FIFTY SHADES OF WiTE: SILLYFLOWER V BRIANG

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: chaos45

yep silly has the numbers---that 150k quickly drops in 42 then 43 then 44....which is why i said average for the war lol.

Basically if the Soviet player is aggressively building his optimal force early---what I like to do they will burn out of armaments around T15 or so give or take a couple turns. I like artillery and sappers tho....a sapper regiment sent to aid a defense is +1 CV to the defense this can turn the tide of Early war battles esp with the Germans doing alot of hasty attacks.

Your early war advice seems misplased 42 good 41 bad.

I take any advise Brian could give me over yours, you hardly survived unlike Brian.

[chaos45]

me vs you first time playing soviets--- I vastly underestimated how far the panzers could move with HQBU extending them to two turns of operations.

Brian has played Soviets alot more than me and didnt make the pocket mistakes I made- which then snowballed into me being abit weaker in 1942 and allowing more damage. My build strategy seems to be working fine in my newer games. Didnt disband the soviet airforce early against you---that cost me 100k's of manpower I didnt have in the first 10 turns in our game. Which means higher Soviet CVs by turn 10 or once all those extra men are trained up in your combat units.

Also your current vs brian he will have a better 1942 due to patch changes alone- patch nerfed germany more in 1942 and 5 more NM is a huge bonus to the soviets all year. 5 NM/exp across the entire soviet army is a massive increase in CV. esp since all the guards divs now are effectively 15 over NM this makes them very strong.

Also SU in Army HQs are pretty safe basically cant be destroyed unless they are supporting units that shatter. So its long term AP gain/guards status gain.

Ive learned some stuffs over the last 9 months lol.

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: Pelton

ORIGINAL: chaos45

yep silly has the numbers---that 150k quickly drops in 42 then 43 then 44....which is why i said average for the war lol.

Basically if the Soviet player is aggressively building his optimal force early---what I like to do they will burn out of armaments around T15 or so give or take a couple turns. I like artillery and sappers tho....a sapper regiment sent to aid a defense is +1 CV to the defense this can turn the tide of Early war battles esp with the Germans doing alot of hasty attacks.

Your early war advice seems misplased 42 good 41 bad.

I take any advise Brian could give me over yours, you hardly survived unlike Brian.

You might be a little more charitable. Chaos managed to keep you under control which only a handful of people can boast.

[sillyflower]

T11

This was the surprising picture after had done my recce and moved a division to take Sumy, because its occupants were begging to join the Reich so it seemed rude to delay.



When he runs, he sure knows how.

Tune in tomorrow to see next week's thrilling installment and to see what happens next................

[sillyflower]

No prizes for guessing what I'm going to do in my turn, or the order in which I post the screenies .





Model's corps storms over the Neva at the first attempt, LVI PzK attacks out of the bridgehead to take the port of Osinovets. Taking it will isolate the city. Sadly, the communists under GM Vasily Gordov show a bit of backbone and the final odds were 1.98 to 1 [:(]. The small pocket on the east bank of Lake Ladoga is eliminated, but a tank regt from Manstein's corps is stuck up there after being on pocket-sealing duty.

The time has come to decide what to do next. Pelton has described above the 3 option -

1 north to help the Finns advance around Lake Ladoga

2 east go grab ground and to ensure that the Soviets don't end the winter with a bridgehead over the Volkov

3 south to Moscow.

I can't see 1 ever being a sensible option - it was a bit of a disaster when P tried (see 1 of his AARs) it and it doesn't really achieve anything even if the soviets are forced back a bit here.

Option 3 is now more attractive given Brian's retreat to Moscow. Manstein's PzK gathers on the rail line to refit and to board trains next turn. they should be in action in front of Moscow on T13: early enough to make a difference. That will take all my rail capacity for T12 and then a fresh PzK arrives as reinforcements on T13. LVI PzK is going to be occupied across the Neva for a couple of turns. The obvious other group to send to Moscow is Model's fort and city-busting corps but I don't have the rail capacity to move them at the moment, let alone another pz xxx. The higher transport costs hit the Germans too, , though it is a minor disadvantage for the compared to the Russians.

I had become a bit pessimistic about Moscow, but the game is back on there now. Anyway, I need Model to take L'rad and its rail yards first, so it's not a decision I need to make yet. The other option is a stronger push east. Taking Tikhvin will make the russians leave the top of the map. and even taking the town of Volkov will cause them serious supply problems up there.

16th Army (at least I think the pink one is 16th) crosses the Volkov immediately north of Lake Ilmen. I expect Brian will notice, but there is always hope.........

[sillyflower]

AGC

[sillyflower]

In his AAR vs Vigaband, Pelton expressed surprise that V had retreated 3 hexes towards Moscow. Brian retreated up to 7 hexes, though he does have more running room. Vyazma with its single ind div is surrounded. It was not an obstacle to my progress at all, as all but the mot xx just used up their MPs to reach V in the first place. Anyway, always good to gobble up another division.

