Matrix Games Forums

I have a simple dream.

It involves playing just one game against the evil genius hjaco without getting my ass comprehensively kicked. So far I’ve managed to a 0-4 in 4 games – and not doing much better meeting face to face for actual physical board games - getting wiped out as the Soviet Union in World in Flames and only barely managing to scrape home a draw in the WWI variant Fatal Alliances having Italy reduced to 1 in Morale by intense Zeppelin strategic bombing from Austria across the alps..

Having just lost again as the Central Powers completely bungling a Russia first gambit I’m resolved to try again with the easier side to se if I’ll do any better.

No doubt in an effort to rub salt into a raw wound my evil mastermind opponent decided to employ the Russia-first strategy that had failed me so miserably against me no doubt planning to show me just how badly I’d screwed up. In the first turn he would succeed splendidly.

I actually thought I’d deployed pretty conservatively to defend against such an eventuality with a cavalry screen against the likely axis of a German thrust against Riga from East Prussia





August 1914 – at the outbreak of war I thought I’d been pretty careful.

In an act of military stupidity likely to enter the history books the Tsar believes fatally flawed intelligence indicating East Prussia is empty and order his infantry forward to support a cavalry probe into German territory.

This manoeuvre destined to enter history as “Ulvers folly” leads to thousand of brave Russian soldiers getting pointlessly slaughtered.




Replay of the first impulse of turn one. If only I’d kept the Russian infantry put. A bloody disaster and the beginning of the end for Russia.

The end of the first turn on the Eastern front – time to get out before the trap closes. Hopefully the trains still run.



Sep/Oct 1914 strategic phase: Actually it is not quite as bad as it looks: I managed to strategic move pretty much everything out.

All Quite on the Western front. I did try an assault but against 3 German corps it is pointless tying to break though.

So time for a Belgium/Holland Netherlands offensive or can the shipping for a Balkan/Ottoman offensive be found somehow.




Have anyone ever succeeded in getting Belgium to enter the war by spending diplomacy on her? Is it possible and if so how much effort will it take.

The only alternative I can see is a French invasion of Belgium followed by an attack on the Low countries and thet will pretty much keep the US out of the war permanently.

My attempts to move forces to the middle east was pretty effectively curtailed as the Austrian fleet had little trouble contesting the Eastern Mediterranean:

Austrian Prinz Eugen (DN) firing on Br Formidable (PD) : 3 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br Formidable (PD) : 4 hits
Austrian Prinz Eugen (DN) firing on Br Goliath (PD) : 4 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br Goliath (PD) : 4 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br 14th (Tr) : 3 hits
Austrian Prinz Eugen (DN) firing on Br 18th (Tr) : 5 hits
Austrian Prinz Eugen (DN) firing on Br Colossus (DN) : 2 hits
Austrian Prinz Eugen (DN) firing on Br 6th (DD) : 3 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br 6th (DD) : 5 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br Colossus (DN) : 3 hits

British Formidable (PD) firing on Aus Tegetthoff (DN) : 2 hits
British Goliath (PD) firing on Aus Prinz Eugen (DN) : 1 hits
British Colossus (DN) firing on Aus Prinz Eugen (DN) : 2 hits

The reminder of 1914 would se me try and run away as fast as my little Russian legs could carry me.



Nov/Dec strategic phase: He who lives to run away…..

Turn 2 navel action didn’t turn out that much better then the first. But at least I did manage to control the East med and begin reinforcing the Serbians and Egypt a bit.

Austrian Prinz Eugen (DN) firing on Br Colossus (DN) : 3 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br Colossus (DN) : 1 hits
Austrian Prinz Eugen (DN) firing on Br Leviathan (CA) : 5 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br Leviathan (CA) : 2 hits
Austrian Prinz Eugen (DN) firing on Br Donegal (CA) : 4 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br Donegal (CA) : 4 hits
German 1st (UB) firing on Br 8th (Tr) : 2 hits
German Elsaas (PD) firing on Rus Petropavlovsk (PD) : 1 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Fre Jean Bart (DN) : 3 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br 9th (Tr) : 2 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Br 17th (Tr) : 5 hits
Austrian Tegetthoff (DN) firing on Fre Jean Bart (DN) : 2 hits
German 1st (UB) firing on Fre 2nd (DD) : 1 hits

British Colossus (DN) firing on Aus Tegetthoff (DN) : 3 hits
Russian Rurik (CA) firing on Ger 2nd (Tr) : 1 hits
French Carnot (PD) firing on Aus Tegetthoff (DN) : 1 hits
French Martel (PD) firing on Aus Tegetthoff (DN) : 1 hits
French Jean Bart (DN) firing on Aus Tegetthoff (DN) : 3 hits
Russian Petropavlovsk (PD) firing on Ger Pommern (PD) : 1 hits
Russian Rurik (CA) firing on Ger Elsaas (PD) : 1 hits
French Jean Bart (DN) firing on Aus Tegetthoff (DN) : 1 hits
French Charlemagne (PD) firing on Aus Tegetthoff (DN) : 2 hits
French 3rd (DD) firing on Ger 1st (UB) : 1 hits

Also Central power diplomacy kicks ass for now



This one really hurts, as I badly need Italy. Quite apart from opening another front her eventual entry will also mean I only need to ship troops one sea area to reach the Middle East.

