FIFTY SHADES OF WiTE: SILLYFLOWER V BRIANG

[sillyflower]

Charlie

Whilst you are correct in theory, I hava said before that I was a lawyer so I like boring - when I'm on the defensive anyway [:)]

[sillyflower]

T34 and it's now February.
Losses at turn start were a mere 12.6K t0 4.7K Russians - the lowest yet as Brian's O pretty much grinds to a halt [:)].He did howver try his hand at airbase and HQ bombing (allowed in this game) so air losses were a better 6G to 48R.

Near Moscow, the Wehrmacht starts to shrug off the cold by launching a small offensive northwards to catch some Russians who were getting careless about flank security



I tried to do some in picture text but mis-typed [8|]. Should be 4 divs in the pocket + 1 tk x

[sillyflower]

The other area where life stirs is just north of the Crimea



As our gallant Rumanian and Slovak allies advance as best they can, units from 1st Pz army form up near Z town in preparation for an offensive to cut off and destroy those Bolsheviks who boldly advanced where no Russian should have advanced. The East flank of his advance is all clear terrain to it makes more sense to start here rather that at Nikolaev. Also, I hope that being slightly further away will increase the chances of achieving operational surprise.

Preparations have been somewhat hampered by the increased costs of railing units under .08 so only half the army is available for use next turn, but more will arrive next week. I have no idea what forces are in the area of the 3 crossing into the Crimea because I did not want to risk tipping him off about what I'm planning. The 2 options are either to go south and straight over the Sivash to Dzhanoy, or else to close up to the crossing point but then head west to cut off any retreat back into the Crimea. The soviet rail head is only at the hex between Armyansk and Kalanchak, so most of his troops will have a long march to reach it.

[sillyflower]

DUPLICATE

[sillyflower]

T35 and the game tempo starts to warm up a bit in the deep south, even if the weather has not, as my blizzard O kicks off. I was relieved to see that Brian had not legged it back to the Crimea. He has since told me that his recce did not see anything. 'YEEEEE HAW!' I think the expression is, though no doubt Hitman will be able to correct y'all if I have mis-spelt it.



We reach the entrance to the Crimea despite the best efforts of an inf xx which XXX Panzer xxx had to chase all the way down the railroad. Most of the communists north of the Crimea will struggle to get back in time as they are too far from a friendly rail hex. Our Gallant Rumanian allies plant themselves on their foes wherever possible in order to slow any retreat ( I MP to leave a ZOC and his units will have kept more fatigue and will probably have fewer MPs as well.

[sillyflower]

Thoughts on T35

Losses at start of turn were 15K to 12K, but 2.3K to 29.4K in turn thanks to clearing out the pocket of 5 divs and 1 brigade just N of Moscow.

Nothing else happened elsewhere except that in the Russian T34 the magnificent 12 Pz slaughters another 2,000 Bolsheviks for the loss of only 35 men. Not to be outdone, 6 inf xx 2 hexes SE of Moscow survives 9 ground and air attacks, losing only 613 men for 4.7K Russians.

[shermanny]

The current game engine makes the Germans very powerful. I tried a H2H of Kursk43 wearing both hats so to speak, and the Germans were able to make insane gains on turn 1 and eventually convert that into a pocket with several divisions. There's just no relation to history. (Historically, the Germans got stood up just about at the start line in the North, and made quite limited gains in the South which, after 2 weeks, were seen as insufficient for the price. The attack was wound down and the Germans pulled back to their start lines.

You have been fortunate in catching the ebb and flow of German relative power at high tide, right in time for a blowout 1942 summer campaign. With the situation you'd achieved already, a win would have been likely in any case, but this figures to make it rather a parade than a war.

[sillyflower]

I agree that .08 is far too pro-German. It makes it too difficult for the Russians to have any sort of offensive until units on both sides have much more equal morale. Reining back the current counter-attack/withdrawl problem will improve things greatly. A shame as otherwise >08 improved the game a lot but I have high hopes of .09 from what Morvael has posted. I still think that the full fat blizzard rule should become the norm again though to re-balance '42

I have another game as Russians lined up but we are not starting until .09 is out.

In terms of this game, I would like some credit for my summer O as that was done under .07 which did not do the LW any favours [8D].

[charlie0311]

Nope, the net of .08 is pro-soviet, the selected evidence you have presented, ie, brian fighting forward has ignored the sov strengths.

go ahead, ask me why. or don't if i'm too much of a threat to your status. Whew, charlie that was unnecessary, yeah, yeah, i know, fun anyway. let's see.

