MWiF Global War Hot-Seat (AAR)

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

The CW made 2 more attempts at Strategic Bombing raids this impulse, sending a 3-factor LND with escort to Brussels and a 7-factor LND to Paris. Paris no longer has any air cover, so that gets a +1 on the die roll.

I could have added another FTR to counter-intercept the mission to Brussels, but it wouldn't have made any difference, so I'm glad I didn't. The CW lost a LND but not its Pilot, and this made it possible for both strikes to be repeated if either or both failed (and this one did), since the FTR Germany intended to get to the West Ardennes before this could become a problem is now disorganized.

As you can see below, the raid on Paris succeeded, and there are still 3 CW and USA LND within range to challenge against the single remaining German FTR in the region.
-----
The reason Germany chose to destroy the LND is that the CW has 2 more FTRs coming in next turn, but their next LND is 2 turns away.

CW should avoid having a FTR3 as front fighter when the enemy has a FTR2.

It's all that the UK had available. It used up its FTR-2 units already.

Then CW needs alot more FTR2. With the option "twin-engined fighters" in play I belive that it is better to not fight at all than to fight at -2 with a FTR3 as a front fighter.

[composer99]

Build me an airforce worthy of Mordor! I mean England!

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

I don't think this is what Steve was talking about. What you can do when you are defending the Vitebsk - Smolensk region is to use the Swamps as points you don't have to defend, since the attacker usually flips when he enters that hex. This than means you can use that hex as a point from where you might start a small defense line.
For example you put units in the following hexes:
West of Gomel
NW of Gomel
NW of the previous hex
NE of that hex
The woods hex NW of that hex

You than get a frontline which is anchored onto swamp hexes at the sides and every unit can only be attacked from two hexsides max. Also: you than use the terrain as optimal as possible (the river as long as possible, the wood hex).

What you have done is put units into swamps, which won't be able to move again and might even be put OOS (the turn is a long one) and are therefore just sitting ducks...

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

I don't think this is what Steve was talking about. What you can do when you are defending the Vitebsk - Smolensk region is to use the Swamps as points you don't have to defend, since the attacker usually flips when he enters that hex. This than means you can use that hex as a point from where you might start a small defense line.
For example you put units in the following hexes:
West of Gomel
NW of Gomel
NW of the previous hex
NE of that hex
The woods hex NW of that hex

You than get a frontline which is anchored onto swamp hexes at the sides and every unit can only be attacked from two hexsides max. Also: you than use the terrain as optimal as possible (the river as long as possible, the wood hex).

What you have done is put units into swamps, which won't be able to move again and might even be put OOS (the turn is a long one) and are therefore just sitting ducks...

I don't know if it's what he intended or not, but if that 5-3 doesn't enter that swamp, the Germans would make a bee-line for Novgorod and take it out easily (or without much trouble), and then the next stop would be to get Mannerhem into the picture, have units behind Pskov and near Leningrad.

[Red Prince]

Just testing out possibilities here.
-----
If I made this attack, it is 60:16 = 3:1 +1 with a 75% chance of 4:1 +1 odds. It involves a lot of Germans, including an HQ, so as the Soviets which CRT do I choose?

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Only 3 screenshots of the Soviet lines this impulse (they're shrinking!).

The North Setup:

In an attempt to hold the Leningrad region as long as possible, or at least to delay the Germans from the main front, I decided to rail the Sverdlovsk MIL to Novgorod. This creates a ZOC between Pskov and Novgorod that should help to buy that extra impulse. In the meantime, I railed the Lenigrad factory to Archangel, just in case this doesn't actually hold the rail lines.

I also figured out what Steve was talking about with using the swamps as end-points for the every-other-hex line. The top hex has 10 factors defense and the bottom has 6 factors -- as long as they remain in supply. I only used the MIL at the bottom because it is not likely to be attacked no matter what is put there. A MIL unit that can come back to fight another day is not appealing at all.

The most vulnerable hex is the clear hex to the east of Vitebsk. I placed 2 units with the ART in the hex behind it because if the ART gets used and an attack on that hex succeeds, this force is still something to be dealt with, and the ART will get to keep its full 3 factors. Then this hex can be part of the "new" line of defense, whatever that is.
-----
This area, for the Germans, is definitely going to need another HQ from somewhere. The approach to Leningrad and Novgorod is no longer looking like an easy ride. More on this in the next post.

