FieldOfGlory vs 3 AI+ powers V2.14 with Leaders

[FieldOfGlory]

Rommel has further fortified his position with the addition of AT guns. Rommel has been persistent warning OKW that the biggest threat to the German position in the Western desert is the inevitable onslaught of Islamabad armored units.
Rommel also petitioned OKW for Armored units to aid the German position. Rommel has bragged that all he would need is a few Armored cars and he can push the Muslims back and fight this war on there ground. Then he further stated that if had a few Panzer divisions under his command by Spring he could be rolling them down the streets of Islamabad itself by mid Summer.

OKW responded by stating that German oil production cannot yet support any significant amount of Armor and the 1st Army will have to make due with what is available.

[FieldOfGlory]

End of September.

Leeb and Guderian and pushed back the Muslim horde and secured the river.

[FieldOfGlory]

(Fuhrer's aid) My Fuhrer reports have just come in that Islamabad forces are approaching Berlin security forces stationed to the south. Size and strength of the enemy are unknown.

(Fuhrer) Do you think my dinner jacket makes me look fat?

(Fuhrer's aid) Ahh, of course not my Fuhrer. About the approaching forces. Colonel Deter Wiese who is in command of the Infantry charged with guarding the Narrows to the South has requested OKW to dispatch Engineers to construct a fortification to aid in there defense.

(Fuhrer) What! I have taken personal command of all Berlin security forces and all request are to directly to me. Not OKW!

(Fuhrer's aid) AHH... Of course my Fuhrer. I will inform the Colonel right away.

(Fuhrer) Wait! I have an idea Shultz. Tell OKW to dispatch Engineers with great haste to the narrows and construct a defensive fortification to aid our troops guarding our great Capital.

(Fuhrer's aid) Oh yes my Fuhrer that is a brilliant idea.

(Fuhrer) Of course it is. What are you waiting for Shultz? I want you to tell them NOW!

(Fuhrer's aid) Yes my Fuhrer.

On another note. Large numbers of enemy forces are approaching Rommel's forces from the South. Rommel has repositioned forces to the Southern flank in response.

[FieldOfGlory]

The siege of Zuara is not going so well. Every time German force close in and surround the city they are beaten back with great loss to our forces by a large number of Islamabad Armored vehicles.

General Model has put in an urgent request to OKW for AT guns and strongly suggested that Von Runstedt's forces to the West also be given AT guns.

Model went on to explain to OKW that German casualties are painfully high. The men are disorganized and moral is in the toilet. New recruits are flowing in to replace the losses in droves and going back home in body bags within days. Anti-tank guns are in desperate need ASAP.

[Vic]

nice AAR!

also one word of advice: use artillery to level Zaura. Once structural points go down to zero the town will not be able to produce any or much supplies or reinforcements.

best,
Vic

[FieldOfGlory]

A very good idea. Blast the city to rubble and he will run out of supplies. I like IT!

[FieldOfGlory]

End of October and the AT guns have had an almost immediate effect on the battle for Zuara. A Dozen Artillery guns have gone into production to aid in the battle.

The Fuhrer awakens from a dead sleep covered in sweat...

(Fuhrer) SHULTZ!

(Enters Fuhrer's aid) "Yes my Fuhrer." Shultz says with a snap in his heels.

(Fuhrer) I have had a fantastic dream. A strange but brilliant man spoke to me in my dreams. He said his name was Victor but told me I could call him Vic!

(Fuhrer's aid) What did he say my Fuhrer?

(Fuhrer) Call our gun factory immediately and tell them to switch all production from AT guns to Artillery. All production is to be shipped to General Model and General Rundstedt. Then Contact the Generals with a message marked urgent. Message is to read "Use every Artillery Gun at your disposal and pound Zuara into dust. There is to be no building left standing. Signed The Fuhrer."

(Fuhrer's aid) Yes my Fuhrer. But what did the strange man tell you?

(Fuhrer)He said If I wanted Zuara to fall all I needed was a few BIG guns to bring it down. Oh and one more thing. He said you are an IDIOT! Now stop asking me questions and get on the phone now!

[FieldOfGlory]

Despite all of Rommel's troops that are located in the desert not being able to entrench they held the line and inflicted heavy casualties of the Muslim forces. The attacks hit the Southern part of the line just as predicted by Rommel.
As you may recall Rommel reinforced the Southern flank last month with extra divisions from the Northern part of the line. All Divisions in Rommel's 1st Army have been equipped with both AT and Infantry Guns. These divisions are very heavy and I went a little over on my stacking in the South as you can see from the pic. The Combat bonus from Rommel's command is Quiet High though and combined with the Supporting guns proved very effective despite the lack of entrenchment. But the Muslim army has not hit this line with any significant amount of Armor yet.

[FieldOfGlory]

German industry has been focused on producing PP for the last 2 turns and I have been able to invest PP's in oil production. Oil production has tripled as a result and next on my to do list is to build a tank factory. Tank production should begin in December and Armor Divisions will be ready to lead an offensive in the Spring. Hopefully anyway.

[FieldOfGlory]

November,

After a Artillery barrage using 12 guns the call was made to attempt a joint assault on Zuara using elements from Model's and Rundstedt's Armies. The attempt failed but the Cities production has been cut in half. The advantage is beginning to shift and the City will likely fall soon.

