The Germans needed a good turn to keep their momentum, and they have got one in the Leningrad sector. The Open Door defence, which relies on an orderly withdrawal of the forces defending the Luga line to the the Volkhov line, is vulnerable to a sudden strike along the valley of the Volkhov, and for the first time ever, an opponent has succeeded in pulling this off: a cleaving blow that separates 27th Army and 33rd Army from their defensive positions on the east bank of the Volkhov. Leningrad is seriously threatened now.
Moscow. The Germans break through south of Rhzev.The attack comes with the ambitious exploitation that is a characteristic of Blubel's Guderian-like style.
Soviet responses. Leningrad: there's no choice but to launch a counter attack with all available forces and to funnel reinforcements to man the east bank of the Volkhov.
Man, looking at all those 1 cv soviet units right next to the axis attackers...My axis juices see mass slaughter. Why not just give it up and retreat to the volkov and into leningrad. You are going to have to any way. The carnage you are going to suffer here does not seem to be worth the time gained. You may then find yourself too week to hold the volkov line. Those 0 cv units will route if an axis gets near them.
Moscow. Another big step back. I'm still not hugely concerned about this situation because there's usually a compressed spring effect as the Germans approach the Kremlin.
I've forgotten about partisans. I don't think I have, but then I haven't put the night bombers on the right airbases yet. I set up partisan supply missions in my game with Bomazz, but didn't have any drops until about turn 20. After that I was able to make a few manually, but not before.
It seems the game has built in delay for partisan supply now. I think that's ok, as it would take some time to get partisan cadres built up, and then work out an air supply drop schedule. The Germans did have it comparitively "easy" the 1st three months or so, as they were viewed as liberators. Didn't take them long to learn the true Nazi way.
hooooper, you have my respect. I think an Eastern Front game should be played like two crazy men are in charge, and there is no running away. Anyone willing to stay and fight up front I would play against. Heck, I would even use house rules to avoid the ahistorical Lvov pocket turn 1 if the Russian would stay and fight.
Thanks for the info about partisans, that explains a lot. I'm not sure if partisans ever have a serious effect on the Germans - I haven't played the Axis side enough to know.
I wonder what constitutes "fighting forward" - surely the Russians have to run away part of the time. I read Tarhunnas' bizarre AAR with Michael T, in which he agreed to fight armed only with croquet mallets and stale sandwiches, and (surprise surprise) was cut to ribbons in about 12 turns. That's just silly.
the biggest effect partisans have is in 1941-42 in this game. When you are building your initial rail lines, a partisan hit can put an entire army group out of supply. I think that is why the modification to supply of partisans. You still have to do security to avoid the early hits, but it is entirely avoidable now. Once the rail lines are all laid out and converted, partisans really have little effect in slowing the Axis down in any way shape or form.
The thought of this part of the game looked good on paper, but worked out backwards to what should happen. That is why the entire re-design of rail line supply and how partisans affect movement of rolling stock. In War in the West, (from my understanding) rail line will have a supply and traffic capacity, and rail bombing and partisans will knock down that capacity level. It will be even more abstract, but that sounds quite a bit better to what should happen on the rails.
War in the East II will use that structure, and whatever modifications found to made from War in the West. I really can't wait for version 2 of this, as this is the best war game I have played. Love the level of logistics and operational control you get here. Not many games make the HOW to get there as important as WHAT is getting there.
Not fighting forward: Germans moving forward and not having significant combat for at least three turns in a row because the Soviets keep moving back faster than the Germans can keep up. Yes, there is time when moving back is important, but giving up massive amounts of real estate without bloodshed just wouldn't happen.
