Tophat1812(REDS) vs Moses(Krauts and friends)

[Tophat1815]

Well I didn't take any screen shots of the first turn,check out Moses's thread he has them.

Situation:
Facing AGN: I hold Riga,until turn #2 and he knocks the division I have there out. I have the major river Daugava running southeast of Riga defense line. Too bad I have so few units to man it now,so just trying to channel the Germans north to ward Leningrad,not east to Moscow.

Facing AGC we have Minsk for the moment and me leaving a delay division while moving back and occupying the fortifications that are built to the east. I am trying to make use of every river I can as well. Being the first turn I really don't have a lot of boys to work with.

Facing AGS: My units are in much better shape,I almost attacked a Panzer Division broken down into regiments. But I am sticking with orderly fallback plan A.

In the air: I suffered massive losses,there is a surprise right? He also set his planes to interdiction and several of my moving units were bombed and took losses.

Economy: I am transferring Hvy Industry east as well as armament industry. Minsk already evacuated of industry. Used virtually all my rail movement for this on turn#1. Really looking for comments from beta-testers or people having already gone through months vs the AI in the 41' GC.

Strategy: Keep the Nazi's out of Moscow!!! Save Leningrad if at all possible! Live to fight next year!!! Long term Goal: Burn Berlin for the WIN!!!!!!!!

[moses]

This will be my first and last post for a long time. Good luck but of course the Russians are no match for my fine troops. Riga notwithstanding??????

I'll read the rest in a year.

[Tophat1815]

ORIGINAL: moses

This will be my first and last post for a long time. Good luck but of course the Russians are no match for my fine troops. Riga notwithstanding??????

I'll read the rest in a year.

We should be good by holiday season 2011......now get that turn done! The Browns are in meltdown mode again so football is unsatisfying today.

I need a new turn,some screen shots and then sage advice from beta testers/GC players.

[Tophat1815]

Some key notes i want to keep fresh:
                                                     The following was posted by Sabre21 ("Andy") before the full release of the game. Sorry I don't have the original link. This a pasted version I saved to word. If you look around the forums, you will find a few others have started up threads on this topic as well (a lot of strategy advice is in the AARs by the testers). Now, Sabre 21s quote about starting out as the Soviets in 1941...

Here are 10 easy steps I do when I first start:

1. Go to the Trancaucus and Moscow MD Hq's and set their Support level to "0". That way over the next couple turns they will turn over to Stavka the horde of units they have on hand. The set your Army and Front Hq's near the front to 3 and set Stavka to 9 (anything but locked for stavka works for distributing out support).

2. Next go thru all your airfields before moving any and evacuate any air units that have 0 aircraft (including damaged to the reserves).

3. Locate your baltic and Western MD Hq..make sure they are not in a pocket or located too close to the front. If in a pocket..take stavka Hq and use rail to move it near where those Hq's need to be..just east of Pskov for the baltic and just east of Smolensk for Western. Once you get your stavka near there..use the relocate function on the MD hq and it will move adjacent to where stavka is. Next turn you can move stavka back if need be.

4. Once the MD Hq's are in place..relocate the air Hq's and army Hq's..then corps Hqs and airbases. That way they wil all be moved to safe areas of your choosing.

5. Next try and move out any units that are still routed..try and avoid using rail since you will need to move units forward from all over the map. Place these routed units away from enemy contact if possible and in places they can build a fort. Only depleted units cannot build forts..routed still can so use them.

6. Then starting with the units closest to the front, begin moving them into blocking terrain with no more than 2 empty hexes between them..that way they have interlocking zones of control. You must slow down the germans in order to build a defense in depth so a hedgehog..or checkerboard defense works pretty well.

7. Then move those units near the front forward on foot..like the ones near Gomel..they can march up into blocking positions and along the river dnepr. There are more that can walk into position but not many.

8. no longer applicable Beta-Tester feel free to talk about fortified zones.

9. Now you can start moving units forward by rail..don't bother with the hq's though..they eat up to much rail points..you need the warm bodies up front for now. By the way..don't bother building any units at all other than forts..they are too expensive until November.

There are enough units to cover the central part of the Dnepr and the lower Dvina..plus enough for the checkerboard defense. In the south, use the checkerboard for about 6 or 7 hexes and build linear defenses behind the river.

10. no longer applicable Beta-Tester feel fre to talk about "Moving Factories

[kfmiller41]

Tophat I am playing the Russians in my game and am doing an AAR as well, to bad I didn't see this post first but I did much of what is written. Will be following your thread with interest and hope you do well sir.