[Josh]

Hmm severe losses, was to be expected though.
See the green bar on the defenders? It should be lower just a little bit more, the lower that green bar the better *your* chances are. And lowering that bar is usually done by Arty tubes. I usually make units consisting of five tubes, so 2 units can blast away without oversaturating the hex (remember more than 100 = 10 tubes gets you a penalty).
I also notice that you are using units from 2 different HQ's (red and green HQ bars) thereby halving your concentric attack bonus.
As this is still a bit of a stalemate I'd go for local superiority, do try not to attack lots of opposing units but maybe one or two at a time...with everything you have. Focus on one or two enemy units and then try to eliminate them or hurt them bad.
 
Also one more word of advice if I may concerning the engineer unit at the chokepoint ... if you have the feeling that the AI is outproducing you, which at this stage it probably is, do not build a fort there. If you build a fort at that exact spot it will act as a plug (which it is supposed to do but in this game it will backfire on you) what will happen is that the AI will amass a larger and larger force there untill it finally destroys the fort and your units there. Remember the AI probably will outproduce you so there's no hope of stopping it there. What you will want to do is build a line of defense 1 or even 2 hexes back. That way you will lure the AI into a killing zone. The AI will go straight for your city and run straight into your trap.
You probably can't outproduce the AI but you can outkill it. One hex back and two units there from you gives you a 10% attack bonus, 2 hexes back and you are already at three concentric attack hexes (30% if I'm correct).
Heck you can even go back three hexes and have a five hexes concentric attack bonus. Or like the Germans call it a "Kesselschlacht".

[FieldOfGlory]

Funny you should mention the Narrows South of Berlin. I never actually constructed the Fort last turn and have came up with a different plan I had not yet mentioned in my November turn. It is not quit the same as yours but it is a similar concept.
I Noticed 2 things I did not like with the original plan. 1-The enemy can concentrate fire on the lone hex from to different directions which made me feel uneasy. 2-The 1st Division which is the unit currently entrenched in the narrows is too far away from OKW to get a combat bonus from OKW. I really didn't like the idea of moving OKW off of Berlin.
The new plan I devised which I am in the process of implementing was to construct 2 forts behind the 1st division guarded by 2 divisions under the command of a local General in order to be able to get the leader bonus and also to be able to concentrate fire on the enemy when they move into the hex currently occupied by the 1st Division.
Not quit the same idea as your but very similar. Thanks to everyone for the great advice.

[FieldOfGlory]

The situation in Zuara has been greatly improved. The divisions surrounding the city now have AT guns and are not so vulnerable to Muslim armor. Also the city is now Flanked by 2 Artillery units pounding it into submission. I do not expect it to last very long.

[FieldOfGlory]

The line to the South of Zuara has grown stable for the moment. Masses of enemy armor have begun to arrive in South in front of Rommel's line. Now the real fight is going to begin down there and will likely be a several turns before I can field any significant armor of my own down there. My heavy infantry will have to make due for the moment. By spring if all goes well I hope to have Armor of my own in the desert and perhaps some divebombers as well.

[FieldOfGlory]

December. Mud has begun to affect the Northern region of the map. I don't how much the Winter weather will affect combat this Winter since all of the action is pretty far south.

Zuara has fallen! Mopping up operations began almost immediately after the city fell and the 4th and 5th Armies will soon be deployed South to take part in a major offensive already in the works at OKW.

[FieldOfGlory]

As feared Rommel's line has taken a beating from the enemy armor and was pushed back. It will be heavily reinforced next month with additional AT guns.
An armor factory that was slated for construction this month was pushed back until next month due to a lack of supplies.

[FieldOfGlory]

December,

One of the two fortifications has been constructed South of Berlin. After the other has been constructed the Yellow 1st division currently guarding the narrows will fall back behind the forts and take up a reserve position.
To the East Rommel's army is still taking a beating from enemy armor units. Counter attacks were conducted against Muslim armored car units not escorted by significant infantry and several armored car regiments were destroyed.
Just to the North of Rommel's position German engineers constructed an Armor factory and began construction of Light tanks to be incorporated into Rommel's 1st Army starting next month.

[FieldOfGlory]

Clean up operations around Zuara were quickly wrapped up this month and some elements of the 5th and 6th Armies have begun moving South.
A number of skirmishes occurred this month along the Eastern side of Leeb's defensive line as marked on the map.

[FieldOfGlory]

Rommel is quickly building up combat experience fighting in the desert and building up a reputation in OKW as brilliant fighting General. Despite having lost some ground in the desert the Fuhrer himself has recommended Rommel for a commendation and stated to German state controlled new agencies that. "had any other General been in command of the 1st Army the past few months Islamabad Armies would surely take Osnabruck by now captured the critical rail junction effectively dividing the country in half".

[FieldOfGlory]

February,
Preliminary plans are begining to form at OKW regarding the upcoming Spring offensive. As the 4th and 5th Armies continue to redeploy South and Join forces with the 2nd and 3rd Armies a massive build up is underway along the battle line.
Breaking out across the river will be no walk in the park. Model's 5th Army will concentrate its divisions and punch a whole in the enemy line in the East by the German raw Resource. While Rundstedt's 4th Army will concentrate and punch through the center of the line just East of Leeb's line. If Leeb is unable to breach the River elements of Rundstedt's Army may be able to link up with elements of Rommel's army and encircle the Muslim Army just South of Leeb's 2nd Army.