Just below the river Oka, 2nd PzG plants itself firmly next to Kaluga, locking in its 8 arms factories. Tula and its 25 arms factories are not far away. In the meantime, a Pz corps of 3PzG 60 miles SE of Smolensk does an HQBU

[sillyflower]

AGS



Luckily, pretty much all the panzers had quite a lot of fuel as the glorious advances of the early summer are replicated with advances of up to 20 miles a day and were able to plant themselves on Stalino (8 arms, 5 vehicle factories) and Makeeva (3 arms and 3 HI) [:D]

D town, Sumy and Poltava were all liberated from the Stalinist yoke without any resistance.Inevitably Z town had to be surrounded again, but the difficult pocket in the marshes 20 miles to the south was eliminated by both German and Romanian forces working together as one.

The PzK still in the Dnepr bulge did an HQBU, perhaps to the disappointment of the troops who expected to join in the charge to the east. Their turn will come soon enough.

North of D town, our panzers ran out of fuel before the could reach Kharkov. This is unfortunate as that city still contains almost all its factories: 15 arms, 12 vehicles, + the T34s and SU2s. However, with the panzers fewer than 20 MPs from the railhead and much of 6th Army convergig on the city, Brian has only 1 more turn to evacuate them.

[sillyflower]

Thought on T11

Losses 5K to 57K, 50K of whom are prisoners. A disappointing haul, but inevitable given the great runaway . I am therefore still 6K short of causing the 2 millionth casualty . Air losses 74 to 201. Still, I can't complain after being able to grab so much territory with the possibility of doing some worthwhile damage to his economy.

All 3 army groups have now got momentum and for the remaining (all too) few clear turns, I'm glad for once to be the German. The test for Brian is clear. Running is easy: even the least experienced player can do it. It's stopping that's difficult.

[STEF78]

impressive start against a very good russian player!

Leningrad is doomed and your Pzg wil be soon free
Stalino will be taken (good for your morale [;)]) and maybe Rostov
Moscow???

[chaos45]

Your doing very well, and you still have quite a few clear turns left---as its not until mid october that the mud hits. So almost a full month and a half.

Even then you will get november to fix your lines and dig in due to snow.

Moscow most likely be a long shot but leningrad/Tula/Kharkov/stalino esp if you nail a bunch of factories is a good 1941.

[sillyflower]

Thank you Stef and chaos for your kind comments

All German players curse the shortness of the first summer, and all Russians know that it is too long.

[sillyflower]

We reach T12



Osinovets falls to 56 PzK so L'grad is finally isolated. Equally important, the main city of L with its 25 rail yards falls to massed infantry assaults after being bombed twice and attacked 3 times. Admittedly the 2nd attack was a mis-click involving 1 stack only. THe fight was costly. Losses were G: 2.6K men and and 46 a/c to 4.6k Russians and 90 a/c, but well worth it. I didn't see the point in waiting until the city was isolated because it would still be in supply (heavy urban hex) and 1 Corps is now on the rail line ready to head to Moscow next turn.

I'm not planning to take all of the city complex before the snow. Though I will take the easy stuff quickly next turn. I need the troops to take the Volkov river line and Volkov itself to force a Red withdrawl from the far north. I can't do both without leaving Model up there, especially as Manstein is already on his way to Moscow, which I do not want to do.

I hope this isn't too gamey. I would welcome the views of others.

[sillyflower]

centre



Vyazma falls and the push For Moscow is on.

I decided against using PzG 2 for a push to Tula. Unlikely to reach it soon enough especially after the regaining of territory Brian achieved there in his turn. 1 of its Pz xxx moved back a few hexes ready for HQBU next turn.Just on screen, Bryansk was freed from Stalinist oppression.

The 2 Pz xxx from PzG 3 (yellow ones) fell just short of creating a pocket just west of Kaluga. I could have moved the Pz div at Medyn 1 more hex to close a very breakable pocket, but chose against. It would almost certainly be routed out if I moved it, but I don't mind ( not that much anyway) if Brian just retreats it as he is bound to do. Its corps is on the 1st turn after the HQBU so it will be wasted if routed away somewhere. The easternmost attack on the hex NE of Kaluga displaced STAVKA and an army HQ: an attack that could not be resisted. Let's hope I killed someone important !

Manstein's corps (- 1 pz regt) reaches the Dnepr towards the west edge of the screen. It could not get further without having to stay in rail mode and it uses all my rail capacity. The 2 new pz xxs I got this turn as reinforcement are having to walk [:@] as it is and keeping the xxx on rails this turn would prevent me from railing Model's 1 xxx next turn. The battle for Moscow is going to be a close one. I need Model here now (cue sounds of carpet-chewing)!

