The World at War ELO Tournament

[DmitryN]

Thunderlizard11 (allies) defeats SCOLDGAMER (Axis). Axis resigns August 1940 after getting bogged down in France. SCOLDGAMER tried a strategy I haven't seen before of attacking through Maginot and Lux only and not Belgium. It slowed progress down a bit too much however. Apparently, another player used this successfully against SCOLDGAMER - I'd be interested to learn how.

I always use such a strategy:) guess Fanfir also (at least in games with me). It is easy to show how it works:)

[EarlyDoors]

Thunderlizard11 (allies) defeats SCOLDGAMER (Axis). Axis resigns August 1940 after getting bogged down in France. SCOLDGAMER tried a strategy I haven't seen before of attacking through Maginot and Lux only and not Belgium. It slowed progress down a bit too much however. Apparently, another player used this successfully against SCOLDGAMER - I'd be interested to learn how.

I always use such a strategy:) guess Fanfir also (at least in games with me). It is easy to show how it works:)

Fafnir smashed me in Metz - turn 2
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 4#p4735314

[CapitaineHaddock]

2 game stated DmitryN (axis) Redshirt (alies) and DmitryN (allies) CapitanHafock (axis) asked them both about having enough experience. Both told they have. I doubt but nobody else want to play

CapitaineHaddock (axis) vs DmitryN (allies). DmitryN wins, axis resigns April 1941.

A small AAR:

My first ELO game. DmitryNs game is almost flawless and he's probably the best player I've been up against over quite a few years of casual SC PBEM playing, so I predictably got a solid trashing.

Allies all in in France. I was aware of this strategy and thought I countered it by buying some goodies at the beginning (tank, para, rocket arty), but I sure was mistaken. In the end, I think I was down 3 or 4 tanks, 3 paras and several corps. A failed para action trying to isolate the French behind the Maginot in summer 1940 nailed it (it was a close call with a 1 strenght allied unit holding Dijon), but it was a sum of small mistakes that finished me off. I was certainly not helped by France not surrendering when I finally took Paris (last turn in December 40). Then I soldiered on until French morale dipped to 0. I thought they would finally surrender, but they didn*t. Must have missed something. I had started evacuating for Barbarossa (waaaay too late anyway), so I had no chance to get at Bordeaux next turn + allies gave me a beating since I had pulled out assets and expected French to disappear. That decided it and I resigned. UK piled up huge losses , but there was no way I could exploit it effectively, since Allies had bombed out the NA ports to 0 and I didn't have time to take Malta either. I had positioned the Italian army in NA prior to entry and took Mersa Matruh guarded by a depleted reccon unit, but didn't get any further. The Italians simply don't have enough power to do it alone, even against a feeble garrison (allies sent the 7th armored to France together with everything else). I have now learned the hard way that I need subs in those ports.

China was as I would have expected it, and I reached the US entry trigger line in early 41, but I was told this was way behind schedule anyway. It certainly was a costly affair for Japan, even though I did manage to isolate a few units here and there. Not sure about the right sequence of things, think I may have had too much focus on the Northern part and handed the Chinese too many MPPs.

Reckless mistake in Ethiopia to start and move the units. I mistakenly thought allies had sent absolutely everything to France, so my whole position was compromised as soon as I started moving.

Unsure how to guard the Italian fleet against Franco-British raid. I had fighter + maritime bomber + medium bmb lined up to throw back at his carriers when they attacked my ports and DmitryN wisely retreated when I hit back at him (didn´t manage to sink any carrier though). Then my mistake was to reinforce this "garrison" with some German planes who hung around for too long sunbathing in the Mezzogiorno. This indecisiveness weakened my punch in France.

I enjoyed the game and learned a lot.

On a sidenote, I would kindly request people not to post challenges without any further qualifications of the opponents they're looking for, less they accept they are up for grabs.

[petedalby]

I enjoyed the game and learned a lot.

Well done - that is the most important thing. You were up against one of the best players on here and it is much harder to win as the Axis than it is with the Allies.

On protecting the Italian Fleet - almost impossible. But you can make it costly by having German fighters in Italy. The German Maritime Bomber is also a good investment.

The challenge with the game is that once things start to go awry it is very hard to recover.

[petedalby]

New ELO game begins.

SCOLDGAMER (Axis) vs petedalby (Allies) 1939 Scenario

Usual ELO rules plus no early Allied DoW on Japan.

[DmitryN]

Redshirt (allies) lost to DmitryN (axis) Easy game Sealion than both China and USSR close to dead fall 1942

[CapitaineHaddock]

New ELO game:

1939 World at War scenario.

CapitaineHaddock(Axis) vs Laurenz (Allies).

Standard ELO rules + no softlocking with non-at war majors.

Game ended. CapitaineHaddock (axis) resigns october 1942.

