AGS alternate/historical opening (or not using the Lvov gambit)

[Walloc]

ORIGINAL: OddBall2
. but it seems to me that once your pass the Donbas cities you are just flaying around on the steppe with nothing to aim for. Has anyone ever seen an Axis player take Baku?

Just like to say that isnt the same as it couldnt have happened. IMO there two reasons why this isnt seen. First games where it was a possbility tend to stop before cuz russian side surrenders.
In the other cases where it was an possibility it becomes a result of the Victory conditions and we have seen ppl getting 260/290 VP wins. As there is so few cities in the Caucasus per area/distance. Then when ppl are going for a victory there isnt much point in focus on a Caucasus advance vs a advance in middle as there is many more cities aka VP there than down south.
One can then ofc discuss whether VP conditions are correct or not, but that is another discussion.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

[Balou]

ORIGINAL: OddBall2

While one can see the case against the Romanian gambit needing to be nerfed for political reasons. I question the Lvov pocket debate. I have read nearly all the AAR's. It seems that it really has no long term effect on the game. Everybody seems to get "X" distance to the east in the south. Even the AAR's with the Axis reaching Don/Donets line in 41 still have to retreat in the winter. The Germans cannot win on all three fronts at the same time. If the Axis focus on the south then Leningrad and Moscow survive. Having the Germans 500 miles east of the north and central fronts just means having to retreat to shorten the line in 42/43. Maybe in the hands of some of the top players they can push east enough to turn the tide. but it seems to me that once your pass the Donbas cities you are just flaying around on the steppe with nothing to aim for. Has anyone ever seen an Axis player take Baku?

IMO a successful Lvov is not intended to permit Baku. But it has been used as a means to speed up things for the Axis in the South. Because the south is the place where to neutralize a lot of manpower. And even though the Axis may have to abandon territory in blizzard, manpower center losses can do a lot of harm to a soviet (re)build up in 41/42.

[Peltonx]

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