Adventures in Russia

[700851McCall]

That area where they have broken through is always trouble. He really stacks up the troops there. You're going to need to scrape up some strong infantry divisions from somewhere to stem that tide.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: 700851McCall
That area where they have broken through is always trouble. He really stacks up the troops there. You're going to need to scrape up some strong infantry divisions from somewhere to stem that tide.

The only division unemployed right now is the FJ paratroopers and they are relatively nearby. I'll have to use them
until I can find a Panzer formation somewhere to come to the rescue, which is a lot of what they are doing right now.
I use them to dash through the holes that the Infantry makes and then they get ambushed by Soviet units and the front
lines get extended another couple of hexes. But it all adds up to the difference between losing and winning.

[DanNeely]

Is that a break through, or just Elmer waltzing through an open doorway.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: DanNeely
Is that a break through, or just Elmer waltzing through an open doorway.

Here's a view of the breakthrough and I see an engineer unit that's red now and
I have a theory that the Soviet unit defeated my engineer unit and shoved him
out of the way and then zoomed south to where it is now. I'm going to have to
put together a possee and see if I can't kill that guy.

[larryfulkerson]

This is the northeast corner of the front lines as of T45 and we're still fighting
over the river crossing and probably will be during the Soviet Winter Offensive and
that spells trouble because during the SWO they get a shock boost of 120 for 10 turns
and my shock is lowered to 90 for five turns and I think they get some kind of temporary
supply boost too. I've got to be prepared to give up the ground on the east side of
the river. The other river crossings are just as iffy if you want my opinion. But the
condition of the planes is good and if I just adhere to a no-events policy the units will
be rested and ready for the fury of the Soviet onslaught.

[gliz2]

Kudos fir the effort to you Larry. I myself am fighting both sides on FITE2
Great read. Very detailed description.
I have to issues though:
1. Playing against Elmer unfortunately is a wasted effort. Even the less skilled Human will beat the crap out of Elmer.
2. How and why you have chosen your objectives? The reason I'm asking is that I see you try all-in approach (taking all major objectives) which is neigh to impossible as the line will get very thin. Seems like you are not using the center of gravity strategy which allows shifting focus quite flexibly.

By no means I am criticising. We are all just armchair generals. I'm just curious why not play against yourself and why are you trying all-in approach?

PS. From my experience with FITE2 I can tell it is a hell of a task to shuffle the counters but on the other hands you kinda forget what are the current objectives of each sides. Might sound strange but I honestly cannot follow what I did a turn before and therefore I can be challanging to myself. Effectively I discovered to be much more of opponent that the poor Elmer in almost any IIWW scenario.

[larryfulkerson]

Have I mentioned yet that Sevestopol fell? This situation where the Soviets didn't
have any supply and decreased in strength and are now pushovers....I'll have to see
if I can't do that with the newer version of the scenario that Rick and Steve are
going to produce. I'm hoping this releases the Bulgarians.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: gliz2
Kudos for the effort to you Larry. I myself am fighting both sides on FITE2
Great read. Very detailed description.
I have two issues though:
1. Playing against Elmer unfortunately is a wasted effort. Even the less skilled Human will beat the crap out of Elmer.

2. How and why you have chosen your objectives? The reason I'm asking is that I see you try all-in approach (taking all major objectives) which is neigh to impossible as the line will get very thin. Seems like you are not using the center of gravity strategy which allows shifting focus quite flexibly.

By no means I am criticising. We are all just armchair generals. I'm just curious why not play against yourself and why are you trying all-in approach?

PS. From my experience with FITE2 I can tell it is a hell of a task to shuffle the counters but on the other hands you kinda forget what are the current objectives of each sides. Might sound strange but I honestly cannot follow what I did a turn before and therefore I can be challanging to myself. Effectively I discovered to be much more of opponent that the poor Elmer in almost any WWII scenario.

Hey there gliz2 dude. Thanks for your questions. Um....I just never thought to play against myself.
That's actually a pretty good idea for these larger scenarios. But I'm lazy and impatient and I'm
curious to see if I can kill all the Soviet units on the map, because of the lack of skill of the
Elmer dude. And the all-in approach....I've gone as far east as is necessary for my plans in the
north. I'm fighting over the river crossings leaving the Leningrad area leading to the SE, in
the direction of Moscow. And in the south I'm after all the industrial centers the Soviets have plus
I want to capture Stalingrad just for the grins. That sounds like a modified broad-front kind of
thing to me. I'm mostly playing this game by the seat of my pants and don't have a plan of action.
I'm driving on Moscow because it seems the thing to do, for the drop in production and reinforcements
it would mean to the Soviets. Plus the grins of having done it. I don't remember ever having done
it playing this scenario. I've never been past T63 yet. This is a great game and I'm having a blast.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the area around Stalino right now. I'm going for the supply point even tho
it'll be removed at the end of November because if I own it the Soviets don't and
they may have to move their units to better supply. I can dream. And besides
the supply point is the industry in Stalino that needs to be destroyed. This is
one of the points on the supply line leading to Stalingrad that I'm going to probably
need for feeding the troops. So it's kinda important that I own it. There's no hurry
tho because the SWO has to happen before I'm able to drive east some more.

