AAR vs Seminole

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T3 - Romanian Sector

The Romanian pocket an amount of units.

Not my merit I feel, but STAVKA commandering them to hold the grounds I feel.
Some were in ZOC and may not easily slip away (The Beltsy ones for instance). But some other Soviet forces were there just because.

Despite poor capability in leadership and their Armoured Unit isolated at the start of the turn, the Romanians form a small line - with a weaker spot in the middle (as you can see the Regiments) where no real pockets are at risk to be opened up.

Small tiny units, but they can sum up at the end of the day!

Every unit does matter. Glad you are following that Strat It is slow but methodical.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN


So will try to experiment on something - instead of the traditional opening toward Kishinev for the rail, I'll try to link up the two Railyard 2 marked in red there with the mix of the Romanian FBD and the support of some RAD units (Including the 2 that will come from Norway).

I've noticed that there are some Railyard 2 in Hungary that may help push supplies through the Carpathian mountain passes and fuel a bit better freight through the main venue north of Lvov-Vinnitsa.

The rationale is that in general in the south the Soviets run, run and run further.
So if that helps catching them better ... why not.

How it will pan out it is to be seen!

Level 2 Railyards matter . Now the crux you have is once completed what will you do with the rail repair unit to be most efficient?

[AlbertN]

@ HYLA: Considering Railyards are in effect within range of 30 hexes, it should link up with the main rail north. That may leave the Odessa region starved but in Summer - up to Odessa trucks should be more than enough being all plains!

Also I may claim enemy units but I am playing with VPs here so I cannot simply always 'spend 1 turn' in encircling, and liquidating the next turn IF the pocket is not broken. Presently it's the first turns of Axis Glory - so that is afforable!

AGS Advance!

Pratically unopposed advance.

There is 1 Soviet ID in Vinnitsa that has been encircled - and I believe will be left there to hold the grounds and immolate for the grand Motherland.

Pros: Axis nets 1 enemy division shattered.
Cons: Axis begins repairing facilities in the City 1 turn later.

The Axis met only another Soviet ID, in Zhitomir. At the first hasty attack from 2 MD (one of them SS) it resisted and at the second retreated with losses worthy of a rout in ZoC without being retreating through ZoC.

Otherwise all that was met there (Barring what is encircled) are NKVD regiments and Fortified Zones.

Thus I begin to believe Seminole as well is preparing herds and flocks of the variety of Soviet tanks for a mighty counterattack.
I do not think it will be unleashed this turn though, because what I encircled here is insignificant in amount (1 HQ, 1 ID, 1 NKVD regiment that pratically shatters on combat 50% of the time).

Absence of VVS allows me also to tinker and experiment with a fully air supplied forward advance!

Also I am trying to get in combat as much as possible the SEC Divisions.
Why? - Explaining in next screenshot!

[AlbertN]

Preparing Soviet Garrison rationale

Examining other TB, I can see force allocations there have a CV.
Which I assume is the most impacting detail (But I am not entirely sure, maybe it will just go by sheer numbers of personnel there! Though that is easily manipulable by issueing labor squads or the like so I doubt it's just 'how many men are there').

Some day I may try to sum it up the CV in Theather Boxes or so, to understand better how the percentages are computed.

But for now I work with that logic.

So - observing the Italian MNT divisions one can see a neat difference in CV.
Factually the 45 Morale one is under 1 CV! The one with 50 Morale is 1.25 CV pratically, and the one with 70 Morale is almost 2.50. (Here I'd argue Italians having national morale of 40 seems exceedingly low to me. I know we were not the finest and most committed to WW2... To me it smells of the typical double dip where low morale paired up with bad equipment makes units pratically beyond being useless)

Anyhow I digressed enough.
All Sicherung Division (and if you want the Hunganrian SEC brigade - that is far better off the Soviet Garrison instead of one of your SS Motorized Brigades) start with 60 or 65 morale. Which is well under your 75 National Morale.
They can gain some morale up quickly and rapidly with a few victories. Pair them up with regular infantry for T2 and T3 mopping ups, and in T1 they can also try to take over some Fortified Zones - and I believe their value in the Soviet Garrison later will be way better than if leaving them as they're!

