HITMAN202 versus THEPRO's Sean is welcomed ... Sillyflower is allowed.

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

ORIGINAL: sillyflower


1 Only do it to those who can cope and who can fight back. In forum terms the latter means never trashtalking Canadians.

Ouch!

Writing the above is the only way to test my belief that they are just too well-mannered

[HITMAN202]

I hate to take unfair advantage of Sillyflower (though he has no remorse of taking rules to a game (a game, by the way, which he thinks he is very skilled at) that horribly favors his side and pretends to compete against a pleasant opponenet who is naive to what is going to transpire ...kinda sounds like kicking a puppy !!! .... please MT ... this is no way refering to your game against Bobo, for you did play the "unfavored side", but again it was against an opponenet who you had drubbed twice before and during the third contest intentionally "used" ... this word has an illegal ring to it, game strategies that could only be describes as ... unfair ???? ) particularly seeing the sad picture history paints of his island nation who's greatest battles tend to be against against close family members (a little timely family counseling and commuication skills could have gone a long way)....

Sillyflower admits (no boasts) about his trash-talking skills. He further ridicules me for my lack of the same. Unfortunalely people trash-talk to make up for a lack of talent. Think of the best illustrations of it; in sporting events. Trash-talking occurs when athletes fail to score a point, make a play, or whatever. It's their attempt to take the focus off their own shortcomings.

Now you may wonder why I'm participating in this worthless banter. Guys, you got to defend yourself !!!! So I will.

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: HITMAN202



Sillyflower admits (no boasts) about his trash-talking skills. He further ridicules me for my lack of the same. Unfortunalely people trash-talk to make up for a lack of talent. Think of the best illustrations of it; in sporting events. Trash-talking occurs when athletes fail to score a point, make a play, or whatever. It's their attempt to take the focus off their own shortcomings.

Now you may wonder why I'm participating in this worthless banter. Guys, you got to defend yourself !!!! So I will.

A bit harsh Hitxxxx [;)]. It's hardly as if I called you a Canuck[:D]. You don't lack the basic skill, just the courage (? lack of manners) to go with the true Hitman persona. Don't worry about offending me. You won't.

I don't follow sports so your analogy means little. Now, if you used the comparison because few sportsmen can string together a coherent sentence (subject,verb,object rather than cliché,cliche,cliche), that might be a sign that you are getting there after all. I did say yanks were quick learners. Harsh is good.

[randallw]

ORIGINAL: sillyflower

I'm a bit worried about this 'spanking' comment. It reads rather like a supressed wish on his part. Such sentiments are more appropriately expressed to the lovely Mrs H than to me.

Now that's corporal punishment!

Yay to me for being the first to do this ever so obvious joke.

[Scook_99]

She's a three striper though, which means she's just under the officers!

[HITMAN202]

Blizzard Plans .... Blizzard Plans .... Blizzard Plans

A big problem in learning this game is that a beginner can look at (or even study) an AAR and learn a lot of little facts, but not get a good feel for an overall plan. Probably this is the case even more for blizzard. Why ??? You don't have the big, sweeping advances (Germans) or the flocking of troops to defend (Soviets) each sector that make for great screen shots as in the first 17 game turns, so there's less motivation.

But there's a bigger reason, I think, that creates the problem for a NOOBE to learn this difficult phase of the game (for the Axis.) AAR's in which the Germans have a successful blizzard are so "boring" that not a lot is discussed and AAR's that are German disasters are quickly ended.

So this will be an attempt to give an explaination (right or wrong) for what a German player is doing.

I'm planning a "fail-safe" blizzard - against THEPRO'S; one that offers little risk for getting many Axis units isolated. I have seen many great players struggle during their first (or even second) blizzard. Sapper222-Harrybanna is an example of a great German player getting roughed up (it wasn't a disaster) and Bomazz-hooooper (which was a first-class disaster) .

First my pre-blizzard retreat plans..

[HITMAN202]

[HITMAN202]

Explanation ....


