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This is the companion piece of the Ash (Entente) vs KorutZelva (CP) AAR (https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=5065203). We have a gentlemen agreement not to look at each other AAR so as to be more candid and provide uncropped pics. This is the thread with my musings. Enjoy!

PS: I did a redo over the thread because by having the title start the same Ash might have clicked on it by mistake. [:D]

So my battleplan is to win through knocking the UK and Russia out. First taking out Russia while slowly building up my navy then having a decisive battle and take control of UK's shipping lanes.

For my opening move I placed all my deployable units in the east in a defensive manner because there is a lot of exposed area where the Russian can just steal unopposed. In the West I left Belgium alone but still lunged my western force on the French. An expert player would have sold tech and operate a bunch of crap all over but I'm loathe to sell tech I would buy later. There are other reason is that I don't like operating (except for emergencies), it just cost so much. The target of the western offensive is Nancy and maybe Toul and Belfort depending on how things go. This should give the French a scare, allow to establish a quick moral lead without shliffenning and give the impression I'm going to do a standard game going for France-Russia. Once my armies are wounded and unfit for offensive operations I'll send them to the rear and force march them to the east which they should reach in time for a spring offensive in 1915. I won't reinforce them until close to go time and use the time they are in transit to tech up with the money saved.

I kept the goeben in the adriatic. The austrian can use the help blockading the shipping line to Serbia and hopefully with the delayed war entry of the Ottoman the rail to them will be clear by then.

The start of the game is a bit chaotic in the east both side going at each other in western Poland. One of my corp noticed that Warsaw was empty to I tried a pincer movement with some Austrian force to cut supply of the units west of Warsaw. A russian counter attack then in turn destroy on austrian corp and encricled another one but the russian attack left them weakned and the austrian unit manage to get back in supply. Stakes were very high on that theater, the centre powers have a chance to secure Warsaw before the Russian finish setting up their defensive lines. To try to profit from this opportunity I ended up operating a HQ and four corps just outside of Russian sight north of przemzyl fortress. From this position they can support Lemberg if the Austrian line breaks and if the Ivangorod corps go chasing the retreating Austrians near Radom I can strike north at Lublin.

In the West I took Nancy this turn so my minimum objective has been attained. In Serbia, the austrian have to deal with the theater on their own for now. I only just took Belgrade, a serbian counterattack delayed me one turn.

Situation at Aug 1914

Serbian zigging and zagging destroying another corp on their counterattacks. Not good... but I had plan to bribe Italy to keep its navy from meddling for my naval ambitions so at least I can weave it my narrative into 'AH can't handle another front I had no choice' so it doesn't tip off the UK of my plan. For the same reason I don't use my subs at all: I don't want him to invest in anti-sub so I can go on the offense tech 3 vs tech 0. Similarly I won't get the decision to get a seaplane carrier because it announces it to the other side. Russian assuming defensive position (including evacuating the galician oil fields which I reclaim), they have escaped Lodz cauldron just before I bring the hammer. I may yet get Warsaw before winter. In the West we are halted at Nancy. Time to set a defensive perimeter against the French. I have 4 corp and one cavalry force marching towards Serbia.

Wow... just when I think the Serbs are done they can snipe a corp under my nose. All these attacks are costing them more than they earn though so unless they they get reinforcement they will run out of steam.

Russia retreat behind the vistula, leaving me to road open to siege Warsaw. With no trench tech, I think I can take it next turn.

Found a corp in the French line that offered me favorable odds so I destroyed it.

The UK finally join at the end of my turn. I'll have to withdraw from cetinje convoy line in a turn.

I'm happy the Russian backed off the Austrians when the germans marched on warsaw because they could have made the Austrians damage tank. I can't let them lose towns because their morale will tank from caving in to the Italians. I need them for them to survive and their adriatic fleet act as a fleet-in-being to force the entente to split their force between the Med and the blockade.

October 1914

So Warsaw falls on schedule, the Russian may get it back in a counter-attack but the moral loss they can not recoup. This should ensure that the moral disparity between russians and austrian post-italian bribe will be manageable. Research expenses I am ahead of the game compared to the Entente. I bought one artillery this turn for Germany and will buy another one next turn. Austria haven't bought one additional one yet but I hope bought both will be bought and ready by spring. I bought one torpedo boat with Turkey to protect Zondulgak's mine. A big expense for a country with small income but the mine being worth 15 mpp a turn, it should pay for itself quickly...

