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To continue the Michael T./Tarhunnas AAR discussion about the Soviet's running away or fighting forward... I think the Russians can run like a rabbitt, even from Moscow, and in doing so keep enough strength to regain lost territory and man power ceners during the blizzard in order to build their huge army for the 44-45 beatdown of the Germans. Let me explain... I

In AGN's theater the Soviets hold on to Leningrad until the 10 th turn or so while setting up a formidible defense on the Volkov, (with a forward defense against the Finnish to keep this defensive line from being attacked on its R flank/rear.)

They slow down the German push in AGS while forming a massive carpet of forts at Moscow (not 6-7 hexes in front). The Germans will probable easily take the Kremlin, but the Soviets will lose little in casualties because 1) the Russians will have 2-4 extra turns to build a carpet of forts and 2) the time it takes to establish German supply for this attack will expose this defense to only 5-6 turns of attack and certainly little loss from units being isolated.

In the south they delay the Pz forces as much as possible (probably best said "little as needed") for AP and key factory evacuation and never allow the German infantry to engage, while setting up on strong defense front at the Voronzch/Rostov line.

My guess is that Soviet losses will be slightly over 2 million by blizzard, at which time the Axis will have to retreat and surrender all their territorial gains, or suffer major losses.

The Soviet player would be hard pressed to win the game in just 44 and 45 because the mobility of the Red Army will never match the Wehrmacht. The rate of advance to the west in the latter game will not match the Axis move to the east because of the relative levels of mobility. The Soviet tank corps are so brittle that to defeat the Axis requires more of a pounding approach by rifle corps. 1942 really is the pivitol year in a GC, assuming the Axis player does not deliver a knockout blow in '41. If the Soviets lose too many units in 1942, then come 1943 the Germans have 4 million men in their active ranks and the panzer pools began to fill to overflowing as German AFV production #s increase. Deep Axis fort lines go up, panzers assume a reserve posture and at that stage the Red Army hammers away and tries to get as far west as it can. But at the same time, the Soviets are often exhausting their Admin Points pool to replace rifle division losses. They are also dealing with reduced arms flows, as the arms multiplier was reduced to 1.6 from 2.0 and the manpower pools are also cut back to where they were previously. And all this time the Soviet player is trying to modernize the army to a corps structure, adding the needed SUs, etc., upgrading aircraft becuase the AI does a poor job of doing so, etc.

Today the Reds getting to Berlin in 1945 seems more and more a fantasy against an Axis player who has a good amount of experience.