Slitherine

The Ottawa troops has been reduced, but still alive, even if attacked by 3 sides and with 2 TACS! I decided to reinforce the 4th troops instead of using it in the attack, my mech north of the city, to make sure the english cannot break the encirclement.

The fighter is now in Fredericton, but it should arrive 1 turn too late to have any effect. A STRAT bomber is also on the Atlantic and coming to the air of its axis brother for the war against the USA.

I also have to move some troops to the middle east to occupy the hexes that will be totally empty of troops once the british forces dissapear from the map.

In Russia, nothing worthy to report, the goal is to take as many revenu hexes as possible before the end of the campaingning season and get into the Caucasus for much needed oil.

supermax wrote: it seems that changes are made to the game so no special stuff can be done. Modifing the garrison in Sebastopol? Wow its a bit of overreacting...

I don't believe we're going to modify the Sevastopol garrison. I think we're going to leave everything the way it is now.

supermax wrote:Ask Joerock i did this very same operation in a game against him and it has a limited scope as you will see it unfolding in the next few turns. The only real thing it does is make the Russian retreat a little biyt faster and remove the Sebastopol threat from the german flank. But other than that, its not a game winning move...

I agree. Also, I think we've a low impact effective allied counter to this invasion. Again, without having to modify anything. The thing that your AAR do was bring this strategy to light so that folks following this AAR should be be prepared as the allied player against its possibility.

supermax wrote:Dont you guys think that its a little bit more fun to do different stuff than just the regular scenario? Imagine how much fun i am having in Canada and there is your reason for not modifying this great game too much...

One of our design goals is to allow players to follow realistic non-historical strategies. However; we felt that an axis invasion of Canada (i.e., North America) with the USA remaining neutral was historically unrealistic.

supermax wrote:If you really want to be historical about this, remove the ports in the Balck sea available to the axis. This, in itself, make no sense since there was no way in hell that the germans could have mustered transport ships into this area.

I don't think that's necessary. I do think that there is some historical probability that the axis could have employed transports there if that was planned for and a priority. Whether that's 10% or 20% or 50% I don't know; but I do believe that's in the realm of believability.

supermax wrote:LOL

Well, i do not know if i am going to continue putting my AAR online

I hope you decide to keep posting. I really enjoy reading your AAR and I'm learning a lot.

wow Ronnie, thanks for the heads up! I agres with all your conclusions!

I finally did it!!!

The Uk has surrendered. This is great news, i can now concentrate on the US of A and the russian bear...

I have numerous troops in North America, sufficient to tackle the US or significantly hamper their hability ot have any effect on the game for a very long time.

Here are now my priority:

1- Occupy Gibraltar
2- Cross the Atlantic with the Italian navy to position it against the US
3- Transfert another fighter and 1 more TAC to North America
4- attack the US in october for a 1-turn strike before the bad weather sets in and hamper campaining operations
5- Take the Ressource hex in the north, encircle Portland
6- Maybee try a landing operation to get New York on the first turn of the attack.
7- win the race to occupy the hexes in the Middle East.
8- Occupy as many ressource hexes in Russia (south) before the bad season sets in.
9- Produce stuff over the winter to bolster the Russian front for a 1942 thrust.

Congrats on the achievement! To give the US at least a miniscule chance to survive, I guess you should go to the newest version of GS so they at least receive some convoys? If not your 90% victory chance goes to 99%

Well honestly, even with this version i dont think i will be able to destroy the Russians and americans. At one point, i think i will have to choose...

Its too difficult to muster enough troops in Russia, USA and Middle East...

Also, without the game glitch of England still receiving convoys, the brits would have been gone on the 2nd turn of spring.

Congrats on pulling this off! I would tell you not to get too carried away with the Americans, and to make sure you beat the Soviets, but I'm sure you know that already.

Thanks Joe,

As for Russia or America, i am still undecided.

I still hesitate to attack the US. I am also toying withthe idea of playing defensive in North America. I could move all my troops to Ottawa and resist a long time there... What do you think?

