Looks good, although I think you transfer 10th motor division (one next to Das Reich) into XXXXVI panzer and bring the stack down. This allows the use of hasty attacks and win against the tank divisions further south.
What happen with the border guard down on the Rumanian border? That sucker usually retreats, but has enough movement/moral to cause issues in breaking the pocket.
Could be more effective to show who owns what territory after your move, but I think most everyone gets the idea.
I also think you get the rest of 17th army started on the right, pushing those units out of their fortifications and moving up a bit. They will make the pocket smaller, thus requiring fewer MPs to clean out units next turn along with being closer to moving to the main front to the east. Even if you lose a Russian or two due to where they route, I still think it is worth it. Now, if you plan on that, but didn't do it because you were working on the breakthrough, then that is fine (Sort of like not moving HQs).
One last point is the rail repair guy. Where are you working on your rail head at? If you go east, the Soviets can zoc a rail hex (if they haven't already) which will slow down progress. If you wait for Lvov to be cleaned out, it is a bit of a risk that you can clean everything out there and it will also delay the rail head. I think you try to park a unit next to the tank division south east of the rough and that should be good.
As I said the AI does not move the Mech Corps around Rovno and I am sure a human player would move them out of harms way. However, even against a human the Mech Corps next to the border cannot escape. Not pocketed on Turn 1 but only 2-hex wide mouth that they cannot clear (ZOC-ZOC move eats up their MPs) and Turn 2 they get pocketed. Perhaps the units further west could set up a defense by to allow them a small chance to escape on Turn 2 but than they set themselves up to be pocketed.
This is post-Soviet move 1 (which I did myself). I did everything possible to extract units and bust the panzers. One did get isolated but I moved it badly as the German. It should have pinned the units near the Rovno mountains.
In the German turn following, I had no trouble isolating everything as well as making excellent progress to the southeast towards Proskurov and to Rovno. Many, many Soviets were isolated in the north and south. (Which makes me suspect my Soviet moves were none too wise and possibly a bit aggressive, but that wouldn't be surprising as I've never played them.)
"Measure civilization by the ability of citizens to mock government with impunity" -- Unknown
That is very interesting, because it uses only the AGS guys. I didn't think it would work because of that RR Line by the Romanian border, but that RR line is closed. This prevents anyone from RR-ing out.
Going south like that does prevent any westward movement. And no reason you couldn't have closed a pocket around KOVEL, and isolated that Mechanized Corps.
Well, I actually played turn 2, and isolated the entire bunch west of the Tarnopol line, plus some of the units up north. I'll post some shots later. Of course, it is quite possible a good Soviet player could have done far more damage than I did.
My key point was that you do not have to completely isolate the Lvov area to preclude massive Soviet rail evacuation. You simply have to get to 2 hexes SE of Tarnopol.
I can do this better and more solidly. I will attempt it and post some shots this evening.
"Measure civilization by the ability of citizens to mock government with impunity" -- Unknown
Ok, here's how it looked after the German turn 1. A nice, wide area of control, everything pinned possible, especially the nasty armor, and nothing in danger of isolation.
"Measure civilization by the ability of citizens to mock government with impunity" -- Unknown
And after the German turn 2. Didn't take Rovno, but it will fall next turn. Wasn't willing to risk a hasty attack by armor on infantry in a city. Note that the pocket is wide and dangerous units are pinned. Soviets ain't getting out of this one, but I'm about to try.
"Measure civilization by the ability of citizens to mock government with impunity" -- Unknown
Although I think the Sovs can do a few things on turn 1 to make life more complicated. But I'd have to get a copy of the saved turn to see if the MPs are there.
Note that I did normal recon and some airfield attacks in all of this. Recon absolutely helps attacks in the rear. I will move armor or motorized up next to units they want to attack, then run recon to get their detection level to 10 or close. Makes a difference folks.
"Measure civilization by the ability of citizens to mock government with impunity" -- Unknown
Here is what I did wrong. The German panzer unit should have ended one hex southwest of where it was. That would have kept the pocket from being broken. The two mountain units moved one hex and converted the two hexes northwest and northeast of them respectively. If the panzer unit had been in the right spot, those hexes would not have converted as they would have been in the panzer unit's ZOC. Lesson learned. Two hexes between pocketing units in big pockets...and wide control areas.
"Measure civilization by the ability of citizens to mock government with impunity" -- Unknown
It's also interesting that as soon as those mountain units moved and broke the pocket, all the Soviets became instantly unisolated and got much movement points back.
This is actually quite fascinating playing against oneself. Kinda like I used to do with my boardgames since there were no FTF opponents where I grew up.
"Measure civilization by the ability of citizens to mock government with impunity" -- Unknown
