AAR: TRP Mod, Machiafisch (Axis) vs. calcwerc (Allies)

[calcwerc]

I’ll be writing up an AAR for my game against Machiafish, where he’s taking command of the sinister Axis while I lead the noble Allies. The goal is to give new players a fun introduction to the mod.

I’ll start by posting a few screenshots from the opening round, and then continue to share more as the game develops and the struggle unfolds.

I’ve already played one match against him where I commanded the Axis and he led the Allies, and we both agreed it was a thoroughly entertaining game. He has a flamboyant, aggressive style—especially cunning in his use of carriers—and I’m eager to see how he’ll handle the Axis this time around.

In Poland, he’s advancing on Warsaw at a brisk pace, pressing in from both the north and the south. Interestingly, he has refrained from attacking the Polish corps south of Allenstein—perhaps a mistake; we’ll see. Of course, Poland is doomed either way. In this mod, speed matters less than in the base game, since the mods house rules prevent an Axis attack on France through the Low Countries before May 1940.

[calcwerc]

In southern China, he’s bombarding the city of Pakhoi with cruisers and battlecruisers before pushing forward with his infantry. His carriers are also moving into position, ready to support the ground forces in upcoming attacks.

[calcwerc]

And finally, in northern China, he is likely preparing an encirclement of the Nationalist forces at Chengchow, advancing with infantry and cavalry from the southern flank.

[calcwerc]

Some preliminary thoughts:
In 1939, the conflict centers on three main theatres: Poland, China, and the Atlantic.

Poland: My aim here is to delay surrender for as long as possible.

China: I expect his offensives to begin at Chengchow and Nanning. Both cities will probably fall, but my priority is to hold out long enough to establish strong defensive lines across all fronts. It’s important to note that Japan has five potential axes of advance once they bring in more aircraft and heavy artillery:

The northern route from Hohot, flanking the Communists from the north.

Through Chengchow to Xian, threatening Yenan from the south.

Across the mountains from Ichang and Dachow towards Chungking.

From Wuhan toward Changsha.

A broad southern offensive aimed at Kweichow and Changsha.

The Atlantic: Germany begins with four submarines, which the Royal Navy and French fleet will attempt to track down before they can inflict heavy convoy losses or endanger troop transport routes.

[calcwerc]

In Poland, I’m pulling back forces to reinforce the defenses around Warsaw. The capital’s garrison has been swapped for an upgraded corps, and I’ve made a few additional reinforcements and upgrades. I also launched an air strike against one of the panzer corps to reduce its combat readiness for the next round.

[calcwerc]

Around Chengchow, I’m repositioning Nationalist Chinese troops to avoid encirclement. At the same time, infantry units are marching down from the mountains to bolster the defense, while engineers have begun constructing fortifications.

[calcwerc]

And in southern China, I’m organizing a new defensive line in the forests south of Changsha, safely out of reach of his carriers. The artillery unit is being redeployed southward, as I expect heavier fighting in that sector.

[calcwerc]

I forgot to take a screenshot from the North Atlantic, but one of my patrolling destroyers managed to anticipate his route into the area. Although it took some damage in the process, the reconnaissance allowed my carriers to close in and score several successful hits on one of the four Axis submarines. That sub will now be forced into hiding, leaving the Allies with only three more to worry about for the time being.

[calcwerc]

In France, I’ve begun reorganizing the defenses. Not an inch of land will be given up without a fight!

[Umeu]

the mods house rules prevent an Axis attack on France through the Low Countries before May 1940.

Why is that though? Since I've also understood you can't really knock France out of the war before end of June. Why keep the historical date of attack, when historical date of surrender is pretty much impossible?

And ofc, thanks for the AAR

[calcwerc]

Yes, I am happy to comment on that!

