Burns vs. Flaviusx

[AlbertN]

That's quite some interesting detail.
I thought the trades were at the final net - but it may well be that it's before the multiplier (Albeit I believe then it's valid in both cases). Otherwise there is a double dip in the multiplier which is plainly wrong.

[Flaviusx]

April 7, snow hits northern Russia, while clearing up in the south. I am not set up for any offensive action in the south. No attacks this turn. The Soviet, seeking to make economies, gives up some territory from Novgorod down to Rzhev. I cautiously advance into this abandoned territory with the landsers. Happy to take Novgorod in particular, he has held on stubbornly to that since 1941 and I never was able to spare the forces to grab it. That's a manpower city for him and also a rail connection.

In the west is is clear except in the seas, where it is raining. Overlord might happen this turn. I get my very last panzer reinforcements this turn and send them west. 5 panzers total in the west now. A credible striking force, but not backed by the luftwaffe in the same way that the Eastern Front is. I wonder if I should cough up some kind of minimal bomber presence in the west, just one, for counterattacks.

There is definitely something odd going on with these German production trades. So far as I can tell Germany is receiving full production before shipping out production to minors.

Annoyingly, I just noticed that Finland isn't getting its own share of lend lease because the game insists on shipping it by sea despite the fact that I have a rail connection via Leningrad to Finland. With the Baltic frozen I cannot get it shipped to Helsinki. If this is intended, it shouldn't be. If it is a bug, please fix.

[Jim D Burns]

7 April 1944

The US reaches it's logistic cap this turn. The British are still 353 shy of their cap and will not reach it I think before Overlord gets going, but should reach it soon after.

I went ahead and built a bunch of ground attack planes for the Soviets this turn, but they won't arrive till August. They should give the Soviets at least some ability to tear into one or two strong panzer units each turn once they do arrive. In hindsight I should have built them before the new tank units, as they can assist any unit on attack and it would have been nice to get them earlier in the season.

Here's a shot of England, as you can see southern England is already awash with planes, and there are probably another 10 aircraft units still in production. The allies are going to have the power to smash the German front lines from the air, it will be interesting to see how Germany can cope with it.

Given the immense power of allied air, I think Germany should have disbanded some bombers and built more fighters over the winter. He's going to suffer greatly under the weight of un-intercepted bombings this year.

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx
That's a manpower city for him and also a rail connection.

Just didn't have a choice, the Soviet unit count can't afford to keep stretching its lines without exposing the center by reducing the line to a single unit thick, especially when you smash two or three units every turn you attack. Have to keep a double line or you'll be in Gorki in no time.

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx
Overlord might happen this turn.

Allies are a bit behind schedule due to all the cash spent on navy early game, Overlord will probably be late, though they are looking strong right now. Getting those last 10 or so air units on map however will make them overwhelmingly powerful.

Jim

[Flaviusx]

Heh. I do not think Overlord is going to be late here, and it might even be early. Given my defensive plan.

Snow all over, no attacks besides some partisan hunting in Russia. Heavy armor tech is maxed out.

[Jim D Burns]

21 April 1944

The allies begin to soften up Germany's defenses in the west and go after two fighter units this turn. Germany's higher tech fighters cause some damage, but sheer numbers mean the allies cause good damage to the fighters.

To be able to keep up the pace, the US begins a massive lend lease convoy to the UK (they used 11% of their oil supply this turn). Over 100 each of production and oil, hope it's enough. Needless to say more US merchants are put into production as the cost of this offensive may outstrip the current merchant marines of both nations.

[Flaviusx]

Germany repositions its fighters in the west slightly east and out of range of any interceptors. Let's see just how many escort fighters the allies have.

The Rundstedt plan in the West is in full swing. Ironically, Rommel is in command here.

Cautious fighting in the east. I had to focus a lot of airpower on softening up the Soviet's own aircover rather than ground support.

