Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Stelteck


Last point.
I really love playing with the +1 soviet attack bonus(mild blizzard). It changes the mindset of the game for both of us in my opinion.
Instead of thinking "i'am doomed" let's mitigate the damage, i have tactical option to bite my ennemy and it make a game much more fun. I can think of limited counter attack.
The german also have to be carefull.

What is funny is when i performed some local counter attack, i discovered that in fact, the +1 bonus was not needed as my victory odds were better than > 2.0. So it was mostly a psychological help. But psychology change everything as i can try things that i would have considered too risky without it.

The +1 attack in an Expert hands for the Soviets is "ludacrous". I have played on both sides of the fence with the +1. But even if you don't have the +1 attack the attacks in the mid part of the board all the way south is always possible. You just have to set them up correctly.

I like the +1 bonus. It prevents the easy build of unbreachable circles based on regimental units for the german.

Turn 7, 31th july 1941

North

Leningrad sector isn't quiet anymore



South

To the Dniepr and Odessa taken

Turn 8, 7th august 1941

Good progress this week.

North

Russian line won't hold next week



Center

Rjevh and Vyazma still in russian hands



South

The eastern bank was strongly defended but at this stage of the war russians can't do anything useful in open ground.

The attack north with 2 panzer corps was a surprise for me as i was expected more push first toward moscow.

The northern front was not renforced, but nevermind returning troops from the Fins front help me to provide some resistances.

Bisness as usual in front of moscow.

In the south, the crossing of the Denpr was the end of possible resistances here, so i ordered a general retreat to karkov for the SW front and DnepTown for the southern front. Dnep industries were evacuated a long time ago. (It was my first evacuation in fact lol).

I had still to evacuate Poltava.

Turn 9, 14th august 1941

looking at the battle report...



Stelteck is methodically bombing my plants...



I will have to send back to Germany some fighters

But back to the font line

North

Some miles given by russian units



I send my Pzk on the direct road to Leningrad

Center

100 miles from Moscow and 9 weeks of clear weather... I hope.



after my moves

60 miles from Moscow and 8 weeks of clear weather... I hope.



South

No more russians on Dniepr's banks

ORIGINAL: STEF78

Center


60 miles from Moscow and 8 weeks of clear weather... I hope.

Supply in the North is superb, supply in the center is not far behind. Thor's Hammer (Panzer's) and his Anvil (infantry) are in place in the North and Center. Thor is about to strike some Soviets down.

At this stage I'm satisfied in the center and in the north. Behind the curve in the South.

But game isn't over ... no spoil....

At this point of the game i was not expecting moscow to hold too. But retreating from dnep river south let me transfert 6/8 trained divisions from south to center.
Not very much but I was not ready to cease resistance in the south to protect moscow.

Turn 10, 21th august 1941

Well, Stelteck is methodically destroying my PzIIIJ plant in north Berlin and I haven't find the way to stop him...



Leningrad

Before my moves



Usual way. I hit the backdoor. The 31 CV stack behind the Neva will be a harder nut.

Moscowr

Russians managed to fully reopen the corridor



This time, they won't escape. Moscow 50 miles ahead... still 7 weeks of clear weather

South

Before my moves. Stelteck wants to hold the Dniepr bend.



That's fine.

ORIGINAL: STEF78

Turn 10, 21th august 1941

Well, Stelteck is methodically destroying my PzIIIJ plant in north Berlin and I haven't find the way to stop him...

Where is your airbase with at least 2-4 fighter squadrons on it? Is that your airbase at Magdeburg? I would put an Airbase with one HQ at Brandenburg to cover both areas being bombed.

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

Where is your airbase with at least 2-4 fighter squadrons on it? Is that your airbase at Magdeburg? I would put an Airbase with one HQ at Brandenburg to cover both areas being bombed.

I've set an airbase in Berlin [&:] with 3 squads but without HQ... and only daily missions.

I will improve my efficiency!

ORIGINAL: STEF78

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

Where is your airbase with at least 2-4 fighter squadrons on it? Is that your airbase at Magdeburg? I would put an Airbase with one HQ at Brandenburg to cover both areas being bombed.

