How to get decisive on Moscow 41?

[Bentusi]

Been trying this mission a few times now and am having serious trouble. On my first try I had mud on 8 of the ten first rounds, with rain most of the time so my planes were working 3 of these rounds. I got stuck at Vyazma and Mozhaisk forever, with huge causalties and endless frustration. If only I had fielded 30 paratroopers instead of my useless armor, planes, artillery and infantry

Just now I played again and got nearly perfect weather, with just one or two rounds of mud and a lot of clear skies for my planes, but I still came in one or two rounds too late in Moscow. Somehow the opposing forces seem too much to plow through in the required time, and I have especially nagging problems with getting my infantry and artillery up through the trenches without getting sniped from the flanks. I have two paratroopers I send to Tula because it`s inaccessible and out of the way, as well as because the aux armor on that flank are worthless if you cross the river. I was thinking of using my planes to shore things up there as I babysit the aux past the armor south of Tula, so I could land the paratroopers east of Moscow to wear on the defenses from the rear for a few rounds before my main forces get there. But then I would be wide open on the main front to attacks from enemy planes so I have decided against it.

If anybody has any brilliant ideas I could try to succeed at Moscow 41, please don`t be shy!

[KerenskyLI]

I've given up on this because it mostly requires sheer luck with getting ample amounts of clear skies.  If you get too much rain and then some dreaded mud, your chances go right out the window.
That's not necessarily a problem though, because if you really wanted Moscow done in 1941, there's the option of Early Moscow, where the weather is generally fair, and even if you don't, you get your shot in Moscow 43, which everyone pretty much agrees is a cake walk to get a DV on, assuming you can reach it in the first place. 

[Bentusi]

I eventually figured that out. The Rush on Moscow was quite hard even with decent weather I thought and the 41 near impossible, but the 43 turned out to be a cakewalk with Tigers and Nebelwerfers.
I guess the rush is the best balanced of them then, since the 41 is so dependent on luck and the 43 isn`t much of a challenge, or at least it wasn`t with my corps. In general WW2 panzer games are usually best in the pIVa-i phase, since things become too easy with mass-produced Tigers. I think this holds true with PC as well.

[Bentusi]

Let me just add that the easy part regards the offensive missions, as I`m totally inept at defending in both PG and PC. The Bagration mission makes me wanna cry.