Almost what I would have done.[;)]

I would have railed the Mil into Leningrad instead of Novgorod. I would have put 2 units in the southern swamp hex. I believe that rail movement bonus means they could have gotten there organized. The southern part of this front is weak. One of the Siberians stacked with the artillery should be down near Gomel to give it more balance.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

The South Setup:

I tried to get at least 5 factors per attackable hexside arranged here. I came close. Both cities have the abilitiy to defend with 18 factors (including the ART in the south). Of course, Kiev only gets 16 factors of defense if the Germans don't use any armor for the attack. Either way, it's likely to be costly for Germany to take anything here. But I haven't actually run those calculations. I'll do that when I'm into the German impulse.
-----
As Germany, I think I may need to move up to the lines, see if I can successfully attack anything (probably not), and then take an Air Action next impulse. It may seem like a waste of an impulse, letting the Soviets retreat if they so desire, but right now I have 10 organized aircraft too far behind the lines to be of any use. Additionally, since it will be getting toward mid-turn (maybe), I could even use HQ-I von Bock to reorganize 3 of the LND that I've already used up.
-----
As the Soviets, I don't know how I would respond to this. I should play the next Soviet impulse as if I don't expect an Air Action by the Germans, I think. That means holding the line, doesn't it? Because if I do begin what I "expect" to be 2 impulses of retreat to the Don, the German player (me) can always change his mind and take another Land Action.

So, after trying to hold the river line next impulse, if Germany takes an Air Action after that, what do I do? Hold the line? or try to retreat?

Nice.[&o]

The weak point is the hex with the artillery [there isn't a lot the USSR can do about this; there is always going to be a weak hex somewhere]. Germany should try a 3:1 Blitz on that hex. If they succeed with a B result, they can advance and cut off the bottom hex in the line - which will have to retreat towards Sevastopol. What the Germans really need on this front are some divisions.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Lothrim

ORIGINAL: Red Prince
It's actually very easy in-game to veiw units this way. The only reason it looks complicated is that I have to cut and paste to show you what I see on the screen. Flyouts can easily be set so that every time you scroll the cursor over a hex with more than one unit in it, the flyout pops up. That keeps the map clean, so that the "extreme-flyouts" displays I'm showing you never happen in the game. There is also a "Units in Hex" form that you can leave open (anywhere on your screen) which shows the same thing the flyouts do, and for Naval units, there are even more options with the Naval Review Details (NRD) form.

I am sure it is very easy in the game, but I suspect that people will want to produce AAR just like this, and in that case they will have to make a lot of screenshots just like you do.
Having the ability to produce screenshots like you do, but without the cut and paste would make it easier.

Yes, you are definitely correct about this. But additions to my task isn't something I have been searching for.[;)]

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Only 3 screenshots of the Soviet lines this impulse (they're shrinking!).

The North Setup:

In an attempt to hold the Leningrad region as long as possible, or at least to delay the Germans from the main front, I decided to rail the Sverdlovsk MIL to Novgorod. This creates a ZOC between Pskov and Novgorod that should help to buy that extra impulse. In the meantime, I railed the Lenigrad factory to Archangel, just in case this doesn't actually hold the rail lines.

I also figured out what Steve was talking about with using the swamps as end-points for the every-other-hex line. The top hex has 10 factors defense and the bottom has 6 factors -- as long as they remain in supply. I only used the MIL at the bottom because it is not likely to be attacked no matter what is put there. A MIL unit that can come back to fight another day is not appealing at all.

The most vulnerable hex is the clear hex to the east of Vitebsk. I placed 2 units with the ART in the hex behind it because if the ART gets used and an attack on that hex succeeds, this force is still something to be dealt with, and the ART will get to keep its full 3 factors. Then this hex can be part of the "new" line of defense, whatever that is.
-----
This area, for the Germans, is definitely going to need another HQ from somewhere. The approach to Leningrad and Novgorod is no longer looking like an easy ride. More on this in the next post.

Almost what I would have done.[;)]

I would have railed the Mil into Leningrad instead of Novgorod. I would have put 2 units in the southern swamp hex. I believe that rail movement bonus means they could have gotten there organized. The southern part of this front is weak. One of the Siberians stacked with the artillery should be down near Gomel to give it more balance.

I tried it, and the rail movement bonus didn't prevent the unit from being disorganized, so I didn't want to risk getting 2 units trapped there. The Siberians with the ART should be able to move south that far (Gomel forests) next impulse if that seems like a good idea.
-----
Edit: Forgot to say that the reason I railed it to Novgorod is that in Leningrad it is worth only 8, vs the 12 that the 6-3 can offer. I figured the ZOC would be more useful (and I also did this before I figured out what you intended with that swamp hex, so I thought the ZOC would be needed).

