The Red Army Is (Not) Overpowered - A tongue in cheek aar

[RedJohn]

Personally I like the idea dynamic NMM, but as beethoven says the south is overran far faster than historical assuming competent Germans. Its just not viable to defend, and if you do you're liable to lose multiple armies. Armies that as I will hopefully show in this aar, will be used to thoroughly stall Moscow and Leningrad.

And whilst it's fine to point out the low soviet casualties, I think the German casualties are equally as low? I'm not sure, actually!

The artillery patch was a step in the right direction-I only played 3 soviet games with that patch and whilst some results were unbelievably silly it felt a bit more accurate (axis casualties were far too low though).

Certainly I think something needs adjusted,based on my own experience.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: Stamb

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

ORIGINAL: RedJohn




Here is an example of this, turn 3 of my other game. These units will be put under Rokossovosky or some other such mech general. Many hundreds/thousands of AFVs will be lost in battles, but it's a worthy sacrifice.

I believe I know where you are going with this. But I feel many are still playing WITE1 on how they are advancing and attacking. But what you are about to write should pan this out rather nicely.

I understand that Axis should not leave panzers as screening forces, but in the same time you do not want to attack with panzers. And if there is no motorization (which is an exploit IMHO) then it takes ages for an infantry to come and fight. So if you do not risk with a panzers - you will not make pockets, unless Soviet player is not smart enough to retreat. Maybe you will show some magic in your AAR, but I would like to see what would you do vs running Soviet without motorizaton.

I believe on motorization as you do. I personally think it should be out of the game or limited as many have started to do. I have been an advocate against it and wanted to show how bad it was in a game. I just can't do it in this game. All my other games it was outlawed.

I started showing what I talked about in the above post in the Jubjub game and to a lesser extent two other AAR's. I will bring it to fruition in my Zovs game & the way I will advance will work both with a up front playing Soviet and one that will run all the way to Rostov. At least I believe I am correct in my assessment, time will tell.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: Stamb

I think this is very successful Axis campaign and look on the losses. https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.a ... age=1&key=

Which leads to my point. Can Soviet defend cities in the south - no. Can they delay the advance - yes, and they have to pay for it with their divisions. Otherwise get hit in VP/production/NM.

What do we have now? Retreat, get huge army, smash Axis. It is enough to break through initial defense and most likely there will no second line of defense for the Axis side and there is just not enough divisions.
So you will not only get VP back, you can basically win a game.

Of course there are different AAR that goes into 43 or 44. But they are rare. And probably Soviet players do not understand how powerful retreat is.

Hopefully comrade RedJohn will show it and this topic will bring more attention to this problem

Soviet Retreating is a double edge sword. You have to have the mixture right or the concoction will explode in your face.

[Stamb]

This is my PvP game vs retreating player (no blaming him of course, he plays really well and I would play just the same!)

t16, oct 5

Few more hexes in a pocket with enemy divisions to clear. Maybe additional 100k, in best case.

[RedJohn]

Turn 3 begins. The Pskov river has been broken thoroughly, and Smolensk has fallen to a direct assault!

[RedJohn]

Smolensk 1

[RedJohn]

Smolensk 2

[RedJohn]

And Smolensk 3. A valiant hold, all things considered.

[RedJohn]

We flew 30,000 sorties this turn. That seems like a lot, but I don't know if it really is relative to history! [X(]

The vast majority are ground attacks on panzers/motorised. Now to check the results.

[RedJohn]

935 Germans dead, 18 guns, 8 AFVs and 165 vehicles. Not a particularly worthwhile trade, but that's primarily because out of 12 ground attack sorties on a hex you'll get maybe 3 actual ground bombings.

We generated quite a bit of interdiction at least, I think most relevantly at the breach of the dnepr near Smolensk.

[RedJohn]

We cut off the majority of AGN's mobile forces with 2 units. I believe he wanted to isolate and surrender them, or at least the rifle division.

[RedJohn]

A Panzer regiment is hit North of Smolensk. 2-1 trade in AFVs, which is acceptable.

[RedJohn]

After making all my moves - mostly just retreating from the Dnepr at centre and hugging AGN's forces (as well as reinforcing the existing crimean units so they make up a full army) it's time to divvy out the reserve - and what a reserve it is!

[RedJohn]

Reserves post-movement. I deployed around 16 rifle divisions to Leningrad, deployed all the mountaineers at Vellie Luki, deployed all my mechanized/armored east of Smolensk, and split the rest of the rifle divisions north-east of Smolensk towards Vyazma, and the approach to Bryansk.

I also deployed the airborne brigades east of Kiev, as well as the one cavalry unit I could. There's an additional 17 cavalry units to be deployed whenever they're made ready to me, and these will be our defensive cordon for Ukraine.



I also deployed all of the corps I put in reserve somewhere near Tula. I'm not sure if they can disband in the reserve, nor am I sure if they can swap TOEs.

[RedJohn]

Oh, and I also declared the Western Front as my first assault HQ. In games where I don't abandon the south I prefer that to be my first HQ, but in every other game the Western front is the natural choice.

[Pionpion]

A simple and historical solution to this gamey gameplay would be to fix a maximum percentage in the Reserves Box. It would be a great asset in soviet hands without allowing such choices. IMHO this harms the interest of the game. In "paper" wargame, limited soviet reserve mechanisms have long been tested (think about the recent and excellent Stalingrad from GMT, if anyone knows). But it is a great AAR, with an acute sense of teasing.

[Stamb]

I see no reasons why do we need such TB as Reserve. Every other TBs are fine.

[Pionpion]

Playing with it could be optional ? Again, it's classical wargame functioning. It gives Soviet more flexibility with their pop up capability, even if I understand you conisder railmove is enough

[RedJohn]

ORIGINAL: Pionpion

Playing with it could be optional ? Again, it's classical wargame functioning. It gives Soviet more flexibility with their pop up capability, even if I understand you conisder railmove is enough

For whatever reason there is less flexibility in this games settings when compared to 1. [&:]

If I'm not remembering incorrectly anyway.

[Beethoven1]

I don't think your reserves are large enough. Perhaps you should strip the theater boxes in order to send more men to the map. I think you will need them to buff up your meager north and center defenses.