Obliterating KZ: An AAR

[Will952]

In the spirit of trash talk, here I'll chart events from the side of the good guys (kinda)

KZ has kicked things off with an aggressive opening on several major fronts.

In the West the Germans moved fast and hard to compromise Belgium although they held back on advancing into Northern France, which should give me a turn or two to erect a defensive line.



In Serbia, the Austrians advanced to surround Belgrade. I had the option of cutting off two of the advancing corps by captring Temeschburg, but decided this was too risky for a fragile nation like Serbia. In other news, the money hose has been turned on for the little Balkan nation with France and Russia sending gold by the bucketload to aid the war effort.

At sea, KZ kicked things off by sending the Austrian navy straight into the Med where they met and sunk a French dreadnaught. I sunk an Austrian dreadnaught and pre-dread in response so a favourable exchange for the entente.

It's a little early to set any major objectives or holistic strategy - I shall wait to see what KZ does and start to assess his strengths and weakpoints.

[Will952]

KZ continues his frontal assault into France, and wraps up the rest of Belgium. King Alfred survived the collapse of his country, but alas became trapped north of Boulogne and although I could've operated him to safety at the cost of 39MPPs, I considered this too dear a price for an obsolete HQ at this delicate early stage in the game where every morsel of income is precious. He is left to die on the beaches of northern France.

The usual clash of Russians and Austrians is taking place in Galicia - nothing of note to report here.

In Serbia the corps which was holding Belgrade is mauled to near-death and just about escapes to fight another day. A new front line is formed behind the Valjevo river line. Russian and French economic assistance is gratefully received by the Serbs who plough it into entrenchment tech.

[operating]

Question: Where KZ causes Belgium to surrender, does KZ receive plunder MPP? Aside from that: Do the surviving Belgium units have a treasury of some sort to depend on? I'm just wondering where the 39MPP is coming from in the decision to save or not save King Alfred? What is gained by not saving King Alfred other than saving 39 MPP if the remaining Belgians can not spend money on anything? ATM I'm of the mind the King can support remaining Belgium unit(s) in some way if saved and that both units can gain (auto) techs from the Brits. I'm new to this version of the game, besides forgetting how to play the old version SP.

[Will952]

ORIGINAL: operating

Question: Where KZ causes Belgium to surrender, does KZ receive plunder MPP? Aside from that: Do the surviving Belgium units have a treasury of some sort to depend on? I'm just wondering where the 39MPP is coming from in the decision to save or not save King Alfred? What is gained by not saving King Alfred other than saving 39 MPP if the remaining Belgians can not spend money on anything? ATM I'm of the mind the King can support remaining Belgium unit(s) in some way if saved and that both units can gain (auto) techs from the Brits. I'm new to this version of the game, besides forgetting how to play the old version SP.

Yes he gets plunder - around 1-200 if I remember rightly. Belgium is a minor subsidiary of the UK so anything they spend comes out of the UK's coffers. I usually try and save the King, along with any Belgian troops (and in this case, I did manage to rescue a Belgian corps), but he was in an awkward position where only operating him would've saved him. In the early turns the UK is so strapped for cash that I really can't spare 40-odd MPPs - especially when Belgian troops can be commanded by either UK or French HQs.

[Will952]

KZ continues to assault the somewhat fragile French positions across the line. Nancy falls despite a spirited resistance, although I manage to recapture it on my turn (the NM damage is done, however). I launch a significant counter-offensive at the weakened frontline troops, destroying several German corps and a cavalry unit. Verdun's position is serious as it is now surrounded on 4 sides, but the troops inside remain healthy and dug in, so the situation is not yet critical.

In Serbia, KZ is playing things smart and rather than smashing into defensive positions he is using his numerical superiority to outmaneuver and surround me. I catch a lucky break, and force one of the flanking Austrian corps by Kragujevac to retreat, and give them a bloody nose in the process. The loss of Belgrade causes raised eyebrows in Bulgaria.

Better news in Russia, as a fresh offensive in Galicia, bolstered by fresh blood in the officer corps, destroys an Austrian corps, a cavalry unit and pinches Lemberg. The chokehold isn't quite set, but if he's to avoid some serious losses next turn he will probably need to abandon the city.



Meanwhile at sea, the German navy makes it's first appearance in the Gulf of Finland, besieging Russian ships in port.

[Will952]

Brutal fighting continues in France and we're both trading corps. Nancy is lost to the Germans again, but this time I lacked the firepower to retake it. No real activity here on my turn as I need a turn's grace to replenish damaged units.

In Serbia the Austrians come forward again and this time they succeed in destroying a Serbian corps. I destroy one of theirs in retaliation and reshuffle my line, falling back a little and unfortunately forced to move away from the defensive river line behind Belgrade.

Lemberg falls as expected with some more Austrian losses - 1 corps destroyed and another badly mauled and sent packing.



The UK invests diplomacy in Norway to try to shut down the convoys to Germany.

British and French ships move up and mine the straits leading out of the Baltic, taking advantage of the Germany navy's exploits in the Gulf of Finland.

[Will952]

Disaster - breakthrough at Belfort! I foolishly put my faith in the fortified town holding with ease, assuming it to have the same level of entrenchment as Verdun (6) - it is in fact only 3. Whoops! Lesson learned. German infantry rushes through to fill the gap like some sort of toxic gas. Counter-attacks are launched across the line and destroy 2 German corps.

[Will952]

Fortunately things are looking a little better in the East. The Russians piledrive a weak part of the German-Prussian line, taking out a corps, wounding the German artillery and battering some nearby marines.



