So how are the Russians now?

[ncc1701e]

d) The 20% corps never get reinforcements or upgrades, and are disbanded once they are under 11 strength. Other infantry corps: I used to upgrade, but I'm with stjeand on this one, keep them as 39 tech until merged (generally). You may want to upgrade a few in key locations.

This is where you are losing manpower. As you said, prewar infantry rifle corps is a reserve of manpower. Building an infantry rifle corps each turn is the way to go.

This doesn't lose or waste any manpower. You are confused about something.

What you are describing post-war breakout about infantry armies (which I haven't even discussed yet), is stock-standard strategy. Play stjeand (or me now, for that matter), and it won't work.

The way the game works, you have a certain amount of manpower each turn. If you don't spend it buying new units, this amount of manpower is lost. There is no manpower pool from which you could take something.

My point is that 20% experienced rifle corps are NOT useless. Take your example, once they are at 11 strength, pull them back from the frontline and reinforce them. The basic Russian experience is now at 40%.

Go ahead use the rifle corps each turn to store manpower and in the process you will see that the 20% experienced rifle corps will go to something like 30%, then 40% combat after combat.

Disbanding is useless if you don't have the PP to buy new units. You are losing manpower. Moreover, you will have no units to form a second defensive line.

That's my view. But, I may be mistaken.

[stjeand]

That is not true...there is a pool.

When that pool is at 100% you "lose" manpower if you don't spend it.


The issue with fixing the 20% corps is as follows...

Take corps X...

Corps X is 20 strength. Cost - 120 PP
It gets attacked and changes to 11/20
You retreat and fix it. I believe the max it will fix is 5 per turn so lets say it stays out of combat for 2 turns you use 9 manpower for a cost of...9 x 6 x 60% = 32.5.

You now have spent 152.5PP IF the unit is a 1939...

When it converts to a half army you get an 18/18 cost would be 90PP. Loss of 60PP overall.

NOW instead you take the damage...
Retreat...IF you do not repair it, when it converts to a half army...POOF you get an 18/18 FREE repair...
Cost 120PP total..the 18/18 would be 90PP. What you don't get is the experience "boost".

SO if the experience worth the cost?
That is the decision you have to make.

Me I don't fix 20%...when damaged the move away and go to the back as delay units...with the repair PP I build an army so that in 4 turns I will have a unit that is 4x stronger than 1 20% corps and at a much lower cost.

Just a different way to play.

[stjeand]

I also have to say that we both did not play well with allies, we made many mistakes. Playing with the axis is much easier than with the allies, with the allies you cannot allow yourself to make mistakes, and you have to be very careful in all your actions.

I will say this is pretty big...
The Allies can't make mistakes...or if they do they have to be very small.
The Axis can make a lot more just not HUGE ones...
But they have an easier time recovering...

[ncc1701e]

That is not true...there is a pool.

When that pool is at 100% you "lose" manpower if you don't spend it.

OK so then forgive me, I have completely misunderstood how it works.

[stjeand]

Also keep in mind Armies are cheaper to repair / reinforce than corps...

Again take the a small corps vs a half army.

Upgrade a Small Corps costs 12.
Upgrade a Half Army costs 9.

Reinforce a Small Corps costs 3.6 per strength.
Reinforce an Army costs 3 per strength.

While those numbers seems small...they add up to a lot.

Also when you "repair" your small corps you lose the free repair when they turn into a half army.

That is why I don't "repair" them most of the time.

Pre-war Russia has to create small corps because they are losing manpower and they need the units...
Honestly I try not to even upgrade the corps so that there are no issues merging them in the future...once they are armies that all changes.

The idea of storing manpower is a good one IF your pool is full.
Russia needs all they can get.

Sadly they can't build half armies which is really needed due to cost restrictions.

[stjeand]

Sadly without weather being addressed I do not believe the Russians will make it.
Random cold is devastating in 41 and 42...and honestly should just be removed all together.
I am in a game now...where the north has been clear since May...It is now about to start November...So the Germans got 2 cold turns in October in the North...including Finland.

2 extra clear turns is back breaking to the Russians.
The Russians are far to weak in 1941 to survive giving the Germans extra attacking turns.
AND there can be more turns like that in November and December...
Currently they can start attacking in April as it can be clear and honestly go all they way in to December if luck holds.
Rarely does it but every turn extra is to much.

NOW given I have made EVERY mistake possible that the Allies can make the Russians are STILL holding.
I have lost Egypt and the Middle East....Almost lost the UK...
But have the Kiel straight and most of Denmark with the UK armor...NOT all...most.
Have Narvick.
Barely am holding Malta...

Need the US to come bail out the UK...but they are 5 turns before they move and a LONG way a way at sea.