[Jim D Burns]

5 May 1944

Germany pulls back towards the interior. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, allied troops land and take over Brittany and Cherbourg. I thought about grabbing more but would prefer to build up slowly and see the German response. Brittany can supply quite a large force of land troops and I still retain the ability to make a second strong landing in his rear should he advance.

The losses shown for the turn are prior to any moves in Russia. This is what the allied airforce accomplished against the few units still in range. German tech advantage tells in the air war but almost an entire corps worth of strength is destroyed by bombings. Additionally 3 oil sites were bombed by the allies with good results. Ploesti was bombed only once due to aircraft having to redeploy burning up most of their actions, only minor damage was caused.

In Russia the Germans forced two retreats and the Soviets forced one retreat. The new and improved tactical air arm of the Soviet airforce bombs German panzer and mech units and causes acceptable damage.

[GenSlack]

I was looking forward to seeing a contested D-Day! Oh well. BTW, was Atlantic Wall construction added to any of the patches so far?

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: GenSlack
I was looking forward to seeing a contested D-Day! Oh well. BTW, was Atlantic Wall construction added to any of the patches so far?

Not sure, we haven't patched due to the trade problem in the most recent patch, so we are still version 02.01 I think. The only forts in this game that I can tell are individual unit entrenchments, so don't think anything like that will occur, but you never know. Gibralter could use a fort treatment too.

Jim

[Flaviusx]

Rain in the west, clear in the east. Limited attacks in the east. I shift some fighters around to cover Ploesti. I don't think the Soviet is going to get much joy out of bombing it as it has 6 flak and fighter cover and I doubt he has teched up his strat bombers to state of the art. Bring it on, bear.

My oil situation so far is doing okay, 1050 or so in the bank. I could be burning a lot more oil if I pressed harder in the east, but that is not happening.

Escort fighter tech maxed out now. Still waiting on breakthrough and assault here. Going to be a couple of months before I get assault, and that one will cost a pretty penny to do upgrades on, too.

I have no idea how much production is still in the bank, but it's over the 1000 limit. The allies are going to have to do a lot more than this before I feel the pinch.

[Jim D Burns]

19 May 1944

Patton and Auchinleck land in France to take command of the forces there. Rain slows the allied advance to a crawl and units only advance 1 or 2 hexes. I've landed enough units now to just stay within supply stockpile limits, so I need to start moving on new ports before I can expand allied forces in France any further.

Allied planes continue to hammer German land units in France, causing another 27 strength loss this turn. The Soviets use their tac bombers to add to this number and bring the total loss to 32 for Germany this turn.

Strat bombing causes 19 oil hits this turn, while suffering 10 losses, expensive but worth it finally. I intend to stress axis oil production as severely as I can, hopefully causing massive shortages some time down the road.

[John B.]

Getting ready for some action on the west front! Do they have any provision for allied mulberries? E.G. do HQ serve as a port in any fashion?

[Jim D Burns]

Nope, nothing that complex. HQ's increase a hexes supply number by one out to five hexes and add 4% (I think, would need to look up to be sure) to unit effectiveness recover to all units in range (5 hexes).

Jim

[Flaviusx]

June 2, clear on all fronts.

Germany grinds its way forward in the east as is now adjacent to Moscow on one hex. Soviet 25th army shattered along the way.

The luftwaffe has taken notice of the Soviet vandals in the Crimea and has assembled a special warm hello for them if they persist in bombing Ploesti.

Oil is at 996. Still good.

The Rundstedt line is just about complete in the west.

New Italian and Axis minor formations are now showing up, freeing good German troops for duty elsewhere. I have far too many of these on partisan duty and whatnot.

The Economic Ministry reports no signs of any shortages in armaments and the production stockpile remains at some unknown level above 1000. We are building 10 flak per turn, sending aid to allies, doing repairs, and otherwise doing no builds. Not even trucks. I have over 300 in the pool at present and literally several hundred more in the build queue as is.

