Epic Wjasma and Bryansk-Tula direction

[AngrySwan]

Epic Wjasma

Currently the standalone Wjasma scenario includes Rzhev - Wjasma defense line while the campaign scenario does not. AG Center operate with fast mobile units and only a few infantry divisions unlike other army groups that rely on large infantry masses and only a few panzer divisions.

Which of the two approaches is ''more historical''? The campaign scenario focuses on fast encirclement using two panzer groups and then destroying a certain number of enemy points. That is the encirclement near Wjasma and the AGC infantry divisions - most of them - are left behind as it actually happened; they will catch up with the army group later. Also, the standalone scenario is longer while the campaign scenario focuses on speed. The defense line is not needed in the campaign scenario because a panzer group can break one sector and the rest of the line becomes useless.

I will test a combined version once to see if the ''epic'' scenario with infantry divisions gives the same feeling of fast attack-encirclement as the standalone scenario.

This idea may be a cheat however, as AGC needs more infantry and the player must buy it but with the epic scenario the player gets this infantry for free. Is it a good idea? The test will show.

Bryansk - Tula

After encircling Kiev the 2nd panzer group with 4 panzer divisions and 9th panzer division from AGS fights near Bryansk. It must defeat some 6 Soviet divisions before moving forwards. 17th and 18th panzer divisions go north-east to encircle the Sovit 50th army - this can be simulated by two ''take and hold'' hexes - while the rest of the panzer group reach Mtsensk and here the situation gets interesting as they face 2 Soviet tank brigades - T-34, of course - and infantry.

Panzer group 2 reaches Tula by November 2 or so and faces a heavily fortified city. By now Russians have hired General Winter so taking the city will not be easy and the move north to Kashir can be forgotten; tanks do move in snow but ordering them to do so is economic sabotage as AGC runs out of fuel.

There is a map covering the road Dmitrovsk - Orlovskiy, Kromy, Orel, Mtsensk. That is about half the road needed. This map can be used as basis for a new one.

There could be problem with keeping the Soviet panzer brigades near Mtsensk instead of moving to Bryansk.

The battle of Tula could be done on a separate small map because the 2nd panzer group will not go any further due to lack of fuel.

The sequence of scenarios for Operation Typhoon in the 1941 campaign would then look like this - Wjasma, Bryansk, Mozhaisk, Kalinin, Tula, Moscow. There is a Kalinim map so it can be used for a small scenario with 1st panzer division, motorised divisions of AG North and some infantry divisions.

2nd panzer group and the force operating in Kalinin area would be separate armies so they do not interfere with the main attack and the player cannot cheat teleporting divisions from one sector to another.

[AngrySwan]

Epic Wjasma is now a part of the 1941 campaign.

[Ronald Wendt]

Nice, looking forward to the updated version.

[AngrySwan]

Why was Bryansk not a part of the AA campaign? I guess because AG Center is much weaker than it actually was, a few units only, and AA campaign is built around the idea ùùone battle per army group and go to next scenario", except for the 18th army fighting in Estonia.

The 1941 campaign is different in a way that army groups can split (2nd panzer group is detached from AG Center and never comes back going its own way.) I used to bring énd panzer group to Serpukhov; assuming they do not take Tula, but now after the epic Wjasma AGC has enough divisions to take Serpukhov on its own.

So the 2nd panzer group will have a task to destroy the Soviet 3rd and 13th army, about 20 divisions altogether, not allowing them escape to the east, which would mess up the Soviet defense and make the attack on Tula somewhat easier.

There was a tank battle of Mtsensk but it is too small for this game. It is possible to add Soviet tank brigade and see how they behave.

[AngrySwan]

Bryansk has reached alpha version.

Map-done (maybe there will be some changes).
Weather - like in Vjazma scenario.
Armies - created 2nd panzer group as a separate army, added some missing divisions.

The 2nd panzer group prepares for attack towards Orel and Tula.

[Ronald Wendt]

Hi AngrySwan,

ORIGINAL: AngrySwan

Why was Bryansk not a part of the AA campaign? I guess because AG Center is much weaker than it actually was, a few units only, and AA campaign is built around the idea ùùone battle per army group and go to next scenario", except for the 18th army fighting in Estonia.

the A-A campaign with its 37 maps was quite a lot of work (esp. testing it) and with limited time some cuts had to be made. There were already maps for the northern pincers from OB but none for the Tula approach so it was an economic decision foremost. I am glad you fill this gap and i am looking forward to play it.

[AngrySwan]

Hi Ronald,

Actually the AA campaign covers almost all important battles only with some gaps, so it was a good idea to release a campaign and wait until some players start making mods.

Kharkov 1941 is ready and you can test it. I have also done the first test of Bryansk, now I need to add victory conditions and texts, then you can also test Bryansk. After Bryansk is finished, Tula will be the only thing needed for the 1941 campaign.

[AngrySwan]

Bryansk has reached the final tests before release:
- the victory conditions and texts are ready, with machine translations into German,
- epic infantry battles around Bryansk and Trubchevsk (historically many Soviet units got away and about a half also survive in the scenario),
- added 2 recon cars to the force, representing recon battalions of the 3rd and 18th panzer divisions, as tanks need battlefield intel to make fast advance,
- not much (nothing at all in the first version) standing in the way of 2nd Panzer Group, I added a few bunkers so that life is not a bed of roses for 2nd Panzer Group,
- fighting in the area of Mzensk needs one more test before release,
- Mzensk added as an object to capture so that life is not a bed of roses...