Soviet Corps

[jaggy]

Any chance of a 7 Grand Campaigns expansion for Soviet Corps ala Panzer Corps? I think its viable.

[fliegenderstaub]

Sounds nice, but I guess, there would be five campaigns maximum. Maybe including the soviet war against Finnland...

[jaggy]

@fliegenderstaub - After being spoiled by these 70-mission Grand Campaigns, the stock 14-mission campaigns pale by comparison. You get to appreciate the advantages/disadvantages of using the different model tanks over more scenarios, unlike the stock campaign where in almost every single scenario, you are constantly upgrading your panzer.

[Casaubon]

A soviet campaign would be very interesting with a weird twist, starting with almost impossible difficulty and getting easier with every year after stalingrad scenario?

[KeldorKatarn]

If you think the Soviets had it easy in 43 and 44... I think you're mistaken. It might look like that from nowadays perspective but I don't think those campaigns were ever easy, not for the germans in the beginning and not for the Soviets and Allies in the end. All battles were hard fought and even when one side had the upper hand they occasionally got their butt kicked. So I don't think that would be an issue.

But from what I know Slitherine plans to do the Western Allies campaign first?

[DerTroof]

I'd love to see a Soviet campaign. Allied General and Panzer General II both had smallish Soviet campaigns that were fun and challenging. IIRC, you had to be willing to sacrifice cheap infantry to get your air and armor on a par with the Wehrmacht, at least in the early part of the war.

A hypothetical Cold War campaign 46-47 or thereabouts would be interesting too!

[ThvN]

A hypothetical Cold War campaign 46-47 or thereabouts would be interesting too!

It's actually not a far-fetched idea, Churchill was trying to prepare an operation to attack the Soviet Union in 1945, and the most interesting detail is that it was supposed to be helped by re-activated German divisions, which would be supplied with captured war stocks. It was not made public until more than 50 years after the war. Could make an interesting campaign, and I think it would be more likely than the USA scenarios in the current campaign. The Cold War was already in full swing in 1945, and actually started before WW2, when it was hoped by many westerners that Hitler would attack the Soviet Union, imagine their reactions when the Treaty of non-aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union (Molotov-Ribbentrop pact) was announced.

Some articles about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Unthinkable

http://howitreallywas.typepad.com/how_i ... kable.html

[DerTroof]

A hypothetical Cold War campaign 46-47 or thereabouts would be interesting too!

It's actually not a far-fetched idea, Churchill was trying to prepare an operation to attack the Soviet Union in 1945, and the most interesting detail is that it was supposed to be helped by re-activated German divisions, which would be supplied with captured war stocks. It was not made public until more than 50 years after the war. Could make an interesting campaign, and I think it would be more likely than the USA scenarios in the current campaign. The Cold War was already in full swing in 1945, and actually started before WW2, when it was hoped by many westerners that Hitler would attack the Soviet Union, imagine their reactions when the Treaty of non-aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union (Molotov-Ribbentrop pact) was announced.

Some articles about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Unthinkable

http://howitreallywas.typepad.com/how_i ... kable.html

Fascinating stuff, thanks!

An early cold war campaign would feature some interesting hardware, like Pershings v. JS3's, early jets, etc. IIRC Panzer General II had a Patton vs. Zhukov standalone scenario in southern Germany late 45 or 46, but I don't recall how it played.

[bebro]

I'd like to see a soviet xp or addon too. FWIW, I'm also toying with the idea to make a custom Soviet campaign next (sorry for the shameless plug ). Still a long way togo though...

[El_Condoro]

I'd love to see a Soviet campaign. Allied General and Panzer General II both had smallish Soviet campaigns that were fun and challenging. IIRC, you had to be willing to sacrifice cheap infantry to get your air and armor on a par with the Wehrmacht, at least in the early part of the war.

A hypothetical Cold War campaign 46-47 or thereabouts would be interesting too!

Red Dawn. A short (5 scenarios) hypothetical Cold War turned hot. Played as US against Soviet aggression at the end of 1945.

[wargovichr]

Yes, Patton too wanted to attack the Ruskies utilizing the Wehrmacht.....have him as a leader -- who then doesn't die from an auto accident...

[danhanegan]

I'd be disappointed if a Soviet Corps campaign started with the Barbarossa invasion. Soviets should start with the invasion of Poland and then move to the Winter War with Finland.

If you want hypothetical scenarios, how about Soviets vs Japanese in Manchuria? It seems to me this was a lot closer to actually happening than war between the western Allies and Soviets in 1946.

You could even throw in a Spanish civil war mini-campaign. The Soviets were just as active in the Spanish civil war as the Germans.

[bebro]

If you want hypothetical scenarios, how about Soviets vs Japanese in Manchuria?