I personal would take out the US - this is the easier of the two to defeat. Then every Russian convoy is dead and you end up fighting only on one front with more production and higher tech and tons of oil. Produce tones of air and mech/tank and you will eventually crush Russia.

My worry is that you go for Russia and in the US you fight a losing war as priority is Russia in the end you defeat neither.

AFK, this is eaxctly my lines of thoughts...

The problem is that i am in no way ready to crush the americans, reason being that i had to be at least competent against the Russian in 1941.

And now i have to send forces to occupy the Middle East (Irak and Egypt fight on even if britain surrenders). this will take time.

My only option at this point is to Pearl Harbor the US with a surprise attack just before the bad weather and produces+transfer as much forces as possible during the winter and have a defensive posture against Russia in 1942. If i do that, however, i think that the Bear might be unbeatable.

I think that Panzer General expects an attack on Portland on thje first turn, but not on New York... I will move my TAC to scout ahead to see where he deployed his ground troops. If i could take out New York + the northern ressource hexe the turn before mud or winter, the Us revenue would drop by 17, going below the 30pp per turn. Thenm i would have him...

But i agree with you that the US is the easiest to destroy, simply because of its revenue for example.

supermax wrote:AFK, this is eaxctly my lines of thoughts...

The problem is that i am in no way ready to crush the americans, reason being that i had to be at least competent against the Russian in 1941.

And now i have to send forces to occupy the Middle East (Irak and Egypt fight on even if britain surrenders). this will take time.

My only option at this point is to Pearl Harbor the US with a surprise attack just before the bad weather and produces+transfer as much forces as possible during the winter and have a defensive posture against Russia in 1942. If i do that, however, i think that the Bear might be unbeatable.

I think that Panzer General expects an attack on Portland on thje first turn, but not on New York... I will move my TAC to scout ahead to see where he deployed his ground troops. If i could take out New York + the northern ressource hexe the turn before mud or winter, the Us revenue would drop by 17, going below the 30pp per turn. Thenm i would have him...

But i agree with you that the US is the easiest to destroy, simply because of its revenue for example.

Based on my experience, if you allow the US to stay in the game, it will drain PP and oil to fight them over the long term. As long as you keep Russia out of Germany and Rumania over the next year, I'd advise you to focus on the US first.

Clark, in order to do so i think i need:

To transfer the following to North America during the winter season:

2 TAC actually in Russia
1 FTR actually in Russia
2 ARMOR actually in Russia
Italian fleet actually in the MED
1 MECH actually in Russia

this will in effect completly remove any offensive capability against the Russian. So i would need to establish a defensive line or feint Panzergeneral in offensiving again in 1942 to makehim think that i am still focused on he eastern front?

supermax wrote:Clark, in order to do so i think i need:

To transfer the following to North America during the winter season:

2 TAC actually in Russia
1 FTR actually in Russia
2 ARMOR actually in Russia
Italian fleet actually in the MED
1 MECH actually in Russia

this will in effect completly remove any offensive capability against the Russian. So i would need to establish a defensive line or feint Panzergeneral in offensiving again in 1942 to makehim think that i am still focused on he eastern front?

That's a very good question. You seem to have his number so far, so you could always go the psyops route and hint at an offensive while actually pulling the forces you need to go overseas. I'm on the verge of winning my game right now, but even with the addition of Mosul, I ran out of oil in the summer of 1942 and was thus unable to take out the US, which caused me further problems in the East and in the Middle East. I burned a lot of extra oil just trying to stop convoys, for example.

It's probably a good idea for both of you to upgrade to v1.02 so the convoys would go to USA when UK has surrendered. This is fixed in v1.02 and would give you challenge.

Hey Alex

Extract of letter sen to allied commander:

Hello Alex, here is the turn. I know that on the surface it might seem that this game is in the bag for me, but now i am... unsure...