[AlbertN]

AGN - Stiffened Resistance already!

Seminole here seems to have carefully deployed - without infantries the Panzers cannot really attack (I tried elsewhere in open plain and got unacceptable losses from my perspective.)

The VVS was also there and present this time.

A(nother) detail of current game mechanics that is putting me off is how efficient are the Soviet fighters. I tried to Ground Support -1- combat, and lost the 50% of bombers (that were unescorted).

The other detail is that Panzer units are 'useless'. Either they attack regiments of NKVD or Fortified Zones, or you may as well not use them.
Will show combat the next screenshot.

Nonetheless, meager and scarce forces guarding the minor river south of Pskov caused relevant pains to the Axis to dislodge them.
The forests toward Velike Luki have a wall of Soviet infantries as well.

[AlbertN]

AGN Combat 1

There - Master of High Ratings Manstein leads the attack, with artilleries, flammpanzer and a pretty much virginal Panzer Division (That anyhow wasted its CCP in long, long marches).

The Luftwaffe intervention was meaningless. -- As you can see in the Column of 'AIR', the bombers destroyed -1- Machine Gun team; and disrupted a few bits here and there.

I start to wonder if I should do tests and runs with manually set bombs.
I also may be missing a relevant detail, if I can intervene manually to pick which groups perform the ground support in each combat - but it may turn into excess of micromanagement to keep enjoyable if I've to go down there.

So - this screenshot sums up 3 of my present issues with WITE mechanics:

A) Panzer Brittleness. - At this ratio, a Panzer Division can fight across the summer whole 10-20 times. I feel that wrong - it's like the Germans just issue panzers onward.

B) How much the bombers suffer from fighters. - I do understand when the German fighters shank the Soviet bombers, that is a meant to be advantage (Even if at times casualties are like 100% of the sent out air units.)

C) Are bombers actually useful? Because right now, I just feel they could have not been used, and would not have altered the outcome of the fight. (On the other hand, Soviet bombers can just bomb the Germans freely once they're out of the fighter cover...)

[AlbertN]

AGN Combat 2

While above Master of High Stats Von Manstein failed to clear an infantry division in light woods, here instead we see what on paper seems an astonishing success!

26 : 1 !!!

Only 150 men lost! Roughly the 0.5%
Only 1 gun lost! Exceptional! Well it can make sense, they shoot at distance (Albeit in Urban they get butchered due to 'close combat' but aren't artilleries shooting from afar? Though it includes mortars too. This is for another moment though)

Panzers! 5.5 %

That to me is not normal. Especially considering the type of enemy, quantity of enemy, etcetera...

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

AGN Combat 1

There - Master of High Ratings Manstein leads the attack, with artilleries, flammpanzer and a pretty much virginal Panzer Division (That anyhow wasted its CCP in long, long marches).

The Luftwaffe intervention was meaningless. -- As you can see in the Column of 'AIR', the bombers destroyed -1- Machine Gun team; and disrupted a few bits here and there.

I start to wonder if I should do tests and runs with manually set bombs.
I also may be missing a relevant detail, if I can intervene manually to pick which groups perform the ground support in each combat - but it may turn into excess of micromanagement to keep enjoyable if I've to go down there.

So - this screenshot sums up 3 of my present issues with WITE mechanics:

A) Panzer Brittleness. - At this ratio, a Panzer Division can fight across the summer whole 10-20 times. I feel that wrong - it's like the Germans just issue panzers onward.

B) How much the bombers suffer from fighters. - I do understand when the German fighters shank the Soviet bombers, that is a meant to be advantage (Even if at times casualties are like 100% of the sent out air units.)

C) Are bombers actually useful? Because right now, I just feel they could have not been used, and would not have altered the outcome of the fight. (On the other hand, Soviet bombers can just bomb the Germans freely once they're out of the fighter cover...)

A single PZ division hasty attacking(with any commander) is asking for trouble. Too many variables to go wrong with a single division hasty attacking. Germans are not gods but the right combo makes them very good.

