Strategies for attack on Soviet Union

[Cataphract]

Hi, I'm pretty new to this game and brand new to the forums. Also, I have yet to play online, though wish to in the near future. Anyway, I am looking for some addtional strategies to attack the Soviet Union as the Germans. My favorite strategy so far, as I am an attritionist, is to drive for Moscow (as the most troops are there) encircle it and destroy the Russians there. Basically, my goal is to destroy as many Soviet's as possible, and other goals become easier. I have read about the double attack on Japan and Caucasus airdrop strategies, but are their any more? What types of forces to players usually use for the invasion? Amount of research?

Thanks![:)]

[simpeter]

I was just reading in the manual about this. It recommends exactly the opposite,
by making a 2-pronged attack on Leningrad and the south. My intuition was
similar to yours originally(and Napoleon),take Moscow.
IIRC, from a historical point of view, the Germans had a 3-pronged offensive, targeting Leningrad,Moscow and Stalingrad.

[Lebatron]

Its best to go for the Caucasus, and while your on your way there take Stalingrad. If you can manage it take Leningrad too. Once these two important cities are yours you only have to reach 70 to score an auto victory. The manual is not up to date on VC conditions, so please read the readme patch for the latest on this.

[simpeter]

The manual stresses taking out Leningrad on the 1st move,
so Finland gets activated. What's your take on it?

I drove through N. Michigan once over the hairiest damn bridge.
Gave me vertigo.

[rjh1971]

I think, from my little experience, that the best thing to do is take leningrad on the first turn. This way you achieve two things: 1st you unfreeze findland 4 inf + 1 ftr, and 2nd with those troops you invade murmansk and the next turn the region next to murmamsk, thus definitely cutting off a possible WA suply to the USSR. By doing this you are also cutting a possible suply to China via the USSR. In order to do so you should deploy 6 inf plus 7 armor in Prussia, a little help from the air wouldn't be a bad idea. Drive your 6 inf into the Baltic states and then blitz leningrad with the panzers.

On the first turn try as well to destroy as many russian units as possible in eastern Poland and Kiev. Taking Odesa should be difficult. Also have in mind the possibility of making an airborne attack before the creation of the militia next turn.

The question now is where to strike next with your panzer divisions: encircle moscow? go for the southern provinces?.

One of the most annoying things i find about the russian campaign is that you have to garrison the territories you take, this weakens you army when driving deep into Russia. The soviet player can easily encircle your army if you overextend your push into Russia.

Bombing the Caucasus on the first with your heavy Bombers is also possible, you will do this just once, cause the soviet player will surely bring AA to prevent it in the next turn, but if you damage 3 resources that's 15 supply points.

Also have in mind that you can invade regions with your panzers and retreat on the same turn, the purpose of doing this is a scorched earth strategy, you leave everything destroyed.

I always have in mind a disruption of the soviet railwaylines with the luftwaffe.

One last thing, it is completely different to be playing against the AI, which I don't find hard to defeat, than against human opponent, this one's much more fun and difficult. [;)]

The problem for me is to ascertain where to launch your forces after the first strike. I'm also in favor of attacking with Japan form Manchuria, with as many inf art and aircraft as possible.

Hope this hints are useful to you.

[arras]

The most important point in any USSR strategy is to attack soon. Do it as soon as possible, that mean before historical date. More time you will give to your oponent to prepare, more dificult time you will have.

What realy hampers any strike on USSR is transport limit. It often takes one wasted turn to regroup your forces before continuing attack. To solve it I like to invest in air pover. Both research and building. Air power have advantage of flexibility but you have to research movement to at last 3 in order to get benefit of it.

Whatever you are going to do, do it early and strike fast... Once you manage to win war in the east you are on a good path to win war. If you loose it there, you gona loose war too.

[jrt]

i have a question about bombing the caucasus:

if the germans start the russian attack by sending a couple of bombers to the caucasus to make a infrastructure attack,

the infracstructure units (rail, factories, etc) get the evasion penalty?

[a511]

while i dont exactly know the answer, i dont it applies. do let me know if otherwise.

for me, barbarossa is a balance of speed and penetration. do it earlier is good but it may lacks penetration; but if u wait too long u may give the polar bear too much time to prepare. primary objective is to destory RUS' production so i always ignore leningrad.
of course, double-team RUS strategy is good but JP must not over expand in RUS and make itself vulnerable to WA's attack.

a511