Soviet Union 1941 Early Variant (Hellen [Axis] v PO [Soviets])

[Hellen_slith]

This looks like a fun scenario! Seems like a good scene to settle down with on a long weekend with a big bowl of snacks. Nice scale (to me) that is, 30 turns, nice map too, very detailed for the scale with plenty of landmarks.

The PO only took about 90 seconds for his first turn. So, now it is turn 2 for me as Axis. My turn 1 as Axis did not take me long. I probably could have done better but I am just getting the hang of this one. There is a lot of detail to be absorbed in the briefing documents.

Thanks for making this scene! I will see how far along I can get through it this weekend.

[Hellen_slith]

Already at the end of Axis turn 4 ... have gone past Riga, occupied Minsk, and I guess Elmer abandoned Odessa b/c the Romanians walked in easy there. I see messages about events but I'm kind of sure what all they mean... I see Soviet production dropping. There was one about Smolensk factory already being deactivated, not sure why b/c I'm not really that close to Smolensk yet. Maybe when I took Minsk? Not sure.

Anyway, this is a fun scene for a quick Barbarossa fix! Still trying to get the feel for the big units.

[Hellen_slith]

@beginning of Axis turn 6, and Elmer is starting to put up some resistance and also counter-attacking.

Seems like I'm starting to hit "the wall" ... and Elmer is spawning more armies.

[Hellen_slith]

I get the feel that Comrade Elmer is getting ready to kick my bo-hiny. Now *I'M* the one defending Minsk! ARGH!!

[Hellen_slith]

@beginning of Axis turn 10:

I slipped up and let the Civilians get out of control in Riga. Supply problems in Estonia. Still ~600/700 km from Moscow.

Need to get those railroads re-guaged, but they slow going.

[Hellen_slith]

@Axis T12 now

have taken Kiev and Sevestapol, put down the Riga uprising, Estonia is back in supply. AGS is doing the best so far, am driving toward Stalino now.

The Soviet Guerilla units keep popping up out of the Pripyet marshes. They are trouble b/c they can destroy rail. I've divided a German security unit into three, a a German reserve into three, and another Hungarian unit into three to cover as much rear territory as possible, but they still find a way. "In Soviet Russia, Guerilla hide in swamp jungle."

[StuccoFresco]

Seems like quick fun, may try it myself.

[Hellen_slith]

beginning of Axis turn 16 now. I am about 400 km from Moscow. Smolensk / Kharkov / Stalino are all secured, and the Caucasus seems wide open for the few Rumanians I have going south there now. Stalingrad is also a wash-- Rumanians will take that easily in the next six or so turns.

The guerillas are very bothersome. I notice now that they always seem to pop up around my RR repair guys, and they manage to tear up a RR hex...figures, that would be my expectation IRL, too. So, even with the few repairs I managed, the RR is just a total mess and practically useless.

I am interested to know what I am going to find closer to Moscow....maybe those six or seven armies that spawned and which I haven't seen yet. If so, Comrade Elmer has some tricks up his sleeve! If not, even a marginal victory is still 350 or so VP away. Currently a draw by points.

[Hellen_slith]

at beginning of Axis 19, still 200km or so from Moscow ...
contact w/ Leningrad, but Elmer pushing me back there, not enough Axis troops there yet.
Lots of resistance around Velikiye Luki

[Blond_Knight]

I wouldnt have expected the Soviets to have resisted so well so early.

[Hellen_slith]

I'm sure I could have done a lot of things better; I'm just kind of fooling around with it to see how it feels, first time I have played it.

I had expected to walk through the Caucasus easily but Elmer has showed up with forces there keeping my few Rumanians at bay.

Some things that have been catching me unawares: civilians spawning as sort of "uprisings" if I leave a city unprotected (I think those are what the little stick men icons mean, that watch out for civilians there and their pitchforks)...and also guerilla units spawning, those have kept the railroads torn up. Those two things are learning me that I need to divide at least some of my units to cover more territory.

I think it is pretty fun.

[Blond_Knight]

Please dont take that as criticism. I bought this years ago and just started playing it. I just assumed I was the greenest and everyone else had been playing this for the past three versions!

[Hellen_slith]

None taken! Meanwhile: AXIS CAPTURE MOSCOW!!!
Finally!! 20 stinking years I've been playing TOAW,
and finally I captured Moscow! LoL