Tourney game AAR: KZ (Allies) vs Sugar (Axis)

[Sugar]

You may consider it whatever you want, I still find it interesting every of your comments seems to worry about your opponent, instead of yourself.

I would expect you to consider a breaking through the Maginot Line to be a brave undertaking, it`s never been done before afaik, and it`s obviously the opposite of playing a robotic style. This is again showing a disrespect for your opponent, of which I thought you learnt during the past this ain`t very well regarded by other members of our Forum Community.

[PvtBenjamin]

Them's fightin' words..

KV isn't the one not highly regarded in the forum

You are confusing winning with being respected, big difference

Hope you guys are playing v12.02

[Ktonos]

Sugar u exaggerate. Every AAR I've read every player gloats now and then, yourself included.

[PvtBenjamin]

Sugar gloat???


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[PJL1973]

Not sure a big investment in diplomacy to get the Soviets on board is the best thing to do. Sure it gives then more MPPs faster, but they have so much to do to catch up, and I'm not sure if it's good to speed up their entry into the war if they are still under prepared.

Having said that, could be a good idea to invest in getting the USSR readiness higher once their mobilisation starts to go up due to the increased German presence on their border, as you know then Germany will be launching Barbarossa soon. Although it's a short window, 6 months max, but a lucky hit here and there could help.

As for the AAR, this is shaping up to be a excellent one, and can only help SC3 in general. I always consider the number of AARs in a games forum to be a good indicator of how much interest there is in a game.

[KorutZelva]

Chill Sugar, chill. Being called a robot is a pretty flattering tease all things considered! Remember Deep Blue beat Kasparov! [:D]

I would expect you to consider a breaking through the Maginot Line to be a brave undertaking.

Brave? Well... I called that it was a bad idea as soon as it happened. Explained why... and it happened just as I predicted. You should call me smart, no? [;)] But I am impressed you were willing to try something different. Even if its because the game is AARed and you don't want your favourite strategy documented. [8D]

I still find it interesting every of your comments seems to worry about your opponent, instead of yourself.

I'm not entirely sure what you meant. But I can more readily comment your moves because well... I can't really comment my own plans until its safe to. [;)]

Them's fightin' words..

KV isn't the one not highly regarded in the forum

You are confusing winning with being respected, big difference

Hope you guys are playing v12.02

I've actually received one direct message from someone cheering me on to slay the beast... I suspect it echoes the general sentiment of the forum. The people want the reign of terror to end. [:'(] Sorry guys, but don't get your hopes up! It's going to go all downhill from there. [:)]

We're not playing the v12.02 beta. This is why I haven't bothered countering a Spain diplo push. It's too easy to stay over 30%. If the the Axis wants to tie its diplochits on it, I prefer to wreak havoc elsewhere.

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: PJL1973

Not sure a big investment in diplomacy to get the Soviets on board is the best thing to do. Sure it gives then more MPPs faster, but they have so much to do to catch up, and I'm not sure if it's good to speed up their entry into the war if they are still under prepared.

Having said that, could be a good idea to invest in getting the USSR readiness higher once their mobilisation starts to go up due to the increased German presence on their border, as you know then Germany will be launching Barbarossa soon. Although it's a short window, 6 months max, but a lucky hit here and there could help.

As for the AAR, this is shaping up to be a excellent one, and can only help SC3 in general. I always consider the number of AARs in a games forum to be a good indicator of how much interest there is in a game.

A lot of top Axis player delay Barbarossa as much as they can, which usually means Autumn 41. The USSR collect so few mpp compared to Germany that they don't see the incentive to go earlier than when its mobilisation forces them to. The extra income helps the USSR jumps start its research effort but also forces the Axis to go Barbarossing earlier than they would wish. I wasn't planning to do uberdiplo when the game started but when it became apparent they Germany had tied its chits in Spain, I saw an opening.

[room]

Well I like to go for the unfavored one so I'm gonna be on team Sugar (not that it helps)! After all he beats me so until Mika does too... I can still convince myself I'm second best [:D]

Go Sugar go [;)]

[PvtBenjamin]

Let me give you a hint KV. He will put his entire Air Force in Northern Africa then DE 603.


" So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him" Samuel

[Ktonos]

I believe he goes all in with sea lion.

[Sugar]

I've actually received one direct message from someone cheering me on to slay the beast.

Of course, that`s natural and obvious. Not much to lose for you on the other hand, and nothing to complain about at all. Interestingly enough you're already searching for excuses for a possible defeat. Do you already want to give up, hehe?

July 40: german troops have finally occupied Brussels, Belgium surrenders. Paris has been attacked several times to reduce entrenchement, the city will probably fall next turn and hopefully France at least; providing KZ another 20% chance to gain a diplo hit. Italy has joined the Axis, their libyan ports are blocked by allied ships.

Germany has invested more than 3 times the amount of MPPs into research than GB.

