Can't Keep up with swapping unready units in AI game

[Dereck]

I'm on turn 9 (1941-08-17) of the Grand Campaign against the Axis AI.

I have had a front line (known affectionately as The Swiss Cheese Line) built since turn 3. My main objective has been to keep the Red Army together so rather than being surrounded I've given up ground. My overall strategy for the time being is aggressive defense in that I'm trying to force static warfare on the Axis and cause as many casualties to them as I can.

I'm not "unhappy" with the overall strategy I've chosen. The data below shows it's causing Axis casualties - whether higher or lower than historical I don't know but still causing then casualties. My use of the Sir Robin has reduced my losses at the cost of giving up ground.

However my situation though not dire is worrisome.

As of 1941-08-17 65.41% of the Red Army is combat unready (under strength, unready or depleted). I'm able to bring a steady and consistent number of units from the strategic reserves to swap out with unready units but I just can't keep up. In my scenario the national morale starts at 45 and it increases to 50 at the 4th quarter of 1941. I'm hoping that when it does that may help reduce all the routed units I get and I can eventually get ahead of swapping out units.

Any ideas/suggestions for what I can try to get the Red Army's unready rate down? I've tried threatening the troops but I guess being a Comrade Evil Cyber-Soviet Dictator has it's limits.

The data below is either for the 1941-08-17 turn or as of that date.

1941-08-17 As of Status.jpg (62 KiB) Viewed 445 times

[56ajax]

Right. I dont know about under strength as I drop my TOEs down to 80% anyway. And you still have that Army HQ penalty thats ends first week of December. Pray for rain.

But

Dont swap too many unready units to the Reserve but leave them on a depot on an airfield on a railyard > 1 and resupply by Air. Same for Units coming out of Reserve onto the map. Remember it generally takes up to 4 turns for a unit o gain 100% CPP and thats providing you dont move it. There are a number of other things to do but they should have been started from T1.

Hows your manpower looking in the prroduction pool?

[Dereck]

Right. I dont know about under strength as I drop my TOEs down to 80% anyway. And you still have that Army HQ penalty thats ends first week of December. Pray for rain.

According to turn summary: Understrength is <65% and depleted < 10%. Other than my HQs I drop my TOE to 80% also. Also, at the appearance of being dumb, what Army HQ penalty?

Hows your manpower looking in the prroduction pool?

For the 1941-08-17 turn Soviet manpower pool is 132,358 while Axis is 692,291.

[56ajax]

Right. I dont know about under strength as I drop my TOEs down to 80% anyway. And you still have that Army HQ penalty thats ends first week of December. Pray for rain.

According to turn summary: Understrength is <65% and depleted < 10%. Other than my HQs I drop my TOE to 80% also. Also, at the appearance of being dumb, what Army HQ penalty?

Hows your manpower looking in the prroduction pool?

For the 1941-08-17 turn Soviet manpower pool is 132,358 while Axis is 692,291.

No one is dumb in this game mate. It is very complex and even though I was a beta tester I am still learning.

Read 15.5.2 of the manual.

However, Soviet units reporting to an army up to the end of November 1941 will have
a lower chance to pass any leadership test to reflect the problems with command and
control the Soviets faced in the early stages of the war. At this stage, the base chance
for all such leadership tests is 10+2. From any turn starting after the 1 December 1941
Soviet units reporting to an army HQ are treated as if they reported to a corps (i.e. the
base chance to pass a leader test is 10).
If a unit does not report to a Corps (Axis) or Army (Soviet) there are penalties to reflect
the unusual assignment of combat units.


I hope/assume that the last para above refers to any turn starting afer 1 Dec 41. Furthermore the manual also states

The expectation is that Axis units will report to a Corps HQ and that, after
August 1941, Soviet units will report to an Army HQ.

I hope August is a typo and it should be November otherwise there is 3 months where you get a penalty no matter what your command structure is.

Have you disbanded your Mot Engineer Sapper Battalions. They do the same job as non mots but just use up trucks. (I also disband nearly all the on map Forts to save manpower).

[Dereck]

Have you disbanded your Mot Engineer Sapper Battalions. They do the same job as non mots but just use up trucks. (I also disband nearly all the on map Forts to save manpower).

Not all at once but systematically.

There's a thread about "best settings for AI games now" and, even though geared towards the Axis I think I will mimic the settings and see how they work for the Soviets.

Also, for an AI game, what effects would these difficulty settings have?:
o Fort Build Level
o Logistics