Slitherine

shawkhan2 wrote:Goose is doing an excellent job of writing AARs at the Manstein (read impossible) level. I think there is little point in adding another almost identical AAR showing that even Manstein is playable, although incredibly difficult.
Nikivdd's campaign changes make PC into a Manstein+ for difficulty. He has added extra units, especially lots of air, and armor like the T-28 which can obliterate an infantry unit quite easily.
As I am not trying to play out the entire campaign, which I do not think is possible, I am merely trying to achieve an unbroken string of decisive victories as long as possible. I am currently at Ostrov on the road to Leningrad, and the next 'impossible' decisive victory I will definitely post will be a decisive victory at Moscow....if I can.
Goose has done quite well in 1941, and that is the next marginal victory he was forced to accept.
If someone requests an AAR of some other battle, I would be happy to post it.
On an alternate note, I have been exploring using Falschirmjaegers whenever possible. The trick to not getting them killed is to never drop them into combat w/o hope of almost immediate relief. I have found them most useful in Russia when used to capture undefended airfields, as at Minsk and Smolensk. They make excellent assault troops as well when backed up by artillery. With higher initiative, they take fewer casualties than pionieres. I still do not have any pionieres in my core, but will have to remedy that before the minefield dense battlefields of Kursk.
Currently, I am playing three Grenadiers with movement heroes. Too cheap to give them halftracks, they make do with trucks, at least until bad weather makes HTs a better deal.
Since I play with reform units I do not need as many units as Goose. If a unit has good heroes, it is 'immortal'. 50 units is enough to see me through 1943, although I will be adding mobile AA sometime in 1942.
I have had lousy luck getting SE tanks. I have two while Goose is sailing along with four in 1941. Luck is nice to have. Goose complains about lack of prestige but is currently about 2-3000 points ahead of me. I cannot seem to break the habit of elite replacements, although I am working at it. Three stars is just so nice to have.
Watching Goose's AARs has taught me to love Flammpanzers, for the first time. I now have three of the little dickens and it is just great fun to watch them barbecue enemy soft units.
I am happy to share what little I know, so ask if you have any questions about this Glorious Quest.