BrianG v Bitburg (open for all)

[BrianG]

Kaluga

If he stays forward here next turn I will look to try and trap a good pocket

[BrianG]

Kursk area.

Still trying to gather forces. I am ready though to launch pocket offensive

[BrianG]

South final

I move up to retreated Russian lines. I had no way of making a pocket this turn.

[wkuh]

See you play w/11.03. How can I get that?

[Telemecus]

ORIGINAL: wkuh

See you play w/11.03. How can I get that?

If you use steam just make sure you have the beta option turned off. v1.11.03 is the current official release so that is the one you will get.

[wkuh]

Well, its not happening. Check "updates" from opening placard says I have latest, but I don't. Using "here" from Slitherine thread only gets .02beta. I'm looking for slitherine post that says "use this link," etc.

Any help appreciated.

[BrianG]

See you play w/11.03. How can I get that?

download regular game.

and then download the beta (the # you want) and then load that beta in.

[BrianG]

North Moscow. I plow ahead.

This win versus a double reserve activation.

Bitburg is starting to get many reserve activations. Not really helping though.

[BrianG]

Final Moscow

[BrianG]

I did do this attack south of Moscow and then the final map

[BrianG]

Final Tula area.

Just moving up to his lines.

Tanks are elsewhere

[BrianG]

The war in the East resumes -- 42 style.

Hunting season is now open for business.

first one needs to break thru

[BrianG]

and then.

In a jiff.

We surround another army worth of lower end Russian troops

[BrianG]

Stalino final

I push east of big VORO hoping for Russian retreat so I can claim the Don river.

I also start adding to my beachhead south of Rostov.

[Vifee]

A promising start to the 42 campaigning season. Given how close your lines are to Moscow after winter it seems hard to imagine you won’t be able to get it in 42. Do you have an overall goal for 42, or are you just planning to look for opportunities as they become available?

[Telemecus]

ORIGINAL: BrianG
This win versus a double reserve activation.
Bitburg is starting to get many reserve activations. Not really helping though.

A question for experienced Soviet players. I see this double reserve activation is of tank brigades - would I be right in saying the tank brigades are only on reserve for these battles for the occasional lucky wins some will get for victory credit towards guards status and not for actually helping in any significant way? Soviet tank brigades are 2,000 men at best, and often they are actually only counted in 100s of men in manpower. They usually only consist of lots of tanks and no supporting combined arms to actually make them effective. So their CV, size and usefulness over the phases of combat resolution can probably be ignored?

[chaos45]

My view on soviet BDEs in general...keep them in the rear to build forts and don't use them on reserve except on the offensive. If you want reserves they really should be divisions/corps as the BDEs don't have enough CV to sway most battles. High skill infantry BDEs are probably the only ones worth being in reserve status- Naval/Airborne BDEs that at full strength can actually have some CV. In general though is best to just build forts and keep them for the defense in depth as they form the carpet the frontline can fall back into.

On the offensive--if you want to build up guards more quickly always put Tank/mech BDEs either as add ons to attacks you think you will win or keep them close in reserve mode. This way they will start building up wins and morale to make good guard tank corps later. Once you are done attacking change them back to normal mode or refit though. Its a lot of micro managing your attacks but its one of the only way to quickly build wins to get to Guard status for tank/motorized/mech BDEs.

[xhoel]

Having been on the German side of the game, I would advise the opposite as regarding Rifle Brigades. Put them as your first line so they can take the blows, while keeping the better units further deep. The interesting (and unrealistic) thing with Rifle Brigades is that they take very little losses even when the odds are stacked heavily against them and they cause a lot of losses to the Germans. Also I have seen plenty of times a single brigade stopping hast attacks by 1-2 German divisions. And they are the ultimate giveaway unit since they are much smaller than Rifle Divisions and their loss doesnt affect the Soviets as badly.

[chaos45]

xhoel- as a screen I agree leave a Rifle bde in the front line to reduce losses but if you want to hold something like the ground at Moscow that's division stacks only with preferably divisions in reserve that are rested and not moving with at least average or better soviet commanders on initiative in un-moving HQs as well.

[xhoel]

ORIGINAL: chaos45

xhoel- as a screen I agree leave a Rifle bde in the front line to reduce losses but if you want to hold something like the ground at Moscow that's division stacks only with preferably divisions in reserve that are rested and not moving with at least average or better soviet commanders on initiative in un-moving HQs as well.

I fully agree with you there However every bit of reserve activation helps, although in the cases that BrianG showed it didn't help the Soviets to hold.