Running bombers without fighter support is suicide. If you don't have fighter support for your bombers don't run Ground support.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

AGN Combat 2

While above Master of High Stats Von Manstein failed to clear an infantry division in light woods, here instead we see what on paper seems an astonishing success!

26 : 1 !!!

Only 150 men lost! Roughly the 0.5%
Only 1 gun lost! Exceptional! Well it can make sense, they shoot at distance (Albeit in Urban they get butchered due to 'close combat' but aren't artilleries shooting from afar? Though it includes mortars too. This is for another moment though)

Panzers! 5.5 %

That to me is not normal. Especially considering the type of enemy, quantity of enemy, etcetera...

What is normal?

I am sure there are a ton of History buffs here that can attest to Germans losing a ton of tanks by Dec 41. To me, 15 German tanks & 156 Infantry looks really good. But I am sure people much smarter than me can chime in.

[AlbertN]

@ HYLA: I do not perceive it normal because I feel that at this ratio the Panzer cannot really be used. Due to lousy production (which is the easiest thing to model at historical level with 'produced numbers' at hand even if that will never account for 'omg lost more tanks, need more tanks as replacement' or 'resource gluts' that can potentially happen).

I look at it purely from a gameplay perspective.

AGC: Painting Fun

I think this may a rare occurrence for me as my artistic skills suck!
And time is oft a constraint.

While waiting for the Infantry Divisions to move up (and I've to determine if to move at max speed or leave some SMP each turn to allow some rebuinding of CCP) the Panzers and Motorized assets proceed onward.

Some divisions are shoved away but combat is limited, it costs a lot of MP to attack across rivers.
The advance toward Gomel too has reached a full stop - having decided there to let just the GD and SS fight, and the Panzer Division of the AK is building CCP up. That spot is also the closemost to the INF so hopefully next turn if Seminole sticks where he is, IDs can open it for mobile forces.

Red Lines are known Soviet Positions - including of 2 formations that are isolated or otherwise ZoC'ed
Yellow Lines are expected and suspected Soviet Positions to be.

VVS not present here, air supply gets through en mass but anyhow a whole JG AOG is already in the zone and operational.
A SG AOG is also issued for close ground support on need next turn - maybe Stukas are better than Ju88 at hitting things!

[AlbertN]

End of Turn 3 Recap

T1 Pockets got liquidated proper and a few, scattered Soviet Infantry Divisions got trapped here and there.
My sentiment is that the Soviets will not try to rescue them - favoring to keep their units fat, building CCP. The booty in general is 1 division or so per trapped spot. They can just afford that type of loss I feel.

My 'gain' has been pratically uncontested advance (I am not rejoyicting) that can net plenty of admin movement for the Infantries. Partisans are not active yet so that will mean some distance covered decently. In the South especially Vinnitsa is usually a T4 or T5 business for me, not a T3 encircling it -and- Zhitomir too (another Railyard lvl 2).

Then again the Soviets have nothing to lose VP wise up to Kiev, they can just have maxed CCPs units waiting behind the Dnepr. Which is what I suspect and dread.

In the North Seminole has well delayed my usual advance toward Talinn, but he must have diverted resources there that are not elsewhere. (Have I empty land in the south?)

The Center is the lottery, with Fortress Smolensk waiting and looming ahead, impregnable bastion of Communist defence, cardinal point for the resistance of the Soviets.
Velike Luki seems out of reach, far too many infantries dug in right now in the forests. - I suspect HYLA vs JJ AAR affected this decision somehow!
But the present position East of the BEresina allows the Germans to 'punch' (Assuming they can punch!) north-east, east, or south and south-east.
With a broad chunk of Axis land (if Seminole does not counterattack) the 3 Panzer Korps there can be quite flexible.

BUT, and that is the biggest BUT, I do not think anything I can do right now will give a headache or even an itch to the Soviets.

[Seminole]

Big differences between the two attacks you showed.

