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There is a part of me that wants to take Gorky. I know, I know...it would be a stupid drive with all four armies. Maybe I shouldn't have joked about it before, now I am fixated.

Truly impressive.....what's your tally on VPs? Any chance of getting a decisive here in summer '42?

Probably not in 42. I think I am 38 points short at the moment.

ORIGINAL: PeeDeeAitch

As always, don't read too much into my plans. Some are plans, some are jokes, some are whims, some are just playing with arrows.

Not just arrows, but arrows and circles, in the same message!

I think I am going to have a go at a rhombus next time.

Ah, the "Rhombus" strategy

One of Alexanders favourites if I remember correctly

" One of Alexanders favourites if I remember correctly "

i believe your mistaken that strategy actually dates all the way back to Rhombulus and Remus

Turn 58

After resting for a bit, needed as some of the panzer corps had less tanks than the average Soviet street cleaning detail, it was time to jump into the fray. Sadly, my "turn before creep up close to the line really in plain sight of everyone so that where I was going to attack" plan was spotted, and Cpt Flam pulled back to defend a couple of rivers. Rats.

Still, I hurt him, badly, in the Spring, and the awesome power of nearly 3 panzer armies combined to make a hole in the line, and an exploitation through. The 3rd Panzer Army sits on the rails this turn, waiting its turn.

What is my goal - Saratov? Kuybyshev (-yshevy)? Gorky? Stalingrad? Who knows, this plan opened a lot of options for me.

(note - the astute reader will see that in the attack I am always using massed tanks - even with the losses I handed out, the Red Army is better, they can hold longer, and they no longer shatter like the last one to miss the cut. This is how I got through the 3-4 lines in my encirclement, it is how I got through the lines here. When that last corps or two makes it to the clear, it is a fun time.)

Oh, and for those asking. I am at 252 VP. I need to basically clear out the Volga to get auto-victory...good luck...

In your campaign and in mine, the Germans seem to have bounced back immediately after the blizzard, with no recuperation period whatsoever. Do you think that all of the complaining about badly the Germans get hurt during the blizzard is overdone? Sure seems like it to me...

I think the changes in 1.03, which removed the bugs for TOE upgrades and made replacements not of such abysmal training levels, made things better. As the German players start to learn how to face the blizzard, they will notice the 1942 bounce back more. Those units that were unready or kicked around in blizzard are still mostly not worthy in the spring, but keeping them out of harm in the deep snow helps things.

Wow, two Guards awarded air bases for your opponent.

76mm - Blizzard really hurt my German infantry. Panzers came through OK, and I used them in the blizzard. But my infantry is really struggling to get all at 60% TOE - which means there's no way I'll be able to conduct a mass offensive across the entire front, but rather I'll be limited to where I can mass my infantry over 60% - those from reinforcements or those I've managed to bring up to strength.

And this was without a major Soviet success during blizzard - just the attrition and constant Soviet attacks.

On thing is true - the infantry is nowhere what it was in 1941, and that is as it should be. I have some good units, and I have some 2-3 CV units too. Still, I slap them on the back and send them into battle, because I have little regard for the whining of little pixel soldiers.

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76mm - Blizzard really hurt my German infantry. Panzers came through OK, and I used them in the blizzard. But my infantry is really struggling to get all at 60% TOE - which means there's no way I'll be able to conduct a mass offensive across the entire front, but rather I'll be limited to where I can mass my infantry over 60% - those from reinforcements or those I've managed to bring up to strength.

And this was without a major Soviet success during blizzard - just the attrition and constant Soviet attacks.

Interesting, thanks.

A bad sign.

The summer offensive plows along, railheads close to the advances mean further bounds by the tanks (thought their morale is lower than in the previous year, having 3 of the 4 panzer armies cutting swaths to the Volga means they move fast).

Still, a worrisome appearance this turn - a guards corps...stronger than any division I have. Urk
(note the promised rhombus)

Still, overall the Spring Offensive, now in the history books as "Operation Rather Large Encirclement Leading to Good Things" has meant far fewer active defenders than expected. I might, repeat - MIGHT - be able to either win or win by not losing so big that I lose. Whatever.

So much for foregone conclusions...

Here is a zoom out of the 3 Panzer Army Shawoolah manuever that appears headed to Stalingrad. I hope for good things from 200 Panzer Divisions!

Why am I doing so good? I have hurt the Red Army. I did long range blows to his armaments (I targeted these in 1941), and now I am hurting him. 4 million casualties by winter, 2.5 million more by August of 1942. I will keep pretending that I myself am not hurting until I can't pretend any longer.

Of course, I am hurting. Here is a shot of what was the strongest infantry division I had when spring started. Poor guys.

The front lines, turn 60.

I still have a real chance in the next 2 months to make some hay. I think the Volga should be held by my Italian, Romanian, and Hungarian allies while I smash into Stalingrad.