Matrix Games Forums

This time I am up against a real expert player. Q-Ball was on the forum when I started playing WITE, and I regard him as a veteran and pioneer. I have learnt a lot from his AARs and from him being my STAVKA commander in our team game.

We are starting a 41-45 GC, me as the Germans and Q-Ball as the Soviets.

Turn 1.
I am almost embarrased to use the Riga gambit aginst Q-Ball, I learnt it from one of his AARs. Otherwise, pretty much the standard opening in the center. In the south I go for the big Lvov pocket.

The only unusual thing I do is send the Grossdeutschland south. I need one more unit to make sure of closing the big Lvov pocket. I am also somewhat light on the airfield bombings. In my view, most of the Soviet aircraft destroyed are crap anyway, and I want to keep some air unit mileage for ground support. I think it is more important to ensure a smooth advance that killing a few more Soviet aircraft.

I am generally very meticulous when closing pockets, maybe too much so, but I hate leaky pockets, and they cost time. Thats why I place regiments at some places, to be insure against leakage or units sneaking in from the swamps.

Overview after German moves turn 1.

Good looking opening. All of those broken down divisions would make me nervous but if the pockets hold then it doesnt really matter in the end [8D]

Interesting you didnt send a panzer corp down South. No Kovel pocket is like 50k Soviets that can get away and cause trouble but I suppose you have plans in the center.

Really... someone should assassinate the guy who invented the mega-pocket in the Southwestern Front [:@]... [:D] It's the thing I fear the most... And now it happens in every single game.

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

Really... someone should assassinate the guy who invented the mega-pocket in the Southwestern Front [:@]... [:D] It's the thing I fear the most... And now it happens in every single game.

I am not sure who invented it, but an early practicioner was my opponent... [;)]

ORIGINAL: Ketza

Good looking opening. All of those broken down divisions would make me nervous but if the pockets hold then it doesnt really matter in the end [8D]

Interesting you didnt send a panzer corp down South. No Kovel pocket is like 50k Soviets that can get away and cause trouble but I suppose you have plans in the center.

In many cases its the Axis only shot at any sorta large pocket [&o]

Turn 2.

Hmmm.... Every Soviet unit north of the marshes just disappeared![X(] Has Q-Ball thought out some kind of Robinsky strategy? [&:] A little disconcerting. There seems to be some kind of gathering at Pskov though. Well, I guess there is nothing for it but barge ahead and see what we find! Map after recon but before German moves.

I think I know what his strategy is... I just deduce it from some exchanges we had [:)] Well, time will tell if I am correct...

Why did you move the motorized unit up to the northern bulge west of Riga without taking the port there? [&:]

The motor infantry unit did get the port on the coast, but he didn't send in a security division to hold it. Q-Ball had at least 1 unit rally out of that mess and it was able to move down and take the port back. Not good.

If that Lvov pocket held, you got lucky. I would have bashed the crap out of those tank regiments with the tank corps down by the Rumanian border. They absolutely can get to those regiments and hasty attacks have no issue moving them. (I tested this quite a bit when I was working on my German opening). Move the security regiment over so the tank regiment can't retreat to that hex, then do a hasty. Pocket broken. You would get it right back, but the point is either you don't reduce the pocket for a turn (units rout out instead) or waste even more time waiting to reduce it.

Overall, this will be different without the extra panzers in the south, so it will be interesting to see what an up to strength AGC can pull off this game.

ORIGINAL: Klydon

The motor infantry unit did get the port on the coast, but he didn't send in a security division to hold it. Q-Ball had at least 1 unit rally out of that mess and it was able to move down and take the port back. Not good.

Exactly, it was an oversight by me not to send the sec boys in via sea movement.

Turn 2.

Not much resistance in the north. The panzers trundle forward. At the landbridge, a little tactical dilemma. The 12th Panzer division has 5 MPs left. Should I send it to hex A, discplacing an airfield and making really sure the landbridge isn't fortified? Or should I send it to hex B, securing the supply to the SS-division near Mogilev? A is of course the manly thing to do, dominating the landbridge and striking fear in your opponents heart, though it is risky. If it were me playing the Soviets, I would hit that Panzer division like a ton of bricks, and IIRC there are some CV 3 Soviet infantry divs around... and Q-Ball is at least as capable as I am in organizing a counterattack. The least I could expect would be finding it surrounded and out of supply. B has the nerit of being less risky, and both divisions will have their supply secured for next turn. Think about it, what would you do?

Here is an overview of the fron aftwer German moves turn 2.

In the north, I cross the river (I can never remember the name of that river) at Ostrov, and snuggle up to it at Pskov.

In the center, the Panzers reach Mogilev, the SS Das Reich division ends up right next to the city, and the industry is still there!

As for the 12th panzer, I surprise myself. I am a wimp! I go for alternative B. I dare not risk an elite panzer division routed!

In the Ukraine, I get stuck in something like a speed trap for panzers! I really don't accomplish much at all. Nice defense here by Q-Ball, though I expected nothing less.

The denizens of the Lvov pocket turn out to be a resilent bunch! Many retreats and not many surrenders. [:@]

I would have gone B as well. Part of the issue is you don't really have enough issue. It appears the airfield does not have a ground unit with it, but what if it does? Same if the hex to the NW of that airfield has a unit or not. If it does, you don't get nearly the territory flip you would think and would absolutely easily be surrounded.

Pulling back to B keeps both divisions in good shape for next turn and able to resume the attack with a good amount of MPs.

Why tote SEC boys up north when you can tote the LI corps (I think that's its name)? The one that starts down near Danzig. Just run to Danzig and ship them up to Riga and that little port. I usually send the polizei unit to the small northwestern port and the HQ and ID to Riga.

Tote the SEC the next turn.

I have been using security units for the small ports so I can send the bigger stuff to Riga on turn 1 when shipping is a bit limited. Part of it depends on how much is left there in terms of Russian units. If there are some left like in this case, then I am more tempted to drop a L corps infantry division in the upper port for the expressed purpose of cleaning up any Russian units left in the area and letting my infantry that is a bit further back towards the border do as much marching as possible to catch up. 

Well the only port the Soviet could possibly get to is the far northern one and getting Polizei there on turn 1 takes care of that problem. Plus it can quickly join the rest of its corps on turn 2 east of Riga.

B would be my choice.

So - how did it go? Here is a shot of the area before German moves turn 3. I am glad I chose B, otherwise I would probably have found my panzer division behind that brown wall (or found it routed *shudder*).

And here is the area after German moves. Some hero rifle division on the landbridge drained the MPs of I don't know how many panzer divisions. [:@] Annoying. But I still broke through, and I have a bridgehead on the other side of the Dnepr.