The Red Menace (Topeverest vs Admiral Kamikaze)

[SigUp]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

A few questions -
is there a limit to the number of armies that can be deployed under a front? Do they count against points total?
I don't seem to be able to build many types of brigades. Is there an 'activation' date for these brigades?
I need help thinking about airpower. While I am moving to mass the airpower for a winter offensive, I am pretty in the dark on tactics.

The is no limit, but yes, the count against the command capacity cap. Some people avoid to overload fronts at all costs. Other like Flav say it's no problem to put 5 armies under a front and slightly overload it. The armies themselves shouldn't be overloaded, so hold them under 18 CP.

For Soviet unit creation date, refer to this list:
tm.asp?m=2882717

[topeverest]

Here are losses. Don't really have a gauge to know if I am doing OK.

[topeverest]

Here are the totals...

[topeverest]

Fins making progress despite me putting a bunch of units up there. Kinda disappointing. My esteemed opponent
is a very thorough attacker. He consistently finds the weakest spot.

[topeverest]

germans pusles strength to push a line over the Luga despite my best efforts. Was a well planned massed attack, and confirms my assumptions that if the germans want a hex, I cannot hold it. You will see how little attacking he is doing.

Still haven't decided if to give up Leningrad rather than burn units. It still is 7 or so turns until weather goes bad, so that seems a very long time
to hold it.

[topeverest]

Enemy's ,main advance. pushing due east to Moscow. I am withdrawing to limit opportunity for pocket blitzing.

[topeverest]

Enemy force across aat Kiev, and I made a general withdrawal. I really thought I could hold, but lesson learned.

[topeverest]

Quite quiet here. Withdrawling without any pressure to prevent strategic salient.

[topeverest]

My armies still in full retreat or withdrawal, I have been able to get away most industry, but I am worried that I will lose Moscow given the unstobbability of the enemy.

[SigUp]

Losses are okay in my eyes. But I think you gave up the area around Vyazma and Rzhev too easily. Forests plus forts could have severely slowed down the Germans.

[loki100]

I'd suggest rethink the South.

German logistics are now going to be the big constraint, not the size of your army. You'll struggle to get properly dug in anywhere and the terrain doesn't help. I'd have a couple of armies up towards Moscow - do a general shuffle so that SW Front takes over ground from Bryansk Front.

You've not given yourself much room at Moscow having lost the Vyazma-Rzhev line. I'd suggest reinforce and hit back. The 1-1 ... 2-1 rule and the extent that the combat system favours mass (so even 1-2 can work out) are your friends here.

[topeverest]

good feedback...I am stinging from shooting myself in the foot. I cant help but think my opponent might be taking it easy on me, since I am still on training wheels.

[topeverest]

Soviets launched their first counterattacks, and all but one succeeded. About half were local attacks at exposed units. Southeast of Kiev, the Germans created a foothold. I pulsed in my reserves and threw back most of the assault. Still too early to say if it was the right thing to do, but in most cases, I pulsed back the armor after the attack.

The main assaults continue to be up the coast towards Leningrad and straight east to Moscow. Both assaults are balls forward street fights with little maneuver. My opponent is just trying to push me back. time will tell if I can stop him at Moscow. I am evacuating factories at Moscow in the event he takes it.

Aside, I have been following Pelton and a couple other seasoned players AAR. Lots to learn. While I am becoming somewhat familiar with german tactics, I am still struggling with what is appropriate for the ruskies.

[topeverest]

Thoughts are appreciated. I am planning to move largest armor units to Moscow for counterattack.

[topeverest]

I launched the broad counterattack I planned the prior turns and was successful in routing German units, winning all but one combat. ironically not all wins show up in this view, since German victories in the German turn were replaced by Russian victories in ruskie turn. in general, I withdrew my strength after the attacks and did not occupy most of the hexes I won.

[topeverest]

The Finnish front stabilized, with only one hex lost despite numerous attacks. near the Luga, I he attacked, and I counterattacked with the net effect of one hexrow lost. prospects still are low for Leningrad, especially since all reinforcements will goto Moscow.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

Thoughts are appreciated. I am planning to move largest armor units to Moscow for counterattack.

not got that much experience but my view of the 1941 Tank Divisions is to use them up in combat. At some stage they will flip to brigades and all those T-26s/BT-7s will rust somewhere in Siberia. If you move them a lot they shed CV.

So yep use them, en-masse, your tank losses will be horrific but regard it as an alternative approach to good inventory cleaning. My view is I'd trade any number of T-26s et al to inflict heavy losses, especially in armour, on the Germans at this period of the game.

[hfarrish]

For starters, I'd get some divisions into the Moscow city hexes asap and attach them to an HQ with a lot of sappers. Probably too late to have FZs be helpful but getting forts to 3s in those hexes is huge...he doesn't look to be flanking.

[SigUp]

ORIGINAL: loki100

So yep use them, en-masse, your tank losses will be horrific but regard it as an alternative approach to good inventory cleaning. My view is I'd trade any number of T-26s et al to inflict heavy losses, especially in armour, on the Germans at this period of the game.

I can attest to loki's philosophy. For example he managed to drive SS Wiking back behind the Dnepr, losing 436 of 653 tanks in the process. But that's what those T-26 and BT-7s are good for, counterattacking in July / August / September. [:D]

[loki100]

one other general point - from the screenshots it looks like a lot of your armies are attached to Stavka. While this helps a bit with avoiding front overloads (not really a problem at this stage I tend to find) you maybe hurting for airsupport.

Remember that ground attack/support only happens with the front structure, so only an airbase attached to stavka will support an army attached to Stavka.

I'd say you could increase the allocation to S Front and make use of the N Cauc MD (which becomes a front in Sept if I recall), that may help your command chain and air allocations