Soviet AP costs

[Searry]

When do I get a discount on rifle and cavalry divisions? 40 is too much when I need to push during the first blizzard.

[thedoctorking]

I don't think I've ever built a new Soviet division. I always have better uses for my AP in creating new SU, air groups, artillery units, replacing generals, switching air units to better planes, combining divisions into corps, and, of course, switching units back and forth between HQ's. The latter takes up at least half my AP allocation every turn. I have created new Army HQs on some occasions.

[Searry]

Wow, you must play very well then. I have millions of losses by the last '41 mud turn.

[Dinglir]

Your lost divisions will return in a while as nearly empty shell units. After that they will begin to fill up. The result is that you really do not have to build new divisions in order to use up the available recruits etc.

Also remember that building a new division does not give you a ready combat formation, but merely a nearly empty shell, that you will have to fill up yourself.

[Searry]

Yeah I know that but I want to build cavalry corps' with engineers to try them out. Early november gave the discount.

[thedoctorking]

There is an argument for building new cavalry divisions in order to increase the number of cav corps you can create. December is when you can do that.

Later in the war it might be worth doing.

[56ajax]

As i am crap at defence I build lots of new units, but mainly brigades, because in 42 you still get absolutely belted, so you need lots of road bumps. I assign them to a HQ that does not require admin points to reassign, which keeps them 100% supplied. If you leave them assigned to Stavka then only get about 80% supply, but whether that is important I don't know.

If the Moscow MD is still frozen then it is a good one as the units can also defend.

When manpower runs low I build Tank Brigades which use up some of those useless T34s and KV1s which you should have in abundance.

[thedoctorking]

As I say, I don't think I've ever built a combat unit (aside from artillery divisions). Since destroyed Soviet units come back in a couple of turns, they serve the same purpose. You would only start building new units if the ones the game gives you get filled up and you have enormous reserves of manpower. That's unlikely to happen before 1944 or so against a competent German player.

You should build plenty of support units, though. Your corps, once you can start creating them, should have a good allocation of appropriate support. Sapper units are the most important.

On a more general note, a patchwork of brigades is not a defense. It is fine to have a checkerboard defense behind your lines but you should have a front line that can stand up to German infantry. What you do is give ground slowly, enough to prevent the Germans from mounting a deliberate attack against your front line units, and keep a substantial reserve behind your lines, both to stop armored breakthroughs before they can isolate too many of your units and then to counter-attack and break pockets. The best use for your AP, once you can, is to combine smaller units into corps that can actually fight German divisions on a more or less equal footing.

[No idea]

Well, you have to build some if you want mech corps later. On any case, it might be worth to build some cav units to make more cav corps in dec 41

[tyronec]

When do I get a discount on rifle and cavalry divisions? 40 is too much when I need to push during the first blizzard.

Here is my working spreadsheet for Soviets. T21 build costs come down.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: tyronec

When do I get a discount on rifle and cavalry divisions? 40 is too much when I need to push during the first blizzard.

Here is my working spreadsheet for Soviets. T21 build costs come down.

Oh my, more spreadsheets!!!!! Is there anyone other than me that does not play with spreadsheets?

[Kantti]

Out of curiosity, what is that "need 210 AP" on turn 20?

And to HLYA, I do. But I have a friend with shitloads of spreadsheet whom I pester always when I need to know something. xD

[tyronec]

Out of curiosity, what is that "need 210 AP" on turn 20?

I like guard cavalry corps so build a stack of cavalry divisions on T21. 210 APs on T20 means you have maximum APs on T21 with the two new fronts arriving.

Oh my, more spreadsheets!!!!! Is there anyone other than me that does not play with spreadsheets?

Not a real spreadsheet, just a few columns of data. If you want a real spreadsheet go for the production calculators !

[Kantti]

How many cavalry corps are you aiming at? Just curious and thinking if I should prepare for same building operation (at t18 now in my game). On the other hand aren't those cavalry divs horribly inexperienced in December as they have only a couple of turns to train?

[Searry]

To fill up the shock armies. I think they might have some CV if I stack them up with the engineers, tank brigade activations, and the best commanders. The NC Front just activated, so I'm using that for them. Konev is leading it so no need to spend more AP.

[tyronec]

How many cavalry corps are you aiming at? Just curious and thinking if I should prepare for same building operation (at t18 now in my game). On the other hand aren't those cavalry divs horribly inexperienced in December as they have only a couple of turns to train?

In my game with Saper I had the equivalent of 28 cav. corps by turn 30something. Some of them start off during the blizzard with a CV of 1, even with 3 sappers. So need to work it to get them some easy wins. By the end of the winter the great majority were guards.
With the cap on cav. squads they also need to be looked after and not slugging it out in the front line too much.