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Taking bets on what will occur when I end my turn (not counting St. Malo):

Landed 3 turns ago and spent the last 2 turns weakening the axis forces (hence the -24VP), ground interdiction is light on the western side of the encirclement as most of the panzers are on the east flank.

Naval interdiction is 4+ for several hexes around the Brest and Lorient and the only port that should be able to handle that amount of isolated units is Bordeux approx. 20 hexes away.

Forces trapped (not counting St. Malo)
1 Pz Div (SS)
1 PzGr Div (SS)
18 Inf Div (mix of rev/regular/Mtn/Ab)
10 regt/bde (mix of security/regular/motorised)
1 Corp HQ
2 unknown units

I believe the Axis would not have enough troop ships to move all of the above in a single turn

Likely AI options;
1. Break through to the cut of troops (min of 3 hexes depth under ZOC to breach)
2. pull back around the ports and try to evacuate
3. contact the Starship Enterprise and teleport out

That pocket is pretty easy to relieve, cant say what the Ai will do.

I'll post what happened next shortly, its surprising and I think there is room for a few tweaks to improve the AI

the screen shot doesn't 2 additional tank divisions that broken through a bit further south and blocking St Nazaire

!!spoiler below!!























its not option 3

My money would have been on number 3 so that's me skint

Bad Trek reference.[:-] The Starship Enterprise could never teleport anyone anywhere! They used Matter Transmission. Otherwise Captain Kirk would have always stepped up onto the teleporter pad, and not the transporter pad [:D].

The western troops did little other than pull back 1 hex presumably towards the ports (orange)

The encircled troops widened the encirclement by a few hexes (red)

The western troops did little more than move a few units broken into regiments down south (green)

Over the next few turns its turned into a Falaise pocket-like situation where I've proceed to break the axis down into 4-5 smaller pockets and currently in the process of destroying each pocket in turn, the eastern troops at this point have now pulled back.

I believe the AI should've attempted to relieve at least the red pocket, there is the strength to the northwest to move at least 2 divisions southwards and still prevent a northern breakout, the AI could've easily saved several units (saves available if any dev wants them).

On a side note, there was not a single unit teleporting about as far as I know, once I destroyed the pockets I'll check what surrendered against what I think I pocketed, but this does show that on the whole the AI doesn't 'cheat' that much [;)]

ORIGINAL: meklore61

Bad Trek reference.[:-] The Starship Enterprise could never teleport anyone anywhere! They used Matter Transmission. Otherwise Captain Kirk would have always stepped up onto the teleporter pad, and not the transporter pad [:D].

tamato - tomato [:)] but apologies to all trekie fans

I'll post screens from my latest game showing the AI not cheating to much

I've noticed the AI doesn't send units into empty ZOC to break an encirclement in one of the games I played as well. I had run a couple armor divisions behind and the AI just set up a new defensive line and left the units trapped and cut off, when it could have put a one or two "cheap" divisions into the area and opened up a supply line, at least to allow some of the better divisions a chance to break out and escape