Plan Z revised No. 2 - Armistice signed!

[zechi]

Turn 1 - Fall Weiß!

As the newest beta batch to version 2.00v introduces many new rules, we decided to abort our game with the GS 2.00s patch and restarted the game as there are especially some changes in the opening phase of the game. The 2.00v patch will hopefully include the last major changes for the game and we hope to finish it. One ne exciting change is a new rule for an early entry of war for Italy if the Allied player strips the Med from the French navy (which all players did in the old versions of the game).

I will mostly do the same opening as in our last game, therefore go for an early Weserübung and capture of Norway. However, I fear I will not get as lucky as in our last game.

Here we go with Fall Weiß:



Wehrmacht struggles to capture Lodz. After 1 TAC and three ground attacks the GAR survives with 1 step. I need my second TAC to finish it off and therefore could not bomb Warsaw. The ARM attacking Warsaw gets also a bad 1:2 result.

Some of the other new feature of the newest patch. There are free naval units:



With these free naval units a Plan Z strategy could be easier. I will again go for a big sub fleet and an attack on Spain to unit the Regia Marina and the Kriegsmarine. However, it now takes six turns for a SUB to construct. As you see CV even take 15 turns. This makes naval units much more valuable, especially for the Allies. However, the Allies also get some free naval units. For example the US gets a CV for free.

There are also some new map features:



There were also some cities added in the Soviet union.

[zechi]

Turn 2 - Warsaw falls! Unternehmen Weserübung launched!

The Wehrmacht takes heavy losses in a Polish counterattack:



Nevertheless, Warsaw is taken easily by the Wehrmacht:



Wehrmacht also launches Operation Weserübung and units are transported to Norway! Denmark is invaded and Copenhague should fall next turn, provided the weather stays fair (75 % chance).

I also buy a SUB:



Last turn I bough a naval lab with focus in SUBs.

[Crazygunner1]

interesting changes so far.... nice work guys!!!

[tremat]

So if the allied player takes Palermo, Messina and Reggio Italy surrenders?:)... and which city "owns" the port, Messina or Reggio?

[joerock22]

So if the allied player takes Palermo, Messina and Reggio Italy surrenders?:)... and which city "owns" the port, Messina or Reggio?

Reggio is like Cagliari; it does NOT count towards the 3 cities needed for Italian surrender. So no real change in Italian surrender conditions, which is good because most people feel that Italy is fairly well balanced. It will just allow the Axis to more easily reinforce Sicily, as Zechi stated. Messina owns the port.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Only 1 map change in Russia. It's the addition of a city without production east of Odessa called Kherson. It's on the north bank on the mouth of Dnepr. It was added to allow for more rapid rail reinforcement of Ukrainian area between Odessa and Dnepropetrovsk. The area didn't have many cities in GS, but quite a bit of rail lines.

Reggion will allow the Axis to rail reinforcements directly to Reggio and ferry them to Messina OR evacuate units from Messina to Reggio and then rail them to safety. Before the change the Axis player had to rail units to Naples or Taranto and spend several turns to get to the toe of the Italian shoe to get ferried to Sicily. That took so long so they rather sailed the units to Messina or Palermo, paying the 8 PP's. Now this is fixed.

Reggio can actually be a death trap for the Axis so it's wise to run away from the area once Sicily falls. The reason is that the Allies can land behind Reggio and cut rail supply to the city, thus trapping all units near Reggio. So this city will not help the Axis hold Italy longer. It will only help reinforcing Sicily or be used as a rail hub for sailing units to Libya (Taranto is a bit further away and more vulnerable to interceptions since port to port travel is not so easy).

Shore bombardments will now do more shock damage and less physical damage. Shock damage will increase with tech (surface ships tech 3 and radar tech 3) so shore bombardment will be more devastating in 1943-1944 than in e. g. 1940.