As expected he retook Warsaw but I managed to take it right back. Hopefully the worsening weather will allow me to secure it. I also attacked from the north to threaten his rear. This threat is more psychological than anything I don't have much units accompanying it.

I got carried away sinking an UK armored cruiser in the Adriatic, now a big chunk of my fleet is exposed to a counter-attack. At the very least I'll lose the armored cruiser, the sub and the pre-dreadnaught and maybe even a dreadnaught and the goeben depending if he brought a lot of reinforcements to the theater. I see that there's two battleships on the norway line so it remains to be seen if there is enough firepower to takeout the two big ships. He might have been banking that the med would be safe once the Italian navy joined and much in the way of reinforcement. In any case, odds are survivors will be confined to ports after that action...

With the approach of winter I have maxed my tech so in the coming months I'll be reinforcing my units so that they are ready for spring.

The allies have invested in diplomacy and started to influence Bulgaria (now at 70% CP) I can expect a very Ottoman centric entente strategy... perhaps even a Gallipoli. I am not going to contest the move for now because I don't have the mpp to spare. Austria needs to get its cannon out and the Ottomans needs more garrison units for its exposed shore.

Ultimately I just lost my str 1 armored cruiser. So that's good, the allies may rush more ships in the med now that Italy has been placated. Allies are at 50% chance of influencing Bulgaria. I may yet max my own diplomacy to stall it, currently mulling my options. With Italy out I can bring down the influence chance of Bulgaria down to 15% if we both max our diplo. That about nullify the belgrade increase, but with the major hit increase (25% of the time), a slight edge goes with the Entente. I still have source to influence Bulgaria by conquering more Serbian land but a major diplomatic hit or two and then it becomes out of reach. Technically Bulgaria ain't too difficult to conquer but I'd be missing out an artillery source. In Poland the fortresses have been isolated, so readiness should collapse in the upcoming turns. Russia is a bit out of position to take advantage of the Austria moral collapse from ceding land to Italy. In the middle east, I covered all partisan spots but one with the Ottomans... I forgot if they only activate after UK sponsor them, better safe than sorry I guess?

So I decided to diplo Bulgaria. My thinking is thus: If it works, I saved Bulgaria, if it doesn't it ties up allied diplo protecting the Netherlands, Sweden etc. I also sent a message telling him that I already regret buying off Italy. Just maintaining my pretense. I sent a HQ and force towards Basra for the Ottoman, this leaves my other front weaker but I hope to secure the port and shut down this invasion path. The Sanders HQ is near Mosul now, its army (3 corp and 1 Cavalry) around Bagdad. The Basra detachment has moved one hex so I'm thinking the UK is reinforcing the theater. This is bad for my Basra capture plan but at least this could mean less pressure in Palestine. Russians vanguard takes Van but I have little in that theater to stop them. I'm at 80% artillery tech with the germans... should get my tech 1 soon and finally reduce the russian fortresses.

Ottomans are in dire strait as it appear a french army group was sent to Iraq. I wonder if I would have been better not to drag them in the war... but I guess the Entente could have just declare war on them anyway. The number of Russian units in Anatolia explains why the Austrians were left alone, major reinforcement were sent to that theater. I won't be able to prevent the Russian to secure it but hopefully supply problem will prevent them from moving deep inland once there national moral towns are secured.

About the Arab rebellion:

The 5 spots in Saudi Arabia only become active after the Brits sponsor them in Nov 1915, so you don't have to worry about them for now. I usually start getting units ready to cover them around early summer 15 and they still arrive in time. As any unit will do to suppress the partisans and the turks need A lOT of detachments elsewhere I normally use the 2 turkish AA units to help out.

I could certainly use those units elsewhere right now but what's done is done.

Ottoman still doing rope-a-dope. Germany artillery is upgraded in the east will be ready to go next turn.

Going camping on friday, so I'll disappear for a few days. Ottoman may collapse sooner than later. They seemed to have more staying power when I face them than when I play them. Maybe the attack timed with the locust swarm caused it. Russian army is withdrawing in good order. I think I'll operate some troops north to try to cut the rail line to Brest-Litovsk. Austrians a couple of turn away from artillery 1, they will be able to push toward Tarnopol then. Both convoys to Serbia cut this turn.

