Entente vs Veteran AI AAR

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So I decided since there don't seem to be many AARs that I'd give it a try. I'm a fairly new player and haven't actually completed a game yet but played a few short games to learn the mechanics. The AAR will be pretty much purely informational and any advice/feedback is appreciated. I'll be using the standard settings and put the AI on Veteran giving it some bonuses (+10% MPP, +1 spotting, +1 experience).

My overall strategy will be to mostly counter what the Central Powers attempt to do while trying to hold as much territory as possible and building up my income. I hope to make the Western Front fairly static holding as much of France's starting territory as I can and eventually have Russia be able to advance on the Eastern Front. I plan to be aggressive with my navy to try to force the CPs to invest money into navy as well as better learn naval tactics. I'm not going to post every front every turn but try to focus on a turn summary and on highlighting where the most activity is.

I'll label turns based on the game turn calendar posted here so that all Entente turns are on the even numbers: https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=5044382

And so it begins...

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Turn 2 - August 8, 1914 - Summary

CPs
- From what I can tell seem to go with the historical placement of starting units (guessing maybe they always do?) which means the handful or so German units are placed on the Western Front (either that or I haven't seen them show up elsewhere)
- Seems to be a pretty standard opening by declaring war on Belgium and advancing into Belgium, France, and Serbia
- Destroyed: 1 Belgian Detachment, 1 Serbian Detachment
- Captured: Liege, Luxembourg, Belgrade

Entente
- Focus on forming up defensive lines in France and Serbia
- Advance as much as possible into Galicia while defending the rest of the Eastern Front
- Send all Mediterranean naval forces towards the Adriatic Sea to protect convoy line to Serbia and try to force a naval engagement with AH
- Send most North Sea naval forces towards the Northern Blockade line to try to bait the Germans out into a naval battle while leaving a few ships in the channel to hopefully prevent any subs moving through
- Send part of the Russia Baltic fleet north to the Gulf of Bothnia to raid the Swedish convoy route
- Send max convoy to Serbia (10% France, 5% Russia), max convoy to Russia (20% UK), and max convoy to UK (75% USA)
- Destroyed: 1 AH Cavalry Corps, 1 AH Destroyer
- Captured: Tarnopol

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Turn 2 - August 8, 1914 - Western Front
I try to position pretty aggressively to try to hold as much territory as possible. I decide to leave an infantry corps in Brussels to slow the Germans down even though it will probably be destroyed. Ultimately Belgium is doomed though I hope to hold most of France but need to buy some time to wait for more units.

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Turn 2 - August 8, 1914 - Eastern Front
The focus in on advancing in Galicia with the rest of the front just entrenching enough units to hold the line.

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Turn 2 - August 8, 1914 - Serbia
With the fall of Belgrade (nice work AI!), the hope is to just slowly delay the AH advance and try to trade hits/units at better than 1 to 1.

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Turn 4 - August 22, 1914 - Summary

CPs
- Chose to add the additional AH army to the Serbian Front rather than Galicia
- Continued pushing hard into Belgium capturing Brussels and in Serbia towards Valjevo
- Destroyed: 1 Belgian Corps
- Captured: Brussels and Mons Mine

Entente
- Decided to let the Ottomans have the Dreadnought to delay them joining the CPs though Germany sends support to counter the lost mobilization so they end up at 31%
- Raiding the Norway and Sweden convoys routes causes 39 MPP lost for Germany
- Continued advance into Galicia capturing the oil fields and advancing towards Lemberg destroying 2 units
- Pushed forward in East Prussia to encircle Gumbinnen
- Advanced further into the Adriatic Sea and picked off an armored cruiser
- Destroyed: 1 AH Infantry Corps, 1 AH Cavalry Corps, 1 AH Armored Cruiser
- Captured: Galician Oilfields
- Research: UK 2xTrench, France 3xTrench

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Turn 4 - August 22, 1914 - Western Front
The BEF arrives along with some additional mobilized French Corps. These are mostly used to complete the defensive line to the northern coast. It appears the Germans are focusing on Belgium and the southern part of the line. I decide to actually advance a bit into the Ardennes as their center seemed a bit weak.

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Turn 4 - August 22, 1914 - Adriatic Sea
I push pretty far into the Adriatic Sea and pick off an AH armored cruiser. I think AH has a handful or so ships left so most can just sit in ports now.

