Fall Weiss II - PBEM AAR (World Map)

[crispy131313]

Note: I am hosting my FWII - World Map AAR on this sub-forum as my image upload limit is 25x larger than on the World at war sub-forum.

This is an AAR for my mod Fall Weiss II - World Map. The mod is based on my main mod Fall Weiss II - Western Theater an oft played mod in SC WiE that is quite popular. This new mod has not gained much traction in the community, myself included as I have only played 1 match vs the AI after all the work to prepare it quite some time ago. However with the Western Theater mod mainly exhausted of changes I am now going to turn some attention to the World Map to shake things up.

I've only played 1 match vs the AI of the vanilla campaign as well, and no matches vs PBEM opponent. So while I'm an SC veteran this is going to be a very interesting play through for me as I'm a World Map rookie so to speak. With that said I of course made this mod so I have an advantage in that sense.

Either way I expect this to be a very entertaining match with missteps on my side, and surprises for my opponent i'm sure! This will match could really go off the rails and I've warned my opponent to be flexible with his strategy.

I will be playing the Allies, my opponent the Axis. Good luck to my opponent, and if you are reading this STOP and come back after the game is completed. Thank you!

[crispy131313]

The game opening followed normal course, Germany invaded Poland and a Panzer Corps sits outside the gates of Warsaw. Poland will fall in 2 turns. All of the Commonwealth countries that normally would join the war did including India, with the exception of Canada which would wait an additional turn.

In the East the Japanese continued their heavy assault on the Chinese Army, and units were shuffled in Manchuria.

I intend to shake things up however, and when presented the option on the Allies opening turn the UK invoked the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. Portugal and her African colonies are preparing to join the war. Spanish mobilization rocketed to 51%.

The Allies begin down our alternate path to victory.

[crispy131313]

The Allies on their opening turn have opted for a full naval blockade of Germany which did not result in stirring any Pro-Axis sentiment. The UK also brokered a new agreement with Greece which cut off trade between that nation and Germany (DE not posted). The result of these decisions cuts off a total of 10 MPP per turn that Germany was receiving, albeit only on their opening turn now.

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The prior mentioned event to cut Greek/German trade.

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Lots of activity this turn, Poland fell on turn 2, and the nation was split between Germany and USSR. The Germans were busy diplomatically swaying Spain, Sweden and Greece. No diplomatic chit investment by the Axis yet however.

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Mainland China - Mid October 1939

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The French blockade Gibraltar

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Following up on the invasion of Poland, the Soviet Union aggressively enforces their territorial claim over the Turkish straits. This act of aggression will ramp up political tensions between these nations, and in all likelihood Turkey will quickly follow Germany into war against the Soviets if the opportunity arises.

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The decision to occupy the Turkish straits will later change the entire dynamic of the Eastern Front. The Soviet Union is being overly aggressive and as a result their mobilization % is increasing in anticipation of future conflict.

As a result of this aggression however, Germany will have the opportunity to bring Turkey into the Axis in the initial phases of Barbarossa. This is definitely a double edged sword and the first time I've played this gambit in PBEM in any Fall Weiss game. The increase in USSR mobilization will result in a stronger Soviet Army but also allow the Soviets to absorb any future mobilization penalties easier.

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The Soviets will now gain access to the Mediterranean

[taffjones]

I'm looking forward to this AAR.
I have played PanzerRommel in WaW and he handed me my head and backside on a silver platter [:D].
Also to see the different DE's you have added Crispy, Some interesting ones so far, and the way they can affect the game and strategy's used.
Good luck to you both and hope to see a interesting game.

[crispy131313]

ORIGINAL: taffjones

I'm looking forward to this AAR.
I have played PanzerRommel in WaW and he handed me my head and backside on a silver platter [:D].
Also to see the different DE's you have added Crispy, Some interesting ones so far, and the way they can affect the game and strategy's used.
Good luck to you both and hope to see a interesting game.

Thanks hope you enjoy, maybe this mod can gain some transaction, it was collecting dust and from me as well. And yes my opponent feels very competent!

Of course I would find a bug in this play-through! I did a small update before this match and introduced a faulty belligerency script that made UK/India belligerent with Japan in future turns.

It did not activate anything out of the ordinary though so I sent a PM to my opponent and I am sure we can work around it by just keeping the Commonwealth out of Japan's way until they actually want to go to war. Still very annoying...

[crispy131313]

Canada joins the war, and now all the usual early Allied countries are in play.

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One of the benefits to Portugal joining the war is that another HQ is formed. If the Allies can keep Spain out of the war Portugal's war entry will be very beneficial over the long run.

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The only significant naval skirmish with Axis raiders in 1939 occurred off the coast of Newfoundland, with neither side able to do much damage at this time.

[FOARP]

Gotta love the scale variation on the WAW map:

Real life straight-line distances v. In-game distance (counting the originating hex)

Delhi-Kathmandu: 500 miles, 4 hexes (125 miles/hex)
NYC-Washington DC: 230 miles, 2 hexes (115 miles/hex)
St. Johns-Port-aux-Basques: 300 miles, 4 hexes (75 miles/hex)
Tangier-Fez: 130 miles, 2 hexes (65 miles/hex)
Lisbon-Lagos (Portugal): 115 miles, 2 hexes (58 miles/hex)
Chengdu-Chongqing (Chungking): 170 miles, 4 hexes (43 miles/hex)
Beijing (Peking)-Tianjin (Tientsin): 73 miles, 2 hexes (37 miles/hex)
Hamburg-Bremen: 60 miles, 2 hexes (30 miles/hex)
Luxembourg-Amsterdam: 184 miles, 6 hexes (30 miles/hex)

I mean I know why they do this (i.e., for game-play purposes), but just eyeballing it you wouldn't know it varies so much even in some cases within the same continent (e.g., India seems to be on a diferent scale to China, the Low Countries and northern France seem to be on a different scale to Iberia).

[crispy131313]

ORIGINAL: FOARP

Gotta love the scale variation on the WAW map:

Real life straight-line distances v. In-game distance (counting the originating hex)

Delhi-Kathmandu: 500 miles, 4 hexes (125 miles/hex)
NYC-Washington DC: 230 miles, 2 hexes (115 miles/hex)
St. Johns-Port-aux-Basques: 300 miles, 4 hexes (75 miles/hex)
Tangier-Fez: 130 miles, 2 hexes (65 miles/hex)
Lisbon-Lagos (Portugal): 115 miles, 2 hexes (58 miles/hex)
Chengdu-Chongqing (Chungking): 170 miles, 4 hexes (43 miles/hex)
Beijing (Peking)-Tianjin (Tientsin): 73 miles, 2 hexes (37 miles/hex)
Hamburg-Bremen: 60 miles, 2 hexes (30 miles/hex)
Luxembourg-Amsterdam: 184 miles, 6 hexes (30 miles/hex)

I mean I know why they do this (i.e., for game-play purposes), but just eyeballing it you wouldn't know it varies so much even in some cases within the same continent (e.g., India seems to be on a diferent scale to China, the Low Countries and northern France seem to be on a different scale to Iberia).

I only learned this year that the actual world map as I know it is not to scale. I think for game play purposes this is a good map. Egypt certainly feels far away more so then in WiE...

[crispy131313]

China - Nov 1939

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The Allied investment in Spanish diplomacy pays dividends early. With the high Spanish mobilization from Portugal entering the war this is a welcome sight.

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China - Dec 1939