The Great Patriotic AAR II (No Michael T please)

[randallw]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Pelton, I think the key to defeating this sort of thing is to make use of regimental reserves as Bob explained a while back. A single German mobile regiment reacting can usually shut down a hasty attack, even in blizzard. Reserves, and I'm not sure why this is so, are disproportionately strong in defense reactions. This is equally true on the Soviet side; a single rifle division reacting in reserve mode is stronger than that same division actually defending the hex directly. Reserves seem to get some kind of surprise bonus. (True also I think for offensive reserves, and if both sides get reserve activations, they can cancel each other out.) I'm not sure what's going on here exactly, the code is a mystery, but that's what I see happening.

Reserves, by the rules, have no enemy unit adjacent to them, thusly no fatigue from attrition.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Pelton
After getting some great advice from other players reserves work amazing good defending. Atleast winning and extra 36% of battle and more.

I've seen defensive reserves in action and they seem pretty effective in forcing the Sovs to commit large forces to virtually every attack. That said, when reserves are committed and the battle is lost anyway, from what I've seen the reserve units take a beating, thus increasing the rate of attrition, which I am not sure is a good thing for the Germans. Have any German players done any cost/benefit analysis on this?

The tricky thing is that if the Sovs commit too much strength to a battle, reserves are not committed; at some point Sov players should try to figure out how many forces to attack with to trigger reserve commitment but still achieve a victory.

[Klydon]

I think there is a period in the game where German reserves are very effective, but only up to a certain point in time for the reasons 76mm mentioned. At some point, most Russian attacks are going to succeed anyway with extra heavy losses to the reserve unit. The decision to stop using reserves as much will be a tricky one for the German and likely depend on time, map position, and state of forces. It is also a shell game as well between the two sides with the Russians likely forced to do fewer attacks, etc when they think the Germans have loaded the front with a lot of reserve units. If the Russians don't believe there is much in the way of reserves, there will be just that many more attacks.

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: Pelton

glvaca I have eaten some humble pie in the past hehehe and probably will again.

Don't we all? [;)]

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: Pelton
After getting some great advice from other players reserves work amazing good defending. Atleast winning and extra 36% of battle and more.

I've seen defensive reserves in action and they seem pretty effective in forcing the Sovs to commit large forces to virtually every attack. That said, when reserves are committed and the battle is lost anyway, from what I've seen the reserve units take a beating, thus increasing the rate of attrition, which I am not sure is a good thing for the Germans. Have any German players done any cost/benefit analysis on this?

The tricky thing is that if the Sovs commit too much strength to a battle, reserves are not committed; at some point Sov players should try to figure out how many forces to attack with to trigger reserve commitment but still achieve a victory.

The reserve tactic is good from late 42 to late 43/early 44. The time frame depends on how good the german player did during 41/42 summers. It basicly can buy the GHC 6 to 12 months

Some games the German army in 43 is huge an can take allot of losses. Its another one of the knifes edge things.

The game basicly centers around Moscow now, which it should. The manpower hit from its lose is huge.

[Phanatikk]

I'm considering getting the game.

So, what's a "mule" or "muling." I assume muling is a verb. heh hee

[hfarrish]

Doesn't matter since the rules have eliminated it. Had to do with a supply build up mechanism that could be abused by convoluted HQ shifting...

[Peltonx]

Its nerfed not totaly gone.