I've set an airbase in Berlin [&:] with 3 squads but without HQ... and only daily missions.

I will improve my efficiency!

I would set the fighters to both day and night missions to be safe.

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

ORIGINAL: STEF78

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

Where is your airbase with at least 2-4 fighter squadrons on it? Is that your airbase at Magdeburg? I would put an Airbase with one HQ at Brandenburg to cover both areas being bombed.

I've set an airbase in Berlin [&:] with 3 squads but without HQ... and only daily missions.

I will improve my efficiency!

I would set the fighters to both day and night missions to be safe.

So 2-4 Fighter Squadrons set to a single HQ set to day and night mission, I would use the BF-110's since you are only going after bombers Set them between the area the Russian player is attacking. I would also bring a couple of HQs back (like the RHQ or any extra HQ that you have) stack some AA in that HQ. Something like 6-10 AA units in each HQ and put one in Berlin and one in Madgeburg. Fire for effect

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain
I would also bring a couple of HQs back (like the RHQ or any extra HQ that you have) stack some AA in that HQ. Something like 6-10 AA units in each HQ and put one in Berlin and one in Madgeburg.

Just remember that the Soviet bombers fly at just short of 30.000 feet, so remember to use heavy AA units with 88mm guns.

ORIGINAL: Dinglir

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain
I would also bring a couple of HQs back (like the RHQ or any extra HQ that you have) stack some AA in that HQ. Something like 6-10 AA units in each HQ and put one in Berlin and one in Madgeburg.

Just remember that the Soviet bombers fly at just short of 30.000 feet, so remember to use heavy AA units with 88mm guns.

I made an assumption that was a given on the 88's but thank you for pointing that out :-} The Bf-110's ceiling should be around 34,000ish (I believe the 109 is around 36,000ish) So no problem on ceiling height vs the Soviet bombers. Personally I just like the BF-110 because it carries a bigger punch with (2) 20mm and (4) 7.92 vs the 109's (1) 15mm & (2) 7.92. You don't have to be a nimble fighter fighting bombers, just carry a bigger BAT ;-P I'm interested to see if the fighters intercept now if this is put into action. I will be waiting to find out

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain
Personally I just like the BF-110 because it carries a bigger punch with (2) 20mm and (4) 7.92 vs the 109's (1) 15mm & (2) 7.92. You don't have to be a nimble fighter fighting bombers, just carry a bigger BAT ;-P I'm interested to see if the fighters intercept now if this is put into action. I will be waiting to find out

I did some calcualtions based on the limited information present in the manual, where I tried to figure out the dogfighting capacity of the various planes when fighting each other. The information is in the spreadsheet I publish along with my AAR versus Hermann.

In short, I compare the flight characteristics and the gun/vrs armor characteristics to come up with an estimate of which planes are best against various opponents.

In short, the reuslt is that if an aircraft can outperform the opponent it becomes a matter of having the biggest gun.

By my calculations, the best fighters for the job of shooting down IL-4's should be the Bf-110 and (surprisingly) the Bf109 E. The Bf 109E outperforms the bombers easily, but still carries a bigger punch than the Bf109 F's. Of course, the FW 190 is just way better than anything else at this stage of the war, as it outperforms everything else and carries bigger guns than everything else as well.

If you wish to check it out for yourself, download the spreadsheet, go to the tab "Dog Fighters", select the IL-4 as a reference (assuming that's the plane Stelteck uses), select the year (41) and press the filter button in column "N". Each fighter should now have an offensive rating against the IL-4's shown, The higher the value, the better the plane should be at shooting down IL-4's.

Just a warning. I think there is some uncertainty to my numbers, as I never had the combat formula of WitE to go by, but simply the information in the manual. A lot of what I do is more or less qualified guesswork.

Of course, in case of fighter comparisons, you should also check the oppositions ability to shoot down your own aircraft.

The effort you have put into the air war is really impressive Dinglir. I use your strategy as a template for my first GC as Soviets, you saved me a lot of time figuring out things myself.
I hope that your game with Hermans somehow gets to 1942/1943 so you will do the late war aircraft analysis as well [:)]