Tourney Season 1 Epilogue : Rannug61 (Axis) vs KZ (Allies)

[KorutZelva]

Hi folks! One final AAR before I hit the road.

Sugar has clinched the tourney and here in its 30th and final game, we're here's to crown the tourney's 2nd and 3rd place.

This tussle reunites two SC 1 veterans for one more brawl.

All the way back in 2005 I joined a round robin tourney that featured many established players. I was rather new to the SC pbem scene at the time and my goal was to win a single match. My first match pitted me vs SC 1 veteran Rannug. That the game got crazy is a bit of an understatement. Ultimately, this tourney wasn't very glorious for either of us. If I remember correctly, both Rannug and I finished 1-5 or 2-5, ex aquo last place.

Fast forward 13 years later me and my old foe meet again in an SC 3 tournament. This time we have had more success, each reaching the penultimate level of the pyramid.

Here we go!

Poland counter attack across the country but ineffectively so. France has a bit more success across the maginot line. The ball around Warsaw should last into turn 3...

[Rannug61]

Don't listen to the propaganda... Poland falls on turn 2. Der Fuhrer rocks hard

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: Rannug61

Don't listen to the propaganda... Poland falls on turn 2. Der Fuhrer rocks hard

Dang it! [:)] I should have shifted the Army once and reinforced instead of shifting it away into the capital (in two strokes, to preserve entrenchment). I gambled with a Polish Spain chit and saving money to repair its destroyer before the UK acquired it. [:'(]

[KorutZelva]

Small swedish diplo hit for the allies. Germany doesn't counter diplo (at least immediately)
Finland expedition fails. The game was going according to standard script so far so I figured I tried something a bit different. [:D] I'm sort of glad I failed because USSR readiness is already low (finland invasion, no border treaty, no lithuania).

[KorutZelva]

Invasion of Benelux starts, Netherland goes down... but Luxembourg is spared! (for now)

Forgot to take a pic but I started stripping the southern part of the Maginot.

[KorutZelva]

A german tried to sneak into the med but was cornered off the coast of Morocco and was slowly reduced over 6 months. [:'(]

Belgium survive the first wave of attacks by the skin of King Leopold's teeth. Luxembourg conquered. First skirmish in the sky between the English and the Germans.

[KorutZelva]

Belgium falls. Italy still playing the waiting game. Maginot completely abandoned.

[KorutZelva]

The drive for Paris continues. With Lille conquered and their position exposed, the UK falls back from Calais. In the Atlantic, the UK picks up the radio signal from a German cruiser and rush assets to the scene only to bump into subs. Italy at 85%. With allied diplo success vs Sweden, the germans choose not to amend the Norwegian convoy route.

[KorutZelva]

Germany focus its firepower on the UK corp south of Amiens and destroys it. The allies reactivate its air to try to kill the wounded german tank corp. The tanks are spared from damage but the dogfigthing above them are generally costly for the luftwaffe. It in the Atlantic, a battle cruiser and a battleship are sunk by the German naval task force that retreats further West. The royal navy gives chase.

[KorutZelva]

The Germans brush aside one of the Uk garrison forcing the evacuation of Rouen. The English are hurriedly boarding transports, abandoning their french ally to its fate. Few sorties this turn for the luftwaffe this turn but they will return soon enough. In the Atlantic, the German task force eludes its pursuers. Mussolini still biding its time.

[Taxman66]

How is Italy not in the war?

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: Taxman66

How is Italy not in the war?

Haven't moved from the med, poor rolls on the Italy relation bump event and I think no German unit adjacent to Paris.

[KorutZelva]

The subs and light cruiser are found trying to sneak in back east hugging the southern edge of the map.

With France is on its last legs, Italy finally joins in the party. I really should have allowed Italy to activate sooner. I had the french navy ready to blockade NA but then end up sitting there as Italy sat out the war. I won't even get a parting shot on the ports. [:o]

France scored a diplohit with Saudi Arabia some turn priors. As soon as the USA joins the war, their oil shipments will be ready.

Sweden veers towards the ally with a major diplohit (21%) and stops trading with Germany.

[KorutZelva]

1940/8/4

France falls. Vichy government is installed. UK recognise the free french but doesn't antagonise the Petain government further.

Forgot to mention but the USSR marched into the Baltic state but not Bessarabia (for penny pinching considerations!).

[Dorky8]

Who's winning? [&:]

[KorutZelva]

November 1940

The Allies complete the destruction of the two u-boat task force some turn prior.

I belatedly realised the Axis never invaded Norway, which is one of the cause Italy sat for as long as it did. Its get encouraged to join by every German conquest, if you skip on some it mobilisation will be lower. Norway is at 60% something mobilisation now.

The Axis destroy Malta AA but no paratroop on the scene yet. There was one in northern France just a few turns ago. [:)]

Fortification are being built in Egypt and around Leningrad.

[KorutZelva]

Jan 1941

One of the UK sub gets destroyed off the coast of Sicily while spying.

DAK formed. UK Carriers bomb airfields to disrupt to concentration of the axis airforce in NA. A German medium bomber and an Italian fighter are destroyed.

[Rannug61]

Hitler has been killed and the Nazi leaders are in jail. Rommel and other generals has taken power and sues for peace.

KZ is winning this big time and the game have just started but morale is below zero. KZ had some luck with diplo but even without that he's winning big time.

Besides Sugar, KZ and Hberg are the best player I have faced. Sugar has beaten them both but I like to see who would win if KZ and Hberg clashed on the battlefield. That could be a epic AAR. This game was not the slightest epic mostly because my substandard gaming. I knew it was unlikely to beat KZ but this was embarrassing...

[KorutZelva]

I'm surprised my raid on the airfield hit the Axis leadership morale that much. I expected to regret it from a counter attack by air and sea but maybe bad weather stopped you. [X(]

Take heart, in my last game vs mika at this same point in the game in a winning Axis effort I had lost 2 corp, a tank, a tac bomber plus 2 battle cruiser, 1 heavy cruiser, a destroyer and a sub. (And not counting the some 4 Italians ships!)

Your current Axis losses so far are

3 subs, 1 light cruiser, 1 medium bomber, 1 Italian fighter. Nothing that would endanger its war machine unless you've done terrible things behind the scenes that I don't know about. [&:]

[Rannug61]

My game plan is down the sewer and even if the game would probably go into 43/44 it's a lost cause and even if I don't mind fighting for a lost cause you still want to find some minor glory waiting ahead. Now I only see shame and humiliation ahead of me. Congratulations to your victory! [&o]