That would not fall under hypothetical in my book

[imperatorknight]

I would like to see a Soviet Corps too. Most of the fighting took place on the Eastern Front, so it makes sense to have a Soviet side.

[2010sjones2010]

I agree with danhanegan. There is so much scope for a 100 to 150 scenario DLC series based on the Soviets.

The initial struggles by the Soviets in Poland and Finland would help develop your initial core. Skirmishes on the Soviet eastern front with Japan using the Russian Ski troops. The defensive withdrawals back to Moscow and Stalingrad. The siege wars in Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad. Then the breakout across the front with the mighty Russian Tanks. The great tank battles at Kursk and the Crimea. Then the march westward across the Ukraine and into Germany itself. Then the final showdown in Berlin and the Reichstag.

Then if you want hypotheticals you can continue into France, England and the USA with a final showdown with Patton on the steps of the White House. Soviet megalomania gone mad

[jaggy]

@danhanegan & @2010sjones2010 - Exactly! There is huge potential for scenarios in Soviet Corps if Slitherine shows the foresight to create them. As mentioned, starting with the Finnish campaign and/or the Spanish civil war. For Barbarossa, defensive scenarios could be developed where the Russians have to hold out as long as possible before withdrawing/retreating as the Germans seek to encircle them. Maybe set a compulsory number of Russian units that have to be withdrawn safely before a Marginal Victory is awarded.

The main aim for the player would be fighting withdrawals and seeking to preserve as much as his corp units as possible. I agree that 150 scenarios make Soviet Corps an interesting experience. If Slitherine just wants to make Soviet Corps a standard campaign with 14-24 scenarios, it would be a missed opportunity. Judging from the popularity of the Eastern Front Grand Campaigns, a 150-scenario Soviet Corps will be successful in sales.

@bebro - "Inferno" looks brilliant. I'm looking forward to playing it when I finish my current GC '45 East. Outstanding artwork and graphics.

[Scholomancer]

[q]Exactly! There is huge potential for scenarios in Soviet Corps if Slitherine shows the foresight to create them.[/q]

I wouldn't say foresight, but it's more about viability after current sales. As much as Slitherine\Lordz has done to recreate the PG community, it is a business and the success of Panzer Corps confirmed the viability of Allied Corps. If the sales for Allied Corps is anywhere near the success of Panzer Corps, Soviet Corps is a sure thing. But if Allied Corps doesn't match projections, Soviet Corps would have reduced content or not even go ahead, and SC might have to develop in the way of fan-created content. But I have no doubt the Slitherine/Lordz developers are already eager to get started on SC, and already have a campaign wish list as long as your arm to develop on.

And I'll do my part and purchase every installment of AC.

[captainjack]

It's amazing how many opportunities there are for early troop development in a Soviet campaign.

Personally, I like the idea of Finnish winter war scenarios even more than the rest. There's potential for ski troops, opportunities for creative victory conditions (guarding or attacking the Soviet kitchen facilities and supply trains), and a really good need to use terrain and weather to your adavantage plus a swag of awesome place names. The one limitation would be that I'd prefer playing as Finns.

[soldier]

I think the first few years of a soviet campaign could be very interesting. The soviets sent aide to the Republican side during the Spanish civil war and tested a few different tank designs in combat . They probably had advisors and pilots on the ground so an opening scenario could be about your expeditionary units in Spain (look out for the condor legion). Then its off to knock the japs out of Kalkhin-Gol and secure the far east for the coming european storm. After that its the disastrous Finnish campaign to look forward to and some slightly easier pickings in eastern Poland. You could then have a nice little core force ready for the German invasion in 41 (but possibly with a bit too much experience)

Later on in the war theres the Romanians, Bulgarians and Hungarians to deal with

[robman]

I think the first few years of a soviet campaign could be very interesting. The soviets sent aide to the Republican side during the Spanish civil war and tested a few different tank designs in combat . They probably had advisors and pilots on the ground so an opening scenario could be about your expeditionary units in Spain (look out for the condor legion). Then its off to knock the japs out of Kalkhin-Gol and secure the far east for the coming european storm. After that its the disastrous Finnish campaign to look forward to and some slightly easier pickings in eastern Poland. You could then have a nice little core force ready for the German invasion in 41 (but possibly with a bit too much experience)

Later on in the war theres the Romanians, Bulgarians and Hungarians to deal with

Small maps and experience caps prior to 1941 could address the "too much experience" problem. So long as the player starts 1941 with few (if any) units that have earned more than one star, Barbarossa should be appropriately horrible. To represent the much larger scale of the fighting in 1941--and thus the smaller role played by units that experienced combat--scenarios in 1941 could feature an infusion of green core units deployed by the developer, or an infusion of prestige with which to buy green units.