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

The South Setup:

I tried to get at least 5 factors per attackable hexside arranged here. I came close. Both cities have the abilitiy to defend with 18 factors (including the ART in the south). Of course, Kiev only gets 16 factors of defense if the Germans don't use any armor for the attack. Either way, it's likely to be costly for Germany to take anything here. But I haven't actually run those calculations. I'll do that when I'm into the German impulse.
-----
As Germany, I think I may need to move up to the lines, see if I can successfully attack anything (probably not), and then take an Air Action next impulse. It may seem like a waste of an impulse, letting the Soviets retreat if they so desire, but right now I have 10 organized aircraft too far behind the lines to be of any use. Additionally, since it will be getting toward mid-turn (maybe), I could even use HQ-I von Bock to reorganize 3 of the LND that I've already used up.
-----
As the Soviets, I don't know how I would respond to this. I should play the next Soviet impulse as if I don't expect an Air Action by the Germans, I think. That means holding the line, doesn't it? Because if I do begin what I "expect" to be 2 impulses of retreat to the Don, the German player (me) can always change his mind and take another Land Action.

So, after trying to hold the river line next impulse, if Germany takes an Air Action after that, what do I do? Hold the line? or try to retreat?

Nice.[&o]

The weak point is the hex with the artillery [there isn't a lot the USSR can do about this; there is always going to be a weak hex somewhere]. Germany should try a 3:1 Blitz on that hex. If they succeed with a B result, they can advance and cut off the bottom hex in the line - which will have to retreat towards Sevastopol. What the Germans really need on this front are some divisions.

I was looking into the possibility of a 3:1 Blitz here, but my FTR is just out of range to stop a Ground Support Mission that would turn the 3:1 into a 2:1 or worse. I really need to get my airforce up to the front.
-----
Edit: In fact, the best attack I can get this impulse for Germany is the one on Kiev. It's either that or no attacks until I take an Air impulse to bring up the Luftwaffe and have von Bock reorg the LND already here.

[composer99]

Choose the Assault table. It's got the best chance of disorganized Germans. If you can disorganize that many Germans in front of the Dneipr this early in the turn, it's worth losing that entire stack in Kiev. I see the Germans have an 80% chance of being disorganized on the 3:1 column and a 60% chance of becoming disorganized on the 4:1 column.

Assault, no question about it (IMO).

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: composer99

Choose the Assault table. It's got the best chance of disorganized Germans. If you can disorganize that many Germans in front of the Dneipr this early in the turn, it's worth losing that entire stack in Kiev. I see the Germans have an 80% chance of being disorganized on the 3:1 column and a 60% chance of becoming disorganized on the 4:1 column.

Assault, no question about it (IMO).

That's what I figured, but I'm often told I need to consider the Blitz table more often, so I wanted to get some opinions. I may not make any attacks on this front with the Germans this impulse. I need air power to make things work better, and I have a lot of air units that could come help out.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Only 3 screenshots of the Soviet lines this impulse (they're shrinking!).

The North Setup:

In an attempt to hold the Leningrad region as long as possible, or at least to delay the Germans from the main front, I decided to rail the Sverdlovsk MIL to Novgorod. This creates a ZOC between Pskov and Novgorod that should help to buy that extra impulse. In the meantime, I railed the Lenigrad factory to Archangel, just in case this doesn't actually hold the rail lines.

I also figured out what Steve was talking about with using the swamps as end-points for the every-other-hex line. The top hex has 10 factors defense and the bottom has 6 factors -- as long as they remain in supply. I only used the MIL at the bottom because it is not likely to be attacked no matter what is put there. A MIL unit that can come back to fight another day is not appealing at all.

The most vulnerable hex is the clear hex to the east of Vitebsk. I placed 2 units with the ART in the hex behind it because if the ART gets used and an attack on that hex succeeds, this force is still something to be dealt with, and the ART will get to keep its full 3 factors. Then this hex can be part of the "new" line of defense, whatever that is.
-----
This area, for the Germans, is definitely going to need another HQ from somewhere. The approach to Leningrad and Novgorod is no longer looking like an easy ride. More on this in the next post.

Almost what I would have done.[;)]

I would have railed the Mil into Leningrad instead of Novgorod. I would have put 2 units in the southern swamp hex. I believe that rail movement bonus means they could have gotten there organized. The southern part of this front is weak. One of the Siberians stacked with the artillery should be down near Gomel to give it more balance.

