strategy and tactics

Kuniworth · Post by **Kuniworth** » Sat May 05, 2001 2:46 am

1. As the germans, do you really need to go for Moscow. What about just advancing to the Smolensk area and push the main-effort in the south? If this is combined with a diversionary attack on Leningrad it will create an exciting "soviet bulk" in the center. Thus makin the soviet-player defending a larger area in the 42 campaign. Whats is your strategy for the two sides. Experiences of human vs human play?

2. Anyone got like to share any tactical tips for the two sides?

RickyB · Post by **RickyB** » Sat May 05, 2001 3:22 am

Originally posted by Kuniworth:
2. Anyone got like to share any tactical tips for the two sides?

I won't address the first question, as the current version is weighted too hard against the Axis due to the blizzard problems. For tactics, though, I try the following.

Axis - concentrate on cutting off the Soviets and driving down the rail lines. Cutoff the cities once you are past the first couple of months as they can be very costly to take otherwise. I try to use my airpower for ground support rather than striking the Red Air Force on the ground, and overrun HQs to weaken the Soviet airpower also.

For the Soviets, I try to pull back as much strength as possible, while sacrificing units to hold cities and rail lines. Defensive lines behind rivers are great, especially against panzers which are quartered. The big thing is to establish defensive lines early so that they can dig in before the Axis reach the area. Personally I don't try too many counterattacks except against exposed Axis units, but the one person I have played always counterattacks every gain I have ever made. Don't know which works better here, especially in the latest version with the more limited replacements.

Also, the latest version has much better artillery power, and bombardments are very valuable against any unit that is not entrenched well. I use this before many attacks, even against entrenched units to try to weaken the defenders, since airpower can no longer do it.

matt.buttsworth · Post by **matt.buttsworth** » Sat May 26, 2001 10:56 pm

where do you go to find people to play (I cannot get that part of the matrix site to work) and Rick or Kuniworth would you like a game? especially after the new more balanced version comes out in a couple of weeks.

RickyB · Post by **RickyB** » Sun May 27, 2001 9:30 am

Originally posted by Matthew Buttsworth:
where do you go to find people to play (I cannot get that part of the matrix site to work) and Rick or Kuniworth would you like a game? especially after the new more balanced version comes out in a couple of weeks.

Hi Matthew,

I think your best bet for a PBEM game is just what you did here. I will keep your post in mind if the update is released soon, depending on another game I already have going.

Thanks.

Don Shafer · Post by **Don Shafer** » Tue Jun 26, 2001 7:35 pm

WWW.WARGAMER.COM has an excellent and functioning opponents registry for many wargames. Try it, you'll like it!

Originally posted by Matthew Buttsworth:
where do you go to find people to play (I cannot get that part of the matrix site to work) and Rick or Kuniworth would you like a game? especially after the new more balanced version comes out in a couple of weeks.

Dan in Toledo · Post by **Dan in Toledo** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 10:55 pm

I love this game and have played it for years. I once conquered Berlin as the Russian in February 1943. Here are some tactics that will help:

RUSSIAN:
1. Immediately after Barbarossa begins, set corps up in a north south line in 2 successive lines. The first should be in the Mogilev area with another near Smolensk and finally a third in the Rshev-Bryansk-Vyazma area. You don't have to put anything in these units--just a beat up division or artillery unit. When the Germans get close to that line--fill it up with units.

2. Activate all HQs. Use a few of them for combat with your top leaders. Use the others as strictly "supply HQs". Supply the units holding your "Stalin Line" with the additional HQs. For the most part you will want to use Zhukov, Konov, and Timoshenko. Use these guys to command the units in combat.

3. Use interdict on Panzer Korps. Keep it up. It wears them down; especially if they are far from their rail heads.

4. Keep your lines strong. Let the Panzer Korps break thru but keep the German infantry korps out. Surround the Panzer Korps once they are thru the front line and destroy them. Initially the Germans can withstand the loss of a few panzer divisions, but not for long.

5. A typical soviet army should have 4-6 Rifle divisions and 1 tank division. Try to have 800-1000 squads in each army (keep in mind a soviet "army" is equal to an axis "korps")

6. Keep a reserve of a few tank divisions and use them sparingly for small counterattacks. Do not let the big tank divisions get widdled down to nothing.

GERMANS:
1. Keep the drive on Moscow. Dont pull a Hitler and divert forces to Leningrad and Kiev.

2. Use Blitzkrieg and surround and destroy units. This worked well in 1941 and works well on the computer game as well.

3. Reenforce the Finns with some more tanks and planes. They desparately need another bomber unit. They could also use some tanks. In the Kursk scenraio once I railed some of the SS panzer divisions to finland and took leningrad.

4. In the Bagration scenario do as the russians did in 1941. Create Panzer Korps using Pz Battalions and infantry divisions. Build a line starting in the Vilna-Grodno area and the Zhitomir-Lvov area. Make your panzer korps very mobile and move them from point to point to plug the holes in the line. Allow the Russian Mech and Tanks corps to break thru your lines and then surround them and destroy them. Also, combine as many air units as possible under one HQ. I once got a draw doing this and held the Russians east of Warsaw.

These are just some ideas. I'm sure everyone has different ways of winning this game. Let me know what you think!!

