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I am playing as the Soviets in a new Grand Campaign, with the Axis set to 110% as per suggestions from Erik. The Soviets are on 100%, so this is actually somewhere between Normal and Challenging.

OBSERVATIONS

It's 31 July 1941 (Turn 7) and my main observations are:

1. The AGN and AGC AI forces have made dramatic progress and forced me back at all points. The only glitches I noted were the failures to take Riga and Tallin, although Riga was finally attacked on Turn 6.

2. AGS is reluctant to advance against my defenses in the south, and I am able to pull back slowly (2), matching my pace with the tank units (1) that got knocked from Minsk into the Pripyat...

3. I am just now moving my southern reserves up (3) to try and defend my centre more effectively, but rail cap has been limited while I moved factories east. If I had known that AGS would be so timid, I would have had a much stronger defence in the centre by now.

SUGGESTIONS

The coding or scripts that control AGS decision-making could be adjusted to make AGS more likely to to attack - it's basically just following a few hexes behind my withdrawal at the moment.

The AI has apparently bypassed Smolensk as well. Presumably, this will affect his supply for a short time...

And no garrison in Mogilev, so one of my unmolested stragglers has re-taken it.

I have voluntarily pulled back to the river line and formed my own little 'pocket' of defenders around Odessa, but the AI's still not interested.

11 Sept '41 and I am hoping for some mud turns soon.

The AI has done a great job in cutting off Leningrad in the north.

In the centre, Smolensk finally fell a few turns back, and the AI has been making small-scale attacks in the general direction of Moscow, but with limited success.

In the south, the AI has finally made a move and is threatening to destroy the southern most part of my line. I will have to divert reinforcements down there.

Turn 18 (16 Oct '41) and General Mud has arrived to give me some respite.

The Germans took Leningrad, but then left the hex empty so I took it back! However, the Finns have now started to attack me in the north, which makes life difficult.

If you compare the centre with my first screen shot from Turn 7 (31 July) you will see that AGC has really struggled to push me back in the centre and I am still holding Moscow.

AGS made a nice switch from the Kiev region to the very south, which took me by surprise, and I was under real pressure to reform my lines there, but have now done so.

Odessa is still in my possession and no Axis units seem to be interested in it, as usual.

Hopefully, a month of mud will allow me to rebuild a bit before Op Typhoon starts.

It's the second turn of Snow and the Axis AI has pulled back a couple of hexes all along the line. I have re-occupied the empty hexes, but don't yet feel strong enough to counter-attack.

I have lost Leningrad, but held onto Moscow, Kursk, Kharkov and Rostov. The AI took Kiev and then abandoned it with 10 Soviet units sitting in adjacent hexes. This really needs to be fixed.

I am bringing up reserves and building attachments, as well as dismissing my less competent generals - expensive.

Once the blizzard turns come, I will try pushing the AI back towards Smolensk in the centre, to take come pressure off Moscow which could still fall in the Spring

I have been using conventional stacking along the whole front line, with reserve units in depth and ample construction of fortified regions, whenever APs allow.

This conventional defence has held the AI, although I do understand that a human player might exploit it. Nevertheless, I find it more satisfying than having to use the a-historical 'carpet defence' that the AI uses against a human Axis oppo.

The winter drags on. I have managed to inflict heavy losses on the invader and am still pushing him back slowly. German casualties now stand at 1.5m to my 3m, which feels like pretty good going. My first Guards units are on the map and I am busily combining infantry brigades into divisions and upgrading my air units. Rhzev, Vyazma and Bryansk are all within my reach now and in the south I have broken out of the Crimea to threaten the flank of AGS.

A number of division-sized encirclements have also given me some Axis divisions destroyed - two so far, including the air landing division, but with more to come this turn or next.

The drive to relieve Kiev (which the AI has still not attacked!) is now on.

