Campaign Advice Requested in Dec 41.

[Champagne]

Axis human vs. AI. No early end, Grand Campaign 1941.

I stopped my eastward drive at a point where I had a nice straight front line with no salients, from the Leningrad area down to the Black Sea coast. I stopped major eastward drives just before Heavy Mud on Turn 18 in order to build up the front and prepare defenses.

Now it is Turn 25, December 7th, 1941. The Empire of Japan is having a busy day. My own day looks bad to me. I built up some Fort levels, using Pioneers and Construction units. I've got a decent Depot Network, because I have experience from my two previous games vs the AI.

But the pictures that I am about to show to you have me wondering whether I am about to get crushed and run off of the board. Here's the situation:

[Champagne]

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[tm1]

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Taking Leningrad in 1941 is something I am yet to do, so congrats on that, hope fully you can hold it throughout the winter also good is the fact that you inflicted nearly 4 million Red Army casualties that should help greatly.

Its been quiet awhile since I played a 41 campaign but historically in the South the Axis lost less ground but in my games it was always different no matter how long I prepared, you should hold onto the Tamen Peninsula Just ( my view )
In the centre my line was further east running initially from Kalinin and forward of / Rehev / Vyazma, lost Kalinin and was pushed back to the other two cities but held them as I counterattacked throughout the winter wrecked my panzers but saved the Army and the line held but this was with patches before 2.52 I don't know if that tactic would work now also the was really good terrain in front of Moscow, not saying the terrain in front of Smolensk is bad for defence, but from Kaluga / Borodino/ Mozhaysk / Ruza Lotoshino through to Kalinin there is a lot of tough terrain.

I also had control of most of The Valdai Hills which I consider a MUST HAVE if you want to survive in the North.

The huge edge you have though is you have freed up 4th Pz Armee for me the Army was always stuck at Leningrad for the winter, so that's good.

Anyway others here are far better at this game than I specially P v P players you will gets some great tips from them.

Good luck with it anyway.

P.S.
Would have enjoyed you doing a full AAR would have liked to see how you captured Leningrad .


regards

[M60A3TTS]

To be honest, your on-map screenshots don't help much. We need to see your defensive values, your fort levels, and your front line depots. How many movement points your units have available mean nothing at this stage.

[Champagne]

I can do that. Thanks. I will post the images very soon.

[MonkeyBrain3]

To be honest, your on-map screenshots don't help much. We need to see your defensive values, your fort levels, and your front line depots. How many movement points your units have available mean nothing at this stage.

That's conforting
At least you didn't said to him to prepare 2 milllion coffins for a horde of 4 million hungry Russians

Frankly, by those numbers alone situation is not rosy but maybe player can pull few dozen of Mansteins and Bobby Fishers out of his hand.

[TallBlondJohn]

What M60A3TTS said. If you've got forts and depots, it doesn't look too bad apart from AGC - certainly interesting/educational to play. Panzers in 1941 snow are almost useless, use them as city garrisons and backstops. In the front line even moving around ruins them.

Remember the soviets start the winter strong and get weaker. December its feels like the end, but if you can hold your nerve things will get better - it's a shame you couldn't get your initial defensive line forward into those heavy woods. But it is what it is. If the Russians move through gaps, their strength rapidly drops as they outrun supply, so allowing bulges north and south of Smolensk sets up encirclements next year. Smolensk must hold.

[Champagne]

Updated pics are now being loaded. These will show the data indicated by M60A3.

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