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How's that work ComradeP dude? Do you have to get at least 50% damage to shut down the port or .....?

I tried to find the formula last night, but must've overlooked it. From memory, it used to be something like: 100 divided by port level gives you the number that, if undamaged, will allow a port to function. For example, Ventspils is a level 3 port, which would mean it would need 33% undamaged state to be functional, which means you need to inflict at least 71% damage (67+3 for port repair, plus a point to be sure due to rounding). Pavel made some changes, however as big ports like Sevastopol were nearly impossible to shut down so I'm not sure what the formula comes down to now.

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Klydon: one thing to keep in mind that mostly counts for AGN on turn 1 is that there'll be very little opposition/enemy hexes in front of your infantry on turn 2 if you plan the opening correctly. AGC and AGS infantry will have a much narrower path of friendly hexes to move through on turn 2.

AGC's mobile units will generally make a fairly narrow slice towards Minsk, and AGS's mobile units will either make a narrow dash to the Romanian border or try something like capturing Proskurov, but in both cases there's a large concentration of Soviet units behind them.

The majority of AGN's infantry, however, will have absolutely nothing between them and the Daugava.

The main reasons why I prefer to use units with lower morale to clear the frontline whilst higher morale units move through are:

-Fatigue. If you use the lower morale units to clear the frontline, so they end the turn close to where they started, they'll be more inclined to be closer to a functional rail line and thus be more inclined to recover fatigue.

This is important for two main reasons:

1) CV drops due to fatigue, and the Soviets are far more likely to counterattack a fatigued ~70 morale infantry division than a fatigued 86+ morale one.

2) Fatigue reduces MP's, so if you'd use them at the frontline, and if they would end up with 9 or so MP's next turn due to pushing them to their limits in the previous turn, the additional MP's they pay for entering enemy hexes will be noticeable.

-Divisions with high morale are more likely to be able to handle what the Soviets place next to them on their turn, and generally won't be attacked. There's little point in having a spearhead composed of units that can't easily remove the Soviet units that are placed (in a checkerboard or otherwise) in front of them.

-High morale units will be able to convert more hexes if they're closer to the front, as they will be able to move further into enemy territory than lower morale ones. It's important to remember that until they gain morale, the couple of 70 morale infantry divisions you start with pay 3 MP's per enemy hex.

There are 3 ways to take Riga now. How are they going to stop it with new patch?

By ending Riga gambit I thk they just talking about shipping in infantry when u bomb port to north.

What are going to do add unhistorical units to Riga, lower mech unit MP's on first turn?

They have to totally change the game to stop the Germans from taking Riga first turn.

Pelton

I don’t fully like these Germany turn one totally optimized moves. Reason is that they are based unhistorical full knowledge of opponent troop deployments and constant testing witch wasn’t historically possible.

I just hope that there would be some randomization of position of troops or at least few defensive templates witch to choose starting deployment so German side don’t fully know all deployment like what happens now in each scenario and campaign.   I generally hate most when war-games design allows one side to do something which cannot be countered or handled with anything by other side like these fully optimized opening moves witch are already done when other side gets first chance to do anything at all.

There will be no changes to whether Riga can be taken or not, it just won't be possible to ship units in on the turn it is captured.

Jakerson: both sides have full knowledge of initial unit placement and reinforcement schedules. No matter how good the Axis opening move is, the Soviets can always recover.

@Jakerson: Welcome to a game. No matter what you do, you can't avoid opening move strats. This is optimized with where the Germans are at. They can't change that. If they could, it would be interesting to say the least (countered of course by the Russians being able to do free deployment).

While it may not seem "fair" and "unhistorical", take into consideration that the Russians were absolutely devistated in the opening offensive in the center and north. The Russians will almost always do better than historical as soon as it becomes the Russian players turn. There are no additional rules to have the Russians either stand fast or to move their reserves up to the front or to launch manditory attacks.

Despite all the "optimization", there will still be some disagreements among Axis players on what to do where on turn 1. That also takes into account how much is sent south from PG2, etc.

Also bear in mind with some of those lower morale AGN infantry divisions is that they are "on the edge" of moving up one notch - attacking successfully on turn 1 allows them to do this and be ready in later turns to move better in enemy territory.

Why take Riga with your mobile units? It can be done, but leaves your Panzers a bit out of position for the drive on Leningrad. Your infantry units can deal with Riga.

I have been instead using my mobile units to drive straight on to Pskov via the gap north of Kaunas. I have managed to capture Pskov on the 2nd turn vs the AI. Pskov is a more central location and gives you more options.

