Gold PBEM: Soviet Strategy

[Becket]

Hi all, time constraints have slowed down my game against the AI - hopefully should resume it tonight or tomorrow.

However, we've been playing a 4 player PBEM (me, IDrinkBeer, Barthheart, and Paul Vebber), and I thought I'd share a little with you.

No screenshots, I'm afraid, as we're playing with fog of war on, so I don't want to reveal too much intel.

Just finished the Fall 1940 turn. I've been struggling to split my meager production among units, research, and supply. In the past I've neglected supply early on, which has hurt when it came time to counterattack, so I've built up a fair amount of supply that should support a full array of counterattacks later in the year (and will also free up production for other things for a while).

Of course, this meant I had to skimp a wee bit on research. Typically, I'll go full bore on researching artillery evasion, infantry attack and evasion, and armor attack, occassionally some tac bomber attack too. This time around, I did not have the free resources, so I only focused on two items in that list. I'm not saying which.

I am trying something new in the unit creation front. My strategy in the past has been to build nothing but artillery along the front lines. I'm doing things a bit differently this time around, we'll see how it works. Once the invasion hits I'll detail my build strategy a bit more.

[Paul Vebber]

Becket is Russia, I'm WA. I tried an aggressive strategy in the Med, after germany got some licks in on my fleet defending Suez. I moved a strong fleet into the Western med and took Sardinia to put pressure on him not to drive the Italian fleet East without constraint. I've pretyt uch stripped India to send forces to NA.


Germany countered by cutting my fleet off with subs outside Gibralter and i was not able to attack (Take supplies WITH YOU when you move fleets far forward [:-]. I got it back insupply with some lucky ASW rolls (a 6 when I desperately needed a 6!![8D] Need to get suppies to my "permanent CV" sardinia and bomb Italy! Its so easy to fall into teh trap that "getting forces in palce" is teh be all and end all - but I was impotent for lack of supplies! live and learn!

SO we are jockeying arounnd in the Med with high stakes early! I don't want to tip my US strategy yet...But from playing a cooperative pbem agaisn the Axis as the WA I know already some things I will do differently!

As always, its a whole new game playing humans...I have my work cut out for me!

[Barthheart]

Well I'm the Germans in my first PBEM game. Maybe no the best choice but what the hey!

WA fleet in the Med is cramping my style[:@], which was developed playing the AI, but I think I can pull it off. As mentioned in other threads, Germany in on a time table and I'm beginning to feel the crush of time. Fall 1940 was not good for the Kreigsmarine but mosly everything else went OK. I need to strangle "British" Sardinia and crush Cairo and fast. Russia is building and researching and that can't go on for too long if I hope to have a chance.

Isolating Britian from supplies has always worked in the past and with my new improved U-boats, WA should start to feel the rope. Just have to move fast in Russia before US factories com on line. Yikes they produce a lot!!![X(]

It is very different playing humans and already I've learned a couple of things.... can't say what yet 'cause there's spys everywhere!! [;)]

[Paul Vebber]

"The Bismarck, sir...She's GONE!"

Germany moved a decent Fleet out into the Atlantic to try to cut off my Western Med excursion and trash my SLOCs.

I opened with a CV air attack that while ineffective, reduced the German Fleets evaison in the upcoming surface atcion. I'm not sure if lack of supply affected it also, I got a "critical hit" (rolling double the defenders evasion*durability scores two hits in one shot) on the German hvy fleet and the Germans missed me! I got a third hit on it with torps just for good measure (MGing the surviors in the water no doubt...we will have to open an investigation! We are desperate but not animals[:-])

I managed to resupply the Med through Suez - and bring it to bear. Whacked the Central Med force and then "exploited" with my light fleets through into the Easern med and won there too. The DAK is now cut off, with half its supply in Lebennon/syria where it can't get to them.

The Down side is that I had no supply left after that to do ASW - The U-boats are firmly entrenched in the NA like Williard in a warm basement...My supply situation is just as dicey as the Germans...but at least the Attrition is going my way!

[Barthheart]

With Spring comes a new year and a new hope. The loss of the Bismark is huge to the small KM! This season the wolfpacks make the Royal Navy pay though.

In a large daylight battle off the coast of Spain, the Tirpitz, 3 wolfpacks, and three squadrons of heavy bombers took on two aircraft carriers (whose planes seemed to be elsewhere [:'(]), a heavy fleet, a light fleet and a transport loaded with three supplies[X(].
When the smoke settled on the water and the bombers flew home safely, only the wolfpacks remained. The transport and supplies were at the bottom (along with the Tirpitz [:@]) The rest of the Royal Navy wasa damaged and sent home.[:D]

Other wolfpacks sank or disrupted three other convoys. [:)] The Atlantic is mine! The Med belongs to the Western Alliance..... for now.....

The Russians better stop building artillery (21!?![X(]) and start building supplies because they aren't likely to get any from the WA. [8D]

We can only hope that when the Japanese deside to move that they can chop up the rest of the WA convoys. (Hint, hint)[&o]

[Becket]

ORIGINAL: Barthheart
The Russians better stop building artillery (21!?![X(]) and start building supplies because they aren't likely to get any from the WA. [8D]

Hee hee. Look above:

In the past I've neglected supply early on, which has hurt when it came time to counterattack, so I've built up a fair amount of supply that should support a full array of counterattacks later in the year (and will also free up production for other things for a while).

[Becket]

Quick update here. Germany beat the #$#! out of the UK navy, not good. It's Summer 1942 and no invasion yet. Built a lot of stuff and got some research breakthroughs.

