THE LAST KINGDOM: Sillyflower v sveint. SVEINT WELCOME

[sillyflower]

Deleted

[sillyflower]

31 July

The 1st of the Africa Korps corps dies as we close on whatever this port is called. Another does not look very well.

[sillyflower]

Scotland



We push out from the original beach-head. I do my own paraspam to cut Aberdeen off from the land , and naval forces do the same at sea. I can't see the lone pz xxx being able to do anything as the US paras have also brought extra. AT guns with them. Taking Aberdeen next turn is a necessity because it has a port capacity of 4, but Mallaig on the west side only has 1.

[sillyflower]

No pic of Russia as sveint no doubt has shown his lurch into the Dnepr bend. I just shuffle thing around a bit, whilst mourning the death of Zhukov.

These reports might be more enlightening

[sillyflower]

And the forces

[sillyflower]

Compared to the end of February




The land force ratio has changed significantly in the Soviet favour, though it is fair to say the Russian numbers are down a bit from May, due largely to dead ants, and a very few scrapped ones. Manpower remains at about 85% which is good. Interceptors have reached '43 tech but it has yet to filter down to planes on the ground.

[sillyflower]

14 August



The baddies make some progress in AGC area, forcing me to evacuate Smolensk and to fall back a bit in the good defensive terrain of the Pripyet, but Vitebsk stay firm. The losses screen shows the Germans paying a heavy price for their aggression, especially as allied casualties are for a longer period so it's not like for like. The Italian losses are hits on their paraspam in the south but sadly sveint had left them a retreat route back behind their lines.

I think this is the 1st time in the game where G air losses are higher than the allied. A good morale boost for allied air forces everywhere.

Soviets still have 6 reserve armies allegedly forming up, but I haven't had one actually appear for 3 turns now which is what is causing my problem. Does anyone know if they arrive to a schedule or am I being unlucky with some secret die rolls? I NEED THEM NOW!

In Scotland we take Aberdeen at the 1st attempt and occupy it (phew), but sveint is taking quite a lot of German units out of Russia which is helping there but not in UK where they are starting to arrive. There are now 5 LW units in Western Europe. Norway has also attracted a lot of Nazis, so I took the Bordeaux Boys back to Scapa Flow to stop them being destroyed. Only 3 German units defending Ireland now: presumably all divs.........and more Yanks are on the way over as the landings in Scotland freed some transports.

In North Africa, the port of Somewhere is taken as DAK falls back to the hills guarding Tripoli. Hopefully, this means that my tanks will get petrol next turn That port remains blockaded and I've started blockading the next one along. Life is so much easier in the Med without any Axis aircraft or ships in theatre.

[sillyflower]

28 August

A very rare mistake by sveint as 2 air units are moved from Russia to the west coast of England. A location no doubt chosen so they could enjoy the local beaches when they weren't flying.

After anxious recce by light units of the USN, the Bordeaux Boys do their last invasion. There is no way of rescuing them sadly but they will not be forgotten. 2 full strength interceptor units will now have to lick their wounds in the naughty corner for the next 6 months.

[ncc1701e]

ORIGINAL: sillyflower

Soviets still have 6 reserve armies allegedly forming up, but I haven't had one actually appear for 3 turns now which is what is causing my problem. Does anyone know if they arrive to a schedule or am I being unlucky with some secret die rolls? I NEED THEM NOW!

Alas no, seems to be a little random but I can't find a rule.

[sillyflower]

Tx nccetc

August 28 con't.

The last 6 reserve armies still refuse to appear. Beria has been sent to give their army commanders parachute diving training. Unfortunately, we don't have any actual parachutes for them but, hey, there's a war on and sacrifices must be made!

[sillyflower]

Russia north





Not enough troops to sort out the paraspam (hence the mode of punishment for lazy reserve army commanders) but the inf xxx trying to poke round Vitebsk is taught a lesson.

[sillyflower]

south



In similar fashion, we smite the orcs back over the Dnepr in their ruin. Feeling all Tolkein-esque at the moment...........

Only 2 more turns of good weather . Sveint is still making holes, but hasn't really seemed able to exploit as effectively as he normally does these last 2 turns.

[sillyflower]

In N. Africa, we just approach the Tripoli defence line whilst sending extra supplies to the tanks and moving up the 4 bomber units.

Scotland looks like a stalemate, but it has pulled a lot of axis troops into England, including 3 more air units, of which only 1 is left of course, so we now blockade all the Irish ports again to prevent reinforcements. The 2 carrier forces start bombarding the defenders of Belfast whilst ground troops hover menacingly, but out of reach. Not as subtle as I usually try to be, but I don't see how he can reinforce Ireland in his turn.

[Flaviusx]

Those reserve armies should have started appearing as early as the second turn of Barbarossa. I don't understand the holdup here. Looks like a bug.

Nervermind, I see they have been appearing.

The last half dozen or so take a while to show up.

[sillyflower]

Sveint must also worried about something given this latest picture of him

[Harrybanana]

My Axis Opponent invaded the USSR on the first turn in March 41 (4 turns before Sveint invaded in your game). We have just completed The last August turn (the same as you) and I am still waiting for the last 3 Reserve Armies. So if the entry of the Reserve Armies is timed to the invasion, than the good news is that if you are still waiting for 6 reserve armies you should get 3 of them over the next few turns. The bad news is that you will have to wait at least 5 turns (and probably more) for the last 3.

With respect to the weather, don't forget that in the Arctic Zone there is a 25% chance of clear in October and a 20% chance in November. So on average Sveint will get one more turn of clear in that zone after September. There is also a 10% chance of clear in the North Moderate Zone in October.

[sillyflower]

Thanks HB. A lot more helpful than some late reserve army commanders!

At least a clear turn after a bit of rain isn't too bad. Whilst it's true that both armies will benefit from a bit of rest, the other important benefits for me is the time to dig, and just possibly another reserve army or two in addition to the 1 x '43 tech army I get every turn. Rest of my points go on refit + upgrades, though I try to be careful about prioritisation.

The Russian weather is a bit odd though The Rasputitsa always occurred in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, which must be heavy rain in game terms. There should then always be frost as the temperature ('snow' in game) and then worse weather (presumably blizzard) but that is a much lower chance than snow in the arctic, and never happens in large parts of the Soviet Union where the weather is exactly the same as in most of western Europe.

I'll raise the weather issue in the main forum.

[sillyflower]

11 Sept

The re-invasion of Ireland




We destroy the garrison, but no MPs left to move in, which is sub-optimal.

[sillyflower]

North Africa -axis defensive line is turned

[sillyflower]

25 Sept

I've learned where the arctic weather one is on the map. There was heavy rain (5% chance) [:)]. No ground attacks in the theatre, and a bit of desultory LW bombing led to the loss of 1 bomber without any Russian casualties. A very valuable breating space. Still no reserve army activations. A few more paper parachutes are being produced.

In north Africa, the Germans rout back to better defensive terrain near Gabes, leaving an Italian xxx to be destroyed trying to defend Tripoli. 3 LW units appear in Sicily - only 7 now left on the eastern front.