The red line I estimated will be my pre-blizzard Axis/Soviet front and the green line my planned maximum, stress maximum, withdrawl during the bitter frost.

The black numbers are the turns needed for the Russians to reach that section of the retreat line if the Axis retreat 2 hexes per turns at the onset of blizzard.

The dotted black line is a zone in which I plan not to have a maximum retreat line. This will allow to to cover this area with a minimal # of units so that I can concentrate more units on the fall-back line that the Soviets will reach in 2-6 turns after the onset of blizzard.

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: randallw


Now that's corporal punishment!

Corporal Punishment leaves the army and becomes Dr Hitman. It makes sense as career progression

[smokindave34]

What are your plans for your elite infantry and panzer/motorized divisions during the blizzard? It used to be fashionable to ship them all back to Germany so they would not lose any morale. This may work against some less experienced Soviets but I would not recommend it in your case.

I think a better plan is to keep as many of your "elite" units in cities/urban areas as close to the front as possible and use them for limited counterattacks during January/February (don't waste your time in December - it's pointless to even have multiple panzers divisions attack a lone tank brigade). Just be careful to keep you rail lines open so that you can get your "elite" units to the front when the invebitable crisis arises.

[HITMAN202]

I'm working a lot of that out (more specifics later.. I want a pretty good "cook book" to the ultra-conservative approach of what to do to survive blizzard), but my initial plans is to have 2 Pz Corp (8 div) close to Lake Ilmen and 1 in front of Moscow area with the other 4 Corp in hibernation, a railway turn away from quick deployment. I'm planning to keep 1-2 Corp in safe haven the entire blizzard, but who knows.

In terms of elite infantry the I and II Infantry Div under Model and Rendulic are going to Odessa to snuff out my problem there then I'll house I Corp near Smolensk and II Corp south of that. But I'll comment more later.

Sillyflower, it'll be a few more days to do my turn because I want to get stuff figured out well. I'm having to figure stuff out, the hard way. for example...

[Michael T]

There is absolutely no reason to give any territory away between Leningrad and Kaluga. Sure south of that run a few hexes each turn, you have the space. But north of Kaluga you still have time to condence your line and build lvl 2 forts. The Soviets will die in their droves trying to push you back in that area. Have guys digging that will form a flank line West of Kaluga, as they will push to the south of it in a west or northwest direction. Let them punch thin air in the south and break thier fists in the north against a brick wall. Get your Mtn dudes up North as well. They can bash back any incursions or make certain hexes almost impregnable. Are you rabbit or lion?

[Michael T]

Another thing is that with this rule that has not been in play regarding national morale. Now that it is being used there is less reason to be so precious with your high morale Mech units, especially the SS. All SS to the north, hold firm.

[HITMAN202]

I'm a thoroughbred terrificus cuniculus. MT, if a make a big stand this blizzard and get my head handed to me (which may never-the-less happen in spit of my plans) Sillyflower and Belphegor may retire from active WITE play just from the ecstasy of spilling my blood. But I am in the planning process and will share specific plans.

For example I've learned that a 10% level 2 fort can be easily be built in clear and forest hexes thru the 4 turns of mud/ 3 turns of snow post turn 17, but in swamp hexes only 40-80% level 1 fort.

Also that with a fortification (and another unit) during the same time span, in clear terrain a 10% level 3 fort, in forest terrain a 50 % level 2 fort , and in swamp terrain a 80-90 % level 1 fort can be constructed. I'm learning, slowly...

[Michael T]

Swamps don't need lvl 2 forts. Strangely in this game they retain their CV mod even when frozen. Unlike old boardgames that treat frozen swamp as clear. Go figure.

[HITMAN202]

Not to seem too dense, how does the new morale rule specifically impact play ??? Normally in blizzard zone you lose 2 morale per turn (out of safe havens) and 2 per combat down to a max low of 50. How would the new morale rule change this ????