Britain will start with one BB less and instead get 2 extra DD's. It didn't make sense that the Britain Naval OOB in GS had lots of BB's, but only 1 DD (Canadian). Now they start with 3 BB's, 1 CV and 3 DD's plus a sub in the Atlantic. In the Med they will get a BB in Alexandria, CV in Port Said, Australian DD in Malta and a sub in Cyprus as before. They also get a BB in Basra as before when Iraq joins the Allies symbolizing naval units sent from the far east.

Italy starts with an extra sub to be closer to the real Italian 1939 naval OOB.

The most interesting change is that each major power except USSR will get a free naval unit. Germany will get a BB in December 1940 symbolizing Bismarck and Tirpitz. Italy will get a BB at the same time symbolizing Roma and Impero. UK will get a BB too at the same time symbolizing King George V, Prince of Wales and Duke of York. USA will get a CV in July 1941 symbolizin Ranger and Wasp.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

With more Axis naval units in 1941 it means the RN will have to deal with that threat and also build some extra naval units. It will make the naval warfare more interesting because now the Germans can use the BB's as surface raiders or use them against the Russian convoy. Going after the Kriegsmarine will need a dedicated effort from the Allies and we can finally have the hunt for Tirpitz or the Bismarck. Before the Axis often had the navy in the Baltic because they were too weak to challenge the Royal Navy. They couldn't afford to build more naval units prior to Barbarossa.

Italy will become a bit stronger too so the Allies will have to reinforce the Med with more naval ships. The RN will be a bit stronger ship by ship, but the at start strength is too little to deal with the Italian Navy in 1941.

The end result of this is that Britain and USA will have to plan building more naval units right from the start. The increased build times means you better get the capital ships built as early as possible. With a stronger naval effort from the Allies it means they will not be able to build lots of air and land units before 1943. That means you probably won't see a 1942 Overlord or Axis collapse in Libya before 1942. All this is good for play balance because it means the collapse of the Axis will be delayed by quite a bit of turns.

Since the Axis get the naval units in 1941 they can't use them for a 1940 Sealion and that's historical too. Bismarck / Tirpitz weren't available in time for Sealion. It will be interesting to try out how the changes will work.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

We have already received positive feedback from the testers about the changes done to Case Yellow. The need to keep naval units in the Med means you won't see 2 French BB's bombarding German units at the coast line. Maybe you see 1. You mostly inflict shock damage so it's maybe not worth it. You migh be better off going after the Italian Navy if they try to reinforce Libya.

Since the air units in Britain also loses efficiency when Belgium falls it means the Germans have almost air superiority the first critical turns of Case Yellow. That means the strategy of sending all available British units to France is less effective. Sitzkrieg now becomes more attractive vs Blitzkrieg because you can attack the French units in France with full power the turn after Belgium falls. With blitzkrieg you often have to clean up Belgium during mud or winter weather, thus giving the air units in Britain a chance to recover. Then you're stuck with air parity in the Spring of 1940.

Amph units are changed too so in 1940 only corps units can amph. In 1942 also mech units can amph. In 1943 armor units can amph. In 1944 the Allies can use Mulberry technology to give their units supply level 2 instead of 1 from naval units. This means Sealion will be a bit tougher since the Germans will have to send corps units to be able to attack occupied hexes. Mech and armor units can only land in friendly or empty enemy hexes.

So it will be interesting to see the new fall of France dates and how often we get Sealion after Paris falls.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Reggio can use the port facility as long as Messina is friendly. That's similar to using the ferry function to get units to the port and then aboard a transport. If Messina is enemy controlled then you can't sail any units from Reggio. It's the same about Copenhagen / Malmö. Copenhagen controls the port, but you can sail units from Malmö if Copenhagen is friendly.

Another interesting side effect of getting Denmark and Sweden for Germany is that by controlling both Copenhagen and Malmö the Axis can trace supply through the port. That means you can count the number of hexes from Berlin. So you get supply level 5 close to Berlin and supply level 4 in most of Norway, Sweden and Finland. That means you can rail units in Scandinavia.

