Autumn Fog Playtesters Thread

[larryfulkerson]

I have to stop everything and reveal my game winning tactic for the far north bridge crossing. I parked a really strong Panzer unit on the bridge and then destroyed the bridge so that the Germans could attack with only "foot movement" kinds of units and from the beginning of the game he has been surviving at least two sometimes three attacks per turn. He's still in good health and ready to go on the offensive at any time and if it weren't for my being able to put the stopper in this bottleneck I would have had to deal with some really really strong Allied units and the game would have turned out differently. I used the forces allocated to cross that bridge going west, to instead, attack south against the Aachen defenders to good effect. Those Allied forces trying to cross that bridge didn't turn to the west/southwest until I cut their supply lines. I'm not sure if they are going to attack to the west/southwest or if they are just going to defend in place yet.

[larryfulkerson]

Also, I find that I'm running into major traffic manangement problems. The terrain isn't mine yet so there's the hex entrence costs, the terrain is frequently rough so there's a higher than "normal" cost to traverse the hex, and as a result of these factors the units I try to move can only manage a single hex sometimes two. As a result I've taken to using multiple routes and letting tired units sit out the turn without moving or anything.

[sPzAbt653]

Are you getting any interdiction attacks while moving?

[larryfulkerson]

I think there were a couple of times that one of my moving units got shot at and of course there is that period just before combat when the Allied interdicters go crazy attacking random units moving or not for about four attacks BUT for the most part Elmer is concentrating on my air force.  He uses every aircraft he has in each attack, seemingly, and usually gets attack results of something like 5% to my 45% losses.  I'm running short on operational aircraft.

[sPzAbt653]

Elmer has a lot of air units that are in good shape but don't appear to be doing much (all in the green). When I play the Allied side I have to rotate them (to rest) to keep them all from being in the red. Maybe I've got some setting wrong, or something. The Allied airpower should have an effect on the Germans, as when the weather wasn't bad the Germans said they couldn't move during the day without bringing the Jabos down on their heads.

I find that putting enough fighters on Air Superiority to keep ahead of the German AS level, putting the rest of the fighters on interdiction, and all the bombers on combat support, makes it difficult on the Germans to get anything done. Not impossible, but a nuisance.

[sPzAbt653]

The terrain isn't mine yet so there's the hex entrence costs, the terrain is frequently rough so there's a higher than "normal" cost to traverse the hex, and as a result of these factors the units I try to move can only manage a single hex sometimes two.

Plus the blizzards affect movement. [:'(]

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: sapper32
Hi Larry just checked out 21 to 25 looks like Elmer has had it

Um......there's a tiny problem. Here's the front lines as of 50% through turn 31. The question is if I should I try to destroy the Allied troops in the far right south corner? I know the event list calls for the appearance of some Allied troops to appear there if I get too close but so far they haven't appeared and I'm thinking that they won't if I don't push the issue with them. So I'm wondering if I should mount an expedition down there to destroy them or just do the rest of the Allies and maybe come back to this issue at a latter time if at all. What do you think?

[larryfulkerson]

I think maybe I might have found part of the problem with Elmer leaving holes. He tends to "clump" his units together to get "unit strength parity" with my high powered Panzer unit by ganging up several units until their combined strength gives it a fighting chance against my Panzer and doing that leaves holes in his lines. It's just a theory but maybe that's what's happening. Here's an example: When Elmer first moved his units into this area they were spread out and formed a line but the next turn when confronted by my Panzer(s) he clumped his units and voila` there's a hole.

EDIT: Hey.......what's the record for the number of posts by a member? I've got 7377 now. Is that a record?

[sPzAbt653]

What do you think?

I'd clear the map starting up north and working my way south. That ensures you get stronger as you go, while ELmer has less room for manuever. Then any extra units that arrive in the south will have little or no effect. Then at some point you will have the map locked up and can declare unanimous victory!

Did the surrounded units up north around Weert make any attempt to break out? I hate supply points but I might need to put a couple on the northern map edge.

[larryfulkerson]

Um......the dudes around Wert didn't even make it known I was in their rear until I cut their supply. Some supply points are definately needed, at least one around Wert maybe. I'm attaching a picture of the turn 32 situation. I've started to shrink the perimeter some and they are fighting back sporatically except for around the bridge which seems to be a key objective or something.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the next collection of AARs.......this one for turns 26 through 30:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/12/14 ... 6 - 30.zip

[sPzAbt653]

Good advice. I'll put some supply in the Weert area, and if Antwerp is taken it will be affected. Checking your save files, I think I'll also do something to help the Canadians. They seem to have arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653
...I think I'll also do something to help the Canadians. They seem to have arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I hadn't noticed a problem with the Canadians....what was the problemo?

[sPzAbt653]

The problem I created with the Canadians is that they arrive in the nick of time to save the day, but in a location where they are most likely cut off from supply by Obergruppenfuhrer Fulkerson! And the 53rd Welsh Infantry Division, which I tasked with protecting that supply line to Antwerp, doesn't appear to be up to the task.

However, as I am still cranky about placing supply points, I think I have a different idea as to how to remedy the situation. A revised 7.0 will come your way this week. [:D]

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines early in turn 37.  I've captured Brussles and some other west border burgs and the Allies are still coming at me in bits and pieces, wihch is one of the fortunate events of this scenario.  As long as I can kill them faster than they can arrive I think I may have it made.  The British Armour division tasked to protect Antwerp arrived too late to take over the city and I'm in the process of reducing the defenders, etc.

[sPzAbt653]

You've done way better than my last try at this point. It seems that concentrating on eliminating the Allied units in the Aachen area first is the difference. The Aachen area always seems too tough and time consuming to me, congratualtions on an excellent job! [&o]



The screen shot is from my turn 37.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653
It seems that concentrating on eliminating the Allied units in the Aachen area first is the difference.
The Aachen area always seems too tough and time consuming to me, congratualtions on an excellent job!

So um.....I remembered the tough times I've had going through the Aachen area before so I thought I'd try sending some Panzers through there and so the first theater option I sent to the "middle" and the next theater option I sent to "north" because I remembered that huge British armour unit that I can't seem to be able to stop.

This is about the 10th time I've been though this exercise ( as the Germans ) and I think maybe I'm getting better at it.

I was thinking of maybe doing the next playtest of this bad boy as PBEM even if I have to watch both playbacks each time ( LOL ). That way we'd have a save file of each turn and the beginners can see what I moved when and in what order etc. Also, I'd have an archive of each move I made that way. What do you think of that idea?

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the next collection of AARs:    This one is for turns 31 through 35 and I've included some SAL files in the zip:


http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/12/14 ... 1 - 35.zip

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the next collection of AARs.  This one is for turns 36 through 40 and there's some SAL files in the zip file as well.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/12/14 ... 6 - 40.zip

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the mini-movie for turns 1 - 10: