Almeron vs. Michael T (Michael T welcome)

[Almeron]

My first AAR with Warplan, so let's see how it goes. I wish to give any opportunity for my opponent (Michael T), to react my posts, therefore I will delay my uploads.


T01 actions, and overall strategy

So, the main strategy is to fight west in the following two clear turn, and try to capture Belgium, Holland and Denmark, before the bad weather hits me.

I decide to sent all my main efforts (for an early victory) west, and beat Poland with infantry.
So all my air forces moves west, without any action on east, and the southern panzer corps railed west as well (one infantry corps moves closer to the german-danish border). The second panzer fights around Poznan, and his end hex is in rail hex, preparing for the next turn transport. Some of westwall garrisons are activated, because I need extra muscle early.
My fighters, and panzer units receive extra fuel, keeping their supply high, for the upcoming battles (-14 fuel)

Luxemburg was occupied, before the allied side did that move.

My subs moves to raid, but unfortunately I forgot to place them on raid stance, so they where it badly (next turn).

[Almeron]

T02

Holland invaded, as well as Denmark. Denmark falls quickly (one infantry corps is far enough to take in one turn), and Netherland still falls, by the massive german air forces, and armour corps. Air strikes where divaided by the capital city garrison, and the river line garrison.

In Poland the invasion process is still slow, and my last panzer was railed out, supporting the next turn invasion of Belgium.
17 fuel was used, strengthening the fighters, and armours.

[Almeron]

T03

Belgium falls, all panzers moves into a position to take Lille next turn. Brussels was hit by all german air forces, and allied air power was badly hit, countering my bomber actions.
Poland is still in play, but my troops encircled Warsaw, so next turn will fall (or the next one, but it doesn't matter).

All my fuel point where used, so I decide to by another 50 points (i know, sound expensive, but extra +6% effecticty could be a huge factor), and one panzer corps, what will be ready around 40 mid spring.

The U-boot campaign turned into a disaster, one sub was sunked, and another close to be destroyed.

[Almeron]

T03 casulties

Without armour and air support, my troops in Poland fight a grind war, but the allied air forces where hit badly, and with the fall of Belgium, and Holland, France and GB must fight in 1939. There will be no Phony war.

[Flaviusx]

!

Nicely done. I did not think it was possible to take Belgium in 3 a turn window like this. But you went all in and it has paid off handsomely. Knocking out the Dutch in a single turn made the difference, and having ALL the luftwaffe there is what made that possible.

Even if Poland takes forever to conquer, it will have been worth it.

[Almeron]

Hollands fall almost guarantee. You need really bad luck to fail on T02.
Only need to rail one armour and 3 infantry corps to set them ready on T02. And the air force is the most crucial part. Crossing the river is easy, when 3 Infantry corps attack, even if they have river penalty. And the air attacks should be split between one border infantry unit, and the unit, who defends the capital.The armour corps has enough movement point to hit several time the capital defender unit. Armours route units easy.
And use your fuel.

And Belgium is not hard to capture on the third turn. Brussels northern area is defined only by divisions, and there is a hex, when the german could hit both, without river penalty. 1:8 rate, or even more, deals with those units. The capital is the real crack. However, the trick is to attack with two armour division, and they must have at least 5 movement points, and effectiveness more the 90+
And all the planes attack the capital, use all your fuel, maintaining the effective power.
Germany starts with 40 fuel, what counts as +18 effectiveness for armours, fighters, and for other key units.

And of course all industrial points should be spend on air unity, and armours replacements.

[Michael T]

The German attack in to Belgium really caught me off guard. I was not expecting it on turn 3. Is it normal for clear weather in the West on turn 3 though? Not so sure the plan would work every time, as the weather may throw a spanner in the works. But regardless it worked a treat this time. And my unpreparedness cost me Lille. Won't make that mistake again.

[MagicMissile]

ORIGINAL: Michael T

The German attack in to Belgium really caught me off guard. I was not expecting it on turn 3. Is it normal for clear weather in the West on turn 3 though? Not so sure the plan would work every time, as the weather may throw a spanner in the works. But regardless it worked a treat this time. And my unpreparedness cost me Lille. Won't make that mistake again.

In all my games I always take out Denmark, Netherlands and Luxembourg on turn 3 and it has always been clear weather and the sample is pretty big so I think clear on turn 3 is almost certain.
/MM

[Flaviusx]

Pretty sure the first 3 turns are auto clear, yes.

