typical central powers strategy - counter ideas

[LLv34Mika]

Hi there

I played this game a lot but took a looooooooooooong break. Not sure if I missed any updates that changed some things but now back in the game I got the strong feeling that the central powers became much much stronger than I remember them.

Many years ago the Russians just did what they could to delay the Germans while giving Franz Josef some headache - especially when Italy joins.

But now... it is no problem to kill Russia with ease. France and UK don't have the power to break through German lines in the west and the Ottomans just sit and wait until Germany/Austria take down Serbia. Then the Bulgarians join and it opens the way for German support to help the Ottomans.

Still have some ideas in my mind but I remember that UK/France should have a big economic advantage the longer the game goes on. The last games showed that superior German and Austrian troops (with enough XP and well trained HQs) along with a high national morale form taking key cities lead to units that cut though enemy lines like a hot know through butter on a hot july sunday. Counter attacks against a not entreched unit (no river, just 1 entrenchment) show estimated results of 1:6 in favor of the German defender. With such results you can not do anything.

Subs dive like crazy. Diving 6, 8 or even 10 times in a row (with tech 1!!!) is pretty impressive. Escpecially when you do the maths and calculate how often this should happen. I guess that is the same old bug they had in ww2. Once a sub dives away it dives again and again and again... In ww2 the attacks reduced supply and they couldn't dive with 0 supply. Not here.

However
let me hear your typical counter strategies for a central power player that just sits there at the western front only using a few units and doing everything possible to take down Russia and Serbia ASAP to help the Ottomans and go for Italy later.

Even the blockade doesn't do anything. Iny my last games I had EVERY HEX occupied for at least 3 years. In my current game all are occupied with ships for at least 2 years. Never had a significant effect on German morale.

You can go for Belgium (and the Netherlands) to force the central powers to use more troops in the west.
Or you can send troops to Serbia to help them last much much longer and force Austria and Germany to use more troops there. Not or... AND you have to use troops in Egypt or Iraq to get the Ottomans out of the war.

Did I miss anything?
Cheers

Mika

[hannaj]

Hi Mika,

Had similar feelings with the Belgium Schlieffen plan splus Serbian blitz strategy. They improved the main game and Michael the Icarus mod to somewhat reduce the immediate effect of Bulgaria entering the war early, which had put the last nail into the Entente's coffin before. Michael also cut the HQ exp. to max 2 which helps making the early Central Power advantage not too big..

The Entente strategy in general should be:

Austria and Ottomans are the weak spots, hence you have to deal with them not Germany.

1914
Russia: With Germany still busy in the belgium, Russia can do some real damage in Galicia.
Serbia needs to defend as good as possible, and GB and France should try to bind German troops in the west.

With trench warefare 1, it then gets more static.

1915
The Italian front offers another chance to go after Austria.
Russia can go for the Ottomans in Anatolia.
GB can go for the Ottomans in Palestine, Mesopotania ...

If you survive in good shape till 1916, at some point the economic advantage kicks in.
Don't forget the power of the Industrial Mob tech for GB and Russia which start with a low industrialization %.

As I didn't play a serious game after the latest improvements (which were in favour of Entente), I cannot judge if this is enough if both players play similarly good.


Cheers,

hannaj