Waiting for the spring miracle... Oleg (Sov) vs Senno (Axis), NO Senno

[timmyab]

ORIGINAL: Encircled
I'm assuming (never having played a human yet) that a good Soviet player takes every chance he gets to cut off armoured spearheads

You bet they do.Even a couple of sec units can do the job, and a lot of the time these are doomed units that the Soviet player has given up on anyway so he's got nothing much to lose.Sometimes I deliberately hold off on turn one because of the German supply situation which can lead to overconfidence and disaster on turn two.
Of course allowing your spearheads to be cut off is bad enough but it also means that a lot of Soviet units that should be isolated and dead meat next turn, are alive and kicking to hold you up for another turn, and threatening to do the same thing next turn.
In my pbem games to date I've found that a failure to guard flanks is the single biggest mistake that people make.It only takes a single regiment every forth hex to prevent the vast majority of Soviet infiltration maneuvers.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Turn 4 north

[Oleg Mastruko]

OK finally posting pictures work, in the pic above notice that he took the panzers back a bit, as the river line is finally taken over by his infantry. There is small penetration NW of Velikye Luki but not as dangerous at it should have been (from his POV).

Turn 4 center

[Oleg Mastruko]

In the above picture (center) entrained units are some mech corps transported from the south, I dont want him in front of Moscow too fast.

Turn 4 south.

[TulliusDetritus]

Oleg, could you do me (or us) a favour, please? Could you toggle the forts on? Now it's irrelevant, too early so the forts are not built, but later these forts will make a big difference. I mean, we can't see the whole picture if we can't see the fortified places [:)]

I also notice in many AARs people don't toggle the enemy hexes on. We really can't see what's going on: thin corridors that might be cut off, etc. It's confusing [&:]

[cookie monster]

Ill say this cos your at the start, get those Mountain troops out of your front line,

when destroyed they dont come back

Give them a place in the 2nd/3rd line or make them the Crimea/Odessa garrision

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: cookie monster

Ill say this cos your at the start, get those Mountain troops out of your front line,

when destroyed they dont come back

Give them a place in the 2nd/3rd line or make them the Crimea/Odessa garrision

Soviet mountain?

Why do you think they are particulary worth protecting for Soviets cookie? They don't get any special winter benefits or anything? Am I missing something? I know they are worth in gold for the Axis, but for Sovs...?

[cookie monster]

Maybe they are just another one of the horde...

But when they SHATTER from front line action, they are not automatically returned as a reinforcement (rule exists till Nov 41)

Rife divs are, Tank Divs come back as brigades, Motorised Divs come back as Rifle Divs

There are a number of garrison duties such as Odessa/Crimea they are better suited for.

Trouble is they cant combine into Corps

Best time for them is entering Hungary in the late game cos of the mountain ranges

IF.... a game ever gets that far

[Sabre21]

The German player is being way too cautious.

[Klydon]

The German is pretty inexperienced and it is showing. Oleg has plenty of experience as the Russians so I think this will likely get ugly.

I agree on the mountain, although the only thing I try to do with them is make sure they are in the back when choosing between them and infantry. Can't replace them, but they can come in handy later.

[Ketza]

This game is a a very good example of how easy it is to slowly dig your own grave as an Axis player if you are overly cautious.

[mmarquo]

This game will prove absolutely nothing in terms of the blizzard and the "spring miracle." Turn 4 and nowhere near the Dnepr? Smolensk and Pskov still in Soviet hands? This game only proves that an overly cautious Axis player will get his ass whipped during the blizzard - something that is common knowledge.
 
Zero, zip, nada [:)]
 
 

[Encircled]

Hang on a sec

Senno said he wasn't the most experienced player in the world before he started

If Oleg wants a real challenge to prove his theory right or wrong, then he needs to take on a player with a lot more experience.

And I'm sure he turned down the chance to take one of them on in the blizzard thread, before he accepted the offer from Senno

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: Marquo
This game will prove absolutely nothing in terms of the blizzard and the "spring miracle." Turn 4 and nowhere near the Dnepr? Smolensk and Pskov still in Soviet hands? This game only proves that an overly cautious Axis player will get his ass whipped during the blizzard - something that is common knowledge.