I resolve to spend max diplomacy on Italy/USA for the entire game with possible extra effort on Greece.

Jan/Feb would see the beginning of a patten of superior Entente diplomacy:

America very much appreciate overture by Germany
Italy very much overture by Entente
Greece appreciate overture by Entente
America very much appreciate overture by Entente

I guess we simply throw a better party.

On the downside Russia is about to get just about their entire HQ force trapped behind enemy lines. In desperation I expend HQ points and order a desperate counterattack: It fails big-time and I’m quickly faced with the prospect of losing my entire Rusian counterattack option permantly.




Jan/Feb Strategic phase: Yes there are 4!!! HQ’s in that stack east of Riga and their attempt to break out failed with heavy losses. This could be a problem

Just a stupid note: Call it "Weltmacht" but that term doesn't exist, it would be "Weltherrschaft"! 

ORIGINAL: boogada

Just a stupid note: Call it "Weltmacht" but that term doesn't exist, it would be "Weltherrschaft"!

Are you sure? "Weltmacht oder Niedergang" is frequently quoted as a pre-war slogan encompassing the classical Wilhelminian all-or-nothing dilemma. I’ll look up references if you like. A google search turns up plenty of German language sources using the word. I admit that as a Dane my German is only so-so and if you are a native speaker…

ORIGINAL: ulver

ORIGINAL: boogada

Just a stupid note: Call it "Weltmacht" but that term doesn't exist, it would be "Weltherrschaft"!

Are you sure? "Weltmacht oder Niedergang" is frequently quoted as a pre-war slogan encompassing the classical Wilhelminian all-or-nothing dilemma. I’ll look up references if you like. A google search turns up plenty of German language sources using the word. I admit that as a Dane my German is only so-so and if you are a native speaker…

Well in that case you are referring to "Weltpolitik"

Well in that case you are referring to "Weltpolitik"

No. Different concept.
http://books.google.com/books?id=x5bu1B ... 3HaMhdsap8

Ok, I'll take back anything I said and say the opposite now. "Weltmacht" does exist. [&o]

I feel stupid now.

Still there is a typo.....

The German Pincers would only succeed in isolating a single HQ. With the bulk of my reorganisation getting away.



Winter 1915 – yes I actually consider this good news. German air recon would reveal just how week the front line was South of Riga luring them to attack across straight into my reinforcements- the Russian would actually manage to win a tactically significant battle here.

The Mar/Apr turn would se the Entente pull all her navel forces to port just as the Germans High Seas fleet went raiding. I’m still not sure if I got my ass kicked or got away cheap since I at least avoided the ultimate nightmare scenario of having my navel forces destroyed piecemeal.





The god news is that I get to reinforce Egypt/Serbia – rather a lot -J

The bad news is: It kind of hurts.

North Atlantic:
German Nassau (DN) firing on Br 8th (Tr) : 2 hits
German Helgoland (DN) firing on Br 8th (Tr) : 4 hits
German Nassau (DN) firing on Fre 4th (Tr) : 3 hits
German Helgoland (DN) firing on Fre 4th (Tr) : 1 hits
German Kaiser (DN) firing on Fre 4th (Tr) : 4 hits
German Bayern (DN) firing on Br 20th (Tr) : 5 hits
German Blucher (BC) firing on Br 21st (Tr) : 2 hits
German Koln (CA) firing on Br 20th (Tr) : 1 hits

Baltic
British 2nd (Sub) firing on Ger 3rd (Tr) : 1 hits
British 4th (Sub) firing on Ger 4th (Tr) : 2 hits

Can Anglo/French shipbuilding keep up?

While one can argue about Entente navel strategy there is no disputing that the spring of 1915 sees my diplomacy triumph:

Italy has very much appreciated overtures by the Entente
Belgium has very much appreciated overtures by the Entente (Useless as it turns out)
America appreciates overtures by the Entente.

And the Central powers diplomacy archives absolutely nothing. I guess charming French women are just more pervasive then bulling German militarists.

I won’t be completing this AAR unfortunaly I screwed up again and lost Italy in the same turn she entered. Had no idea she was this vulnerable.

Well, I learned yet another valuable lessen for the future. Paradox ally I would have been fine if Italy had entered a few turns later

Yeah we all have to learn all the time.

You were too keen to bolster your front in Serbia instead of properly guarding Italy first but I guess you won't make that mistake again [;)]

This would have been a real nail biter if you had stopped me in the mountains just south of the northern Italien plain. I was bleeding in the Balkans.

One note to readers. Italy entered in May/June and surrendered in Jul/Aug but there was also revoution in Russia in May/June [:D]

Gee I am running out of evil masterplans.

ORIGINAL: ulver

I won’t be completing this AAR....

What do you mean ? It is complete now. The title says it all "Hjaco's road to Weltmacht" [8D]

ORIGINAL: hjaco
One note to readers. Italy entered in May/June and surrendered in Jul/Aug but there was also revoution in Russia in May/June [:D]

This totally sounds like something you want to make happen in our game too!!!