ORIGINAL: Captain

Why take Riga with your mobile units? It can be done, but leaves your Panzers a bit out of position for the drive on Leningrad. Your infantry units can deal with Riga.

I have been instead using my mobile units to drive straight on to Pskov via the gap north of Kaunas. I have managed to capture Pskov on the 2nd turn vs the AI. Pskov is a more central location and gives you more options.

Capturing Riga brings tons of supplies and fuel to replenish mobile units during logistics phase capturing ports also helps to get supplies from sea. This is especially important when rail lines are still dead.

ORIGINAL: Jakerson

ORIGINAL: Captain

Why take Riga with your mobile units? It can be done, but leaves your Panzers a bit out of position for the drive on Leningrad. Your infantry units can deal with Riga.

I have been instead using my mobile units to drive straight on to Pskov via the gap north of Kaunas. I have managed to capture Pskov on the 2nd turn vs the AI. Pskov is a more central location and gives you more options.

Capturing Riga brings tons of supplies and fuel to replenish mobile units during logistics phase capturing ports also helps to get supplies from sea. This is especially important when rail lines are still dead.

Damage to captured ports in 1.05.xx will make this much less important.

Taking Riga on turn one does have important supply potential though - it is the direct line for rails, and this means no slowdown with repairs in subsequent turns (if it takes until turn 3 to take Riga (and it might be longer, given the terrain, whether mobile forces are used, etc.) will mean the rail repair might be slower.

If you don't take Riga on turn 1 with panzer forces, you are essentially leaving it for infantry to do the job and it would likely be turn 3 before they would be in position to get the job done between trying to either cross a major river in swamps or trying to get up close enough to attack across a major river into a city. Either way, it is a serious delay imposed on your infantry to deal with Riga imo.

On our way to making the 18th Army useful to the advance the XXXVIII Corps has only 1 division, the 58th Division and it's going to make a hole for the tank unit passing south of the proposed pocket.

All that's left to deploy in the 18th Army is I Corps. One of I Corps's Divisions is already moved forward so the other two divisions will move east to try to open a hole for the tanks to head through going NorthEast.

And the next thing to do is to move the 269th Inf Div to continue making a hole and advancing to the east. Midway in the moving I assigned the 269th to X Corps because it's an Inf Div and can't keep up with the tanks and motorized units.

It's time to send the 36th Motorized on a long recon to clear a path and provide some backup at Riga for the attack that we hope will empty the city. The 36th will stop adjacent to Riga and await the arrival of a tank unit to attack Riga.

And the next thing to do is move out a tank toward Riga. It runs out of MP's just before reaching Riga:

And now we send the HQ unit and the other tank of the Corps to help out storming Riga:

ORIGINAL: Klydon

If you don't take Riga on turn 1 with panzer forces, you are essentially leaving it for infantry to do the job and it would likely be turn 3 before they would be in position to get the job done between trying to either cross a major river in swamps or trying to get up close enough to attack across a major river into a city. Either way, it is a serious delay imposed on your infantry to deal with Riga imo.

If Riga is not captured at turn one and Soviet player is nasty he can leave 3 rifle divisions inside Riga when they fortify a bit and get all urban defense bonuses they can tie up pretty large amount of German troops. German needs to deliberate attack with multiple stacks to get Riga. This buys Soviet side 1 or 2 more turns to build up defenses witch are very important at game opening.

As Riga is port hex urban it cannot be isolated and always gets Sea supply so German is forced to take it with frontal assault. Even if Soviet units are forced to route they have high chance of escaping Trough Sea.

Even if German bypass Riga after seeing it heavily defended Soviet player can still evacuate his troops trough sea at any turn they want but holding Riga will cause harm to German logistics and Soviet side still gets benefit from holding Riga as it harass German logistics.

IMHO, you must no to send the motorized forces till near Riga. You´ll need them, in regiments, to secure the supply line of Pzs. Some of the routed units can reagrup and then your pzs can be cut off (of course, if you´re not using Riga gambit, that is a gamey and usually the PBEM players agree not use it). 

I'm no expert by any means but as you stand now if you are planning to attack Riga you will be attacking across the Daugava (major river) into an urban hex I wouldn't bet on your chances of pulling that off.

Your western most tank corps has enough movement points to cross the river and attack Riga from the east (which is a clear hex) with both panzer divisions. I normally assign pioneers and air support to the assaulting panzer division(s) and even then it is not a sure thing.