[KorutZelva]

What you call 'looking for excuses' I see as 'putting context behind my mock braggardry'. [:D] I'm not delusional, I am being realistic about my prospects. 300 game experience vs less than 10 does matter in such a contest.

I do think however that at this juncture of the game if we where to create another Sugar robot and that he would take on the allies for the rest of the game, he'd win. [8D]

To have an accurate portrait of the tech race, you have to factor how the USSR is doing on that front too compared to normally... [;)]

[Sugar]

mock braggardry

Whatever that means.

To have an accurate portrait of the tech race, you have to factor how the USSR is doing on that front too compared to normally...

Interesting perception of GB not being part of that race.

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: Sugar

To have an accurate portrait of the tech race, you have to factor how the USSR is doing on that front too compared to normally...

Interesting perception of GB not being part of that race.

Oh it's part of it for sure! But I was just pointing how you had conveniently left out the USSR of said portrait. [;)]

[PvtBenjamin]

ORIGINAL: room

Well I like to go for the unfavored one so I'm gonna be on team Sugar (not that it helps)! After all he beats me so until Mika does too... I can still convince myself I'm second best [:D]

Go Sugar go [;)]

This post is tragic Room. You probably pulled for Apollo Creed & Ivan Drago.

[KorutZelva]

KZ's France tips!

Sugar advises to pump up the French unit one str at a time to save money because you save on fraction as the game rounds down the reinforce costs. This is not a bad penny pinching advice if you plan to limit yourself on using France current assets to fight your wars and have the benefit of time (dependent if Germany operates back from Poland or not). This is because a unit readiness is tied to its str. Bumping it 1 at a time means you readiness will take a lot of time to reach it's max all across the line. If you're like me and like to go on a spending spree and reinforce later, then it's best to max reinforce. Expenses be damned! [:D]

For me the Air war in France is an all or nothing affairs. Either make a big commitment between the UK (and its carriers) and France... or don't fight on that front at all to save your mpp. Half-measure will not impact or delay the Germans in any meaningful ways. Some player try their luck at the 20% retention of French air unit for UK... The UK is not a rich power and is likely to struggle just maintaining its current air fleet... so getting beat up french planes that will be costly of replenish is not a huge boon even if you get lucky. I tend to just sell the French air unit if I'm not going to pick a fight. Advice also valid for Poland. Sell those planes on ebay!

I feel like the Maginot line is misused by most players. One common maneuver is to switch armies for corps (the Taxman shuffle™) and these corps are then later reinforced to str 10 when money allows. For me this is wrong on both counts. I don't swap my armies for corps because the difference between corp and armies on the defense is marginal, disproportionate to the cost to replenish their str. Armies are sturdier vs air and have a tiny bit more of a punch on counter the numerous events that crash French morale overall eliminate any counter-attack capacity of the French armies anyway. Your defense with France is ZOC to slow the german down and corps do just fine with those. I also don't reinforce my unit on the line higher than strength 6 (and only bump it up to 6 if they start banging on them!) this leaves you with the cashflow to be creative (Uberdiplo, HW tank, AA or AT etc.). This perception of weakness that you leave on the maginot line can work in your favor in tricking your opponent to commit troops against it (I've experienced it before, although in other games this was combined with a northern push). Bottomline is if Sugar can't make it work, odds your opponents won't. Its safe to say that one of the main takeaways from the game will be the futility of a Maginot push. Tangentially, even if your opponent don't attack the Maginot line another lesson it is safe abandon it sooner than most people do without harm. Go! Make a ball out of Paris! [;)]

[KorutZelva]

July 14th



France on its death bed... UK prepare for evacuation... No parting Diplo hits... My consolation prize is that Germany had to drop Spain chits to acquire USSR ones. Italy joined at the end of my turn... the French navy will get one turn of blockading before vanishing...

Heads-up to my opponent and to the millions reading at home, updates will be sparser for a least two weeks. I'll do at least one a day but there's going to be a total blackout from Friday to Sunday this week. [8D]

[KorutZelva]

july 28th



Vichy installed, free french recognised, french fleet bombed
UK dip a toe in Libya and blockade its ports. (Interesting enough the french ship vanished before the port degraded, which means blockading is not calculated at the start of his turn but rather at the start of mine. Well... The more you know...)
Italy gets 2 USSR chits which makes the Axis chit count to something like 6 USSR - 2 Spain, so there's a chance of rolling back Allied influence in the USSR.
but meanwhile USSR passes Go and collects 200 mpps

(Forgot to mention that the USSR spared the baltic states)

[Ktonos]

I've tried that assuming it would bring USSR closer to the Allies but to no avail. Do I miss something? Or did u do it to save the Northern Front units during Barbarossa?

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: Ktonos

I've tried that assuming it would bring USSR closer to the Allies but to no avail. Do I miss something? Or did u do it to save the Northern Front units during Barbarossa?

Yeah... had I went for them my units would be right in his grill since he took Lithuania. While not entirely safe by air... that means he has to save some bomber for barbarossa opening if he wants to destroy them (and not be all in NA let's say...)