Chapter 8 Roadwarrior (GHC) vs Q-Ball (SHC) Turn 25

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

I'm told I can post here...I think the analysis on AGC and supplies is spot-on, and I also think based on this I would run a Soviet Campaign differently next time.

In this one, I way under-committed in AGN sector, and over-committed in AGS. I did withdraw a handful of hexes, but I also ended up with alot of forces, and stopped withdrawls in front of Kharkov and Stalino. By then, I had alot of reserves

A counter to an AGC focus and the supply constraints is to not defend AGS hardly at all, and just send everyone to the center; I am facing that in another game, where it's down to just screening forces basically in AGS. I'll be able to take Rostov and all the other cities, but supply will be a huge problem! Stalingrad is out of reach even if it's not defended, just no gas to get there.

"Just Run" is not a strategy. My #1 objective was to preserve the Red Army, and that means preventing encirclements was the #1 objective. Preventing encirclements can mean not allowing the infantry to plow holes for the Panzers to exploit.

It really boils down to "knowing your opponent". Then knowing what your opponent has where and what they are doing with them. Then reacting to that.

Your #1 objective Q-Ball is spot on for the Soviets!!! My #1 objective as the Germans is to destroy the Red Army. That is first and foremost even over Victory Point gathering for me. I will go out of my way to even surround small Soviet units of a few thousand men.

[RoadWarrior]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

I'm told I can post here...I think the analysis on AGC and supplies is spot-on, and I also think based on this I would run a Soviet Campaign differently next time.

In this one, I way under-committed in AGN sector, and over-committed in AGS. I did withdraw a handful of hexes, but I also ended up with alot of forces, and stopped withdrawls in front of Kharkov and Stalino. By then, I had alot of reserves

A counter to an AGC focus and the supply constraints is to not defend AGS hardly at all, and just send everyone to the center; I am facing that in another game, where it's down to just screening forces basically in AGS. I'll be able to take Rostov and all the other cities, but supply will be a huge problem! Stalingrad is out of reach even if it's not defended, just no gas to get there.

"Just Run" is not a strategy. My #1 objective was to preserve the Red Army, and that means preventing encirclements was the #1 objective. Preventing encirclements can mean not allowing the infantry to plow holes for the Panzers to exploit.

Now that I know what I did not know.

Did you really under play the North?
I really don't think Leningrad means a hole lot to the Germans or Russians really. I think you played it just right, put up a fight tie down some extra German troops for the summer.
Big picture unlike 1.0 Leningrad 2.0 is not really that big of a deal other than a few extra VPs.

South is really just retreat 2-3 hexes per turn - logistics rule set kicks in dig trenches and wait for blizzard.

I agree both sides main objective is killing men. If your playing a good player, killing men is not that easy.
They really don't need to hold Leningrad and in the south they simply need to retreat and screen. Germans are very limited on how far they can push or pocket.

So all you have is center to pocket units, unless they are just not playing smart.

I would think as Russian player you would just delay Leningrads fall, screen the south and fight hard in front of Moscow. You could still fall back 1-2 hexes per turn until the logistic chain
kicks in than fight for every hex. Like the south German MPs will be so low making it very hard to pocket anything.

[AlbertN]

I kind of feel that the issue I perceive has been summed up here and experienced by multiple players.

Logistic strain is a thing, but logistic strain allows Soviets to just have a thin veil of troops just because, and amass elsewhere where needed.
Ontop of South being the only really clear terrain zone, in Center or North unless the Soviets will play in the hands of the Germans, encirclements are virtually impossible barring the 1-2 hexes of surrounded units.

In many games I have to pratically 'sit down' a full summer turn with Germans to restock on fuel and supplies, do a one turn advance, sit down 2 more turns against more and more Soviets, making the game kind of impossible.

[RoadWarrior]

Turn 25
SHC 1 battles with 0 held results, losses were 16k. GHC 0 battles with 0 held result, losses were 21k.

[RoadWarrior]

South

[RoadWarrior]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

I kind of feel that the issue I perceive has been summed up here and experienced by multiple players.

Logistic strain is a thing, but logistic strain allows Soviets to just have a thin veil of troops just because, and amass elsewhere where needed.
Ontop of South being the only really clear terrain zone, in Center or North unless the Soviets will play in the hands of the Germans, encirclements are virtually impossible barring the 1-2 hexes of surrounded units.

In many games I have to pratically 'sit down' a full summer turn with Germans to restock on fuel and supplies, do a one turn advance, sit down 2 more turns against more and more Soviets, making the game kind of impossible.

The sit down for a turn tactic simply does not work once you are X hexes from German border.
Most games in the south after turn 10 I can sit for a months and units do not fill up.
Its a hard line as you can move a few hexes to west and they fill up in a turn or 2, a few hexes east and it takes 6-7 turns to top off if ever.

The current model is all about SHC running at the correct speed as Q-ball and I have talked about in PMs. It has zero to do with trucks and trains, player skills ect ect. If SHC runs at the correct speed you will get unhistorically low Russian loses and an unhistorical 41/42 winter SHC offensive which German army simply can’t
recover from because it causes a feedback loop and than SHC is on a unhistorical offensive in 42. This running at just the right speed tactic is used because of special rules put on the Germans logistics system.