Kuniworth · Post by **Kuniworth** » Mon Jul 09, 2001 3:38 pm

3. Reenforce the Finns with some more tanks and planes. They desparately need another bomber unit. They could also use some tanks. In the Kursk scenraio once I railed some of the SS panzer divisions to finland and took leningrad.

How did you transfer the divisions by rail?

In the Bagration scenario do as the russians did in 1941. Create Panzer Korps using Pz Battalions and infantry divisions. Build a line starting in the Vilna-Grodno area and the Zhitomir-Lvov area. Make your panzer korps very mobile and move them from point to point to plug the holes in the line. Allow the Russian Mech and Tanks corps to break thru your lines and then surround them and destroy them. Also, combine as many air units as possible under one HQ. I once got a draw doing this and held the Russians east of Warsaw.

Well maybe against the AI but certainly not against a human player. When facing the AI its impossible to lose even playing the germans.

Thanks for your tips, I belive youre right about reinforcing the finish airforce. Will try that.

SoleSurvivor · Post by **SoleSurvivor** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 5:07 am

I managed to transfer air force to the norce but no ground troops. I also cannot create new korps that could be assigned any things.

another questions: what to do about those factories producing Pz II &stuff? Should I immediately turn them to stug III / Pz IV or should I wait a few turns? Same for outdated airplanes

Lorenzo from Spain · Post by **Lorenzo from Spain** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 9:38 am

Originally posted by Dan in Toledo:
RUSSIAN:
3. Use interdict on Panzer Korps. Keep it up. It wears them down; especially if they are far from their rail heads.

I agree with you, but interdict against Germans is suicide, when they are in range of their fighters. It´s better have two or three bombers to back when panzers attacks.

Ed Cogburn · Post by **Ed Cogburn** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 10:17 am

Originally posted by SoleSurvivor:
I managed to transfer air force to the norce but no ground troops. I also cannot create new korps that could be assigned any things.

Finnland is a little complicated. They did attack a little later after Barbarossa began, but they only reoccupied the territory lost to the Soviets in the Winter War, and did not coordinate attacks with the Germans. Although they did allow German forces up north to threaten Murmansk, they did not participate in those attacks either (AFAIK). Most importantly they did not join the Germans in the attack on Leningrad. For these reasons coordination in the game should be minimal, to reflect historical limitations. One suggestion on the books right now is to prohibit all cooperation between German and Finn units completely. No German forces, air or ground, in Finnish HQs, and vice versa, and no Finnish HQ commanding German corps, and vice versa.

another questions: what to do about those factories producing Pz II &stuff? Should I immediately turn them to stug III / Pz IV or should I wait a few turns? Same for outdated airplanes

At first let the computer do this for you, so you can see how the progression of factory production develops. You can for example change a factory to produce something when later on that same factory is scheduled to start building something else entirely. This means you won't be able to make those changes yourself because the game, for example, won't let you change a tank factory into an assualt gun factory. Some people like to micromanage production, and some just make a few key changes, like switching a couple of Stug-IIIg factories to Panthers, or changing a few factories producing Bf-109 type planes to the Fw-190 family of planes.

Mist · Post by **Mist** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 3:40 pm

Originally posted by SoleSurvivor:

another questions: what to do about those factories producing Pz II &stuff? Should I immediately turn them to stug III / Pz IV or should I wait a few turns? Same for outdated airplanes

I would advise to be very carefull with those changes of production especialy in 1941 when there are too few factories. You can run out of certain types of tanks very fast and will be forced to track down all those units with low amount of tanks which are not longer produced. Very little gain I would say. There is about 1200+ PzIIf's in the begining of Barbarossa and you will have to replace all PzII Bn's with something else as soon as replacement pool dries up. The same thing with planes. I had such exierience and can't say that I had much(if any) benefit from this. Certanly production change is neccessairy in 1944 campaign for Germans, but it is completely different story because WiR greatly(3 times less) underproduces fighters in that year in comparison with historical amounts.
BTW: Ed, game allows to change production of any AFV to any AFV(except of recons)

Ed Cogburn · Post by **Ed Cogburn** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 5:18 pm

Originally posted by Mist:
BTW: Ed, game allows to change production of any AFV to any AFV(except of recons)

Ack, I did it again. Must have been thinking of changing the equipment of a battalion. Well, at least that's my excuse anyway.

[ July 16, 2001: Message edited by: Ed Cogburn ]

SoleSurvivor · Post by **SoleSurvivor** » Fri Jul 20, 2001 7:11 pm

BTW is it a "cheat" to convert a inf korps to panzer korps (if it has a tank bn or something) by changing its name? those 5 movement points can be really handy.

jager506 · Post by **jager506** » Fri Jul 20, 2001 7:42 pm

Originally posted by SoleSurvivor:
BTW is it a "cheat" to convert a inf korps to panzer korps (if it has a tank bn or something) by changing its name? those 5 movement points can be really handy.

I believe it's quite a common tactic in PBEM (at least those I'm playing) games to make use of "raider" panzer korps with a few Jpz or Stug battalions, flak, artillery and maybe the Italian/Romanian/Hungarian cavalry or motorized divisions. But if you put infantry divisions in them they lose too much readiness plotting 5 hexes.