653Nv1.7 Allied AAR

[sPzAbt653]

I've got Moscow back, two of the offending Panzer Korps have been eliminated, and four more are in bad shape and in zero supply. The USSR Rifle Corps can't easily defeat them at this point, but if you can get them surrounded with units in decent supply they will suffer Attrition Losses and eventually will succumb to multiple attacks.

[sPzAbt653]

Libya is cleared of Axis units and the first of two Free French Corps arrives [the other arrives at Algiers when friendly controlled]. The reason they arrive at these locations is because they represent Free French units that had been fighting in other areas of Africa. Once North West Africa was Allied controlled, many of the former Vichy units joined these Free French units. They went on to fight in Italy, France and Germany.
Operation Torch will be happening soon, and these Free French along with the UK 8th Army will be able to attack Tunisia from here.

[sPzAbt653]

Some of the Research Categories will increase build limits for specific units. In some cases there will be no names available for these new builds [red circle]. This is because all of the historical units are named, yet to give some flexibility to the player, unnamed units can be built. These units would be over what was historically built, and it is certainly not necessary to build them. It is an option for the player. Build them if you want, name them what you like.

[sPzAbt653]

Ok, the scripted Operation Torch has occurred, and so far seems to have worked as intended.

[sPzAbt653]

Some events have taken place as a result of Torch.

[sPzAbt653]

Oilfields in Persia are secured.

[sPzAbt653]

The USSR has reached its maximum expenditure for Research and it will be a while before some categories advance, so MPP's can now be spent on units other than Rifle Corps. Although, as said earlier, any destroyed ones will be rebuilt. The first units I want are the Artillery Corps, these are great for defense and will take the spark out of Axis attacks. They don't come available for build until next turn, so I won't build anything this turn. Saving the MPP's will allow me to build more artillery next turn.

*Nerd Alert* - The Soviets fielded ten 'Artillery Penetration Corps', each with an establishment of 712 guns and mortars ranging from 76mm to 203mm, plus 864 multiple rocket launchers.

[sPzAbt653]

With all of the Rifle Corps built [and still more Guards Corps on the way] the lines in the USSR appear to be secure. FOW doesn't show all of the Axis units, but they are obviously hurt by having to station a lot of units in Greece and Spain.

[sPzAbt653]

MPP Report
The UK hadn't any large expenditures recently and their accumulated MPP's has climbed over 1,000, so I dropped the USA Lend-Lease contribution to the UK from 50% to 40% [the USA still has a lot that it can spend on].

[sPzAbt653]

With the arrival of the US 3rd Army, the Spanish Front opens up and the drive on Madrid begins. The Germans obviously felt something was coming and have deployed some Korps around Madrid.

[sPzAbt653]

At this point I feel like I can start trading MPP's with the Axis and this will hurt them more than me. So from England I will start bombing whatever I feel like. Maritime Bombers will hit Subs that for some reason Opie likes to park in Cherbourg and Brest, Tac's hitting whatever presents itself, and Strats hitting Industrial Centers. This will cause MPP and Resource losses to the Axis. It will cost me too, but the Allies are in a better MPP position than the Axis.

[sPzAbt653]

While planning and getting set for an invasion of Italy, a few units will be sent to capture Rhodes, an Italian occupied island. Turkey is currently at 72% Axis, and the capture of Rhodes will reduce that.
The Strat on Crete will reduce the Rhodes Resource to zero, a Sub or two will be brought over from the western Mediterranean to block the Port Supply. Once the resource is at zero, the Tac can hit the Garrison, the UK Mech Corps can get on AV's and hit the Garrison from the sea, then land and hit it again. At some point the island WILL fall.

[sPzAbt653]

Go time for Operation Cordite, the assault on Rhodes. First, the Strat hits the Resource one more time [reducing it back to 0 from the 1 it had gained at the beginning of its turn]. Next the Tac hits the Garrison, causing one casualty. Then the AV moves up and attacks from the sea, causing two more casualties. Finally, the Mech Corps lands [taking two casualties] and attacks the Garrison, destroying it. The Mech Corps can't move because it already attacked twice, so it will have to wait until next turn to capture the island. I don't think there is any way the Axis can re-occupy the island, unless they have an AV of their own nearby. The UK Corps will be stuck there for about five turns while the port rebuilds. [After the capture of Rhodes, Turkey went from 72% Axis to 48% Axis].
[I have seen some of these AV's end movement after the first attack from the sea. I'm not sure but it may be that if an AV moves its full movement allowance and then attacks from that position in the same turn, that it is out of Action Points. Not sure, just guessing.

[sPzAbt653]

Last turn I took Madrid but Opie counterattacked and took it back. This whole affair in Spain is taking too long, and since this is the main drive on the continent [no D-Day in France will be happening], something needs to be done. So I'm going to use all the forces in the Mediterranean that were slated for Italy to instead attack the east coast of Spain and hopefully get things moving.

[sPzAbt653]

In Russia, the weight of numbers is overwhelming the Axis forces. The Tank Army's are all built now and awaitingtheir arrival, so the building of Air Units can start.
To me it is always interesting to pit the USSR against the WAllies in the race to Berlin.

[sPzAbt653]

This turn I took Madrid and Spain immediately surrendered, no chance for an Axis counter attack. The surrender has turned some of Spain into Allied territory, which is great because now I have friendly ports on the east coast to transport units into. This aspect of SC3 I get, because hey, if you don't garrison a conquered country, it may revert to the opposition. But I also don't get it, because now I can enter those ports and hexes immediately, which doesn't seem fair. Except, all is fair in war!
The end result is that I was lining up the US 5th Army, 1st Free French Army and UK 8th Army in ports in N. Africa to invade Spain, but now I can transport them instead. Much easier for me, a disaster for the Axis.

[sPzAbt653]

Yeah, wow. Hard to imagine a scene like this after the earlier struggles. Now, way too many units. I start moving some back or leaving some behind at this point, because it is a lot of units to move and they aren't needed.

[sPzAbt653]

MPP Report

[James Taylor]

Less units with more APs for the ones that remain. Double strikes for the fast movers, perhaps coupling motorization to the ability.

[sPzAbt653]

Overview as the Allies close in on Germany.