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I ended up with six Guards Infantry divisions who manned the three front line Moscow hexes during my opponents push before Blizzard set in. I now have a few more and hopefully some Guards Calvary Corps soon. Tanks Brigades get heavily depleted in use so getting them to Guards is a challenge.

After withdrawn to the line, refit to 100% TOE and recovering to maximum morale, what should be done with them? Put back into the winter attacks or safeguard for use during the German 1942 offensive?

Use them for blizzard attacks. Only rarely does an Axis player succeed in surrounding and destroying Soviet units during the blizzard. A bit more likely during the snow turns in March.

Ideally by the time blizzard is over you should have at least 40 guards rifle divisions.

My rule book says I can only start building Guards Rifle Divs in March 42. How can you get 40 Guards Divs by March?

Guard rifle divisions are amazing units that can reach a CV of 5 with 55 morale/55Xp. Far better than regular divisions that can reach only 3.

It is you best troops so how to use them is up to you.

They are of course very good in offensive operation during blizzard. The only problem to use them too much in offensive is that they will not promote to guard status, as they are already guard.

So if you can manage an offensive operation with regular troops, do it as it will provide you with more guards upon victories.

Be carefull also that guard units need to reach 55 morale and xp > 50 to be really good. A 45 morale 30Xp guard unit is not that good and may be kept away from front for training.

ORIGINAL: tomeck48

My rule book says I can only start building Guards Rifle Divs in March 42. How can you get 40 Guards Divs by March?

I think you are confusing this discussion with the rule that says three airborne brigades can merge to form a guards division in March 42.

They shouldn't be at risk unless you have a very bad Summer.
They are best used to attack well dug in positions that you want shifted and the Axis player wants to keep hold of, often around Moscow. However with mild blizzard some positions may be too strong for nine guards divisions to dislodge even in December.
The Guards rifle divisions aren't so useful where the enemy is running. That's where the cavalry shine.

Guard division destroyed, like any divisions will return 4 week later. But empty and the training time to return them to 50XP can take half a year.

Regarding Mar 42, Guards RD can be created from regular RD which gain enough wins. I got my first one around September 41 in my current game. Corps Creation has actual date limits:
Soviet Corps
• December 1942: Three Soviet Cavalry Divisions -> Cavalry Corp {TOE is sum of divisions]
• March 1942: Three Soviet Airborne Brigades -> Guards Rifle Division
• April 1942: Three Soviet Tank Brigades -> Tank Corps (New TOE, 20% experience drop)
• May 1942: Two Soviet Rifle Brigades -> Rifle Division [Naval Brigades N/A)
• June 1942: Two Rifle Divisions + Brigade or Three Divisions -> Rifle Corps {TOE is sum of divisions]
• September 1942: Three+ Mechanized or Motorized Brigades -> Mechanized Corps (New TOE, 20% experience drop)
• January 1943: Three Airborne Brigades -> Guards Airborne Division
• With exception of Airborne, if 2 of the sub-units are Guards, the resulting unit is Guards
• Units may merge if both are the same type and the smaller or equal sized unit is merging., Result is one unit limited to 100% TOE.
• Static units may be created in 1942 from units in 2+ fortification. Vehicles to pool, increase 10% in construction ability. may not merge.
• Eventually these SS Motorized divisions are renamed:
o LAH to 1st SS Panzer Division
o Das Reich to 2nd SS Panzer Division
o Totenkopf to 3rd SS Panzer Division
o Wiking to 5th SS Panzer Division.

Merging is hardly used. It is a shame because it occured a lot of time historicaly.

The problem of merging units if that it disbands the unit that is merged.
If the "merged" units would return like a destroyed brigades or divisions, it would be far more interesting and allow a lot of new options. (And for example truly play the soviets in more soviet way, letting units fight until being completely unready, then merge them to others units).

We cannot do it currently because the AP cost would be too heavy to recreate new units to replace the one merged.