[Tophat1815]

ORIGINAL: miller41

Tophat I am playing the Russians in my game and am doing an AAR as well, to bad I didn't see this post first but I did much of what is written. Will be following your thread with interest and hope you do well sir.

Thanks miller41 I am going to need some good luck because i did my turn before finding those points. I also used all my first turn rail movement to ship endangered industry EAST! Perhaps it will payoff in the long-run,short term however and my center and northern front lack bodies to throw in front of the Fascists!

[Tophat1815]

Looking at the situation at the start of turn#2












Seems i have over-written some screen-shots in paint,lovely. Well this instead of zoomed-out view is the view in the south. I thought Romanian units would be frozen first turn. Seems I thought wrong. thankfully he has few German formations down here.

[Tophat1815]

Finnish Front:






At some point of messing around i will figure out how to post a clean screen shot. In any event lines up north are frozen. A bit of good news for the moment.

[kfmiller41]

I did the same and did it on turn 2 as well, that industry I just dont want to lose. I had enough rail to move units forward but its the command and control that stump me. All those corps HQ's just cause me trouble as I know they will just leave in a few turns. Seeing as we don't have the armies yet it creates a problem of how to organize. Still working on it.[:D]

Oh and my name is Ken[:)]

[Tophat1815]

ORIGINAL: miller41

I did the same and did it on turn 2 as well, that industry I just dont want to lose. I had enough rail to move units forward but its the command and control that stump me. All those corps HQ's just cause me trouble as I know they will just leave in a few turns. Seeing as we don't have the armies yet it creates a problem of how to organize. Still working on it.[:D]

Just wait until you see my center! Also comradeP will probably disown me as yes I committed red paratroopers to a hopeless bid at delay.

[Tophat1815]

here we go with the start of turn#2 Northern front situation:

[Tophat1815]

Here is the central front situation at the start of my turn 2:




This is all before my movement phase so i am bringing troops forward. Suggestions welcome! Yes I know,checkerboard defense in depth is a goal. Maintain Corps/Army cohesion! And above all.....keep smiling.

[Tophat1815]

And then we have the start of turn 2 Southwestern Front situation:

[Tophat1815]

Ground losses up through start of my turn 2:

[Tophat1815]

Here is part of my dilemma at start of turn#2,take note of this divisions morale at 37!

[Tophat1815]

Lots of hits,not a comment...........wish I had a friendly neighborhood STAVKA officer.

[TheLoneGunman_MatrixForum]

Will be following this AAR.

Moses appears to be a very good opponent, and he's driving his panzers hard, but not leaving them open for counterattack or encirclement.

My only advice is to try and not throw away any more units early on if at all possible, trade land for time and build your forces back up. Try to focus your strongest defenses where you know he's using the tip of his spear, with your primary goal being to blunt that spear tip and slow him down.

[Tophat1815]

ORIGINAL: TheLoneGunman

Will be following this AAR.

Moses appears to be a very good opponent, and he's driving his panzers hard, but not leaving them open for counterattack or encirclement.

My only advice is to try and not throw away any more units early on if at all possible, trade land for time and build your forces back up. Try to focus your strongest defenses where you know he's using the tip of his spear, with your primary goal being to blunt that spear tip and slow him down.

I want him to go through the Vitebsk/Smolensk corridor on toward Moscow. Get him long and extended east so the first winter snow I can bloody or better yet encircle me some German Divisions.

His armour is already pulling ahead of the infantry,i want that separation to grow,or he waits for them to linkup and I am bought time to fortify.

[TheLoneGunman_MatrixForum]

ORIGINAL: Tophat1812

ORIGINAL: TheLoneGunman

Will be following this AAR.

Moses appears to be a very good opponent, and he's driving his panzers hard, but not leaving them open for counterattack or encirclement.

My only advice is to try and not throw away any more units early on if at all possible, trade land for time and build your forces back up. Try to focus your strongest defenses where you know he's using the tip of his spear, with your primary goal being to blunt that spear tip and slow him down.

I want him to go through the Vitebsk/Smolensk corridor on toward Moscow. Get him long and extended east so the first winter snow I can bloody or better yet encircle me some German Divisions.

His armour is already pulling ahead of the infantry,i want that separation to grow,or he waits for them to linkup and I am bought time to fortify.

Hannibal would approve. [:D]

Feign weakness to draw the enemy in, and then encircle him from your stronger flanks.

[Tophat1815]

The weakness isn't feigned but showing a weak point might entice someone to dive through it. Good thing Turn#3,4 and 5 reinforcements are coming!