A scared rabbit (a very scared little rabbit) needs a lot of reasons not to run.

[Michael T]

After the blizzard is over your morale should recover up to the national morale, 70 in 1942. With a few victorious battles your SS and Mech units should get back up between 80-85.

This was problematic prior to the latest beta as this rule was not being implemented.

9.1.1. Ground Unit Morale Changes

The morale of a unit will increase when it is successful in combat (holds on defense or retreats the defender when attacking). The morale of a unit may also increase during the friendly logistics phase due to any and all of the following circumstances:

The unit's morale is below 50, and it is in refit mode.

The unit's morale is below 50, and it is more than 10 hexes away from the nearest enemy unit.

The unit’s morale is below its national morale. In this case it can recover as much as 10% of the national morale but not more than the country's national morale (Example: German national morale is 70 in 1942 so a unit could recover 7 per turn, not to exceed 70 for a non-elite unit).

The unit is in a very good supply and support situation and its morale is less than 75. If Die (75) is greater than the unit's morale than a gain for this situation is possible

The third point being the rule in question. The flip side is Russian units, even the pathetic sub 40 morale dudes will quickly reach max morale. With obvious effects on the German summer campaign.

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: Michael T

After the blizzard is over your morale should recover up to the national morale, 70 in 1942. With a few victorious battles your SS and Mech units should get back up between 80-85.

This was problematic prior to the latest beta as this rule was not being implemented.

9.1.1. Ground Unit Morale Changes

The morale of a unit will increase when it is successful in combat (holds on defense or retreats the defender when attacking). The morale of a unit may also increase during the friendly logistics phase due to any and all of the following circumstances:

The unit's morale is below 50, and it is in refit mode.

The unit's morale is below 50, and it is more than 10 hexes away from the nearest enemy unit.

The unit’s morale is below its national morale. In this case it can recover as much as 10% of the national morale but not more than the country's national morale (Example: German national morale is 70 in 1942 so a unit could recover 7 per turn, not to exceed 70 for a non-elite unit).

The unit is in a very good supply and support situation and its morale is less than 75. If Die (75) is greater than the unit's morale than a gain for this situation is possible

The third point being the rule in question. The flip side is Russian units, even the pathetic sub 40 morale dudes will quickly reach max morale. With obvious effects on the German summer campaign.

Great point, but Hitman has to think long term also. He is simply not going to defeat SHC in 1942, hes playing a very good team.

As has been pointed out in another thread, GHC armament points down the road Jan 44 to Dec 44 is a crushing weight.
Because of up-grades and a very very slow conversion of units to upgraded lvls GHC has to save as many arm pts as possible.

The fixed NM bug is a game changer for sure, but Hitman can't afford to lose 20+ divisions during blizzard. Cav Corp can move faster then GHC infantry. 10 divisions is borderline. I completely agree that they will get to 70 easly, but the lost armament pts is big long run as everything in this game snowballs.

For sure I will be rethinking blizzard defences, but Dec is still Dec and any lost divisions causes a snowball effect now bigger then before because the replasment system is slower then a snail.

[Michael T]

If there is a bug in the late game I am sure it will get fixed by the the time this game gets to 44.

We obviously differ on how to approach the blizzard. Hitman can make up his own mind. My kind of strategy does require a high level of skill. Running requires nil. Risk versus reward as usual.

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: Michael T

If there is a bug in the late game I am sure it will get fixed by the the time this game gets to 44.

We obviously differ on how to approach the blizzard. Hitman can make up his own mind. My kind of strategy does require a high level of skill. Running requires nil. Risk versus reward as usual.

We have yet to see your blizzard skill or late war skill, its all simply talk for you and nothing to back it up.

Your a newbie after Dec 1941 until we see a game, nothing personal just simply the down side of your success.

I do not see them fixing the issue or they would have after Wolf and Bear hot patch.

Runing requires nil as you would know running as SHC, so again it cuts both ways not one. Sounds nice, but you run like a rabbit in the south as SHC.