Bialystok Kessel - 1st turn pockets

[governato]

Do people bother to pocket the Red Army at Bialystok and then wait for the next turn or two to reduce it with just a few infantry divisions or is it easier to take advantage of the strong first turn bonuses and just blast through it?

How about other areas of the front (AGS is another good case)... is it worth to wait a turn to kill the encircled units?

Pros: reduce infantry losses (possibly) Cons: slow down supplies (but armies have reseserves for a couple turns anyway.

[Flaviusx]

Blast through it imo. Herd them well away from important rail lines. Get the infantry moving forward.

You can kill them on turn 2 merely by denying them a retreat path regardless.

Only something with a major garrison underneath it might survive a such an attack.

Rule of thumb: on turn 1 any 2 infantry divisions can beat any single Red Army division. With a few exceptions on river crossings. The entire Bialystock salient can be shoved aside and herded into a small area. They die the next turn.

[Flaviusx]

Actually, just copy Micheal T's opening turn as best you can. Check out his recent AAR. This is pretty much how it is done imo.

[Speedysteve]

Agreed. I've learnt this after my first game. Unlike the likes of WitE just herd them away from the key rail lines (knowing how import logistics are in this). It's no where near as crucial in needing to surrounded them and leave them a turn as in Wite (naturally they suffer penalties here as well). So push them where you need them.

Don't try for too big a pockets like WitE as you won't have the logistics capacity to do so.

[battlevonwar]

I am able to create 3 pockets if the AI doesn't have success.. Drive the Panzers Around Brest, forget AGN unless the AI gets stubborn.. Bial and Lvov... You have to send out the Panzer/Motorized deep into enemy territory and drive every infantry in and get a bit lucky. Though you should have by turn two surrounded 20-25 Red Units and if you cannot do this you need to restart several times and focus on pushing farther. If you're very lucky this will open the door. Another neat trick(if the AI sees you leave a Theater it then attacks in that Theater) Heheheheh I love this but of course the AI is no human. So later keeping a steady front has it's disadvantages but the AI is pretty good... Good luck (Early even 1 Panzer or Motorized generally will not be attacked by the AI, so anything goes for running crazy into Red Territory) EARLY