What i did was an incredible achievement, but it overtaxed the german ressources. Oil is a big concern right now, i am lucky that i will at least get some of it in Canada. The middle east is far from conquered and i will have to send significant forces to occupy it, and the USA should be a big issue soon. I think i will have to attack them pre-emptively...

So in my opinion, i will need the better part of 1942 to recuperate from this all-front campaining. this means that the game cannot be over before 1944 and even 1945.

I think my only chance is to pound on the soviets as much as possible right now while i am the strongest, and try to have a very seious go at the US.

Anyway this is going to be a very interesting finish!
__________________________________________________

Turn 37: Preparing for a launch against the US

On the surface the game is going very well, but my oil gage is at 185 and i still need to overtax it big time in order to make everything work. My tanks and planes on the eastern front, my mechanized forces on the US front, and the Italian fleet that is moving toward North America...

I am very concerned about 1942...

It's clear PanzerGeneral has never played you before; he doesn't realize the fire he's playing with defending with that single line. And I see that he's purchased 2 additional Russian fighters, which is 200 PPs you know were not spent on the ground units he really needs. In my opinion, the Russian player should never build additional fighters until the ground situation is stabilized. Only then can the fighters really do any good. Researching Dog Fight tech is advisable, but if you buy fighters too early you give the Germans a chance to overrun you on the ground.

Anyways, the Russians are in deep trouble in the south, and I'm sure you know what to do with your advantage.

Well Joe, as you know i will attempt to roll up his line of defense from the south and also trying a breaktrough in the center around Kiev. Ive softened up the units this turn without being to agressive about it, but tohse units will be easy to damage and make retreat next turn... I hope to put several russian units in the kessel, but time may be running out, and unlike our games together my air forces is 50% absent, being in America

But i agree with your assessment of Panzergeneral building 2 fighters, it is to my advantage right now.

Well well, this game is about to get very interesting... My oil gage is now a big concern and at one point it will freeze my war machine unless i can find a way to get some oil, and fast. I will attack the Us in 2 turns once all my troops are repaired and in place.

In Russia, i should be able to get across these river defenses. I would normally have totally crushed it , but i lack air cover , 60% of it is now stationned in North America lol. So i will make due with what i have.

I should have an infantry army with the axis forces

At this point i maintain that Panzergeneral still has a chance because i am using too much oil. My revenue is very high (175 per turn), but unless i can find a way to stop using oil (its too tempting... ... I think we all agree that i wont win this game with infantry only!!!

In america, i am unsure what kind of success i will get. I overrulled the initial idea of a landing, simply because i think its risky to try to take a city on a one-turn operation with no ships afloat. So i will have to do the totally expected offensive in the north and try to take Portland... Ahh if only i still had my magnificent little fleet.

The german army is victorious everywhere, and the reich ministry for propaganda sent photographers on all fronts to take images of the balltes, soldiers and moments of the war so far.

Here is the war in images...




German high command planning its next move at the Wolf Lair in eastern Prussia. Talks of organizing a second OKW in Brest to coordinate the American campaign are heated at the moment, generals like Manstein and Halder pushing for it.




Stukas plunging towards ennemy concentration in the Kessel south of Dnepopretrovsk




German 5th division advancing into southern Ukraine. The hero of the 5th division have been on the french, polish , british and now russian campaign.




Panzer column hugging the coast of the black sea in crimea, where the germans intend to have the major breakthrough for the 1941 offensive




Arado recon plane somewhere on the canadian coast. The country has now been pacified and german position consolidated for a renewed offensive on the americans.




The ruins of Kiev after the battle that took place in the city in august... The building were 80% destroyed by strong german elements...



German tank column of the 1st panzer division driving thru southern subburbs of Dnepropretrovsk




3rd panzer division elements resting before renewed offensive operations

hmm, this game has been very interesting to watch and I think Supermax has done very well - but I still think (despite a coupkle of key mistakes) that panzer general could do plenty in return.

Supermax has burn't a lot of oil and maybe thats the thinking in the Soviet airforce?

cool AAR guy's