In other news, Serbia reaches entrenchment level 1 - a welcome breakthrough.

[Will952]

Russians continue the advance, although the arrival of mud means I'm unlikely to make much more in the way of territory gains this side of 1914. The fortress of Thorn falls, giving the Germans a much-needed leveller against their big successes in the West. Elsewhere in Prussia, Germans fall back, allowing Russian infantry to advance towards Konigsburg.



Things are indeed less rosy in France, as Epinal falls shortly after Belfort. The French troops are exhausted and I'm just about holding the rest of the line. At least things are a little more stable in the north - Boulogne still holds, and at the end of the turn, France gains an entrenchment tech.

[operating]

Are you giving any thought to just holding the line with AH and heading reserves there north?

[Will952]

ORIGINAL: operating

Are you giving any thought to just holding the line with AH and heading reserves there north?

Broadly that's what I'm doing at the moment. I can't make much more progress into Galicia without artillery or heavy losses, and I'd rather distract the Germans.

[Will952]

The Russian tidal wave envelops the Germans in Prussia. Hindenburg comes uncomfortably close with Russian outriders, who fully surround a German corps to hopefully make it easy prey next turn. Russians gain entrenchment level 1 at the end of the turn to reinforce their new front line.



In Serbia, typhus breaks out, and a detachment is destroyed. The front line remains fairly solid otherwise.

The Ottomans decide to enter the fray, and the Russians respond by immediately crossing the border and landing some strikes on an Ottoman corps and detachment.

Norway is pressured, through gentle persuasion, to stop sending convoys to Germany. A provisional convoy line is opened with the UK, but it won't be active until they receive some further gratuities.

[Will952]

Blasted cavalry let me down! I underestimated their capacity to withstand a direct standing assault from high readiness troops under Hindenburg.

It wasn't all for nothing though - it cleared a path to allow the infantry to move forward and get dug in. Marienburg was left empty, so Russians have occupied, and this now severs the rail link to Konigsburg. It will be interesting to see if he tries to fight his way out of the pocket or transports them away by sea to safety.



Elsewhere, not much to report as snow puts the brakes on any major offensive action. Bit of shuffling along the line in France and Serbia, and Ottomans are approaching Basra. There's some fighting in the Caucasus and an Ottoman city is captured.

[operating]

Has the event for France to deploy units to Mesopotamia occurred yet?

[Will952]

Not sure I know the event you're referring to - I don't believe France gets an event in Mesopatamia? The Brits do - firstly to deploy a HQ and later artillery if I remember rightly. Those don't come up until a bit later though.

[operating]

Did find this in the 1914 guideline events log: UK DE 126 (sorry the pdf would not allow copy/paste). I may have been mistaken about the French in Messo event, thought I saw it trigger somewhere. It could of been seeing something to that effect in one of "thehistorygamer's" 2020 CP AAR videos where OE was battling the French in Messo.

Will952, I may have been completely wrong about France in Messo. Went back to thehjstorygamer's #22 CP video and only saw UK troops there.

[Will952]

Russians have now fully cut off Konigsberg, although the Germans left behind are frustratingly high in morale and readiness, despite their lack of a HQ to command them. They've gone full insurgency!

In the Caucasus, an assault on Ezurum almost destroys the defending Ottomans, who escape just barely. The OE income won't allow for such losses on a regular basis, however.



In Italy, the Germans are building up a concerning level of force on the north and eastern borders. KZ is probably going to rush in, and I'm not sure I have enough French or British reinforcements to prevent their collapse.

[Will952]

The hammer falls in Italy and an intimidatingly large German force rushes in. KZ sacrifices offensive power for better positioning, forcing me to abandon Udine, but it does allow me to destroy a forward corps. The Italians hurriedly push research funding into entrenchment technologies.



In Russia the net is closing on Konigsberg as one of the holdout German corps is destroyed.

In France, another military disaster as Verdun falls without putting up much of a fight following an artillery barrage.

I am being severely hampered by my lack of progress with artillery - all major nations have double chitted, but are absent any breakthroughs. Britain and France sit at around 40% progress, while Russia is a little better at around 70%.

[Will952]

More fighting in Italy - German pressure is pretty heavy. Impressively KZ is able to simultaneously mount offensives in the East and France at the same time - upgraded artillery is causing me headaches all over the shop.

On a positive note, naval scouting has paid off - 2 destroyers were found, strangely isolated, off the coast of Norway and promptly destroyed without seemingly any prospect of a response.

In the Adriatic we've been playing minesweeper, unfortunately I swept one set of mines with my face costing me a French sub, but it later cost him a pre-dread, so probably a worthwhile exchange for the Entente.

Serbia remains very, very quiet.

Still spending every end-turn sequence willing for an artillery breakthrough, but nothing so far...

[Will952]

Although I was keen to maintain my forward line pressuring Metz, the German pressure in southern France is proving too much, and the battle of the 'bulge' is now over, with Nancy resuming its former front line status. At least I managed a little dig at Prince Ruprecht, who left himself exposed.



In Italy Padua fell, but my new defensive line is reasonably solid, and the Italians got their first entrenchment tech which will make further gains a bit more costly.

In Russia I decided to start to end the siege of Konigsberg by attacking the detachment there, reducing it to 1 strength. With no HQ and nowhere to retreat to, it should fall next turn.

Russians finally got artillery tech 1 at the end of the turn, so from next turn can start applying some real pressure. First primary target is Przemysl. It's important to take the wind out of the Austrian's sails, as their recent gains are bringing them dangerously close to 100+% NM, with the corresponding readiness gains on their troops.