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Reopening the road to Pskov pocket is not visible on the screenie above because I take screenshots uusually at the beginning of the turn so as not to disclose too many of my Trade Mark moves [:D] So, I opened a path to pocket after the screenie is taken (and moved other units as well, bolstering defences).

Smolensk landbridge. He is using Panzers to bulldoze couple hexes each turn - NOT the way German units should be used, although I know my defence here is pretty strong.

Mini breakthrough south of Velikye Luki was closed by the end of the turn by some corrections to the frontline and operational retreats.

Dnepr. Come on man you should be crossing the big river faster! We are having a staring contest over the river for 2 turns already. This is not necessarilly bad in itself, if the German is concentrating and advancing elsewhere.

He made small bridgehead near Gomel, obviously with one of the AGM Panzer groups. I would never use AGM Panzers that much to the south, but some German players use them even further to the south, detaching them to AGS area completely, rejoining AGM well after whole Pripyat marsh area is taken.

My gut feeling tells me that is wrong, but may turn out to be interesting, perhaps smart strategy. With some very bold play opens up possibilities for huge pockets in the area east of Dnepr (but you have to cross the Dnepr first [:D]

Very hard going for Armee Gruppe Sued.

And this is extreme south of the map, at the end of my turn (all other screens are taken at the beginning of my turn). I evacuated Odessa as I didn't want to risk to get encircled there, although to tell the truth there was no danger of getting cut off for at least one turn.

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko


I am not overloaded with games, my opponents are pretty laid back (reading this James? [:D])

Yeah...and watching your continuing evolution as a player. I think there's a bad joke about lower simians, untermenschen, and ubermenschen in here somewhere, but I'll be damned if I'm the one to tell it...[;)]

Besides, I don't think that Oleg ever sleeps. That, or he's got a clone. Or, an evil twin brother. He's always online, posting at all times of the day and night, and kicks back the turns faster than I can play them. Yeah...I think Oleg might just be a Croatian Gaming Collective, having a big joke on all of us...[:D]

ORIGINAL: Encircled


...and I'm finding making the right moves while looking after my three and two year old sons next to impossible![:)]

Same here with my one-and-half year old daughter...[:)]

There has been much talk in the forum about wife/girlfriend issues. The "baby factor" has not been addressed so much , though.

Looking good overall, but I don't know that I like the idea of pulling the plug on Odessa like that. You have heavy forts around the city and he has nothing close that can kick good stacks out of there. By giving him a easy win at Odessa, you allow him to push up against the river harder in the deep south sooner because he doesn't have to commit Germans to dig Russians out of Odessa. Even if he sends a stack or two there, you can still sea lift the garrison out fast enough to get away and the diversion still served a purpose.

I also wonder if he is pushing south with some AGC armor to try to break things loose in the south.

German infantry that is 10 or so hexes NW of Odessa, could have easily pushed directly to the sea in the next turn, brushing aside 1=1 ants on their way, and cut off Odessa and troops on the Dnestr (Rumanians call that river Nistru).

IIRC I had some AGC armor operating to the south of Zhitomir in the game vs. Miller and personally I really liked the added punch they provided in the south, but progress in the center itself was fairly slow due to it.

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Looking good overall, but I don't know that I like the idea of pulling the plug on Odessa like that. You have heavy forts around the city and he has nothing close that can kick good stacks out of there. By giving him a easy win at Odessa, you allow him to push up against the river harder in the deep south sooner because he doesn't have to commit Germans to dig Russians out of Odessa. Even if he sends a stack or two there, you can still sea lift the garrison out fast enough to get away and the diversion still served a purpose.

I also wonder if he is pushing south with some AGC armor to try to break things loose in the south.

I agree, Klydon. Oleg, not keeping let's say 2 divisions in Odessa might be a mistake. Your situation down there is incredibly good, given that your opponent hasn't destroyed your SW front (just like on my first PBEM game). You've got many hordes (you could even divert minimum 20 divisions to other sensible fronts; yes, it CAN be done).

Don't forget your Odessa defenders would NOT be doomed. They would escape routed via the PORT to Crimea (that's what they did on my game after 3 heroic attacks -aka 3 turns- repulsed)! [8D] So let's say 2 rifle divisions + Coastal Army HQ might resist er during 3, 4 or MORE turns... Your opponent would be forced to capture this town. Its YES or YES. This necessary operation would force your opponent to divert minimum 6, 7 or more divisions [8D] In other words, your situation would be EVEN better [8D]

EDIT: I see my dear e-enemy (2ndACR) is here. Sorry about the turn. I'v got a whiplash injury. I swim everyday but I still have this problem. Consequences: sickness [:)]

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko

Very hard going for Armee Gruppe Sued.

Better get a good lawyer....[:)]

Turn 8 (I am commenting every other turn or when something important happens).

Things are going to get serious. He made some very nice breakthroughs in the south, and to my complete surprise took Kiev. Factories were evacuated though. All but three units from the southern pocket (which isn't really a proper pocket) escaped, units in north pocket appear to be doomed though, but I'll do my best to keep them marginally supplied for some time to keep them fighting.

Middle Dnepr, he oozed his way over the big river, but didn't get too far. Big concentration of infantry and armor near Gomel. Personally, as I already said, I would never bring my AGM armor here but other players obviously have other ideas. Where does he plan to go with all this metal? North or south?

Now he is making you think. That is good. He lost early initiative and it is hard to get it back, but this shows the game's difficulty factor for German play and that one can learn.  I bet the next PBEM he does will be far better.

Leningrad approaches, some breakthroughs even here. Not looking too frightening by Ukrainian standards, but in the north breakthrough like this is like 20 hexes straight cut in the Ukrainian plains.

This is beginning of my turn, later during the turn I readjusted my complete line abandoning that river near Lake Peipus, and taking new positions along river Luga and marshes SW of Novgorod. I also finally invested APs to organize Leningrad Front into 4 nice armies, each taking equal, and not overwhelming command load (24).

I am naturally a cautious player and if being cautious leads disaster then I'm really scared of playing as Axis.
IMHO, good game balance should give equal chance of success to cautious and aggressive play styles.  Apparently this game is not like that.
But I guess there is nothing we can do as Axis aggressiveness is a necessity based on the situation and subject matter of the game.

Oleg, try to plug gap between Novogorod and Bateckaya ASAP. If he is competent player you will find Germans around Kolpino on turn 9-10. And you don't have anything in Leningrad to stop him there.

Emir I bet he will simply try to bulldoze his way towards LG in the NNE direction. I did the psychological profiling on him [:D] Anyway I plugged all the holes.