AAR – PanzerGeneral vs Supermax - war is over

[Peter Stauffenberg]

I think that because you lose this income each turn then you can accumulate them in your head and release one Russian unit from the "reserve" you got once you have accumulated enough to pay for a unit. So I think you can take one infantry every turn, one mech every other turn, one armor every third turn, the fighter after three turns of accumulating and the bomber after four turns accumulating.

This way you won't be penalized from moving to v1.00 to v1.02.

I won't worry about the messages because everybody plays v1.02 or later now. Soon v1.04 will be released by Slitherine (official version and not beta). Then hopefully people will switch to v1.04.

With v1.02 and later I don't think you will see Axis players trying to land in Canada or USA. Sealion might still happen, but the British player can build enough land units in Canada to prevent an Axis landing when he knows that Britain will fall. Since landing there will trigger the full might of USA then it's better to just hold Britain than trying to go to Ottawa. Supermax could only succeed with Canada and USA because he could take them one by one. USA should never have fallen and it did happen because most of USA is off-map and you ran out of room to place reinforcements. That would never have happened in the real war.

So I won't worry about trying to figure out why the income from Persia and Iraq doesn't go to the Russians in your game by using v1.02. In most games these territories will either be Allied or Axis controlled. If Allied controlled then Russia will get 15 PP's turn in lend lease.

[PanzerGeneral]

I think that because you lose this income each turn then you can accumulate them in your head and release one Russian unit from the "reserve" you got once you have accumulated enough to pay for a unit. So I think you can take one infantry every turn, one mech every other turn, one armor every third turn, the fighter after three turns of accumulating and the bomber after four turns accumulating.

Thanks for the compensation suggestion Borger. I will suggest this to Supermax.

[PanzerGeneral]

6. June 1944, Operation Bagration continues, Sevastopol has been liberated
I and Supermax continue to get the message telling us that the US enters the war and the Siberian reserves are released. We both assume that we will get these messages for the rest of the war.
The Siberian reserve continues to breed like bunnies


The weather.


The Russian scientists work over time.


In the Middle East the Red Army will set sail next turn for Italy. I continue to pursue Supermax in the desert.


AG Centre continues its withdrawal. I close in and manage to destroy a couple of axis allied units. Most of his panzers are still in AG South and that suits me fine. The Red Air Force meets no opposition from the Luftwaffe.


Sevastopol is liberated and the strategic bomber is deployed and ready for attacking Ploesti next turn. The panzer defensive line in the south looks daunting. My bombers soften up a panzer korps next to Kiev and I destroy it easily with a tank army. The Rest of the Red Army closes in. Supermax has been so kind to leave an exposed bulge for me to advance in. Right now I do not won’t my troops in this exposed bulge. I believe his panzers will counter attack and destroy a large part of my army.


This turn I spend some PPs on repairs and save the rest for the amphibious operations in the Mediterranean. The Russians have a landing capacity of 4 and the amphibious invasion capacity at 3. First wave will consist of 5 units, with more units coming if the operation is a success.

One positive aspect of GS 1.02 is that there are more partisan activity in the west usually 2-3 units have appeared each turn after we applied GS 1.02. The downside is that they are all disbanded as the US message for surrender comes each turn

[pickle]

That bulge is most definitely a trap...I wouldn't move any units into it. I think you can do just as well 'nibbling' on the edges destroying his units causing him to react rather than willingly putting your head in a noose.

[PanzerGeneral]

26. June 1944, AG Centre counter attacks, the Luftwaffe reappears on the Eastern front
The weather.


The Russian scientists continue to impress comrade Stalin.


The Red Army has set sail for Italy four infantry armies are now south of Greece. I wonder if Supermax has spotted them. If he has he will have troops to meet me in Italy and the operation will be cancelled. The Red Army continues to push cautiously in the Libyan dessert.


AG Centre has counter attacked and destroyed two tank armies. The Luftwaffe has reappeared and inflicts lots of casualties on the Red Air Force. My infantry armies close in and with the assistance of the Red Air Force another two axis units are destroyed. The Red Army have now made full contact with the axis front line.


