Returning player can't take cities

[coolts]

Hello all
After a loooooong hiatus I'm itching to start a new GC but decided to try the RtL scenario to see what's changed.

What seems to have changed is that cities are now death stars without a convenient exhaust port.

I have Leningrad surrounded on 4 sides with 2 turns to go, and have taken the fort to zero with pioneers but after 2 turns with GS on, cant take it.

I don't have any big siege guns in this scenario and cant starve them out like I would try to in a GC.

If I cant take this in the scenario what the hell chance do I have of Odessa, Sevastopol, etc in the GC.

Any tips / advice welcome. I've probably missed something as I've not played for ages.

(Please ignore the white units. I dealt with 4th PzrGrp's departure before attacking )

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[AlbertN]

Urban targets are very tenacious to take and require isolation. In some cases multiple turns isolation depending how strong is their garrison.

Each turn simply the garrison will 'rot' even if they have freight there, there will be some attrition, and mostly their morale gradually shrinks just by being isolated.
Attrition won't be that much though if there is a good fort level.

The Grand Campaign usually offers more time (and also the unwillingness of the Soviet player to sacrifice troops for). - In general Odessa and Sebastopol are never heavily garrisoned (Especially as a clever Axis end up to make the lot retreat out of the port if possible instead of rout away).

But it's a sheer matter of time to get cities for Axis, once isolated.

[coolts]

Time I don't have in a 16 turn scenario. To move SU's to Leningrad bound divisions takes 3 turns.

Move SU to target army.
Assign SU to division.
Wait a turn till SU becomes active.

So if I'm attacking Leningrad turn 12 or 13 I need to start the shuffle turn 9. That's a lot of specific planning in a fluid situation.

I guess if I plan 18thA to be the seige / assault army I can make sure its got all the toys by turn 11. CPP will be a luxury I'll have to do without however as I can't pamper divisions in this tight scenario. They all have to do a lot of heavy lifting.

Im determined to beat the bugger after years!!!

[FortTell]

Time I don't have in a 16 turn scenario. To move SU's to Leningrad bound divisions takes 3 turns.

Move SU to target army.
Assign SU to division.
Wait a turn till SU becomes active.

Just a small point, an SU does not need an extra turn to become active once it is assigned to a division. It is instantly ready for combat. The * marking near the SU's name in the unit screen just means it can no longer be reassigned this turn.

[coolts]

Ah.. Thanks for that.

The city fell! First time in Wite1 or 2 I've ever won that damn scenario.

2-3 pioneer companies attached to each of 9 divisions, good Corps leaders and 8 of the heaviest artillery support units on the Corps and it fell in two attacks!

I hope not every city is like that. Sevastopol, Odessa, Stalingrad, Kursk, Moscow sure, but Minsk, Lvov, Gomel, etc?

Time for a new campaign!