[larryfulkerson]

I only just got this section of the front lines built when Soviet units showed up.
That's what I get for leaving a gap in the lines. I think maybe I have it contained
for now but more people would help out a lot.

[MikeJ19]

This continues to be fascinating.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: MikeJ19
This continues to be fascinating.

I'm trying to cover all the important details and those things I figure you guys
would like to know about. We fellow wargamers can understand what is considered
important when it might be too subtle for Joe Sixpack to discern. I'm trying to
make it an easy read and like you're watching me play it over my shoulder, as it
happens. I've got open TOAW IV, MSpaint, and Chrome all at the same time
so I can switch apps and so on. I do the screenshot and post it relatively easily
so it's not much of a chore...kind of fun. Like writing a wargame in comic book
fashion. I like it.

[MikeJ19]

Larry,

I understand, I do the same sort of thing using Libre Office, the windows sniping tool and chrome. I find that taking the time to copy it and write things out makes me think about what I am trying to do.

If it helps someone else learn, even better. I am learning tons about what to think about by watching your threads.

[Nicholas Bell]

so it's not much of a chore...kind of fun. Like writing a wargame in comic book
fashion. I like it.

Speaking as one who doesn't have the time to invest in these large scenarios, I am grateful, Larry, that you (and others) take the time to post these detailed reports. Good thing you enjoy it too or you don't do it and I'd miss my lunchtime AAR reading! [;)]

[larryfulkerson]

There's a place near Stalino where I've almost surrounded a small group of Soviet
units. There was a hole in the Soviet lines and I've been pouring units through it
and it looks like the hole is about to get wider and I might be able to roll up the
Soviet front line down south. It's probably not possible to get it done before the
SWO ( Soviet Winter Offensive ) but maybe I can get a lot done and maybe kill
a few Soviets.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: MikeJ19
Larry,
I understand, I do the same sort of thing using Libre Office, the windows sniping tool and chrome.


I find that taking the time to copy it and write things out makes me think about what I am trying to do.


If it helps someone else learn, even better. I am learning tons about what to think about by watching your threads.

I find that same thing myself. I tend to produce better games because of the AAR I'm writing. It's so much better that I almost always do an AAR about my games. It's becoming a habit. But I think it produces better games by me. Sometimes it's documentation about what not to do. And I love your comment about learning from my threads....GOOD, that's great and I'm glad. The more you learn and practice and try things to see what works the better player you become. Better games are produced. It's a win-win. Thanks for your posting as always.

ORIGINAL: Nicholas Bell

so it's not much of a chore...kind of fun. Like writing a wargame in comic book
fashion. I like it.

Speaking as one who doesn't have the time to invest in these large scenarios, I am grateful, Larry, that you (and others) take the time to post these detailed reports. Good thing you enjoy it too or you don't do it and I'd miss my lunchtime AAR reading!

Thanks for posting Nicholas Bell dude. It's encouragement that keeps me going and going and going like the energizer bunny. I'll try to make it entertaining for you. When I happen to come back a year later to read my AAR's sometimes I'm surprised about what I wrote. We all learn I guess.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T47 front lines before I have moved anybody. The Soviet Winter Offensive is
in T49 or so. It's getting exciting around here.

[700851McCall]

I've got OKH back in the Wolfs Lair. It just seemed to be the right location, historically.

I have wondered if Leningrad had actually fallen would they have moved up to there and built a new compound and bunkers, to be a bit closer to the front? Do you think there is any benefit to bringing it up to the airfields? I suppose there must be a supply bonus but it seemed just a little too gamey to use it like that.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: 700851McCall
I've got OKH back in the Wolfs Lair. It just seemed to be the right location, historically.

I have wondered if Leningrad had actually fallen would they have moved up to there and built a new compound and bunkers, to be a bit closer to the front? Do you think there is any benefit to bringing it up to the airfields? I suppose there must be a supply bonus but it seemed just a little too gamey to use it like that.

OKH is an HQ unit like any other and can do HQ kinds of things wherever it's parked so yeah it would help out the aircraft to refit faster and give a supply boost. I would park it at Wolfs Lair but I don't know where that is. In some mountain range somewhere I think. I can't imagine them moving OKH to Leningrad if it had fallen. I don't know why they would want to do that. For the grins?

[cpt flam]

My OKH is in Riga, this give me 2 airbases for bombers in the north
4th Army near Minsk with 4 airbases
AGS near Kiev with 2 airbases