[Becket]

Barbarrossa is upon us!

Some details on my strategy. I initially built artillery in all the front line areas. Arty is wonderful for defense given its propensity to fire twice at the invader (and it has higher evasion than Soviet infantry to start the game). After the Winter 41 turn, though, I expected invasion at any time, and thus didn't want to waste factory points on units that would still be in production if an invasion hit. Thus, in the areas I felt I would lose (Kiev, Belorussia), I switched to militia production. My hope was that sheer numbers would require large expenditures of German forces to get retreats.

I was right. Both Kiev and Belorussia survived the initial onslaught. Two factories saved.

Barth made a hard drive for Kharkov, where, like Leningrad, I had continued to built artillery. His attack was costly, but failed.

I limited my research to areas where I could really make a difference, while still building units and supply. I managed to get armor up to 8 attack, which is huge (up from 6). I also researched infantry increases, hoping that the initial barbarossa losses will reduce the total cost for breakthroughs such that I'll get immediate breakthroughs now.

[Becket]

The Kiev & Belorussia factories were moved east and repaired. They will be ready to produce next turn. No more factory belt as a prize for Germany.

Re-inforced Leningrad, and moved the large concentrations of forces in Kiev and Belorussia down to Kharkov and the surrounding region. I have a massive amount of forces on the border. Barth still has a technological advantage, and may yet beat me silly, but this is the danger of not hitting the SU hard: the first turn lets you take out huge numbers of Soviet forces (historical), but if you don't take those forces out, you have a problem.

In any event, the clock is ticking. Next turn I'll put factory orders in for an army that will be ready the next Winter. Barth has until then to take me out. Tick tock tick tock tick tock.

[Becket]

Ah, Winter. We came into this winter strong, but the Germans were smart. I had hoped that Barth would put a lot of forces into the territories that I essentially ceded to him: Belorussia & Kiev. He didn't take the bait, and had very few forces there or in in Southern Russia. Essentially, he reversed my strategy on me - I left that area lightly defended to entice a large army to enter, he left it lightly occupied to avoid losing large forces in the winter.

Nonetheless, my efforts at producing a large armor force early pays off, and I punish his forces in East Poland. I don't take the territory, but I cost them dearly. An expedition out of Leningrad into East Prussia goes...less well. Artillery are great for garrisons, but awful in attacks. Ah well. The limited goals of the winter campaign are met: Attrit the Germans, and form a defense line that will cause great hardship on the Germans when they try to retake it in Spring 42. I expect him to retake the line from Velikie Luki to Odessa, but it will cost him dearly.

I can absorb those kind of losses. Can Barth?

[Becket]

An offensive is ordered in the North/Central. Stavka perceives that the German army has over-extended itself and, building upon the successes of the Winter, wants to crush Army Group Center.

A massive force moves into the Baltic States, then into East Poland. These areas are taken. A tank army rushes forward to seize East Prussia - we have taken German soil!!! Stavka bestows the Guards designation on the army for its actions.

Swallowed by this offensive is a large combined arms German force. The encirclement is complete. Now, to resist the breakout attempts.

[Becket]

By the way, I do want to stress that I've taken a huge gamble here.

It's a critical moment in the game. If he can retake some of those areas, Barth will likely inflict a crushing blow on my forces, one from which I may not be able to recover given that China is out of the game now (IDB has simply eviscerated them) and I do not think the Axis will bring the US in before they have to.

On the other hand, if Barth doesn't re-establsh control, then the gamble will have paid off, and Paul and I have a chance.

If I had to predict? I bet it falls out somewhere in between.

[Barthheart]

I got a question for you since it's long past affecting our game. I moved the Germans into take the southern half of Persia, which makes the Northern half become WA, thus depriving you of the one easy resource for Russia. Does this make any difference at all? It's the main reason for my heavy deployment to NA. I had hoped to keep it closed as a supply route too but got greedy and got dead down there. (Let this be a lesson to you kids![:D])

[Becket]

IMO the Persia supply route is an awful option.

However, when the Germans take south persia, they cause the Soviet player problems because north persia become W Allied, not Soviet. I prefer to have persia left alone, and take north myself.

[Paul Vebber]

Had I not been such a dunce early on, i would not have been reduced to using Persia. It indeed is a royal pain. If Russia can take northern Persia it cuts a turn off the trek to get the supply to him I think. Though he may still have to walk it out on his side...

WA MUST research ASW as a first priority or risk getting creamed like I did... Note to self

I can always send the several score supply there back to San Francisco if you don't want it [:D]

[Becket]

Hehe. If I recall correctly, North Persia is still WA-held, so I can't do anything there.

The worst part about the Persia route is that there is no rail til you get to Soviet territory. So, once the supply arrives in S. Persia, it's still two turns away from the SU.

I do have an evil idea, though, for a shorter route. I have emailed this evil scheme to you.

[Barthheart]

HEY! No being evil!

Where the heck is Japan! [:'(]

[Becket]

ORIGINAL: Barthheart

HEY! No being evil!

Where the heck is Japan! [:'(]

Tip on locating Japan: go to any Chinese province. [:(]

[Paul Vebber]

Hehe. If I recall correctly, North Persia is still WA-held, so I can't do anything there.

I was speaking in general - if WA is not ditzy enough to let the Jerries go hunting for the Lost Ark or whatever he was doing there on the eastern side of Cairo.

I will check out your EEEVil scheme

[Becket]

(it's very hard not to laugh every time Paul tries to post an image and gets wtfpwned)

[:D]