[sillyflower]

I would never claimed that a single game can allow for definitive general pronouncements and I think I said as much at the start of this AAR

My other (Russian) game is a currently in Jan '41 with essentially the same HRs as in this game. .08 makes it impossible to have a half decent blizzard O even though I have a very strong Russian army after and hardly any lost factories. I do know how to do a good blizzard O even with a mild winter as many opponents can testify. However in both games since the new patch every R attack against Germans, and sometimes vs the weaker allies, ends up with a c/attack or withdraw result. This massively changes the ratio of losses. German losses are now so low that they will be OP'd in '42. My opinion therefore derives from playing both sides, although only in the early game.

Your experience is always very welcome Charlie. The more evidence there is, as opposed to mere assertion, the better any further changes will be. If you can show that I'm wrong, maybe Shermanny will have to give me more of the credit if/when I beat Brian.............. and that would hardly be a threat to my status[:D]

[charlie0311]

Silly, you are correct about the losses. I offered and offered and offered evidence from AI games and got ZERO takers, plenty of "AI doesn't count" type remarks. My hvh games now are password protected and you may not have my password. Thank you.

Since you didn't bother to ask, as I suspected, I will answer, briefly anyway. The sov strength, '41, defensive strength that is, is in DISTANCE. The sov objective for blizzard "O" is to increase the combat power of the army, as in 18 gds cav xxx and about 60 gd rd, with many more eligible. That is success enough because you can now deal well with the '42 axis panzer ball. Then the sov may take the initiative in winter 42.

Yes the remark about status was out of line, but, I don't care. Have at me, and don't forget all your pals.

I do realize that when you say "I agree that .08 is far to pro-German" you really mean something else, more nuanced I think they say, some such baloney.

[charlie0311]

ps, there is a nice "super gamey" trick now available to the sov player. I will leave it to the resident geniuses to find.

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: charlie0311

ps, there is a nice "super gamey" trick now available to the sov player. I will leave it to the resident geniuses to find.

Not interested in finding tx if it amounts to what I have termed as unacceptable in a thread I started a while back about what was acceptable - at that time in the context of nt killing surrounded russian units.

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: charlie0311

My hvh games now are password protected and you may not have my password. Thank you.

You can present info from your games without giving away your password - indeed rather more effectively

[timmyab]

ORIGINAL: sillyflower
In terms of this game, I would like some credit for my summer O as that was done under .07 which did not do the LW any favours [8D].

I think 8.07 was probably easier overall for the Axis player during the 41 summer campaign than 8.08. Either way you deserve credit for basically demolishing an experienced Soviet player.

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: charlie0311

The sov strength, '41, defensive strength that is, is in DISTANCE. The sov objective for blizzard "O" is to increase the combat power of the army, as in 18 gds cav xxx and about 60 gd rd, with many more eligible. That is success enough because you can now deal well with the '42 axis panzer ball. Then the sov may take the initiative in winter 42.


I do realize that when you say "I agree that .08 is far to pro-German" you really mean something else, more nuanced I think they say, some such baloney.

1 Distances have not changed and the German can get further than many think under current version using basic techniques of being careful with MPs, judicious use of HQBU and air resupply. No hint of any exploit needed which is just as well because I don't know any. I have not started a game under .08 so I don't know what difference the reduction in G trucks makes so I may be missing something.

Objective of blizzard O has to be to weaken the Nazi's ability to do a decisive '42 O. That means weakening the Wehrmacht which of course also means strengthening the Soviet ability to defend in '42. The reduced effectiveness of soviet attacks I mentioned mean that increasing soviet offensive power eg with cav xxx is not as useful as it was.

I meant what I said about .08. Why would I do otherwise [&:]?

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: timmyab

I think 8.07 was probably easier overall for the Axis player during the 41 summer campaign than 8.08. Either way you deserve credit for basically demolishing an experienced Soviet player.

If you have done both, I must defer. I don't think that any current AAR started with .08 but they don't say either way.

[charlie0311]

Interesting that when timmy speaks no remarks about "mere assertions" and demand for evidence.

[charlie0311]

maybe he made the "de riguer" gesture of credit to the mighty, you beat a good player, and yes you did, a good player who made a poor choice, fighting forward, maybe that has something to do with distance? Don't use exploits either, didn't seem to bother my opponent any when I hinted enough for him to find it.

[RKhan]

ORIGINAL: sillyflower
In terms of this game, I would like some credit for my summer O as that was done under .07 which did not do the LW any favours [8D].

Your summer O is high on my reading list. Especially as I spent my first ever game trying to work out the same offence you did in the south, only to later see how you did it better. [:)]