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Turn 4 - August 22, 1914 - Eastern Front
I push forward in Galicia to capture the oilfields and push forward in East Prussia to surround a German Corps in the town of Gumbinnen. I'm also destroyed 1 infantry and 1 cavalry corps in Galicia as the AI played it pretty aggressively. I think I have at least 2 to 1 in the number of Corps in Galicia so gonna keep pushing to force CPs to react or lose objectives.

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Turn 6 - September 5, 1914 - Summary

CPs
- Seem to be reinforcing units and losing some momentum on the Western Front with no destroyed units and minimal advance
- Still pushing hard in Serbia with the capture of Valjevo and a bunch of attacks
- Destroyed: none
- Captured: Valjevo

Entente
- Raided Norway convoy for 15 MP lost
- Russia continuing to push hard into Galicia and now Eastern Prussia
- Western Front defense looking pretty solid now
- Serbia trying to slow down AH
- Destroyed: 2 German Infantry Corps, 1 AH Cavalry Corps, 1 AH Pre-Dreadnought
- Captured: Gumbinnen
- Research: France 1xTrench, UK 2xTrench 1xSpying and Intelligence

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Turn 6 - September 5, 1914 - Western Front
Not much movement here and I was able to destroy an exposed German Infantry Corps near Brussels.

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Turn 6 - September 5, 1914 - Serbia

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Turn 6 - September 5, 1914 - Eastern Front
Destroyed the encircled German Infantry Corps in East Prussia and an AH Cavalry Corps in Galicia.

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Turn 8 - September 19, 1914 - Summary

CPs
- Germany appears to operate about 2 armies worth of units from the Western Front to Galicia which isn't a bad move but I was pretty surprised the AI would do something that drastic!
- Destroyed: none
- Captured: none

Entente
- Albania joins the Entente
- Raided Norway and Sweden convoys for 41 MPs lost
- Switch gears to form up a more solid line in Galicia to combat the Germans while looking to be more aggressive on the Western Front
- Some great attacks on infantry corps that the AI left exposed
- Destroyed: 3 German Infantry Corps, 3 AH Infantry Corps
- Captured: Lemberg
- Research: Russia 2xTrench, UK 1xSpy and Intelligence, France 1xArtillery Weapons

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Turn 8 - September 19, 1914 - Western Front

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Turn 8 - September 19, 1914 - Eastern Front

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Turn 10 - October 10, 1914 - Summary

CPs
- Diplomatic success moves Bulgaria towards CPs by 21% now at 73% which means soon Serbia will be defending 2 fronts with very few units
- Oddly the AI left both hexes east of Brussels empty which left a gap in their Western Front
- Destroyed: none
- Captured: none

Entente
- Romania swings slightly towards Entente with fall of Lemberg now at 35%
- Raided Norway and Sweden convoys for 35 MPs lost
- Western Front pushes forward in the center where there is a gap cutting off supplies to Brussels and the surrounding area. I want to pick a fight here as I think I outnumber the Germans significantly and while I probably lose 1-2 units, I hope to pick off a number of the units around Brussels.
- Continue to push forward in Eastern Prussia where Memel is now isolated but it looks like the Germans are starting to mount a more solid defense near Konigsberg
- Destroyed: 1 German Infantry Corps, 1 German Cavalry Corps
- Captured: Tilsit
- Research: Russia 1xTrench, Serbia 1xTrench

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Turn 10 - October 10, 1914 - Western Front
French infantry surge forward to cut off all the German units around Brussels. While they are exposed to counter attack they should help weaken those forces and hopefully lead to the destruction of a number of German units and the liberation of Brussels.

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Turn 10 - October 10, 1914 - Eastern Front

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Turn 12 - November 7, 1914 - Summary

CPs
- Another major diplomatic success moves Bulgaria towards CPs by 21% now at 99% which means they will join the CPs next turn which is extremely unlucky and a disaster for Serbia
- Lots of German attacks in Galicia destroying a Russian infantry corps and advancing several units
- Destroyed: 1 Russian Infantry Corps
- Captured: none

Entente
- Raided Norway and Sweden convoys for 34 MPs lost
- Mud this turn causes slow movement and limits mobility
- Good progress on the Western Front destroying a few German units and strengthening the Brussels pocket
- Serbia in full panic mode as it has to immediately defend the Bulgarian border so rails as many units as it can to defend the major mountain passes and cities while retreating from AH
- Russia continues to push forward in East Prussia but Galicia mostly a stalemate with both sides trading some losses
- Destroyed: 3 German Infantry Corps, 1 German Detachment, 2 AH Infantry Corps
- Captured: Memel, Mons Mine
- Research: Russia 1xTrench, UK 2xASW, France 1xIndustrial, Serbia 1xTrench