AG South continues its withdrawal. An Italian unit seems to be ordered to defend fortress Kiev while the rest of the Wehrmacht pulls back. Kiev is easily liberated and the Red Army advances forward. My strategic bomber in Sevastopol attacks Ploiesti. The result is mixed my bomber loses 3 steps and inflicts minor damage on the oil facilities.


The Russians buy a fighter and the commander Konev. The remaining PPs are used on unit repairs.
The commanders that were attached to infantry armies have been detached. I want to attach them to garrisons which won't be in the front line.


The Luftwaffe has reappeared and I recon they lost about 50% of their strength on their encounter with my Red fighters. What will Supermax do with the Luftwaffe? Repair and continue the fight or pull back?

[gerones]

It seems that is in the southern sector where you could achieve great results. I mean by concentrating your air forces attacks on the south bombing with your IL-2´s the german panzer forces and afterwards assaulting infantry german positions with your russian heavy tanks.

[rkr1958]

PanzerGeneral,

I have to hand it to you. I though after the conquest of the USA the game was decided. However; seeing what you're doing in Russia and in the Med you still have an outside chance, though very low in my opinion, to win the game. At the very least it's your turn to have the fun being the aggressor and pushing the axis back. It'll be interesting to see how far you get.

I believe this AAR and your determination is a testament to what can happen when you don't give up and continue to give it your best regardless.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

I guess Supermax will soon have to be out of manpower and oil and then you can attack at will except the small oil reserve he will get each turn. So just keep pushing and you will see nice things happening. You might not win because Italy is too far away, but you will get a morale victory for turning the tide. If the game had continued indefinitely then you would have crushed the Axis. That's good to know isn't it.

[BuddyGrant]

Why are you advancing units through the Pripyat/Pripet Marshes? Isn't there a severe defensive penalty?

[BuddyGrant]

Also... "I want to attach them (leaders) to garrisons which won't be in the front line. "
There is considerable risk in this strategy since garrisons are easy to destroy and only have a 1 hex range in non-summer weather. In other words if you are counter attacked it might be difficult to get the leader out. This unusual (IMO anyway) strategy seems to indicate you are very low in infantry corps right now. If that is accurate: Is that because of Soviet manpower concerns?

[PanzerGeneral]

It seems that is in the southern sector where you could achieve great results. I mean by concentrating your air forces attacks on the south bombing with your IL-2´s the german panzer forces and afterwards assaulting infantry german positions with your russian heavy tanks.

My strategy is to try to break AG Center, forcing Supermax to dissipate his panzers in the south. Right now most of his panzerwaffe is in AG South and the 1943 campaign taught me that Supermax is very good at counter attacking using his panzers. His counter attacks has had the tendency to kill most of my offensive capabilities, so in the 1944 campaign I am (perhaps too) cautious in my attacks.

My current strategy is to spread my offensive, this way Supermax has to keep attention along the entire front line. I feel that if I concentrate everything against AG Centre or AG South he will be able to keep me at bay by concentrating a defensive force in the threatened sector.

[PanzerGeneral]

PanzerGeneral,

I have to hand it to you. I though after the conquest of the USA the game was decided. However; seeing what you're doing in Russia and in the Med you still have an outside chance, though very low in my opinion, to win the game. At the very least it's your turn to have the fun being the aggressor and pushing the axis back. It'll be interesting to see how far you get.

I believe this AAR and your determination is a testament to what can happen when you don't give up and continue to give it your best regardless.

Thanks for the encouragement! The first part of the war was bleak for the allies. Now it is my time to attack at will and push the axis back I too feel that capturing Berlin before May 1945 is unlikely, but it will be fun trying.

[PanzerGeneral]

I guess Supermax will soon have to be out of manpower and oil and then you can attack at will except the small oil reserve he will get each turn. So just keep pushing and you will see nice things happening. You might not win because Italy is too far away, but you will get a morale victory for turning the tide. If the game had continued indefinitely then you would have crushed the Axis. That's good to know isn't it.

