories as possible. I also move the ARMs from Vsevolzhsky this turn, effectively emptying the entire Leningrad area. The Kiev ARM and the Kharkov T-34 (9 of them) and Su-2 factories also move.

I could not ZOC nine Axis units by my count, so another BP is probably going to be awarded for a total of five BPs now. I hope to start getting some back as I counter attack in appropriate areas. The whole set of home rules are specifically meant to force the Soviets to stand their ground AND counter attack whenever possible. The one odds shift in 41 helps to favor that also. I have survived the first three turns pretty well. The mud definitely helped but it prevented me from mounting a counter offensive with the 24A. I should have another three armies trained up over the next few turns too.

<There were 12 unZOCd Axis for another BP, giving a total of five BPs.>