I had never considered transferring over all the luftwaffe like this to make this happen. That's the secret sauce. And you do not even need both panzers on turn 2 to get this rolling.

This might well be the optimal opening.

[MagicMissile]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Pretty sure the first 3 turns are auto clear, yes.

I had never considered transferring over all the luftwaffe like this to make this happen. That's the secret sauce. And you do not even need both panzers on turn 2 to get this rolling.

This might well be the optimal opening.

Yes it is likely to be standard. Personally I am always slightly torn between what a game allow and what was done historically which is a disadvantage when playing a game but this might well be the way to go.

Are there any real drawbacks? I am thinking the allies can wage a better air war with air attacks on German ground troops which the Germans might find it hard to oppose. Also it might be good but as long as it isn’t game breaking good I guess it’s ok.

[Flaviusx]

I don't see any drawbacks to this nor how it can be stopped. It might delay Poland for a bit, but no big deal.

Possibly you also have to delay Denmark as well, but again, no big deal. Knocking out Belgium early like this is huge.

The only thing the allies could do differently here is the airforce. Doesn't look like the UK was set up on turn 2 to deal with this. Not seeing the fighters at any rate. And I am doubting that even with that it would change the result. It would likely just raise the cost of it doing it.

[tyronec]

Surprised at so many air losses for Allies, how did that come about ?
Given Axis were using air for ground support would have expected the losses to be closer.

[Almeron]

No clue... later the ratio keeps 2:1, favoring the german side. I'm also really surprised, how badly the allied air power could be hit. I always keep my planes on mission only stage, and out from allied fighter range (7+ hex). I another game (as allied), the losses are still high, for my opponent.
Perhaps there is a bug, or... I don't know, but it's more beneficial to keep the fighter at non full support.

And the Belgium rush could be prevented with an easy solution. Just change the starting position for the german armour, placing her in a non rail hex. But, if we talking about balances, well, the french navy is really a big deal blocking the iron ore trade route.

[Almeron]

T04-T08


After Belgium fall, the german advance hit Lille, and the unprepared allied lines. The bad weather slows down the german efforts, but armour + air units clear one, or two hex in a turn.
German ground casualties are high, but allied air damage are severe. Maybe Michael will corrects me, but the france, and even GB starts scraping her air forces for production points.
I belive France has only one fighter on T08.

[Michael T]

I don't why I am losing the air war so badly. Maybe something has changed. Who knows, only Alvaro. But my air losses were so bad, consistently being 3:1 or 2:1 in German favor, I simply could no longer afford to replace them. So I disbanded most of the French airforce. No choice really after Lille fell so soon.

And my RAF bombers just got hacked to pieces by German Flak, not city flak. Ground unit flak. Yet my own flak has not shot down a single German air factor after literally dozens and dozens of ground strikes.

It feels like a whole new ball game to me since my last game as allied v Tyrone.

And now my opponent wished to deny me my only joy, chaining up my glorious French Navy....

[Almeron]

And now my opponent wished to deny me my only joy, chaining up my glorious French Navy....

That navy shot down the entire iron ore route

But, with the air war, something is not really balanced. I don't know why I lost just half of allied rate of casualties, maybe there is something about fighter set on mission only stance. Or about giving them fuel.
That's the only setup, what I did, and attack ground troops, of course. Allied fighter where hit (by german fighter) badly, and even german bombers strike back, in 1:1 ratio.
When I started our game with Michael, my expectations were to lose more planes, because I wanted to take Belgium at all cost. The opposite happened.

[tigercub]

Almeron interesting moves looks like it will pay off! weather will be the phony war? do ya turn! on holidays in the Philippines! but send when you can!

[AlbertN]

Air losses are due to the fighter double dip.

Send in a Fighter unit to bomb, and another fighter joins in to escort. Defender intercepts with 1 fighter, that fights on par with the first fighter and then proceeds getting mauled by the 2nd fighter.
Almeron taught me the hard way - and he ups with trucks his fighters til the Allies need to ground their fighters as they cannot sustain losses.

There has been a thread already about the 'double dip' business.

[Almeron]

Air losses are due to the fighter double dip.

No. This time all fighter where used to bomb units. All casualties came by one vs one fight. No double fighters.

[AlbertN]

Maybe the problem lies in the bomber being quite capable tbh - it emerged already in another thread by someone else that strategic bombers can take on their own the fighters so...
Just hypothesis.