From the desk of the evil guys (companion AAR)

[KorutZelva]

September 1915

France destroy two further corps and I destroy one back. The front should stabilize has the two side lick their wounds. In the balkans, Montenegro is in deadly danger and Bulgaria is now 81% CP, without that lucky major diplohit it would be already gearing for war. It may still do once Montenegro falls. Small breakthrough achieved in Ukraine, a Russian artillery is lost and a Russian corp isolated. I expect the Russian to pull further back to shorten their line. Ukraine unlike other Russian fronts is thick with cities and losing ground there will accelerate Russia's moral losses. My navy expansion program may be stalled until it's time to crank smaller vessels. I have too many corps to rebuild and due to the construction time capital ships started too late won't be ready in time for when the battle is slated to take place. I still need cheap ship to occupy blockading slots when I win the naval battle. Austrian develop inf tech 1, I saved a bit of money with them to handle the upgrades cost.

Situation in the balkans just before the Greek joining...

[KorutZelva]

Let's use this pause to discuss the predicament the Ottomans are in, or rather the choice my opponent has to mull.

Ottoman morale like 20%... but there's only two cities that can inflict a big dip (+ arab revolt). Bagdad and Constantinople, both who'd be a bit of a pain to go get. In a typical game the current border would have been enough to see the Ottoman fold because it would have been obtained with more of a slug. In this game, the fighting was so one sided that there was no occasion for protracted military lost and lost NM cities to accrue morale sink overtime.

What are his options?

1-Press on, get to armistice

Troops from the theater would probably be tied another year. Bulgaria being within joining dangerzone means the troops really have to hustle and may have to duke out with the Germans to finish the job. Germany and Austria get a big morale hit but ultimately missing out on anatolia mpp, NM and staging area.

2-Press on, get full conquest

Not a decision to do now, but can be delayed depending on any arrival of german support but refusing the armistice give the Ottomans a whooping 5000 NM and giving the scarcity of targets to bring that down it almost guaranties it won't fall baring losing its capital.

3-Gallipoli!

Difficult to do but would take Bulgaria from the war and give an option to capture Constantinople. It's almost impossible to do on the fly though.

4-Garrison and leave

Ottomans are not in a position to conduct any offensive operation, Russia could withdraw troops to help against the advancing Germans. UK could go shore up Serbia and threaten Austria. Let the cities conquered by the Russian erode Ottoman morale. So what if the Germans send help latter, that's troop not seen on other fronts. In the meanwhile the Ottomans feeds NM to Russia. Let it be.

I think option 4 is what he should do... but I understand that psychologically it's hard to back down when the OE seem down and out. I'm thinking he'll go with 1.

For the OE the goal is to hold on Gallipoli and Constantinople, everything else can be sacrificed.

[KorutZelva]

In the face of more opponent stalling [;)], more musings. Airship report showed that the alsace-frontier is now thick with troops. All corps seems to have stayed in that theater except some cavs sent to Iraq. It's interesting because he deliberately left the Belgian border free of troops and left some reserve out of scouting range, perhaps hoping I would do a delayed Schlieffen only to bring all his reserves in a nick of time. Now armed with artillery he's making his push. From his delayed UK and France tech spendings, I assume he prioritized getting the arty out. So he might have quite a few lying around but they don't recharge their shell rapidly just yet. I wonder if he can maintain the pressure with low gas shell tech... We will see.

[KorutZelva]

Germany and Austria finish upgrading their corps to inf tech 1. All that shuffling left me vulnerable on the French front but now that its done and with an additional defensive cannon, and now an additional trench tech, the offensive will stall for a couple of turns. French have pressed their attack with damaged units and surely they will need to pause and refit. All fronts are volatile so corps can't be rebuilt for now. I don't know if Russia completed its research but I tag its front line with units to prevent any inf upgrades.

The difference in tech might be my additional spending in naval and spying affair while my opponent stuck with inf-arty-industry. Austria and Germany finished spy tech 2. Germany sold one of its three sub tech. I'm about to level up to 2 and I likely won't reach 3 before the big naval battle so I'm reclaiming it so I can double chit amphibious transport. I'd like to get a level to get a long range transport to make a landing in an undefended northern Ireland port. Even if my navy is superior one thing that will be an issue is that each attack reduce supplies by one so fighting for an extensive period away from a port is a losing proposition. With just one port, I can resupply my ammo and keep control of the UK convoy line indefinitely.

Tech profile by power in september 1915

[KorutZelva]

Montenegro falls... conquering a country increase Bulgaria mobilization by 3-8% and it's currently at 84%. I'll know next turn if the die roll was high enough to get it preparing for war. (Or is it at the end of my turn that they would say it? Anyway, I didn't see anything...)

Got to get Serbia before the ottomans withdraws from the war because the lost of its diplochit would move Bulgaria away from the CP very quickly. I have a short at it next turn, my artillery is ready and infantry upgraded and ready to go.
Chaotic fighting in Ukraine, winter may give Russia time to form cohesive lines again but then weather is slightly warmer there so operation may continue uninterrupted during the winter.

