Almeron vs. Michael T (Michael T welcome)

[Chocolino]

Amazing - a very quickly executed decisive breakthrough in the west. Interesting to see that it actually can be done. I failed at it in my ongoing game.

[Flaviusx]

Am very concerned with how the air war is developing here, and glad I'm sitting back for a bit and letting others do beta testing, lol.

I could understand a 3-2 loss ratio, reflecting better tech and experience. And that edge should be gone by the time of the Battle of Britain.

It seems we have flipped the script here entirely in the air war, from the allies having too big an edge to the other way around.

The suggested balance fix to remove the panzers from rails on turn 1 is simple and elegant. I don't like that the Germans can just roll the West like this and see no way to stop it.

As for the French navy, shrug. The Royal Navy can do this just the same and can spare the assets. Germany just has to either shut down the convoy route during the winter or get some air in range to interfere with this. Since the allies can interfere with this convoy at points out of range of that air until Norway falls...

[Michael T]

It only gets worse for me with bugs. Last turn after a surprise "cold" weather offensive in February that rolled thru half of France I lost a new unit when I deployed it and then hit "undo", poof unit vapourized. Then when I moved a unit in to the hex where the unit got vaporized it disappeared as well. Lucky an undo retrieved that one. I wouldn't be starting another game anytime soon. The game seems more wobbly now than at release.

[tyronec]

Am not convinced that this strategic approach gains against good defence.
Yes, Axis get Netherlands on T2 and Belgium on T3, but they still have to slog it out against Poland through the winter.
Is that any better than Poland on T2 and Netherlands on T3 and then wait for Cold weather to take Belgium out during the Winter, and if you don't get any Cold weather it is not a disaster.

Attacking France from T4 onwards through mixed weather should be costly, maybe if you get Cold turns you can do some damage, but then you can do that with the 'traditional' strategy too.

[Flaviusx]

They pay off is down the line in terms of an accelerated French conquest. That is most definitely worth a delay in Poland, if you can pull it off.

That gives Germany most of the 1940 summer season to do things elsewhere. Yugoslavia and maybe Greece and maybe some other things, too. And you have more time to prepare for Barbarossa.

This has knockdown effects basically for the entire rest of the game, all to the benefit of the Axis. Set against that, Poland is pretty small beer.

[Michael T]

Well I will naturally play this game out. But I have doubts I will start another until the game settles down. Too many bugs and too many rather drastic changes that get shoved in. Many undocumented. It's kinda like a minefield playing allied ATM.

This cold turn would have cost the Germans a lot. As a fresh UK Armoured Corp hammered some tired German Corp. But if he gets another cold turn between now and the end of April it will be an early conquest of France.

[Michael T]

One thing I find odd is that IIRC the French had numerous tank formations at the start of the war. Certainly more than the UK and maybe even more than Germany. But they don't get a single Armoured Corp at start.

[AlbertN]

I agree Panzers should be out of rail tbh so that they ought to crash into Poland.

Air War I have experienced that also the Allies can punish the Luftwaffe an amount - I've still to get the grip of it tbh.

[Michael T]

My opponent has resigned or rather in Viktor's words, rage quit. So I will write a short review of events up to the end of the game end.

The German proceeded to attack France pretty much through the bad weather leading up to April 1940. During this period losses for both sides were very heavy. I did manage to shatter a German Panzer Corp. But could not stem the slow methodical German advance during this period. Though his losses were heavy.

Come the clear weather it only took the Germans a couple of turns to take Paris and force the French to terms. This was early June. I had committed 4 UK INF Corp and 1 UK Arm Corp to France. These units were in the process of returning to the UK when France surrendered. However as soon as the French surrendered and prior to the BEF getting back to the UK the Germans launched a surprise Para drop just behind Dover and captured the port. They then transported over a couple of INF divisions. The invasion was supported by the KM.

I had a feeling this invasion was adhoc and opportunistic rather than a planned Sealion. But not certain. Anyway the RN sallied forth (lucky for me it was boosted that very turn with the CV Illustrious). The UK carriers smashed the KM. Sinking 2 BB and shooting up the supporting U-Boats. The turn prior the UK deployed a new Armored Corp very close to the invasion site so they easily rolled up the the German divisions (shattered both) drove right back to Dover which was held by the German Para's. I then withdrew the Armor to the rough terrain adjacent to London. I figured he might withdraw anyhow.

