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Looks like now this is going to be a bit like WW1.

With the shorter front lines do you guys find turns take less time or is it still a massive effort to get through that number of units?

ORIGINAL: Veer
Looks like now this is going to be a bit like WW1.

With the shorter front lines do you guys find turns take less time or is it still a massive effort to get through that number of units?

I can't speak for Curt but I'm guessing it's taking him at least as long to move his stuff around. I saw a figure of some 13K+ events in the playback on turn 256....and I still have to go through all my units (about 1100 units approx. ) to make sure they are where they are supposed to be doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Here's the movie showing the differences between the beginning of Axis turn 255 and the beginning of Axis turn 257. There were no Soviet attacks in turn 256....that's sort of strange. Maybe Curt just wanted to concentrate on getting everybody in position before he attacks so that pressure would be applied all along the entire length of the front lines.

Here's an example of the kind of combat results I'm getting on my attacks: (the Soviet losses are so high because the hex is stacked so dense it's yellow or getting on toward red).

[This is one Panzer tank unit attacking a stack of Soviet divisions.]

Hey you guys: I discovered a trick that a player can play on his opponent. I fly a Brandenburg special forces dude from one airport to another airport both behind the German lines and within the air envelope of my fighters and it just happens that I loose just 5 of my Assault squads and a handfull of fighters but the Soviet dude looses over 100+ fighters. I suppose both players can do that to each other if they both have airborne troops....I just thought it was something that you guys might find interesting to know.

Here's the movie showing the differences between the beginning of Axis turn 257 and the beginning of Axis turn 258 which shows that the German forces have largely arrived at the front line and that I can turn off the interdiction and go back to Ground Support with my long range aircraft. The Germans don't have any strategic heavy bombers ( only JU-88's, and HE-111's ) but I using what I have for ground support at maximum losses ( ignore losses ).

Here's a movie showing the differences between turn 258 and the beginning of Axis turn 260. You can see that the Soviet dude has captured multiple hexes and is making progress toward the city of Berlin. This despite my best efforts to fortify those hexes. He's attacking with ignore losses settings is my guess. I'm still making my ant attacks to willow down the number of squads attacking me but it's a loosing battle. It appears that he's going to capture Berlin before the end of the year.

Frogger reports that he has started a FITE game and inquired as to the stop line that the Finns used in my game with Curt. I sent a picture showing the line Curt and I used ( just north of Leningrad ) and if you would, I would appreciate it if you could post something to encourage Frogger to start an AAR so we can follow his game. I for one appreciate the ramifications of massive early effort as to the key to an Axis victory and would like to see Frogger's game to see what happens. Please don't keep your game secret Frogger dude. We would like to watch it too.

Curt has gained a couple of hexes across the Oder river just to the northeast of Berlin. It won't be long now before he has a city hex or two of Berlin. And then the game will be over shortly after that. I may have to start counterattacking in earnest to prevent such an eventuality.

Here's the movie showing the differences between turn 260 and turn 261 showing the hexes Curt gained in turn 260.

Here's some attack results that I'm particularly proud of. My attack consisted of some motorcycles and some tanks attacking a stack of Soviet infantry and I lost a handfull of motorcycles and 6 tanks or so and destroyed a division worth of Soviet stuff. Cool.

I thought I'd take you guys on a tour of the front lines so you can get an idea about what the array of forces looks like ( better than the blue/red dots on the map).

This is the northeast corner of the lines. There are some Axis ships floating offshore to bolster the arty coverage and still it looks shakey to me.

This is the middle of the east side. It's been the site of some bitter fighting lately.

That large city to the left center is Berlin.

Here's a shot of the southeast corner.

Fantastic close-ups! Love those! A real blood massacre..
There gonna be long and rough road till Berlin still for Soviets....
Good raport so far, keep it coming until end!

Larry do you not use Tactical Reserve?

I noticed that your front line is fortified and so is you line behind that. Normally I would fortify the front line and place the next line in Tactical Reserve especially HQ’s and Arty.

Do you just prefer having the next line ready and fortified (in this case I can understand why) or do you not fine tac reserve useful?