Back to the drawing board in regards to my naval plans. Originally it was Russia first, then UK... But should I switch to UK first? UK loss impact more Russia than the other way around but stepping off the gas vs Russia may be doom. I haven't accounted at all the mpp it would cost to upgrade my ships... Just taking all my subs to tech 2 would cost an entire turn worth of income. I don't think I'll be able to afford more than torpedo ships and a destroyer or two if I want to have enough mpp to upgrade my ships and rebuild the units grinded out on the western front.

I think I'll play it slow, start with just my subs and go swarm and destroy the two dreadnoughts off the cost of Norway. My battleships would be in reserve to snipe any destroyer that dares to venture. After that engagement, I'll decide to press for a decisive battle in 1916 or delay for 1917.

Austria has a windfall of money from conquering montenegro so I think I'll buy two torpedo ships. Allies have subs blocking the mouth of the Adriatic and I want to drive them away so that the goeben and the two austrian dreadnought (one coming online this November) can break out engage the entente ships that potentially lurks behind the sub picket line. If the UK abandons the med to me once I have amphibious tech, there's some sniping opportunities if he's careless in protecting his ports.

[operating]

Just started following your AAR, enjoy the strategy sessions, good luck..[:)]

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: operating

Just started following your AAR, enjoy the strategy sessions, good luck..[:)]

You better root for me, man, I'm the underdog here! Any of the strategy found here are unsafe at any speed!

[operating]

ORIGINAL: KorutZelva

ORIGINAL: operating

Just started following your AAR, enjoy the strategy sessions, good luck..[:)]

You better root for me, man, I'm the underdog here! Any of the strategy found here are unsafe at any speed!

I'm obliged to not spill the beans on either version of yours's and Ash's campaign, I'm completely neutral. Been thinking on getting the latest game version of SCWWI replacing my old tile based one. AARs do so much to bring life to a game.[;)]

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: operating

ORIGINAL: KorutZelva

ORIGINAL: operating

Just started following your AAR, enjoy the strategy sessions, good luck..[:)]

You better root for me, man, I'm the underdog here! Any of the strategy found here are unsafe at any speed!

I'm obliged to not spill the beans on either version of yours's and Ash's campaign, I'm completely neutral. Been thinking on getting the latest game version of SCWWI replacing my old tile based one. AARs do so much to bring life to a game.[;)]

Well if you make the jump, give me a holler! We can AAR it up!

[KorutZelva]

Best turn for the evil guys in a while. Serbia surrenders, Bulgaria prepares for war.

Ottoman a turn or two away from offering armistice? Die already and stop feeding Russians NM!!!

Speaking of the Russians, they are experiencing a what I've experienced in the West vs the French when I'm trying to tech up my troops while pressed with the enemy. They don't have a second line of corps to swap in like I have to stabilize the situation but they do have room to run and rebuild further...

My opponent has replaced the battleships with subs along the norway line... my quarry escapes,,, But my spy spotted a battlecruisers across the sub picket line in the adriatic... once my torpedo boats are out, I'll be able to snipe it...

In the Balkans my troops are there might not send those troops to other front just yet. Albania needs conquering and I'm curious to find out if they abandoned the Greeks like they abandoned the Serbs... I can't believe he didn't lift a finger for them by the way... Just a couple corp in the theater would have made all the difference in delaying me long enough to give the OE the boot and kept Bulgaria out of the war. A little less troops vs the OE would not have delayed its curb stop all that much.

[KorutZelva]

So a little post-mortem on the Serbian campaign. I tried something a little different in this game, it is my understanding that typically A-list players just Blitz Serbia from the start, I wanted to try if instead of operating enough troops for an overwhelming push I could make viable concentrating your forces in other theaters. I'm not ready to say it's definitively viable for a east first strategy. I made good progress vs Russians but part of that was because additional troops where routed to the Caucasus rather than to push the Austrians around. Russia could just withdraw a tile every turn avoid engagement. The fortress were a real pain because they stay at 5 supply even surrounded... you don't even get destroy them in low supply for your trouble. While I've removed the Serbian thorn from my side along historical timelines, even meager help to the Serbs would have turned it into a dagger right next to the austrians heart. Unless he gets a major diplo-hit on his turn, Bulgaria joining seems unavoidable. I would say his diplo-push was still a success overall, certainly a homerun and close to being a grand slam if OE had folded first. Bulgaria being neutral denied me of mpp, an arty and ability to support the OE. It also taxed me of a large amount of mpp. I wonder who will be his next diplo target... I will have only 9 diplo-chit to slow it down... I may preemptively diplo the Netherlands just so it takes more time to ween them off from me.

I may make quick advance into Greece before it is reinforced because I think only one Serbian corp was outside Serbia at surrender to continue to fight on. If the OE withdraws from the war the Bulgarian ca attack Greece and the german can be operated to the west. If the armistice is refused, then the Bulgarian will have to cover the Constantinople approaches.