[sillyflower]

South



Z town cleared by follow-on forces, the communist swine had been more successful at cutting of my spearhead than I had expected [X(]. Nonetheless, they pay a price. The panzers sweep round the southern flank of the defences yet again. No fewer than 7 cavalry and 2 inf divisions are very carefully herded (it probably took me an hour to work out and implement the sequencing to minimise routs out whilst minimising the size of the pocket as some units had to be retreated 3 times: but I'm retired so have the time[8D]) into a slightly unwieldy but secure-looking pocket, turning the apparent set-back into a major defeat for the Soviets. Securing the pocket did mean allowing a couple of divs rout out, but that is better than having a pocket that would be easily broken in a location that would hamper my advance next turn.

A motorised div on HQBU managed to head east unopposed, entering Tagranog and destroying the arms, HI and Lagg 3 factories before they had a chance to evacuate. Rostov looked as if it might suffer the same fate. However calculations showed that any thrust there would fall 20 miles short before our brave troops had to stop to refuel. This was a real disappointment Rostov appeared to be totally unguarded[:@] [No sign of any defenders after I flew 10 recce missions over the hex]. Reluctantly, the division was ordered to pull back slightly in order to secure the east flank of the pocket. The ports along the north coast of the Black Sea and the Bay of Tagranog were all liberated in case the pocketed units tried to break out that way.

Slightly futher north, the good guys plant themselves firmly next to Kharkov, though sadly only 6 vehicles and the SU2 factories remain there.

[sillyflower]

Thoughts on T12

The bad news is that Brian seems to have abandoned bombing my recce a/c bases. He hasn't done it for 3 turns now.

A happy turn otherwise. Losses were not good at 10.5K to 69.5K but total to date are 204K to 2.1M. A/c losses 104 v 393 for the turn and 1161 to 9171 in total. Between the south and Lgrad, there are 11 inf, 7 cav 1 tank and 1 mech div together with 1 naval inf x, 3 sec units and 1 fort and GM Vasily Gordov's 23 Army HQ in pockets so that will be 150K men or so. STAVKA and 3 army HQs were displaced this turn so hopefully Stalin will be busy going to some funerals of his senior commanders.

The loss of the L'grad railyards and 3 others this turn will reduce Soviet rail capacity by 14K to 117K, which I hope he will really notice.

In what will probably be an isolated incident, for the first time, some terrorists caused some minor damage to an unimportant railway spur line south of Minsk. The cowardly perpetrators were chased off with heavy losses and the damage repaired without any delay. Any more such cowardly actions will be dealt with even more severely as the Fuhrer declares a War on Sabotage.

[charlie0311]

[&o]The grateful peoples of the Ukraine wish to present the traditional welcome of bread and salt to the mighty Sillyflower.

Others, like me, who wish to emulate this courageous act may like to see the rail net, details of the hqbu, before and after, fuel/supply/ammo/mps. Distance to rail, leadership, everything.

[sillyflower]

Your homage is accepted Charlie

The northern rail line is next to the first cities of the L'grad complex, AGC's is next to Smolensk (you can see it). In the south just past Kiev heading east heading towards Kursk (I think) and 8 hexes from D town. All the construction units are in OKH or army groups back-filling the rail network. Single source rail lines are too vulnerable to terrorists for my liking

The other stuff (especially names and unit numbers) I can never remember and I'm not going to spend ages writing it down - the AAR is about 1 week in real time behind the game and takes me more than enough time to do anyway. I try to make sure when preparing to do HQBU that the HQ and divs will be within 20 MP of rail head. That produces really good results ito fuel levels. I do remember that I got the mythical 200% once but doubt I looked again at the start of a turn. Supply is not an issue and I don't pay any attention - at least not at this point in the war. I put my time and thinking into how to do pockets when that can be done or to ensure grinding gets the maximum no. of routs. That means putting a lot of thought into the sequencing of attacks as well as just counting MPs.

Part of my former job was to train the junior lawyers who worked for me. I would never tell them the answer to a problem or how to do something they could look up for themselves (unless time was too short) but always how to look at the issue or problem so they could would learn how work it out for themselves. It had the advantage that the brightest ones usually wanted to work for me and the less able did not - which suited me too!

If I'm trying to do anything with the AAR other than to amuse, it's the same sort of thing. I want to help the less experienced or confident player to think about how to do stuff rather than trying to suggest that they try to copy what I do. I can only do that by explaining how I approach issues, not by giving them reams of facts and statistics of the sort you suggest. If anyone wants to learn more about these, they need to play the game and find out for themselves.

[charlie0311]

Thanks anyway I guess. You say 20 MP's from the railhead. OK, shouldn't be too much trouble to answer the following. 20 motorized or non-motorized, 20 from the completed rail head or where the rail head will be in the next logistics phase. See, that was easy. Maybe it's just 20 hexes, and mp's don't matter.

[sillyflower]

20 MPs from where the railhead will be next turn ie the turn the HQBU is done. I therefore usually park on a hex that is 22 or 23 MPs on the turn I move back, just to be on the safe side. The game gives the MPs from the supply source for every hex counting from the railhead to the unit. It's in motorised MP because that's what the supply system uses.

NB to avoid any doubt, your qu's were fine but I was just trying to explain why I wasn't going/able to answer them all. Anyone can ask me anything they like[:)]