Morris vs Joe Rock

[Morris]

Apr 3rd 1943

In the east ,we lost two more Mech .The weather was still not fair . We have to wait for another turn .
In med , RAF is landing on the ground . we try to eliminate a British Mech , but failed .

Since internet problem , I lost the screen shot of this turn . I will provide fresh ones in next turn .

[Morris]

Apr 23rd 1943

Weather finally turn clear . We find the USSR is invincible. Omsk is a target too far away . The fact of Axis facing is no other good choice but retreat to a defence position . We have to hand over the initiative of this great war to Allies from this minute .The rest is one way to Berlin . Maybe there will be some stops , but the trend won't change back ! It is historic!

Again , I thought of Manstein's words after his great victory in Kharkov 1943 : " the best result for the third Reich is even !"

In sicily it is quiet but BB 's bomb .

East front





Sicily front

[Morris]

May 13th 1943

two years ago , we started our Babarosa . & now we start our way back . Full retreat from the East & South . Some of INFs will be sacrify to win the time for the mainbody move to their defence position .

Quiet in the Sicily but bomb .

[Crazygunner1]

Where do you plan on putting up the first defense line?

[richardsd]

Where do you plan on putting up the first defense line?

experience tells me the mountains around germany

[Morris]

I 'd like to have four defence line :Moscow , Kiev , Polland & Germany . But I wonder whether Joe will allow me to finish the line in Russia , But winter will help me . So the first real defence line should be around Polland . It has to be . Behind it is Berlin !

[Crazygunner1]

Okej, maybe just put an mech unit with a defense leader in moscow, leningrad and perhaps sevestapol. You Will probably be able to hold leningrad and sevastapol for a long time.

[Cybvep]

The Allies don't have to reconquer either Leningrad or Sevastopol.

[Morris]

Okej, maybe just put an mech unit with a defense leader in moscow, leningrad and perhaps sevestapol. You Will probably be able to hold leningrad and sevastapol for a long time.

I lost the opportunity to take Leningrad because of Finland 's suddenly death . I never try to take Sevestapol .It always belong to Stalin .

[Morris]

June - July 1943


No fight but full speed Retreat . But even though , it seems the speed of Soviet troops is faster than mine .Many cities lost & at least 3 INFs dead . It just like Marathon from Omsk front to Berlin . Although we start earlier , but Russians can easily catch up with us within 2 turns . This time Axis is looking forward mud & winter to slow down Soviet's speed .

In Med nothing but bomb .

[zechi]

You should not give up to much ground to quickly. I would try to defend at several differnt spots for a few turns and retreat slowly to the west.

[Morris]

You should not give up to much ground to quickly. I would try to defend at several differnt spots for a few turns and retreat slowly to the west.

I 'd like to stop & defence , but joe won't stop . he will cut me off & rush to my behind ! Maybe winter or mud will give me an opportunity .

[Peter Stauffenberg]

It's weird to see the Axis line collapsing so fast in the east. Is this a result of the Axis pushing too far?

Usually 1943 is a time where the Russians have parity with the Axis and will just bleed them in fair weather turns and use the winter to crush through the defense line. In 1943 I usually have a double defense line along the entire front line as the Axis and try to defend along rivers. That is not so easy for the Russians to break through. Axis armor units in the rear can easily counter attack Russian armored spearheads that made a hole in the front line.

If the Germans are spread too thin then they can't form a decent defense line and a full retreat is necessary. Still the Germans should be able to hold the Russians along the Donets in 1943 and have Dnepr to fall back to in 1944. If you can hold the Dnepr for some time in 1944 then you have a chance at victory unless the western Allies get too far.

So Morris still has a chance in this game and retreat is now probably his only chance of victory. Deciding where to defend for the winter 1943 is important because reinforcements have to be railed to the location the main defense line will be.

I think the rail conversion from standard gauge to broad gauge will help the Germans a bit because there are many hexes to convert. Russia might end up outside the truck range and drop to supply level 3 if they advance very fast.

So the rail conversion rule we added works both ways.

[richardsd]

in my first game against Morris, that went along similar lines to this, Morris adopted a different defense strategy to the one you have described.

Basically he operated a 'throw away' attack line (thats the one we have seen) whilst building a totally separate defense line that Joe won't see till he gets to it. This is the effect I have described previously where as the allies I built up false hope

Morris, can you post a shot of central Europe?

[Cybvep]

There are many turns left, Joe Rock has to play perfectly if he wants to turn the tide. Even if Morris simply left GARs in eastern Russian cities and moved all other units to western Russia, it would take many turns before the Russians would be able to reconquer and convert railways in all lost places. That alone should benefit Morris handsomely.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

The Allies are draining the Axis in Sicily and I expect some action in France soon as well. So it's not easy for the Axis to keep a healthy defense line in Russia too. Morris'es biggest problem will be that manpower and oil will drop very fast in the end game. When the Axis run out of oil they will be overrun. The captured oilfields in Russia are lost and the upgraded Axis units burn more oil.