[KorutZelva]

Ottoman at 0% morale... The entente getting the big decision this turn. Bulgaria joining just in time... an Arty going on build queue... Germans in Serbia will be rerouted to the West so I can have enough Corps to start cycling them to counter attack. Digging deeper in Ukraine, Brusilov escaping at 1 str. UK deployed to defend Greece. I'll try to bottle them up in the mountain south of Uskub. If I can prevent them from taking it back, they will be stuck at fighting at 7 supply tops. Russia submarines sniffing around to see my naval build up... but can't find any upgraded ships or subs. This may put the Entente at ease... I hide all my upgraded sub off the coast of Denmark. Austria's newfound wealth in the Balkans means they can rebuild their lost corps and will be left to handle operation with the support of the Bulgarian on that front. If weather cooperate, Albania will fall next turn. Russia morale close to 50% they may face revolution by the end of the next year...

December 1915

[KorutZelva]

OE kick the bucket and with it about 260+ NM moral boost to the Russian a turn. The Entente have a big numerical superiority for now but the Russian are on the backfoot and have lost a lot of land, the timer is clicking on their exit. Albania holds but the unit is in low supply and unlikely to resist sustained pressure.

Changed my mind and sent the german balkan troops to support Riga push. I don't have enough units there to cross the river so I need more units to cycle an offensive and take the city. I'll just spawn the rebuilt corp in the west. I spent a turn mostly spending on refitting land units. I spent a lot of strength charging the Russian and pursuing them, so I use this quiet winter-induced turn let me refit everyone. Getting really late on my ship upgrade schedule. The Entente turned their diplo attention to the USA. This is a bit of a best case scenario for me, that's a lot of money to drag them in the war and to start to move the needle in 1916 is way too late to have much military impact. He might get a moral boost but that's not worth the tons of MPP put towards it.

[KorutZelva]

Albania falls but otherwise quiet turn. All subs but 3 are now upgraded to 2, next in line for upgrade: destroyers. In the adriatic the second austrian dreadnaught is brought to str 10. The torpedo boats are out so we will try to move against the entente fleet controlling the med.

The UK has stopped its small convoy to Russia... UK income is quite large from its ME conquest... Hopefully he wastes it on land pursuits...

[KorutZelva]

Showed the French I had still some offensive power in the West, notched two corps, pinged an English arty and took back Metz. Didn't realized that Riga has a marsh next to it so that screwed up my attack cycling. Killed the corp but didn't take the city. In the Adriatic, the plan worked. The torpedo boats dislodged one of the sub which allowed the joint CP fleet to sink a French Dreadnought and a UK battle cruiser. I have one dreadnought exposed at 5, who will be made short work by the Entente in retaliation but now the CP fleet in the med have nothing to contest them breaking out. All Austria pre-dreadnaught have been refit and are ready for action. Will he let me rule the med or will he send reinforcements? The new UK gains in ME will have to be garrisoned because I will threaten ports with amphibious snipes when the tech is completed.

The spy tech was instrumental in let me know enemy position to plan my strike. I usually max spy tech to help my research (and protect my research gains) but the side benefit is getting information on enemy fleet and mine position is a difference maker for anyone with naval ambition.

[KorutZelva]

Bonus musings:

In term of diplotargets I think Ashfall should have gone for Romania, already halfway into joining the Entente. Sure Bulgaria is active and the CP can operate a bunch a unit close to Romania capital but it offer delaying action. One of the other front would have to be stripped down to deal with it. The Netherlands contributes tons of MPP to Germany and at 25% leaning towards CP not to hard to make flip. Both these actions I would have prompt me to match the investment.

My backup plan if my naval attack doesn't work-out is to sneak-attack Italy after Russia falls. Italy wasn't given the chance to tech up and would be facing the CP at tech 2 to 0 and no trench tech. I'd be a able to naval invade a couple of undefended nm cities and hopefully put them in deadly danger before France and UK operate enough units to save them. Italy's collapse would make France morale very brittle.

[KorutZelva]

Ok... just had a thought if he doesn't come fight me in the med. Port Said would probably be protected... but not the suez canal itself. I could just land there march straight south to open the 2-tile canal and voilà!, an exit for all the Austrian ships to join the UK blockade...

[pjg100]

You may want to confirm that the transfer hexes off east Africa work for CP units.

[KorutZelva]

Can't really... if I ask in the forum that will telegraph my move. [:'(]

Edit: Oh wait...I started a hotseat game to check and it says so on the tile itself 'Allied only'. By which I suppose they mean Entente. I guess they didn't change the text from the War in Europe map. I think you're correct, I can't use them. Chucks, it would have been magnificient!

[Robotron]

I sincerely hope this match will go on for quite some time, the separate threads for each side are quite a delight to read and the copious amount of screenshots is highly appreciated. [&o]