First, these are the house rules for the mod:
W: Communist Chinese, when entering Chinese territory, must be within 5 hexes of a Communsit Chinese hex
- W: Other than China & Com. China no other country (on the Allied side) can enter China/Com. China territory.
- W: China & Com. China units cannot leave Chinese territory until all of China is liberated.
- W: Japanese Fleet should not attack (or be within 20 hexes) of the US west coast for 6 months after the war starts
- B: Cannot use ships to block ports to prevent invasions etc... Example: Russia using subs to block Brunei from invasion
- B: Germany cannot declare war on the Low Countries till May 1940
- B: Hungary units should never enter Romanian territory
- B: Romanian units should never enter Hungary/Bulgarian territory
- B: Bulgarian units should never enter Russian and Romanian territory
- B: Finland units must stay within Russia and Scandinavia
- B: Allies, no bombing or camping any of the Spanish ports that the Axis use to re-supply subs while Spain is Neutral
- B: Everyone, no camping any transport hexes including the Gibraltar pass
- B: Paratroopers, after used must wait at least 2 full turns before you can Paradrop again (on the 3rd turn you can do it)
Additionally, we will play with the house rule that Japan cannot conduct amphibious invasions over a greater distance than the equivalent of Taiwan to Batavia.

The house rules are there for balancing reasons. Keep in mind that the mod is still in development (a Battle of Britain event is just being added, which might significantly change how the Axis is played).
Regarding this specific house rule: yes, France does take longer to fall compared to the base game. This is because Allied players generally won’t repeat the historical mistakes of spring 1940, as they already know the strength of the German army. Still, the duration of the campaign depends heavily on player skill. I have taken France by the beginning of July, and I have no doubt that some of the best ELO players, with their optimized moves and supreme tactical play, could practically reinvent Blitzkrieg.
Personally, I hope this house rule regarding the Low Countries will remain unchanged, as it creates a much more realistic atmosphere than the standard autumn ’39 attacks in the ELO League. Instead, I see potential for weakening France somewhat in terms of units—especially engineers. However, that adjustment hasn’t been made yet, so we’ll have to see what happens in future versions.

[calcwerc]

A short note on diplomacy while I wait for the next turn:
Unlike the vanilla game, diplomacy here has no MPP cost—though it remains a limited resource. Germany starts with two chits, while Italy (once it joins the Axis) and Japan each get one. The Axis really only gain a diplomatic edge after the fall of France and before the Soviet Union enters the war, though scripted events can also push neutral powers one way or the other.

The Allies begin with three diplomatic chits for the United Kingdom and one for France. Later, they also receive one for the Soviet Union and—if I recall correctly—one for the United States, though the American chit is stronger, carrying a value of 7% rather than the usual 5%.

For the Allies in 1939, there are generally three main approaches:

Convoy income: Push Saudi Arabia, Colombia, and Cuba over 20% alignment (probably the most common choice), which opens up convoys to the U.S. for the rest of the game.

Blocking Axis trade: Nudge Axis-leaning neutrals (Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Switzerland) toward the Allies, which cuts off trade income for the Axis.

Countering Axis influence: Contest Axis efforts in key neutrals that could meaningfully support their war effort—especially Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and Yugoslavia.

I won’t reveal my own diplomatic wagers just yet—besides, this is more of a sideshow in the larger game.

[calcwerc]

I won’t go into detail about every unit—that’s better left to Lothos, the creator of the mod. He has put together excellent YouTube tutorials and very instructive AARs that show how the different units work in practice.

But to summarize a few essentials about land combat:

Entrenchment is critical. Attacking a fully entrenched unit head-on will cause massive casualties.

Reducing entrenchment: This can be done with medium and strategic bombers, corps-sized infantry, corps- or division-sized armored and mechanized units, and engineers.

What doesn’t de-entrench: Artillery. While artillery is one of the strongest units in the game, its role is different—it’s about dealing heavy damage after the target has been de-entrenched.

Other damage dealers: Tactical bombers (in addition to lowering morale), battleships (through bombardment), and of course land units, all contribute to finishing the job.

So the typical sequence is: first de-entrench, then inflict damage.

Weather note: Bombers cannot reduce entrenchment in bad weather (rain, snow, desert storms), though they can still be effective at lowering morale.

[calcwerc]

A note on differences between the mod and ELO league games:
The United Kingdom begins with an anti-aircraft battery stationed at Malta. These units are rare and extremely powerful. In an ELO game, a player would almost certainly ship this unit to France on turn 1, replacing it with a garrison from Cyprus.

In TRP, however, such a move would be disapproved of by the vast majority of players. The unit is intended to defend Malta, not to tip the balance in another theatre. If you are considering a move that might be “gamey,” it is best to check with your opponent or the community first—the likelihood that they will condemn it is high.

While opinions may differ on what exactly counts as an exploit, the general consensus is that they should be avoided.

[calcwerc]

We are now entering the second round, and I will make my first investments in technology research.

