Back in the East STEF78 (Axis) Oshawott (USSR)

[STEF78]

ORIGINAL: morvael

Where were the Wunderwaffen?

In Leipzig, Breslau and Berlin....

[STEF78]

Turn 167, 24th august 1944

No comment on the map.... this time it's over.

[STEF78]

Thanks to Oshawott. He has been far better than me. I would like to see a game Oshawott/MT

Thanks also to all who have posted support messages. It has been very usefull especially after the Kiev's Pocket.

I've learnt a lot from this game:
- German player needs absolutely to take Odessa en 1941.
- Taking Leningrad is usefull but not decisive.
- Creating pockets and POW is the key for 1941
- Blizzard, mud.... next time I will play random weather
- Regimental reserve activation doesn't work past 1942. Divisional reserve activation still works in 1943.
- Winter 1943/1944 is killing for the german.
...


And above all I had fun while playing this game. I hope this AAR was interesting to follow.

A bientôt! (See you soon)
Stéphane

[charlie0311]

Stef,

Your fine example has inspired me to fight on to the best of my abilities, even when all is lost. The HR would be such that the player with the "upper hand" would decide if the game were to end before the VP conditions forced the end.

charlie

[Oshawott]

Thanks for the game and thanks for playing until the end! It was an awesome game!

[jwolf]

Many thanks, Stef, for your great AAR here.  Though you lost the game, in the battle of AAR quality you fought to a draw!  Good luck in your next campaign.

[loki100]

great AAR Stef, really enjoyed this (& your others). Credit for sticking with it, I think you are right in that you can learn a lot from the grim end stages that you can apply in a later game to better handle the end game to a draw or narrow victory (certainly something I've learnt from playing a few AGE games)

[timmyab]

Congratulations on finishing a full campaign game! I admire you for playing on when I think most people would have given up. It should have been a useful learning experience at least I suppose. I'm sure you'll have no shortage of applicants to play you next time.

[Flaviusx]

Congratulations to both players, this was a fun AAR even if the outcome was severely predetermined. Oshawott, you are a beast. STEF, you are a most honorable opponent.

[STEF78]

I'm really happy if you enjoyed this AAR. It took lot of time but was also very pleasant to do.

ORIGINAL: timmyab
I'm sure you'll have no shortage of applicants to play you next time.

Unfortunately my days have only 24h00 and I cannot handle more than one game at the same time.

The key is to find a reliable opponent. Giving up is normal but courtesy should lead to ask your opponent before doing it

Now I have some WITE holidays. I will retry another campaign soon but not against a top player (winning is cool too!) and maybe as russian.

[swkuh]

Agree w/all saying well done (Oshawott, too.)

[Balou]

ORIGINAL: timmyab

I admire you for playing on when I think most people would have given up.

Fully agree. This AAR was a rare gem.

[HITMAN202]

Not to be overly disagreeable, Oshawott's great AAR fails to give the reader, even more so a NOOBE, a real sense of how, why, with what, and options for German WITE gameplay. Q-ball and Pelton have far better AAR's as instructional guides (IMO).

However, best would be a compendium of Flaviusx's gems, as they lay scattered across many AAR's. I would call it "The Chronicles of Yoda."

[Balou]

To see how one carefully planned move (Kiev) snowballs was very instructional. Moreover we don't see many AARs going into 44/45. Therefore I really appreciated that the player at the receiving end fought it through til the end.

[BrianG]

IMO, you should have attacked and eliminated the 2 main Leningrad city hexes during the Blizzard.

They defenders will have low enough supply It will fall If you use your best INF corp and one armored corp.

It's really worth it to not have these 2 hexes in your backyard going forward. Attack and then hold the line.

Plus, then, your top troops will be under good blizzard hexes.

This relates to the first page of your AAR.

Thus, very untimely.

btw Late game action is very fun!

[STEF78]

ORIGINAL: HITMAN202

Not to be overly disagreeable, Oshawott's great AAR fails to give the reader, even more so a NOOBE, a real sense of how, why, with what, and options for German WITE gameplay. Q-ball and Pelton have far better AAR's as instructional guides (IMO).

However, best would be a compendium of Flaviusx's gems, as they lay scattered across many AAR's. I would call it "The Chronicles of Yoda."

I see more an AAR as a story telling. Sometimes, you can focuse on strategy, tactic, technical skill but, on my opinion, it's more like a book that you begin without knowing the end.

[STEF78]

ORIGINAL: BrianG

IMO, you should have attacked and eliminated the 2 main Leningrad city hexes during the Blizzard.

They defenders will have low enough supply It will fall If you use your best INF corp and one armored corp.

It's really worth it to not have these 2 hexes in your backyard going forward. Attack and then hold the line.

Plus, then, your top troops will be under good blizzard hexes.

There was no way taking easily Leningrad during 1941's blizzard. Finish units couldn't attack and mountains divs were overused in the South.

I made some several mistakes, but not this one.

[bigbaba]

simply amazing game. and i have great respect for you to play it to the absolute end, STEF.