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Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 3:50 am
by DQ2004
Hello all and welcome to the new year.
A year which will involve the death of many pixels worth of units.
It is sad, but vengeance is necessary.

Vengeance for all the wrongs visited upon us by the Western Imperial powers. One by one, we will have our revenge.
I speak to you now of course on behalf of the Axis powers, and when I tell that never in all of known history has one group of nations been so mistreated by another group as has ours, then you'll understand our hunger for this vengeance.

Japan has of course begun its campaign already to secure an empire worthy of the name. China, which has already proven its inability to effectively govern itself, is to be the first victim, oops did I say victim? I meant of course lucky recipient of Japanese rule.
For Germany, they must of course redress that dreadful wrong of Versaille, and to do that it is clear that Poland must go, regardless of any other consequences.
Italy has apparently some vague lofty goals of dominion but who cares really.

And now the serious part:
This AAR is my first that is between two players, as a warm up we played the new Fatal Alliances game. Naturally things didn't go well. My opponent was playing the Central Powers who began by concentrating on Russia and did not even attack in the West until much later. Thus Russia was defeated rapidly, falling to revolution in early 1916, allowing a German attack in the west in full strength later that year. Italy suffered a series of defeats eventually surrendering in mid-1917 quickly followed by a collapsing France (despite the arrival of large quantities of US forces).
At this point the game was declared to be over.
So I've now persuaded my friend to play MWiF, although our hopes that the ease of administration (no counting of factories, resources etc) would quicken play has proven to be a false one.
At the moment we are lucky to get through one 'turn' per gaming session (hotseat). If it is a Nov-Dec or Jan-Feb turn sometimes we manage both in one session. We are not playing by email.

My friend (lets call him Bomber Harris) has only played WiF once before, and that was over a decade ago, so it barely counts. But Fatal Alliances successfully introduced him to the general game mechanics, unit types etc.
Given that I haven't played a real opponent in WiF for a very long time too, I expect we'll make lots of mistakes.
But given my defeat in Fatal Alliances, naturally, I require revenge!!

This AAR will not be like some other reports. I won't be posting a screenshot of every battle, every dice roll. Just the significant events and a few GiFs. Enjoy.

Right so to start with here is the ongoing war in China, with the overall situation at the start of Sep/Oct 39:

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 3:54 am
by DQ2004
As you can see from the setup, Bomber Harris was fairly conservative, and the Japanese were planning to take out the nest of Communists in the north.
Their plans were to last a very short time.
Here is a closer view of the setup in the north:

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 3:56 am
by DQ2004
And this view shows the south of China (obviously).
The advantage in setting up second shown clearly in this case!

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 4:16 am
by Courtenay
Would you mind comments on your game?

RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 4:20 am
by DQ2004
ORIGINAL: Courtenay

Would you mind comments on your game?
Comments are more than welcome, however I must warn you that images may well be posted some time after the turns have played out, so advice on what 'should have been done' will be pretty superfluous.
This game actually started some time ago, and I already have nearly 100 images to post!!

Cheers

RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 4:48 am
by DQ2004
So now we must move from the East to the main game, primarly, that of Germany's revenge!
First up we have to have Danzig and central Prussia back in the Reich. Obviously.

Our inexperienced opponent managed to make several blunders in his setup, and thus buoyed with confidence, the Panzer divisions (and some other forces that weren't so important) smashed their way into the heart of Poland.

As you can see, we were able to launch attacks on all three key cities immediately - however it was then that disaster struck!
The defenders of Lodz were made of much tougher stuff than we anticipated (we rolled a four - 2D10)!!
Instead of conquering Poland in a single impulse we were doomed to sit it out and wait for almost two months!
Even worse, the battle for the city of Danzig was a slaughter, with all forces involved being wiped out, attacker and defender alike!
Not a good start to our vengeance at all...
For the remainder of Sep/Oct 1939 the weather remained woeful, and no further assault was possible. Poland, against all expectations, had held out.

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 4:59 am
by Orm
How did you get that panzer between Poznan and Lodz on the first impulse?

RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:06 am
by DQ2004
ORIGINAL: Orm

How did you get that panzer between Poznan and Lodz on the first impulse?
No idea.
I think there was a bug or two, to be honest.

RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:08 am
by DQ2004
Returning to the boring Chinese front, thanks to the total lack of decent weather the Japanese were able to do very little.
They advanced into a few abandoned Chinese cities, a situation that the population of the United States seemed to care sod all about.
This shows the two moves in the North:



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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:09 am
by Mayhemizer_slith
Good to see new AAR here!

RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:10 am
by DQ2004
And in the South, the Chinese that had found themselves nowhere near any Japanese at all, headed towards the enemy.
In hindsight, this was to prove something of a mistake.

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:40 am
by DQ2004
Now, I know what you're thinking.
Surely, if Poland was going that badly, things were better elsewhere?
Well... no.

The Germans had an aggressive setup with which it was planned to make a first turn attack into Belgium and try to take out France very quickly.
However, the lousy weather quickly put paid to that.
Eventually, the weather improved just a smidgeon and the OKW decided to risk a rain-soaked attack into Belgium. Once again our opponent, Bomber Harris, opted for an odd setup and the opportunity was rife for the Wehrmacht to smash them aside in moments, Liege falling to the initial attack.

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:43 am
by DQ2004
Despite all our hopes, however, the turn came to a devastatingly quick end.
Belgium wasn't conquered, Poland wasn't conquered, Japan had barely moved an inch, and the Axis were off to a terrible start.
Here are the losses for the turn. The Polish aircraft, whilst here as losses, were actually interned.

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:45 am
by warspite1
ORIGINAL: DQ2004

ORIGINAL: Orm

How did you get that panzer between Poznan and Lodz on the first impulse?
No idea.
I think there was a bug or two, to be honest.
warspite1

Which version are you using? That's a big one.

RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:46 am
by DQ2004
Reinforcements for Nov-Dec 1940:

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:54 am
by DQ2004
ORIGINAL: warspite1
ORIGINAL: DQ2004
warspite1

Which version are you using? That's a big one.

It was the latest public Beta test version at the time. Its since been updated.

RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:57 am
by DQ2004
The very insignificant changes that are Global control at the end of the Sep/Oct 1939 turn:

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:58 am
by DQ2004
Global control showing the Axis powers.
I assure you that things will improve!! (lets face it they can hardly be worse)

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 6:09 am
by DQ2004
For the second turn of the game the Allies won the initiative.
Not helpful.
The rain persisted too, causing much gnashing of teeth on the part of yours truly, the Axis player.
But Bomber Harris' inexperience continued, with some odd decisions.
As you would expect the French moved into as-yet-unconquered Belgium, but although the Brussels militia had appeared in that city, he chose not to reinforce it, leaving Belgium doomed.

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RE: Vengeance: A Global War AAR (DQ2004 AAR#3)

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 6:12 am
by DQ2004
In Poland, with all units now freshly reorganised, a new and much bigger assault was possible, and despite the rain, quickly launched.
The poor Poles did not have a chance.
Poor? Of course, this is part of our revenge!
Finally a small bit of justice is done! Now we must deal with these pesky French and English.

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