That is the plan. At some point in my 1944 campaign I will hopefully break the back of the axis and start advancing at will. Time will tell if I can manage this.

[PanzerGeneral]

Why are you advancing units through the Pripyat/Pripet Marshes? Isn't there a severe defensive penalty?

Only to keep a continuous front line and keep my units from being exposed to the ultra effective counter attacks that Supermax has punished me with.

[PanzerGeneral]

Also... "I want to attach them (leaders) to garrisons which won't be in the front line. "
There is considerable risk in this strategy since garrisons are easy to destroy and only have a 1 hex range in non-summer weather. In other words if you are counter attacked it might be difficult to get the leader out. This unusual (IMO anyway) strategy seems to indicate you are very low in infantry corps right now. If that is accurate: Is that because of Soviet manpower concerns?

My garrisons with leaders will be a couple of hexes behind the front line, so they should not be too vulnerable from axis attacks.
Actually my manpower pool is very healthy as it is between 75-76%. One of my strategies in this war is to keep the Russian manpower pool at that level so that they don't suffer any penalties. This way the Red Army should have an advantage over the axis which must have a pretty depleted manpower pool (wild guess is about 30-40%).

With this strategy I cannot buy units at will in order to maintain the manpower level. Thus I must be a bit careful with my attacks and not sacrifice lots of manpower in my attacks. I am able to attack without ruinous losses, as I have my glorious Red Air Force It is strong and with all my tacs I am able to soften up most units before attacking and killing them.

[trulster]

Nice the Italian landing gambit... worth to try a simultaneous 3 city invasion - which would knock Italy out of the war. Taranto and the two Siciliy ones maybe. Even if not successful you shuold be able to invade at least one city - and soon the landing will be in range of the Red Air Force from Africa to rebase . Thus more trouble for the Axis.

Yep, this game surely is testament to the Allied comeback power, if the Allies just hang on in there they will pack a punch in late-war!

[massina_nz]

Also... "I want to attach them (leaders) to garrisons which won't be in the front line. "
There is considerable risk in this strategy since garrisons are easy to destroy and only have a 1 hex range in non-summer weather. In other words if you are counter attacked it might be difficult to get the leader out. This unusual (IMO anyway) strategy seems to indicate you are very low in infantry corps right now. If that is accurate: Is that because of Soviet manpower concerns?

My garrisons with leaders will be a couple of hexes behind the front line, so they should not be too vulnerable from axis attacks.
Actually my manpower pool is very healthy as it is between 75-76%. One of my strategies in this war is to keep the Russian manpower pool at that level so that they don't suffer any penalties. This way the Red Army should have an advantage over the axis which must have a pretty depleted manpower pool (wild guess is about 30-40%).

With this strategy I cannot buy units at will in order to maintain the manpower level. Thus I must be a bit careful with my attacks and not sacrifice lots of manpower in my attacks. I am able to attack without ruinous losses, as I have my glorious Red Air Force It is strong and with all my tacs I am able to soften up most units before attacking and killing them.

That's what I do with my leaders in my games. I put them in GARs, well behind the front lines but with sufficient 8 hex radius over all the relevant units. I never use them in the front line. Hence I almost never lose any leaders. The only exception is the US forces where they are typically on the offensive, since shipping GARs to Europe is pretty pointless. This isn't my idea, I got it from jjdenver, and have used it ever since.

[trulster]

Yeah some leaders on garrisons is fine, but for the ones with offensive bonus, I think it is worth the risk putting em on an armour. Mind, one that only takes part in well-supported attacks and does not end the turn exposed.

BTW I hope panzergeneral didnt remove all leaders to reattach to garrisons, it surely is not good to have a front without any active leaders (even if only for two turns)

[pickle]

Is the tactical bomber near Rostov able to get in the action?

[BuddyGrant]

More on leaders: Remember not to mix poor leaders with the good ones on any front!

Also, since I have not said so recently: You guys have one hell of a AAR going here. Fantastic work in presenting these:).