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This is our second PBEM game but this time with the updates to version 1.00.17. In our first game the Germans crushed the USSR so I am hoping that the slower rail advance, more difficulty overrunning units and the Siberian unit winterization will allow the Russians to survive.
I have also changed my production strategy. It is May 23rd and Yugoslavia just surrendered. I'm not sure he will be invading Greece as I only see Italian units on it's border. I am projecting Barbarossa for the end of June or 1st week in July. I currently have 1520 or so production points saved and plan on building Russian armies as soon the invasion starts. I have also upgraded all the tank and mechanized to 1941 heavy armour. In addition some fighers to 41 interception. Last game I continued building Corps until the invasion but they were getting destroyed easily so trying this production strategy instead. Finally, I have about 9 or 10 coastal defence ready to be deployed as soon war starts. Specifically I think they will help the defence of the Kerch Strait area where there are a number of bottlenecks.
I am wondering if anyone has tried this production strategy with the Russians and how it played out.

I have outside the air upgrades.

Russian early air can't fight until the winter 41 the earliest...or they just get wiped.

Upgrading all the armor did not do much sadly...more units even weaker are better so I think you could have built 2 or 3 more armor for the same cost...but I can't remember exactly.


Will is work?

Honestly depends upon your opponent.
I can stop most in Russia but a couple still decimate me no matter my strategy.

I have my air based north around Leningrad to take on the Finn fighter. The Germans took significant air and ground losses in France as I held out in Normandy and Bordeaux for multiple turns. They also lost a lot of air bombing Gibraltar so I am hoping that together it will impact them in Russia.

the starting corps don't matter they are throw away to buy time, save your armor, Armies and air force, have minimal to no repairs and buy all anti tank armies for the first summer, Western allies must send you max help. In the winter switch and max out your reinforcements, and counter attack no matter what! the Germans are weaker in the winter and now is your chance to get your national and unit experience up, by march quit attacking and let your units rest they will need it! That's my first year USSR strategy and it has been fairly successful, out of probably 15 games I have only been crushed once and rarely lose either of the big three (Moscow ,Leningrad , Stalingrad.) glhf maybe I will meet you on the campaign trail

To not repair the Soviet throwaway starting corps, wouldn't it be sufficient to use the No Upgrade/Reinforce button?

I think the way you are placing your Soviet infantry corps is also important. With ZOC, you need to slow down the Axis units and to prevent encirclements. Easy to say, hard to master.

Using Russian corps as cannon fodder to slow down the Axis advance. I'm making sure that advancing Axis units either encounter ZOCs or have to eliminate corps which I have tried to place in not only terrain but in important locations to "force" the Axis to attack them.

It is very difficult to position corps so they cannot be encircled since all it takes is the destruction of one of them for the Axis armour and mechanized to exploit the hole.

This is our second game and the Axis have a smaller force for their invasion of Russia because the Allies held out much longer in France inflicting more casualties on the Axis. I have also built a lot of coastal defence units ready to be placed in locations such as the Kerch Straits bottleneck and the entrance hexes to Crimea. Hoping these will make it even more difficult for the Axis. Finally, 6 AA in both Leningrand and Sevastopol.

This game the revised rules for railroad conversion advancement and the automatic winterization of the Siberian reinforcements will be in play. All in all it should be interesting.

generalfdog wrote: Fri Sep 09, 2022 12:55 am the starting corps don't matter they are throw away to buy time, save your armor, Armies and air force, have minimal to no repairs and buy all anti tank armies for the first summer, Western allies must send you max help.

Anti tank armies for the first summer. So are you buying anti tank rifle corps as well?

Interesting. But the use of coastal fortifications as regular fortifications is a bit weird, gamewise. Obviously they are meant for building an Atlantic Wall, but you can use them for this too, which was probably not intended....

The impact of this exploit is limited tho I guess, because of the placement restriction.

PanzerMike wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 5:20 am Interesting. But the use of coastal fortifications as regular fortifications is a bit weird, gamewise. Obviously they are meant for building an Atlantic Wall, but you can use them for this too, which was probably not intended....

The impact of this exploit is limited tho I guess, because of the placement restriction.

Historically, there were fortifications around Leningrad. So, I like to do this. And, as you said, this is not too much of an exploit. There are other places where coastal defense can be useful.

See one of my current opponent using them on the road between Lae and Port Moresby. It is helping the defense.

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