I've seen Axis players collapse really fast if they have ben too aggressive and hit rock bottom with manpower and oil. It's still only the Spring of 1943 and Joe has time to make Overlord. It won't help the Germans to keep Russia out of Poland if the Allies get a foothold in France in 1943.

I agree this game is wide open. Morris will have to conjure up some defensive skills to keep Joe at bay. I've been the Axis against Joe and once the steamroller starts you have no chance to stop it. I was at the Don river by the end of 1943 and still lost the game. I kept the Allies out of France till the Spring of 1944. I lost. Even Sicily didn't fall until late 1943. OK, it was with an earlier version, but Joe is really good at grinding down the enemy units in addition to being excellent in his defense.

We've mainly seen Morris on the offensive and don't know how well he can defend. I think he's skilled so Joe will have to play at his best to have a chance. Morris can't afford to make a big mistake, though.

My bet is on Joe, but only by 55/45.

[Morris]

in my first game against Morris, that went along similar lines to this, Morris adopted a different defense strategy to the one you have described.

Basically he operated a 'throw away' attack line (thats the one we have seen) whilst building a totally separate defense line that Joe won't see till he gets to it. This is the effect I have described previously where as the allies I built up false hope

Morris, can you post a shot of central Europe?

Keep it as secret

[Morris]

It's weird to see the Axis line collapsing so fast in the east. Is this a result of the Axis pushing too far?

Usually 1943 is a time where the Russians have parity with the Axis and will just bleed them in fair weather turns and use the winter to crush through the defense line. In 1943 I usually have a double defense line along the entire front line as the Axis and try to defend along rivers. That is not so easy for the Russians to break through. Axis armor units in the rear can easily counter attack Russian armored spearheads that made a hole in the front line.

If the Germans are spread too thin then they can't form a decent defense line and a full retreat is necessary. Still the Germans should be able to hold the Russians along the Donets in 1943 and have Dnepr to fall back to in 1944. If you can hold the Dnepr for some time in 1944 then you have a chance at victory unless the western Allies get too far.

So Morris still has a chance in this game and retreat is now probably his only chance of victory. Deciding where to defend for the winter 1943 is important because reinforcements have to be railed to the location the main defense line will be.

I think the rail conversion from standard gauge to broad gauge will help the Germans a bit because there are many hexes to convert. Russia might end up outside the truck range and drop to supply level 3 if they advance very fast.

So the rail conversion rule we added works both ways.

I just asked Joe , why his speed is faster than mine ? He told me it is because of different supply lvl . So As later you will find he can easily catch up with me & destroy them by the terrible steamroller . Dnepr is a choice . I caculate the hex , He will arrive there in Oct by full speed . Maybe the forest around Moscow will slow down his Mech & arm ,but it can not stop his INFS . & Dnepr need a long line to set up . It will be a little bit difficult to have enough unit to deploy there to finish a double line against him . if only one line , He will break into it very easily by the help of his tons of Tacs . ( I have no air superior in Russia , He has top limited of air force ,FTR lvl 8 Tac lvl 9 ).
Regarding to the rail , Joe said it help him a lot to transfer troops to catch up with me . Also It helped German to retreat some units from death .

[Morris]

July 22 1943

Joe caught up with my linebacking troops & eliminate them .I try to rail as many as possible to save their lives even if cost much ! They will take Moscow back maybe next turn .Endless troops !

[richardsd]

The Allies are draining the Axis in Sicily and I expect some action in France soon as well. So it's not easy for the Axis to keep a healthy defense line in Russia too. Morris'es biggest problem will be that manpower and oil will drop very fast in the end game. When the Axis run out of oil they will be overrun. The captured oilfields in Russia are lost and the upgraded Axis units burn more oil.

I've seen Axis players collapse really fast if they have ben too aggressive and hit rock bottom with manpower and oil. It's still only the Spring of 1943 and Joe has time to make Overlord. It won't help the Germans to keep Russia out of Poland if the Allies get a foothold in France in 1943.

I agree this game is wide open. Morris will have to conjure up some defensive skills to keep Joe at bay. I've been the Axis against Joe and once the steamroller starts you have no chance to stop it. I was at the Don river by the end of 1943 and still lost the game. I kept the Allies out of France till the Spring of 1944. I lost. Even Sicily didn't fall until late 1943. OK, it was with an earlier version, but Joe is really good at grinding down the enemy units in addition to being excellent in his defense.

We've mainly seen Morris on the offensive and don't know how well he can defend. I think he's skilled so Joe will have to play at his best to have a chance. Morris can't afford to make a big mistake, though.

My bet is on Joe, but only by 55/45.

my bet is on Morris 85/15 well really more like 95/5 but joe is a super player so I have adjusted