South Axis Commander
got ground to fall back, all the way to Moscow I would say. I'll try to take as much ground as I can for the same reason spare the army
Priorities for protecting units from weather effects
I Vehicle damage
Avoid moving on map motorised units in bad weather - ideally moved while the weather is still clear or else after mud. Armoured units should get priority as their AFVs are more valuable than the vehicles of motorised infantry. Offmap motorised units (e.g. SPGuns, SP AA etc.) ideally left in an HQ which is not moving. Alternatively use rail or sea transport instead. Airbases and HQs are also motorised units.
II Morale loss
Priority is to keep motorised for 1942 with the maximum hex movement per MP (needing 86 or more morale if motorised, 81 or more if infantry)
In order of priority the motorised units to protect morale levels are
i) Non-elite non-withdrawing units with morale now at 88 or over. If their morale ends up at 85 or below it is unlikely to get back again. At the moment these are
-North: 1,6,7, 8Pz, 3, 36 Mot
-Centre: 5, 18Pz, 10, 20, 29Mot
-South: 9, 13Pz
I have assumed those with 87 morale or below will go to 85 or below after replacements
ii) Elite non-withdrawing units. As they have a bonus to morale if they are withdrawn from the front soon enough they can still recover to a morale 86 or more.
-North: Totenkopf (NM+15)
-Centre: Gross Deutschland (NM+19/20)
-South: Wiking (NM+15)
iii) Other non-withdrawing units. Probably worth prioritising the highest morale/ToE ones and divisions over independent brigades within this group.
iv) Withdrawing units. As these go before the summer campaign we do not care where their morale gets to.
-Centre: Das Reich, 900 Lehr,10Pz
-South: LAH, Hungarian Mobile Brigades
Slovak Mobile Division and Rumanian Armoured Division: Although not a priority to withdraw, it also is not a priority for the front so should be protected at least to avoid vehicle loss. As well as the vehicles the Slovaks currently have 12 morale points ahead of its base morale meaning it needs one less MP per enemy hex traveled.
Italian cavalry will become a motorised unit at some point early in 1942.
It can also be useful to keep Panzer corps HQs with very morale at that level too to ensure their mobility to keep up with their units.
Although not needed for mobility some suggest keeping high morale or many/all SUs in an HQ in the European zone (e.g. in an RHG) - I am not sure if this is worthwhile?
Infantry units worth protecting are
-North:1,11,12,61,21,23,30,32,217
-Centre: 7 but not 78 which has a morale bonus
-South: 24
Units with morale 55 or lower get no morale loss - this includes many allied units.
Units sent to hexes with protection from weather effects can be
i) Reassigned to OKH to give front line HQs more command capacity
ii) Kept in "Panzer Hubs" at or near front as reserve activators or for emergencies/contingencies
iii) Kept on rails for rapid deployments or strategic reserve
iv) Used as garrison troops relieving summer garrison units for other duties
Alternatively combat victories will boost morale - but this is harder as you go above national morale and replacements of the loses will dilute the gain. These units may be needed to stabilise the front during the Soviet offensive or because opportunites justify it. A motorised unit with morale 86 or over can travel 25 enemy hexes in the summer but 16 if morale is 85 or below. And similarly a high morale infantry unit can travel 8 hexes as opposed to 5. Whatever ground or objectives are held in blizzard has to be set against what it could gain in the summer.
Included above is a rough guess at where we will probably start the winter (in red is centre's suggestion). The point was also made in this game there is little point in fortifying a hard line, we are probably better off just making the biggest buffer of territory in advance as possible.
Axis Supreme Commander
If I was Soviet I would accept Moscow is gone. I would probably put everything into getting Stalino back actually. Perhaps local things for say Ivanovo or Tambov but Stalino is the only place in range to get something worthwhile. And if they assume a 1942 for Baku - we still have to decide 1942 but it is a recurring plan for Axis - they might think pushing back the start line is the best prospect.
We will also need to redistribute mountain units to where we most want to hold ground - currently they are all in the south.
Axis South Commander
Dont take my mountain [;)]