I tried it, and the rail movement bonus didn't prevent the unit from being disorganized, so I didn't want to risk getting 2 units trapped there. The Siberians with the ART should be able to move south that far (Gomel forests) next impulse if that seems like a good idea.
-----
Edit: Forgot to say that the reason I railed it to Novgorod is that in Leningrad it is worth only 8, vs the 12 that the 6-3 can offer. I figured the ZOC would be more useful (and I also did this before I figured out what you intended with that swamp hex, so I thought the ZOC would be needed).

With 4 movement points Inf can move along rail lines through swamps. EDIT: But they weren't in position to do that; sorry.

As the Germans I would seriously consider attacking the 6-3 with 32 factors. If that succeeds, the USSR will need to rail another Mil into Leningrad to keep it full with 3 units this turn.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Just testing out possibilities here.
-----
If I made this attack, it is 60:16 = 3:1 +1 with a 75% chance of 4:1 +1 odds. It involves a lot of Germans, including an HQ, so as the Soviets which CRT do I choose?

Assault, since that is the one that give the highest opportunity on the attackers getting disorganised. Yes, it's bloody on the USSR too, but getting that number or German units immobilized (or the HQ's which have to reorganise them) is always good.

[composer99]

IMO the Germans should just make any really good attacks they can manage this impulse (not Kiev) and bring up the airforce next impulse.

If the turn goes on for a long time the Germans will regret having too much army disorganized this early. If it's short they weren't going to make much progress anyway.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets



Almost what I would have done.[;)]

I would have railed the Mil into Leningrad instead of Novgorod. I would have put 2 units in the southern swamp hex. I believe that rail movement bonus means they could have gotten there organized. The southern part of this front is weak. One of the Siberians stacked with the artillery should be down near Gomel to give it more balance.

I tried it, and the rail movement bonus didn't prevent the unit from being disorganized, so I didn't want to risk getting 2 units trapped there. The Siberians with the ART should be able to move south that far (Gomel forests) next impulse if that seems like a good idea.
-----
Edit: Forgot to say that the reason I railed it to Novgorod is that in Leningrad it is worth only 8, vs the 12 that the 6-3 can offer. I figured the ZOC would be more useful (and I also did this before I figured out what you intended with that swamp hex, so I thought the ZOC would be needed).

With 4 movement points Inf can move along rail lines through swamps. EDIT: But they weren't in position to do that; sorry.

As the Germans I would seriously consider attacking the 6-3 with 32 factors. If that succeeds, the USSR will need to rail another Mil into Leningrad to keep it full with 3 units this turn.

I have a similar, but slightly different strategic plan in mind. That would likely disorganize 4 of my best INF and an ARM Division. I don't want to do that just yet in this theatre.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: composer99

IMO the Germans should just make any really good attacks they can manage this impulse (not Kiev) and bring up the airforce next impulse.

If the turn goes on for a long time the Germans will regret having too much army disorganized this early. If it's short they weren't going to make much progress anyway.

I agree. That means taking an air impulse next with the Germans. Not that good, but with the German airforce lagging too far behind it should be done, just to make sure the Dnjepr will get cracked the impulse after that.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: composer99

IMO the Germans should just make any really good attacks they can manage this impulse (not Kiev) and bring up the airforce next impulse.

If the turn goes on for a long time the Germans will regret having too much army disorganized this early. If it's short they weren't going to make much progress anyway.

Kiev is the only thing close to a really good attack I can make this turn, sadly. Until the airforce arrives, I am not likely to be able to get better than 2:1 odds on anything. That's because the Soviets are free to add as much Ground Support as they want, resulting in 5-6 disorganized Germans even if the attack succeeds.

The best attack I can manage here is a 2.111:1 Blitz on the forest hex to the east of Kiev, and that's the only hex I can attack without the threat of Ground Support.

[Red Prince]

So, do I risk the attack on Kiev? Or do I make no attacks this impulse?

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: composer99

IMO the Germans should just make any really good attacks they can manage this impulse (not Kiev) and bring up the airforce next impulse.

If the turn goes on for a long time the Germans will regret having too much army disorganized this early. If it's short they weren't going to make much progress anyway.

Kiev is the only thing close to a really good attack I can make this turn, sadly. Until the airforce arrives, I am not likely to be able to get better than 2:1 odds on anything. That's because the Soviets are free to add as much Ground Support as they want, resulting in 5-6 disorganized Germans even if the attack succeeds.

The best attack I can manage here is a 2.111:1 Blitz on the forest hex to the east of Kiev, and that's the only hex I can attack without the threat of Ground Support.

Don't attack Kiev. Let them live for now. Priority is to make sure the airforce get into play to get better odds and the possibility of ground strikes. Without Stuka's, the German army is only going to get disorganised...