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What are the opinions an opinion on how the Soviets should maintain a reserve fortified line in 1942? I'm leaning toward brigades because they can fall back to the next line rather than be disbanded.

This is a reduced blizzard game and I expect the Axis to be quite strong come clear weather. I'm preparing an AAR to start T24.

I think brigades are a better choice, exactly for the reasons you have stated. And you will be able to use them later, to form Rifle Corps in the most efficient way (getting half of a division for free), so no AP will be wasted that way.

I think brigades are a better choice, exactly for the reasons you have stated. And you will be able to use them later, to form Rifle Corps in the most efficient way (getting half of a division for free), so no AP will be wasted that way.

By using two division and one brigade instead of three divisions are you not creating a weaker corps? Also, by using your brigades do you not lose the ability to send support units into battles. My feeling is the more brigade I have in reserve status, the better chance of support units entering in a battle.

The corps will be weaker on the turn of creation, yes, but the brigade will be converted to a division immediately on build up, so after a turn on refit you will have a 3-divisional corps at a 5 AP discount. Of course the early corps TOE does not add up to 3 divisional TOEs, but by late '42 it will.

Support units have nothing to do with brigades. Due to 40-unit limit in battle you can actually get less SU commited, because on-map units have a priority. Brigades are good as reserves though, because they extend defensive ZOC as normal units, have a minimum morale of 50 (important in '42), and as brigade-sized units have a bonus to certain leader rolls, initiative and admin I think.