For the UK, I’ll take a balanced approach and start with infantry weapons and industrial technology. My plan is to research all fields except further upgrades in transport capacity—this also supports the research progress of coalition partners like the USA and China.

My next priorities will likely be advanced tanks and heavy bombers, though research in this mod progresses slowly, and since you cannot double-chit, there is less room for fine-grained strategy than in the base game.
The real question, however, is when to prioritize technological investments and when it is wiser to allocate resources to purchasing new units.

[calcwerc]

Screenshot 2025-09-11 at 12.43.48.png (3.51 MiB) Viewed 192 times

In Poland, he continues his advance on Warsaw, capturing Lodz and Torun. I attempt to move units in front of the capital to delay its fall, but a miscalculation leaves only a weakened corps holding Warsaw. Mistakes like this will happen now and then. With some luck, I may be able to reinforce it next round, though I don’t really expect that to succeed. Most likely, Poland will collapse in round three—which is typical when playing against experienced opponents.

Once again, I bomb his tank corps to reduce its readiness. (Note: at this stage, aircraft cannot inflict direct damage on armored or mechanized units; only later, when some nations gain tank busters, does that become possible. For now, however, bombing to lower readiness can still make a difference—we’ll hopefully see this in action during the French campaign later.)

Screenshot 2025-09-11 at 12.46.10.png (3.52 MiB) Viewed 192 times

[calcwerc]

first.png (3.28 MiB) Viewed 189 times

In the north, Japan is—just as expected—pursuing an encirclement of the army at Chengchow from the south. Notably, Japanese elite marines are involved in the operation. Since these units start in Japan, they must have been shipped to port in round one and then operated to the front in turn two. Clearly, my opponent is not opting for a cautious build-up strategy, but is striking hard right from the beginning.

I decide to pull back III Corps in order to stagger the Japanese offensive. It’s a tough decision—after all, it’s an entrenched unit—but with only two levels of entrenchment and its position increasingly vulnerable, the risk seems justified. I also launch a cavalry attack to weaken the Japanese front. Normally, such maneuvers are to be avoided, since Japan has superior resources and stronger troops, and any equal exchange tends to work in their favor.

last.png (3.39 MiB) Viewed 189 times

Meanwhile, my own attempt to withdraw the Communist elite corps from the mountains to the south may backfire, as a Japanese army has crossed the river and now threatens Yenan.

[calcwerc]

Screenshot 2025-09-11 at 12.56.08.png (3.24 MiB) Viewed 185 times

I will now begin purchasing units for China. First, I’m investing in an anti-aircraft battery for the Communists, since that is where the Japanese bombers will strike first. Later, I plan to secure two such batteries for Nationalist China as well—one through purchase and one via event. These batteries are the most important defensive units available to China, and their placement is crucial for a successful defense.

In addition, I purchase a garrison for the Communists.

[Lothos]

A note on differences between the mod and ELO league games:
The United Kingdom begins with an anti-aircraft battery stationed at Malta. These units are rare and extremely powerful. In an ELO game, a player would almost certainly ship this unit to France on turn 1, replacing it with a garrison from Cyprus.

In TRP, however, such a move would be disapproved of by the vast majority of players. The unit is intended to defend Malta, not to tip the balance in another theatre. If you are considering a move that might be “gamey,” it is best to check with your opponent or the community first—the likelihood that they will condemn it is high.

While opinions may differ on what exactly counts as an exploit, the general consensus is that they should be avoided.

Their are actual consequences if the AA unit is moved. I forgot what they where, I think Italian Mobilization goes up as the AA gun must remain their (replacing it with a different unit will not work).

[calcwerc]

A note on differences between the mod and ELO league games:
The United Kingdom begins with an anti-aircraft battery stationed at Malta. These units are rare and extremely powerful. In an ELO game, a player would almost certainly ship this unit to France on turn 1, replacing it with a garrison from Cyprus.

In TRP, however, such a move would be disapproved of by the vast majority of players. The unit is intended to defend Malta, not to tip the balance in another theatre. If you are considering a move that might be “gamey,” it is best to check with your opponent or the community first—the likelihood that they will condemn it is high.

While opinions may differ on what exactly counts as an exploit, the general consensus is that they should be avoided.

Their are actual consequences if the AA unit is moved. I forgot what they where, I think Italian Mobilization goes up as the AA gun must remain their (replacing it with a different unit will not work).

Ha, you anticipated that as well!