[Jim D Burns]

2 June 1944

Clear weather allows the allies to advance deep into France and Paris is taken. I suppose we find out next turn if it will act as a supply source (no shading on supply overlay this turn). If not there are only 7 more port levels to capture in France before conflict with the German front lines begins.

With the range increasing from Brittany, thus reducing available stockpile to front line troops, I won't be able to add much more force to France if Paris isn't considered a supply source. I may end up ignoring southern France and having my forces stick near the channel coast to stay within range of my dominating air power to drive into the low countries.

What a weird situation that will be, a small blob of troops hugging the channel coast because there is no way to expand your army size on the continent past a small force.

3 port levels were captured this turn and I use the increased stockpile to station 2 fighters in France to cover the land forces there.

Germany continues the drive on Moscow destroying a unit and forcing another to retreat. This gets him adjacent to the city.

13 oil hits this turn and 4 bombers are lost.

[Flaviusx]

Germany now has 3 hexes on Moscow. City assault operations will begin next turn.

The 3 luftwaffe tac bombers strike Soviet strategic bombers in the Crimea. They will stay there as long as the Soviets do.

The west holds and awaits the allied ground forces to take their best shot. Despite all this bombing, my units are getting topped off every turn and my production can keep up with the losses and then some.

Sweden cuts off iron ore shipments after Paris falls. Shrug. German production is now at...576. I think I will be ok.

Oil is at 936. Steady as she goes. Oil production is at 45. This is concerning. There is simply too much allied air to intercept everything. Let's hope I can shake off the Soviets at least. Those bombers have got to be hurting by now.

[Chocolino]

I am curious to see the outcome of the German fall-back strategy - it has obviously pros and cons. I have not enough experience to evaluate which are stronger. Will be interesting to see whether it is the right strategy.

I assume that getting to the current Allies position would have taken a few months. That is quite a number of VPs that could have been captured. But I can also imagine that if the Allies manage to break through the situation can easier derail in the West compared to the German home defense.

Great game.

[Flaviusx]

I am within 200 points of clinching a minor victory with the Germans. So I think that is in the bag. That's maybe 5 turns away. But I do want to get a major.

The Italians already have a major victory.

I am ahead in other areas and this helps offset the loss of locations in France. The Med in particular, and to a lesser extent also the Eastern Front.

The fallback position is based on logistics. The allies need those big ports in Belgium and the Netherlands or they will have a very hard time moving forward, air or no air. Likewise Marseilles in the south, although the Med appears to be a backwater now.

The real worry is that he will bomb me out of oil. He's taking some serious losses doing this, but it may just be worth it. I have enough oil to last out this summer, I hope. And then inclement weather will give me a break.

After Moscow falls I may just have to bite the bullet and take out the Crimea to deny him the ability to bomb Ploesti.

[Jim D Burns]

16 June 1944

19 oil hits and 1 bomber lost this turn.

With three hexes now in German hands around the city, Moscow looks poised to fall. I sent ever bomber in range to hammer the strongest panzer unit, but it just wasn't enough to allow a decent counter-attack to drive him back.

In France, Paris is not a supply source, which means there is simply not enough supply stockpile available to allow an allied build up. So I'm surrendering to cheese and will have to knock out Spain to allow a rail link from the supply source in Portugal to feed the invasion. I will lose a few turns as I re-position for the attack.

This is a serious weak point in the games design, the allies simply must be able to build a large enough force on the continent to face down the Germans, and that is simply not possible under the current design.

There are just 29 port levels along the north and west coast of France. That's 580 stockpile, but 21 points are between 11-20 hexes, which means only 315 is available from those ports. So full stockpiles of 160 + 315 = 475 available in France. My current army consumes 466 points, so it cannot grow any larger.

My current force:

6 US infantry corps..........216
3 British infantry corps.....90
2 Armored corps..............84
2 HQ's.......................20
2 Fighters...................56

This is opposed by about 40 German land units in Western Europe, another 15 or so in Italy and countless Italians.