A hasty attack is not going to hit full strength, better to stack as you did in the second attack and ensure it if using a hasty attack in any kind of terrain. Also a big difference between hitting an entrenched enemy in light woods to hitting an enemy on the steppes with no fortifications values (natural or otherwise) to shield it.

In view of the terrain and fortifications, you went light in the first attack and heavy in the second.

[Seminole]

This is only my second (and concurrent) campaign, and I hadn’t yet set any HQ to assault status.

Would you like to have any house rules for this part of the game in our campaign?

I’m thinking maybe rolling limit for Soviets:

1 - Nov ‘41
2 - Oct ‘42
3 - Jun ‘43
4 - Jun ‘44

Thoughts for Axis?

[AlbertN]

I am not sure if they start with 1 already in Assault Mode - but you can easily check on that. (I believe they do but not 100% sure. I'll discover once I get my first turn as Soviet in a 3rd game).

If you want to House Rule that as your own limit I am fine with. As Axis atm I just self impose the limit of not overloading the Assault HQ beyond 1 point or so in case of regimentation of troops in contingency situations.
But I've already all 6 Assault HQs and I feel them pretty badly needed - given I am far from being a master of the game. But the CCP buildup when having to move in enemy hexes and all can help.

[carlkay58]

The Soviets do not start with any Assault HQs assigned in the 41 Campaign. The Axis start with the four Panzer Groups as Assault HQs with two more possible.

[AlbertN]

Opening the T4 - Cold Showers

Soviets sweep through and pockets armoured spearheads up in the North.

The Soviets clearly have lots of mobility if they can accomplish these things.

Some ought to say 'You must regiment your divisions, and spread them so you have good coverage'.
Alas, not really that possible in the current state of the game. Why? Check next.

[AlbertN]

T4 - Cold Shower, Soviet Hammer

The Soviets can just mass their forces through their cheap admin movement, and hammer a spearhead of the Germans.

In this way.
50% Panzer losses in -1- single combat. Of a Division. In Light Woods. With a skilled commander vs a skilled commander of the Soviets.

Without Assault Fronts, as Seminole said above.

Which underlines to me further how the game is bogus beyond the Assault fronts. - To put it simple, the Soviet coordination and operational levels are well excessive. Now in 41, figure out once their leadership penalty fades away.

Now you can imagine how harder gets a regiment hammered.

[AlbertN]

T4 Openings: Soviets Masters of Tactics

Your friendly never heard of Soviet commander (Maybe it's a skilled one!) manages to foil commissars and halt an attack at scouting range.

Now - if these were 2 (this and previous post one) of many Soviet attacks, that bled them, battered them as they tried to eat Movement Points and CCP to German forces - it could be somehow acceptable. (Well the Division pounding to me it's not. I feel that it is endemyc of the game though, and will prolly cause me to move on to more realistic pastures where realism is not 'math of millimeters of armour multiplied by slope factor and vaunted gun accuracy' but by the grand scheme of things and the game flow).

But alas, this and the previous attack are the whole of the Soviets attack for the turn.
So a 100% success of extreme cooperation, and a 100% ... disaster avoided? (But probably, even without 'scouting' result, the attack was to be stalled at grand distance after some artillery fire).

[AlbertN]

T4 - Cold Showers

The bucket of Fortified Zones here disappeared.
I believe they've been disbanded. I've not attacked them earlier - they're in the screenshot in fact with Axis forces adjacent to them at the other side of the river.

Since a while I am advocating for a change in Disbanding Mechanism, putting a limit due to proximity and an AP cost.

That's a lot of troopers and artilleries that just got saved there from certain doom.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T4 - Cold Showers

The bucket of Fortified Zones here disappeared.
I believe they've been disbanded. I've not attacked them earlier - they're in the screenshot in fact with Axis forces adjacent to them at the other side of the river.

Since a while I am advocating for a change in Disbanding Mechanism, putting a limit due to proximity and an AP cost.

...

maybe not, if they are low TOE/exp/morale (& they are) they often just collapse when adjacent. In particular aim to cut them off as isolated they will collapse - saves you CPP.

wider pt, there is a lot about game balance being thrown around, much more use when it is said with an understanding of game mechanics [;)]