Meanwhile in the Med the Italians surged in to Egypt. They drove right up to Alexandria but did not attack. They also declared war on Vichy North Africa and invaded Tunisia. The Germans also declared war on Vichy France and Yugoslavia. The Italian Navy also was hit by the RN as they had come out to play. They got somewhat hammered. Many Italian ships were badly damaged and a few sunk.

In the following turn the RN lost 3 BB to the Luftwaffe. This surprised me. I had no idea how vulnerable surface units were to land based air. I recalled in my last game how difficult it seemed to actually find them. But the Germans had no trouble this time and a great disaster befell the Home fleet. Lucky our carriers were unscathed.

In the next few turns the Germans did not withdraw from their beachhead but rather reinforced it with a Panzer Corp. But neither side could make any progress. He could not expand his small toehold and I could not eradicate it. The rest of the BEF had returned to the UK and no other invasions had occurred in the UK. Fortress Britain it was.

In the Med the Italian's tried to invade Cyprus, but were sunk. They continued to push in to Vichy North Africa. The situation in Egypt was both sides eyeballing each other between the depression and Alexandria. I observed a bunch of Germans arriving in Italy so I was expecting the DAK to arrive. So I stationed 2 UK CV's between Bengazi and Tobruk.

It was now 16 August 1940. The last turn. I did not see the results. But apparently the Germans tried to run the gauntlet of the RN around Bengazi and Tobruk. All Panzers were sunk. This was the last straw for the Axis. They quit.

It was an interesting game. Challenging for sure. I think under this version life is very tough for the Allies, at least early on anyway.

Perhaps Viktor might tell us things from his side and enlighten me about his overall strategy. As I could not fathom it. He had me wondering what his goal was. I still don't know whether his intention was to just cripple the UK and invade Russia in 41 or to fully conquer the UK in 41 and wait for Russia to attack him in 42. Curious.

Anyway on to the next game.

[Flaviusx]

No Yugoslavia?

Surprised your opponent was so intent on Egypt. Just piling on panzers doesn't solve the basic problem here for the Axis: supply.

Unless they are willing to spend a fortune in trucks, they will never crack the Alamein chokepoint. And that eats into your Barbarossa prep.

Once the BEF was safely out of France he probably should have evacuated his British sideshow since it was clear this was never going to go anywhere. I guess he was going for an all in against the UK and once that blew up on him, game over. Moral of the story: don't do an all in on the UK like this unless the UK player makes some kind of serious mistake and lets you take multiple ports in the UK or whatever. Dover isn't a great location to try to develop a UK invasion, either. Had he tried this in Portsmouth, maybe a different story.

[Michael T]

He did invade Yugoslavia. He would have taken it in one more turn. Yes I agree with your view. I kept waiting for him to cut his losses in the UK and start piling up the units in Poland but he seemed to keep doubling down against the UK. Oh well, still I don't get to play Russia. My next game is against another old WITE mate, Diced T. I will be the krauts.

[tigercub]

Almeron rage quit on me too...yesterday! after the fall of France 2 August ...

[tyronec]

What is your assessment of the Axis chance to take the UK in '40 if they make good preparations for it and the Allies set up a sound defence ?
Am guessing the British would have their bombers around the midlands, safe from attack but covering the invasion areas. Just not sure how effective this is, my experience of air interdiction is variable.

[Michael T]

Not high chances to do it in 1940 IMO if the UK is defended with lots of stuff. And a few early reversals might make the UK safe in 1941 too.

[AlbertN]

Besides that by how the game is set, it is extremely inconvenient for the Axis to take UK. VP won't matter if Germany and Italy are conquered - and by what I saw in the very few games that got there - well Allies in Germany in summer'44. (That without Sealion just roughly historical gameplay barring sea Greece invasion to claim Yugoslavia as Axis and seizure of Cyprus and taking Vichy once established).

[Almeron]

I'm sorry about my quit, it was really unfair, but... and oh yeah, there is always a but... some non game related issues occurred, and I handled everything badly. Even this game.

Anyway this was a good game, and thank you Michael, for that.