I am just wondering if you lose any arty support for the defense by not placing them in reserve or does it not matter because they will support if in range regardless. I do like the ability to throw another regiment or two up in the line if necessary to prevent an overrun, but in your case it might be better to have the back line rested and fully fortified ready to wear down the attacker.

Looks like a solid defensive line it won't be easy for the Soviets.

Tactical reserve means units can often be "suckered" into moving to the wrong hex by diversionary attacks - especially with this sort of unit density - plus it puts more units under the hammer of the Soviet artillery when they attack - you do not want high density stacks vs that!

ORIGINAL: Dr. Foo
Larry do you not use Tactical Reserve?

Yes when the arty piece has no more movement points left and I want it to participate in subsequent attacks. Otherwise digging in the arty piece is my M.O.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Foo
I noticed that your front line is fortified and so is you line behind that. Normally I would fortify the front line and place the next line in Tactical Reserve especially HQ’s and Arty.

Do you just prefer having the next line ready and fortified (in this case I can understand why) or do you not fine tac reserve useful?

Yes, I prefer to have the second line fortified and ready just to prevent sweeping Soviet attacks from breaking through my lines.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Foo
I am just wondering if you lose any arty support for the defense by not placing them in reserve or does it not matter because they will support if in range regardless.

My understanding is that if the arty unit is dug in ( D, E, or F ) OR in reserve then it will lend it's strength to any attacks in range.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Foo
Looks like a solid defensive line it won't be easy for the Soviets.

I try to pack as much combat power into the hex without it turning density yellow or red. But at this stage of the game I'm running out of fresh troops. I've swapped out those who are red health or low strength and move fresher ones into the hex but I find I have only three or four fresh units within range to help out in various places in the line. I predict that Curt will achieve a breakthrough before too many more turns elapse.

EDIT: I find that Curt is stacking his hexes density yellow and red quite a bit and I think it's because my hexes are so jam packed with troops that he feels he needs the density yellow and / or red because of the need for attacking strength reguardless of the losses. He can afford the losses much easier than I can at this stage of the game so I suppose it makes sense. It makes for horrible losses however. Some attacks I stage with my motorcycle units will lose a handfull of motorcycles but kill some 30 or 40 squads. Also, I notice that my air losses are tremendous. It's because Curt has all the planes in the world on his side. Thousands of them. I have a couple hundred and decreasing fast.

Here's a movie showing the differences between the beginning of turn 261 and the beginning of Axis turn 263 showing the hexes gained by Curt during that time. He's slowly moving closer and closer to Berlin. It's wonderful that I've held out this long but I have no illusions that Curt will have possession of Berlin before about 10 more turns has passed. This thing is almost over.

ORIGINAL: SMK-at-work

Tactical reserve means units can often be "suckered" into moving to the wrong hex by diversionary attacks - especially with this sort of unit density - plus it puts more units under the hammer of the Soviet artillery when they attack - you do not want high density stacks vs that!

That tends to be my philosophy as well. If I've got lots of troops and I'm able to stack 'em up front that's where I put them. I'll use tactical reserve if I have to cover 2 hexes with 1 unit. And as soon as the opponent realizes it he'll soak off against the other hex.

Larry is correct, I am overstacking for this last push into Berlin. You've seen how far back my army is stretched. It would be even further if I didn't have a lot of it stacked up front. I have overwhelming superiority but I have to apply it for it to count for anything. Otherwise I'm like the Persians banging their head on the Hard Gates.

Here's a movie showing the differences between the beginning of Axis turn 263 and the beginning of Axis turn 264 in which the Soviets grab some more hexes on their push toward Berlin. I think this may be the beginning of at least two breakthroughs since I don't have any more fresh troops to plug the holes adequately.

Thanks for playing and posting this AAR from start to finish. Like the grand campaign in WitP-AE, this seems like a journey scenario rather than a destination: unwinnable for the Germans (Japanese) against a competent opponent, but a test of how well you play under those circumstances.

I'm down to my last 10K+ HR squads. The Soviet breakthrough won't be long now.