Za Rodinu Axis AAR (no Soviets)

[Redmarkus5]

I don't think it's gamey at all. Rushing to the Romanian border to 'unfreeze' those shivering troops - that would be gamey IMO

[Harovan]

That's what I was talking about.

[Redmarkus5]

Ah, right

I thought you meant "this opening", meaning the one you actually played... I was confused!

Lucky I didn't agree with you and say, yes, your opening was actually gamey!

[Wikingus]

That progress is really, really impressive. Especially in the South. I think playing in a team must take WITE to a whole new level as far as immersion goes. Must be time consuming though.

[Redmarkus5]

Actually, it takes much less time for each of the players as they are only focused on their section of the game. Obviously, the time between game turns is longer (about 3-4 days per turn so far) but we do have other things to do during that time, so we are not sitting around waiting

The immersion is great and the challenge of having to agree strategy and communicate objectives, plus the need to coordinate the moves of three Army Groups and to allocate scarce support is very realistic. It's actually a great exercise in managing people (eight strangers from different cultures!) and social media comms.

What we can't show in the AAR yet are the planning maps and discussions we are sharing within the Axis team. Once the campaign is more advanced I will upload some of the early ones as examples.

A final point is that each of my generals has different strengths and weaknesses. I am slowly starting to allocate tasks such as 'please plan for operation X and share your operational concept with me'. They can then propose phase lines, support, Atts and Dets, etc. which adds a whole layer of realism.

I think that this is how the game is truly meant to be played...

[Wikingus]

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4

Actually, it takes much less time for each of the players as they are only focused on their section of the game. Obviously, the time between game turns is longer (about 3-4 days per turn so far) but we do have other things to do during that time, so we are not sitting around waiting

The immersion is great and the challenge of having to agree strategy and communicate objectives, plus the need to coordinate the moves of three Army Groups and to allocate scarce support is very realistic. It's actually a great exercise in managing people (eight strangers from different cultures!) and social media comms.

What we can't show in the AAR yet are the planning maps and discussions we are sharing within the Axis team. Once the campaign is more advanced I will upload some of the early ones as examples.

A final point is that each of my generals has different strengths and weaknesses. I am slowly starting to allocate tasks such as 'please plan for operation X and share your operational concept with me'. They can then propose phase lines, support, Atts and Dets, etc. which adds a whole layer of realism.

I think that this is how the game is truly meant to be played...

Sounds like an armchair general's wet dream. I think I'll apply the next time something like this is set up. [:D]

[Encircled]

It certainly does add a load more realism to the game

Very tempted to apply myself next time as well

[Redmarkus5]

Turn is 3 now in progress. I will post a screenshot when the Axis phase is finished.

[Redmarkus5]

Axis turn 3 is almost completed. I will send the turn to STAVKA either Friday night or Saturday.

[Redmarkus5]

Turn sent to STAVKA this morning

[Redmarkus5]

I apologize for not posting any Turn 3 or 4 screenies, but this is a highly sensitive stage for the Axis in terms of strategic choices, so we are holding back until the key moves have been completed before updating the AAR...

We do have a full set of detailed planning maps covering each phase/turn, so those will be posted a little later in the campaign.

No offence to anyone, but I accidentally entered an 'enemy' thread once and if they glimpse our planning maps for even a few seconds, the war is over for us I will post a high level summary in a few minutes.

[Redmarkus5]

AXIS TURN 4 - completed and sent to STAVKA yesterday.

[Redmarkus5]

Axis Turn 5 completed and sent to STAVKA.

Good progress has been made on all fronts and AGS has ripped the heart out of SW Front, pocketing more than 20 Infantry Divisions, at least 5 Tank Divisions and approximately 3 HQs.

It's on to Stalingrad!

[fiva55]

Until Redmarkus is back from where ever he is, I will try to keep this AAR updated.

Axis side end of turn 10

[fiva55]

TURN 11
8/29/1941
BEGIN OF TURN REPORT

AXIS OOB
Men: 3.391.362
Guns: 35.152
AFV: 2512
Air: 2883

SOVIET OOB
Men: 3.784.414
Guns: 35.514
AFV: 5182
Air: 7.240

AXIS LOSSES
Men: 280.408
Guns: 3402
AFV: 1561
Air: 1065

SOVIET LOSSES
Men: 1.658.536
Guns: 24.200
AFV: 12.811
Air: 9.761

NOTABLE EVENTS
The bulk of the Soviet troops around Smolenks have escaped encirclement.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEGIN OF TURN 11 FRONTLINE OVERVIEW

[fiva55]

END OF TURN 11 OVERVIEW
ARMY GROUP NORTH

Commander: Duality
Men: 697.634, Guns: 6.542, AFVs: 374, Air: 608

AGN North switches the axis of attack of 4th Pz Group, striking and the weakly guarded front between Lake Ilmen and the Valdai Hills.

[fiva55]

END OF TURN 11 OVERVIEW
ARMY GROUP CENTER

Commander: timmyab
Men: 1.280.981, Guns: 12.379, AFVs: 1.385, Air: 984

3rd Pz Group and 2nd Pz group link up west of Smolensk.

[fiva55]

END OF TURN 11 OVERVIEW
ARMY GROUP SOUTH

Commander: fiva55
Men: 1.765.323, Guns: 16.631, AFVs: 683, Air: 1.444

Lacking sufficient armour to make and encirclement, 1st Pz Group decides to make a single thrust towards Kharkov, hopefully trapping it's industry.

[Redmarkus5]

I am back, but IIRC I informed one of your team mates that I wouldn't be coming back into the OKH role. The new model of having just 3 Axis players and no OKH seems to be working well.

[timmyab]

Redmarcus, if you want to take on the OKH role again, I'd be very happy for you to do so.I can't speak for the others of course.

I'm going to fill in some details of AGC as I go with a couple of turns delay for security reasons.
This is the situation when I took command of AGC at the start of turn 9.

Disaster at Velikie Luki
The previous incumbent understandably shot himself in the head when he was shown this map.Lucky for me this mess is being given to AGN to sort out.


For the time being I'm entrusted with just panzer group 2, which is actually in not bad shape at all.

The grand plan is for the three panzer groups to converge on Spas Demensk creating a giant Smolensk pocket.Personally I'd be tempted to just shelve this plan here and now, but I'm only a lowly army group commander, so I devise a plan for pzgr 2 to breakout between the Oster and Besed rivers.The prospects don't look too good because it's rather good defensive terrain, well fortified and carpeted thirty miles deep, but to my surprise and with some Guderian magic things go better than I'd hoped.
Turn 9 end.