The result of this is that invading Sweden can actually be an interesting strategy to try out as the Axis. Sweden is hard to capture, but if you do it in 1940 then you have time before Barbarossa. Getting rail supply to Finland means that you can probably overrun Leningrad more easily.

[zechi]

Turn 3 - Denmark surrenders! Wehrmacht lands near Oslo!

The situation at the beginning of my turn:



And after my attacks:



Next turn I will attack Oslo, hopefully weather is fair.

[zechi]

Turn 4 - Oslo under pressure! Wehrmacht invades the Netherlands!

Lucky again with the weather as it is everywhere fair! Therefore the attack on Oslo begins:



After the attacks:



As Staufenberg explained I now have not to fear shore bombardment so much, because the French Fleet will most likely stay in the Med and the damage done through shore bombardment was reduced.

[zechi]

Turn 5 - Oslo captured! Mud slows down offensive against the Hague!

Crazy weather! It is fair in the northern weather zone, but muddy in central Europe. Leridano did a mistake as he did not repair the GAR in Oslo.



With fair weather in Norway my INF with support of the two TACs will most likely finish the GAR, but with mud in central Europe it would have been difficult,a s the TACs are in the central Europe weather zone:



Oslo falls after two TAC and two INF attacks:



In Holland the offensive against the Hague is delayed because of the mud. I bring into position both MECHs and an ARM as well as the High Seas Fleet for an attack next turn:



I think it will now take at least two more turns to capture the Hague.

[zechi]

Turn 6 - The Hague under pressure! Will Italy enter the war?

At the beginning of my turn I get the following message:



This is a new feature. There are not enough Allied naval units in the MED and if Belgium surrenders, there is a chance that Italy could enter the war early.

Winter weather in central Europe and Wehrmacht offensive against the Hague will be launched:



I get good results and the INF in the Hague is down to 2 steps:



Next turn I should force Holland to surrender.

[Blathergut]

Why does the screen sometimes show parachute and elite buttons but other times the original buttons?

[zechi]

Turn 7 - Holland surrenders!

Leridano repaired the INF in the Hague:



but this will not stop the Wehrmacht:



Holland surrenders and Sitzkrieg begins.

[zechi]

Why does the screen sometimes show parachute and elite buttons but other times the original buttons?

If you have an unita active then you get the two upgrade buttons. If you click on a hex without a unit the normal buttons are available.

[zechi]

Turn 8 and 9 - Sitzkrieg begins! Naval skirmish in the Channel!

British BB run into my SUB in the Channel:



I do not counterattack as the RAF threatens my SUBs.

I also spot the BEF:



The next turn the weather is still winter and I repair my SUBs at sea. Nearly everything is ready for Fall Gelb, only one FTR is missing:

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Why does the screen sometimes show parachute and elite buttons but other times the original buttons?

If you have an unita active then you get the two upgrade buttons. If you click on a hex without a unit the normal buttons are available.

That is correct. Right clicking will also unselect a unit and bring back the original buttons. I'm now used to right clicking to cancel the unit selection I've made

[zechi]

Turn 10 - Sitzkrieg continues

Weather in central Europe is muddy, so no offensive yet. Next turn it is March and a 75 % chance for fair weather:



As you see a French BB bombards a German INF and inflict 1 step of damage. It seems that the chance to inflict damage through shore bombardment is still not so bad after all. Normally shore bombardment should only inflict "shock damage" i.e. effectivness of the unit should be reduced and only rarely the shore bombardment should result in real damage.

[zechi]

Turn 11 - Fall Gelb launched!

Case Yellow is launched as the weather is fair. Targets for the first turn of Case Yellow are the three Beglian cities:



However, Leridano again does not defend France up front, but chooses to form his defensive line behind the Somme. From my point of view this is a big mistake. Again I'm able to take Lille:



The loss of Lille hurts the French as 3 PP are gone. My next target will be Lorraine.

In the Atlantic I manage to trap a convoy:



The convoy will be destroyed next turn. I wonder what is in the transport?