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As I read the Keunert and Oliver AARs, I am thinking they are both either the best players on the planet, or I am dumb. Not taking anything away from them, but I think I am dumb.

To help me understand how dumb I am, has anyone playing the 2nd Kharkov as the Germans ever really kicked the Soviets butt? I want to know because I cannot.

I have tried being the aggressor, but then I look at the OOB and I think I should not. Then I become defensive and I just eek out a minor win by holding what I have been given at the beginning.

If anyone is kicking the Soviets butt, is it possible you could briefly explain what it is that you do?

ORIGINAL: balto

As I read the Keunert and Oliver AARs, I am thinking they are both either the best players on the planet, or I am dumb. Not taking anything away from them, but I think I am dumb.

To help me understand how dumb I am, has anyone playing the 2nd Kharkov as the Germans ever really kicked the Soviets butt? I want to know because I cannot.

I have tried being the aggressor, but then I look at the OOB and I think I should not. Then I become defensive and I just eek out a minor win by holding what I have been given at the beginning.

If anyone is kicking the Soviets butt, is it possible you could briefly explain what it is that you do?

If the Soviet's butt is on the end of their foot, I've been kicking the heck out of it with my fat a$$! [:)]

Dunno i played 2nd Kharkov as the Soviets and just barely got a minor / Major victory. (I don't think my opponent played the last turn so not sure) I made a few mistakes but it was relatively effortless. And I had lots of extra units left.

i can tell you some things you can do that will really annoy the Russians though and what the weakness' are.

Don't evacuate all pockets.. the scenario is short I can't remember 8 turns maybe? All my units are very weak in attack especially in rough terrain. It could take me 4-5 turns of attacking a unit isolated in a city before i can take it.. either that or repeatedly attack it and take huge losses.

Garrison all the cities with at least two good units and dont retreat form them even if you are encircled it might take the russians dozens of units and many turns to dig them out.

Hit their tanks with airstrikes mainly stukas, they have very little aa compared to how many tanks they have.

Other than that, dont be afraid of having units isolated too much, make your main priority to hold the cities as long as possible. there isn't really enough time to reduce pockets AND capture objectives. IF you can counter attack effectively. i kinda doubt it soviets have so many units. But maybe you can let one end of your front get isolated and counter attack by cutting the soviets in two with concentration.. the one thing I was very afraid of was a panzer attack though the north or south to cut off my units.. One turn out of supply and im toast, unlike germans who can stay out of supply for 3-4 turns and still be hard to kill.

But the most annoying thing is loosing ap's.. every turn seems like 1/3 to 1/2 my army's can barely even move. So you might get lucky with ap reduction.

Against the AI, movement bonuses give it a considerable advantage at anything above easy AI. I'm not sure if Command and Control is on for the AI, but based on how it's playing I doubt it.

The lack of replacements for the Germans is also a challenge.

I've tried the first two turns against the AI twice now and although I can establish a breakthrough with relative ease in the south, the AI can move more or less freely in the center due to its bonuses.

I played the 2nd Kharkov about a dozen times as the Germans, to learn the game. I can easily get a draw, most of the time get a minor victory, occasionally get a minor loss, and have yet to get a major win. First time I played as the russians, I got a major victory. The difference between a draw and victory is only a city, so it does make the scenario rather tense to play.