Not a lot of good news. Entente got a major diplo hit on bulgaria +15%. They had like 3.75% chance of that happening. Ugh. I spy some french corp with Infantry tech 1. Germany at 56% on that tech (don't they start with a chit in it?). There's been some great tech rolls on the Entente side... Germany has rebuild all its lost corps... we will be starting Plan Z shortly...

And airship told me French's Belgian border is undefended... Where are the Entente armies? In transports waiting for Greece to join?

The plan is to try to buy a capital ship a turn for 8 turns and then I'll switch to smaller crafts (6 months construction time) so that they about all complete at about the same time. I will then upgrade my fleet and move north with subs in vanguard. I'll try to fake it's just sub interference-mine clearing and maybe lure some destroyers to be destroyed by my capital ships a little bit behind. If it goes according to plan I can clear the blockade since it will likely be manned with a lot of understrength ships that will scatter or die. Also hopefully he will not have research any naval tech making my subs deadly threats to his dreadnought and battle cruisers. Once the number of ships on the report tab passes the UK the jig will be up... (although he could interpret such increase to a sealion...) so I have not to dally before the French and UK navies can be rearmed and assembled as one.

Current repartition of artillery is 1 in the West (german), 2 in serbia (1 german, 1 austrian), 3 in the East (2 german, 1 Austrian). There's one austrian artillery currently under construction. I'm keeping one in the west to farm a bit of xp for my generals and corps there. Every other turn I should be able to destroy or nearly destroy a french unit which should slow their build up somewhat. Draining them of income may spare me from facing tanks later. I hope to take Uskub before he sends renforcement from the UK or France. That would reduce the supply he would get if he wants to make a stand in Greece. When Ottomans falls Austrian moral will be pretty darn low... so I want to secure a good defensive border. I'm thinking he will refuse Ottoman peace overtures for an unconditional surrender (and let Russia soak on the MN cities longer). This would give me a bit more time to face the western armies... but that will let him have a strong base for an offensive on Austria (via backstabing Bulgaria).

Ottomans at 27% NM? I didn't shore their morale up with fund at 50% and I'm not going to do it at 25%. All the cities the Russian have took for them are shoring their morale up and I'd prefer if they sooner rather than later so that Russia morale dips faster. Well... if they can hold out until Serbia falls would be optimal.

Bulgaria at 77% after capturing Nish and nearing Uskub... Bulgaria will probably sit this one out. The KZ the diploking being out diplo? Live by the sword, die by sword. [:D]

Austrians and the Goeben sink the Agincourt at the tip of the Italian peninsula. He has 2 battleships interrupting norway convoy and a french dreadnought in marseilles port (the unrepaired Courbet perhaps?). It seems his naval force are not concentrated. He's going to have a hard time when I'm going to make a sortie in force in the North Sea.

In Russia slowly withdrawing eastward to avoid CP artillery barrages. It preserves its army and morale. It also prevents me from earning HQ xp. It also preserve my own NM (sitting at 99%) mind you and allow me to spend a big chunk on my budget on expending my navy.

In the west, France, freshly reinforced by a British artillery, seems poised to use its tech advantage to make a push. I just finished researching it thanks to a breakthrough but next turn will hurt.

Northern front Aug 1915

France makes full use of its tech advantage and bust 4 corp and retake Nancy and brought a german artillery artillery to 1. That hit harder than I expected! I have to operate corps from the East to try to stabilize the line. Had to upgrade corps and wasn't able to afford a capital ship this turn... and the next doesn't look so good! Still many corps in need of refitting... and I want to start rebuilding the lost corps.

What's left of the Ottomans...

Doesn't look too good for CP even with going "Russia first".

I'm wondering why Turkey is going down so fast in this match?

ORIGINAL: Robotron

Doesn't look too good for CP even with going "Russia first".

I'm wondering why Turkey is going down so fast in this match?

Inexperience! Haven't played humans before this match so made some costly decisions. Sending a HQ and Corps toward Basra left other front too weak. Really should have padded Erzurum defenses. It would have still went down because Russia had commited enough to do so but it would have taken much longer. I also bought inf and trench techs for the long game but there won't be one for them.