My second ELO game and actually the first one I started. This time, I was also up against a very strong player. Fared somewhat better than against my other opponent DmitryN, but still the outcome was never seriously in doubt. In short, I got delayed in France until late autumn 1940 and did not put what little time I had left to efficient use. Taking Malta was probably not worth it, even more so, since I didn't undertake anything serious in NA, except bloody the Brits a bit. Late and weak Barbarossa only got to grab some land (basically Ukraine, Belarus, Baltics) because of Laurenz leaving everything empty. Unnecessary precaution, IMO USSR would have been even better served by a forward defense. By mid 42 the USSR was a juggernaut and my planes had spent the game everywhere except tank hunting in the SU. I then foolishly attacked Turkey in summer 42. Didn't know they now get a second capital after I took Ankara with para/air action. After failing to take Erzurum on turn 4 of the invasion, I gave up. The USSR would have swarmed me in the summer of 43. I sunk a whole lot of UK ships, including two CVs of Malta and a bunch of BBs off Norway, but wasn't able to exploit it meaningfully. I also defeated an allied landing in France in summer 42 and eliminated a bunch of US tanks and paras, but it didn't take me anywhere either. The Japanese performance was similarly underwhelming. Thank you.

[CapitaineHaddock]

A stupid question, but alas for me a very topical one: how do I resign? I don't seem to find the button which allows me to do this

[DmitryN]

A stupid question, but alas for me a very topical one: how do I resign? I don't seem to find the button which allows me to do this

You have red cross button right of name of the games in main menu.

Again my advise to you. You never can learn how to play axis, playing axis. To understand efficient axis strategies you need to play allies against strong axis player.

[CapitaineHaddock]

A stupid question, but alas for me a very topical one: how do I resign? I don't seem to find the button which allows me to do this

You have red cross button right of name of the games in main menu.

Again my advise to you. You never can learn how to play axis, playing axis. To understand efficient axis strategies you need to play allies against strong axis player.

You are right of course, it’s just that almost all my previous games were as allies against low-mid level players, so I wanted something new

[DmitryN]

Jackmack (allies) lost to DmitryN (axis)

Quite unusual game to be described.

Allies invested everything in defending France and made it quite efficient killing 3-4 german units including 1 tank. In the same time allies tried to attack NA both from Egypt and Tunis. I understood that Tunis city is empty and used paratrooper to take it and surround units went to Lybia. After this it was worth to take Algeria before France surrendered. Thus no Vichi was formed. After it quite intensive fights continued both in Morocco and Egypt with heavy UK losses including HQ and few units. Morocco Egypt and Iraq were taken. In the same time a number of naval battles took place both around Ethiopia and Morocco. Germans and Italians lost not a lot of ships but spent I guess more than 1500 MPP’s on their reinforcements (few times capital ships and subs went down to 1-2 strength) UK lost 2 carriers, 2 Battleships and about 10-12 other ships totally

In Ethiopia India landed HQ artillery 1-2 armies and guess 2-3 corps including Malaya. But they had only 1 port of Berbera . So I operated 3 german bombers, martimate bomber and fighter in Ethiopia. The port was bombed to 0, and all the Indian+UK troops died in low supply.

UK intervented in Finland, so Finland went 10-15% pro allies. When I have seen it I decided make diplo on Turkey presuming that allies will decide that I invest in Finland. I was right, allies invested diplo in Finland (which finally joined allies!!!) Axis invested everything in Turkey diplomacy but were unlucky with about 85% Turkey in June-July 1941. As Poland was 2-3 turns, and axis did not take Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark till spring 1941 USSR mobilization was 13% all the time from winter war to beginning of 1941. Greece and Yougo were also taken spring 1941. Fight in China was very costly for both sides, Chungking was taken spring-summer 1941. Thus US mobilization went crazy 80+% even before the oil embargo.

In April 1941 axis stand before tough decision where to move aviation and other troops from Ethiopia, Morocco and Netherlands (fights in all the 3 locations ended fast the same time).
The situation was following. Axis had strong success in killing UK+India units, but spent everything on this fight, fleet and diplomacy. No land units or bombers except all the German tanks were bought. Actually axis had 2 corps and army less land units than given initially + Africa corps. Amount of land units prepared for Barbarossa was extremely low as 3 tanks HQ and 2-3 corps/army were in Iraq.
US was close to the war, and after it all chances to involve Turkey would be lost. In the same time a USSR mobilization were 13% for 2 years and less than 40% spring 1941, so it had not enough money even for necessary researches.

I made quite unusual decision to go Sealion summer 1941 (guess June). It should increase Turkey and Spain mobilization and if Spain is more than 60%, and Alger and Morocco are in German hands you are suggested DE603 which makes Spain enter the war for 800 MPP’s.

In the same time with Sealion (as it was clear that US will enter war next turn) Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, took DEI, Philipines, Kukum, Brunei and some other islands. Which was more important I made the second Pearl Harbor in the Atlantic. The same time with Japan Germany also DOW the US and all the German-Italian fleet attacked US ships which appear near Atlantic coast and everything outside ports were killed.