My goal is to restore a line that runs through the Valdai Hills, along the line Rhzev-Vyazma-Bryansk and then on down the east bank of the Dnepr by Spring '42 and then dig in to see what the AI throws at me come summer.

Odessa is also still holding out, but I won't be able to relieve that city. Leningrad is also out of reach because the Finns on my N flank are too strong for me to risk extending my line further to the West.

Glad you're still pushing the AI to get it improved.

Out of curiousity, what button needs to be pressed to get a picture of the entire map like you've been posting?

I couldn't find said button anywhere in the manual (it IS a big manual though).

Hi. I zoom out to maximum (Zoom 5) and then press the "Print Screen" button on my keyboard. That captures the image and you need to paste it into Paint and then resize it to less than 500kb or it won't upload. Note that I have a 21" monitor - not sure what zoom 5 will look like on a smaller screen...

OK. I have achieved all of my objectives in the north and centre. In the south, Kiev is in sight and my line is forming along the Dnepr. Just in case the AI is able to organise a spring offensive against the Dnepr salient, I have formed two new armies from the STAVKA reserve and moved them down around Belgorod as a reaction force.

The AI fought hard for every inch of ground all winter, which made the fight a tough one but also cost it 1.5m casualties. Frankly, I sense that the war could be over by the end of '42, but that may be wishful thinking!

I also have to wonder how failing to take Kiev might have impacted the AI's supply state. It can't have done it any good.

The AI fights hard and reforms a line behind logical obstacles in a very impressive fashion. However, I am yet to see it do anything particularly innovative or unexpected, other than putting its tanks in the wrong place.

And the full frontal

There's nothing like knowing that at least one person is reading my AAR to motivate me to do better!

Constructive criticisms notwithstanding, I feel obligated to add that, having played every almost every wargame on this subject ever published, this is the toughest time I have ever had against a computer opponent. The game is extremely feature rich and it really 'feels' like you are there in the Kremlin making the big decisions. I know I have had a few rants and probably come across as pretty obnoxious, but I now admit to being totally hooked by this title.

Well done Gary and team.

A combination of factors dented my plans for Kiev:

1. The blizzard ended and the Axis troops recovered some defensive strength.
2. My rail net isn't reaching out far enough yet, so supply is an issue, though not critical.
3. The AI finally attacked the city - I assume because its combat units are again in close proximity to Kiev due to their retreat.

In this ss you can see that I am starting to restore some order to my army after a complex and often confusing winter struggle.

I have reassigned units to new HQs all along the front, with an Army HQ every 4-5 hexes. Front commands and air commands are also re-ordered.

I have also arranged my forces in 3 echelons - first, second and third, the final one being my strategic reserve.

Finally, as it's now clear weather, I have moved the Air Doctrine % to fly down from 120 to 70. During the winter I was able to replace most of my old stock with IL2s, new fighters and modern transports, so I how that both interdiction and partisan warfare will kick off with a vengeance this turn.

Finally, you can clearly make out my Guards divisions (red). I have pulled most of them out of the line to refit, bringing them up to their full Guards TOE, and they are ready to repel any limited local AI breakthroughs that occur.

Partisan operations have been supplied by airdrop (automatic AI routine) and have now started to kick in across the theatre.

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4

Constructive criticisms notwithstanding, I feel obligated to add that, having played every almost every wargame on this subject ever published, this is the toughest time I have ever had against a computer opponent. The game is extremely feature rich and it really 'feels' like you are there in the Kremlin making the big decisions. I know I have had a few rants and probably come across as pretty obnoxious, but I now admit to being totally hooked by this title.

Well done Gary and team.

I remember thinking you were obnoxious, no offense! But obnoxious people get things done sometimes. [:)]

The mud has returned and I am continuing to rebuild and reorg.

During the winter I built 30 or so RR attachments at STAVKA and these bots have been working steadily and independently to bring my rail infrastructure back in order. A few more turns should see the job done and my units fit and ready for Spring 42.