Marquo what's your problem?

I never said this will "prove" anything, it's just another game in search of getting to playable spring 42 positions, that's all. If you think his start was that bad, then he will be overrun in winter and that's it, no harm done to lab animals or test subjects.... how the hell could I know in advance someone's style of play?

Marquo if you want a game let me know.

[mmarquo]

Oleg,
 
I am simply bemused by the title of Senno's AAR of your game: "Senno v Oleg; Starring in "Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt?" I appreciate the offer of a game; perhaps in a week or 2. Are you too overloaded with games from the Soviet POV? I am about ready to try as the Axis.
 
Marquo

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Senno said he wasn't the most experienced player in the world before he started

If Oleg wants a real challenge to prove his theory right or wrong, then he needs to take on a player with a lot more experience.

And I'm sure he turned down the chance to take one of them on in the blizzard thread, before he accepted the offer from Senno

Encircled I didn't turn anyone down as Soviet, read that thread again. Big Anorak and Pieter turned MY challenge down. I challenged everyone in that thread, if they want to take my Soviets, and get Germans to playable spring 42. I currently think it cannot be done, but am open to be proved wrong. The only way to prove ME wrong is to play Germans, and defend in winter so that we get to playable spring.

When we put the "challenge" that way, I said I predict 20% of games may end in outright victory of German summer supermen, remaining 80% or so, will end in Soviet winter supermen effectivelly ruining the game. If we find a way to get to playable spring 42 that's great!

If anyone wants to take this challenge, to get to playable spring, let me know. We may only have problems defining what "playable spring" means [:D] Soviets back in Minsk? LOL, no that's not playable spring for me. Germans taking Moscow, LG and Harkov, only to be pushed back to Dnepr in winter? That's not "playable spring" for me either, that's German victory ruined by some faulty winter mechanics.

I turned only Pieter down, when he wanted me to play as German. To win outright victory as Germans requires skill, that I am not sure I have - yet! Plus, I will play Germans, if we define taking LG, Moscow and Harkov as German victory. I don't want to take these cities and be overrun in winter. So that game will simply win in his Soviets running over my Germans. That is the only challenge I turned down.

I hope I explained my position better now. Having said all this, if anyone else wants to try to get to "playable spring" just let me know.

[Encircled]

Fair enough, and apologies if I misread the thread

I'm even less experienced then Senno, and I'm finding making the right moves while looking after my three and two year old sons next to impossible![:)]

Ah well, back to restarting and trying to sort out my opening moves (again!)

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: Marquo
I am simply bemused by the title of Senno's AAR of your game: "Senno v Oleg; Starring in "Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt?" I appreciate the offer of a game; perhaps in a week or 2. Are you too overloaded with games from the Soviet POV? I am about ready to try as the Axis.

No problem Marquo, whenever you're ready let me know via PM. If there is a way to playable spring 42, and we, the community, haven't found it by now, the only way is to play more games, right? [;)]

Senno's AAR? I don't read AARs from my opponents so I can't comment.

I am not overloaded with games, my opponents are pretty laid back (reading this James? [:D])

[raizer]

marquo is probably one of the top players on the tiller hps site-not saying it automatically conveys to this game, but marquo, Im sure "gets it" when it comes to this game.  And Oleg I used to think you were a jerk on this forum but Ive come full circle [:D] mainly due to your superman summer/superman winter analogy-very apt imho

and sennos opening wasnt very good which leads to exponential problems with each passing turn.  But at least he is trying and playing. 

 

[Oleg Mastruko]

Turn 6 and gotta be honest about it, he's just not making enough progress IMO. He is fighting with panzers too often, instead of using them to exploit.

In the North he finally kinda-sorta pocketed Pskov, only I brought couple of those 6-8 CV southern Tank divisions there for a nasty surprise and reopened the path to Pskov pocket for at least one turn.

He is paying the price for bad AGS opening, and probably doesn't even know it (probably wondering what those 7 CV units are doing there this soon).