Smokindave vs. Sapper222 (No Sapper)

[SigUp]

The morale rise since 1.07 is really quick. I just discovered that with my Rumanien units. On turn 15 I railed a Rumanian division back to Rumania with morale 41 to refit. Two turns later it is already on morale 49. Another Rumanian infantry division was sent to Odessa as garrison. On turn 10 when the rails reached Odessa it was on morale 40. Turn 17 it was on morale 50, without refit.

[821Bobo]

I have observed this too. Turn 22 and I have 5CV Rumanian divisions. [X(]

And yes, It should be nerfed. When pazner stack(60+ def CV) is forced in two consecutive turns(turn 3 and 4!) to retreat from forest hex obviously something is not right.

[Michael T]

Not like we did not tell them [8|]

[smokindave34]

Turn 9 (Server game and I forgot screen shots of turn 8!)

Finns - Some resistance shows up on the border.

[smokindave34]

Turn 9 AGN

I really made a mess of AGN. Maybe I should have tried to beat down that stone wall Sapper built. I start to withdraw 4th panzer from the swamps. A few attacks here and there. I did pocket 3 division last turn in the swamps so a little bit of good news. This game has gone downhill so fast that I now start to build forts for my expected blizzard line (Pskov!). This will be the first game I don't take Leningrad. [:(]

[smokindave34]

Turn 9 AGC

I form a small pocket with elements of 2nd and 3rd panzer in the hopes that I can somehow widdle down Sappers army. The pocket won't hold as I have a single motorized division that will get beaten back but I should close it next turn. Just east of the landbridge there is clear terrain without many forts.

[smokindave34]

Turn 9 AGC (4th army)

4th army makes fairly good progress and is safely across the next river line. Only minor resistance here. I'm considering sending my panzers down to this area soon as I may be able to outflank Sapper. First I need to get them out of the vice in the landbridge.

[smokindave34]

Turn 9 AGS

I rest my panzers this turn and build up two corps. 17th army heads north to try and exploit an area where recon shows few Soviet troops. 6th army continues to knock down level 2 forts. Not sure where to send the panzers next turn - if I send them north with 17th army they may be able to break into the open however there is nothing there worthwhile. If I keep them with 6th army they will be used to crack open more forts. Have to think about that and see what recon shows next turn.

[smokindave34]

Turn 9 - Crimea

Airlanding division is across the river. There are still no Soviet forces in the choke points. I rest the panzer corps near D/Z town to try and get their strength and MP up.

[smokindave34]

Turn 9 - OOB. The numbers are similar at this point as in my game against the Pro's however I'm not nearly as far east as I was in that game. From this point out I will try and form as many small pockets as possible - any counter captured now is one I won't have to deal with during the blizzard.

[smokindave34]

Here is the turn 9 OOB.

[hugh04]

This comment really is directed at turns 2 and 3, but makes sense even now. Strong soviet defensive cv's do not get weaker if you ignore them. You must attack them early and often. After many turns of pounding it becomes very hard for the soviet to field strong cv's. Especially on defense, cv is only the starting point. The german has over 20+ pioneer units. Adding 4 to an attack can reduce the fort by 1 or 2 levels. This means 5 attacks a turn can ignore the fort level. On the early turns you do not really attack with mass because your infantry is lagging.

Sapper defended the land bridge very well, but he was not hit hard soon enough. Panzers and pioneers on turns 2 and 3 can deliberate attack while waiting for infantry divisions to arrive. There are times for panzers to fight and too move, I believe too many axis fail to deliberate attack with panzers in the critical turns 2, 3 and 4. You cannot let the soviet breath or rest.

The above aside, the new morale recovery rules are creating some powerful soviet cv's.

Vandev

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: vandev

This comment really is directed at turns 2 and 3, but makes sense even now. Strong soviet defensive cv's do not get weaker if you ignore them. You must attack them early and often. After many turns of pounding it becomes very hard for the soviet to field strong cv's. Especially on defense, cv is only the starting point. The german has over 20+ pioneer units. Adding 4 to an attack can reduce the fort by 1 or 2 levels. This means 5 attacks a turn can ignore the fort level. On the early turns you do not really attack with mass because your infantry is lagging.

Sapper defended the land bridge very well, but he was not hit hard soon enough. Panzers and pioneers on turns 2 and 3 can deliberate attack while waiting for infantry divisions to arrive. There are times for panzers to fight and too move, I believe too many axis fail to deliberate attack with panzers in the critical turns 2, 3 and 4. You cannot let the soviet breath or rest.

The above aside, the new morale recovery rules are creating some powerful soviet cv's.

Vandev

The only work around the poor morale design rules is to have a perfect Lvov opening, then keep the pressure on by as you say attacking with panzer stacks.

If the pressure is on then it will be very hard for SHC to get all units to 50 morale.

Its the snowball effect thing.

GHC players must play perfect to get a draw all things being equal

[smokindave34]

Turn 10 -Finns

The Finnish advance continues. Sapper continues to man the line with brigade size units.

[smokindave34]

Turn 10 AGN

Unlike every one of my other games this has become the quiet front. Maybe I gave up to early on Leningrad but the thick defensive belt Sapper had built convinced me I couldn't hammer my way through it. It was similar to the defense MichaelT put up against Pelton in their game and I didn't want my mobile units to get tied down here. Very dissapointing not to take Leningrad.

A few attacks here and there but nothing significant. I kept one panzer corps here to hopefully keep Sapper forces in this area while I try and make some advances further south.

I expect Sapper to be VERY aggressive during the blizzard and hopefully I can bleed him down a lot in this good defensive terrain (I'm trying to be optimistic)

[smokindave34]

Turn 10 - AGC

Sapper breaks the pocket as expected but I herd a few more divisions in there this turn and close it up tight. I've got 10 divisions trapped. My focus from here on out is to try and bite off small pockets so that I can survive the blizzard.

Two panzer corps (one from 2nd panzer and one from 4th panzer) are moved south near Mogilev to try and exploit an opening made my 4th army.

[smokindave34]

Turn 10 - 4th army.

4th army continues to batter into open territory and I decide to send the two panzer corps I had built up last turn from the south to link up with 4th army. Not much as far as defenses in this area so Sapper will have to react here by pulling back. If he doesn't I'm hoping to use the two panzer corps near Mogilev to form another small pocket.

[smokindave34]

Turn 10 AGS

17th and 6th army continue to slog it out to the east. Sapper keeps pulling back just out of deliberate attack range of most of my infantry divisions.

My minor allies start to dig defenses parallel to the rough and forest hexes near Kiev. Much further west than I normally start to dig my blizzard line but thats the situation I expect to be in during the blizzard.

[smokindave34]

Turn 10 - Crimea

I send my last two panzer corps south toward the Crimea and form another small pocket. I have about 17 divisions in pockets this turn. I though long and hard about sending my panzers down here but decided on it for three reasons 1) I could form another small pocket 2) There are no defenses built in this area 3) It may force Sapper to defend the Crimea (although I will not send any forces towards Sevastopol now since I expect to withdraw west past the Crimea during the blizzard

[Flaviusx]

You're actually not in terrible shape here if you can keep gobbling up an average of a dozen divisions a turn until winter that's going to add up. Death by a thousand cuts. Sapper hung on a bit too long near the landbridge I think.

Your major problem is Leningrad. He can pretty much throw everything in the center now. You may have to contrive a long right hook here or at least the threat of one just to force him to keep sending stuff north of Moscow.