But huge stupid mistake was made by axis. I was totally sure that I have at least 1-2 more turns before attack the USSR. I reinforced/upgraded/moved majority of the units on USSR border beginning of the turn. But last second I have seen that all these numerous Japan DOWs together with German DOW on US and landing in the UK increased USSR mobilization for more than 40% and I was forced to DOW USSR with only 1 tank and 2-3 more units able to fight and the majority of USSR troops including HQ were saved by Russians.

So on fall 1941 we had Turkey and Spain axis with Finland allies, USSR with few research but saved a lot of units, south UK taken, huge Japan advances everywhere, Gibraltar and Portugal taken by axis, Japan took Russian far east . Fall 1941 axis did few advances in USSR to avoid loses from Russian winter effect, axis took Persia with 3 11-12 strength motorized tanks waiting to take Baku together with Turkey in spring 1942. Fight in the UK was tough and slow all the fall-winter with the US aviation HQ and armies transferred to UK.

I was absolute sure that allies will send all the possible US and UK fleet to the Atlantic. Even after all the losses it was much stronger than German-Italian fleet. Allies should have at least 5 carriers and still a lot of different types of ships. To solve this problem axis send Japan SF to take Ireland. After it I had Japan supply ports in the Attlantic. Two 12-stregth carriers, escort carrier, 2 battleships and few other ships came in 1-2 turns to Ireland. Don’t know why US did not send fleet to Atlantic, so all the army in the UK was doomed and killed summer 1942. (vast part of US fleet was later killed in attempt to take Philipinnes) Baku was also taken. Fall 1942 after moving best units from the UK to Russian front and appearance of 3 level3 motorized heavy tanks both Moscow and Stalingrad fell. USSR without any land lease was doomed China was also close to die, UK lost new Zealand and had morale around 30%. On this stage allies resigned.

As a bonus please find below the picture of 3 star Japaneese carrier in the Baltic ready to support German paratrooper landing to capture allies Helsenki☺ Japan capture of the Brazil and South Afrika was also close☺

WhatsApp Image 2022-07-30 at 13.42.02.jpeg (189.83 KiB) Viewed 1064 times

[LoneRunner]

Wow, what an exciting game. You and Jackmck demonstrated the wonderful myriad of strategic possibilities offered by WaW that keeps players coming back for another game.

Thanks Dmitry for sharing.

[ThunderLizard11]

ELO Ended:
kjgokc2007 (axis) lost v. thunderlizard11 win (allies). Axis resigns November '42. Axis went on a tear around Europe DOWing Spain/Portugal/Algeria and Tunisia. This all took away from Barbarossa and Germans were stuck in Ukraine and starting to get pushed back already. Romania never joined axis and wondering if DOWs had a diplo hit. Also, Yugo almost joined Axis through diplo but Paul's coup came a turn too soon.

In Pacific, Axis went all in on Hawaii but did not attach DEI. Allies landed at Shanghai in force and Japs in trouble in China.

All in all an interesting match with some unconventional choices.

ELO Started:

Rematch kjgokc2007 (axis) v. thunderlizard11 (allies)

[ElvisJJonesRambo]

Game #153 [LOSS] ElvisJJonesRambo (Axis) vs kjgokc2007 (Allies) --

Germans take out Russia
Allies take out Japan
Germans get sloppy
Army Group South completely wiped out in Turkey.
Yanks get Air supremacy

Axis surrenders January 1946.

[EarlyDoors]

ELO Rankings August update: http://scwaw-rankings.s3-website.eu-wes ... onaws.com/

Overall
======
Total Axis 160
Total Allies 194

Players of the Month
-------------------------
DmitryN 7 wins out of 8
PeteDalby 3 wins out of 3
SCOLDGAMER 3 wins out of 5

Win of the Month: ElvisJJonesRambo win over archmache was worth 26.52 points

[SCOLDGAMER]

SCOLDGAMER as allies defeats archmache as axis. Archmache resigned in Oct 39 as allies cut rail and supply to south China in second turn. I have had this happen to me in other game and it really slows axis advance.

[archmache]

SCOLDGAMER as allies defeats archmache as axis. Archmache resigned in Oct 39 as allies cut rail and supply to south China in second turn. I have had this happen to me in other game and it really slows axis advance.

My finest game

[archmache]

I'm looking for another ELO game opponent (allies) - I have a game up with password Kurk43 for whoever wants to join. I can do lots of turns per day, minus vacations.

[petedalby]

Like a lamb to the slaughter I have accepted Fafnir's challenge. 1939 scenario - usual ELO rules.

Fafnir (Axis) vs petedalby (Allies)

For my part I will not be doing the early Allied attack vs Japan - probably wouldn't help me much anyway

[HarrySmith]

Good luck Pete