Slitherine

I have read in posts and in the stragey guide that one should take Poland in no more than two terms.

Pardon me for sounding frustrated, but is that serious? In regular game, no advantage?

I have just played four games in a row in which I have failed to take Poland in THREE turns, much less two. By turn three, I have Warsaw surrounded with four corps (three armor), all of them on the land side (i.e., none have to attack across the river. After supressing the Polish fighter with a ground unit, I then attack with all three of my air units, plus the four ground units adjacent to Warsaw. I can't crack it.

This is but one issue where, when I read posts here, I wonder if I am playing the same game. It's just so much harder in my experience.

MarkClark wrote:I have read in posts and in the stragey guide that one should take Poland in no more than two terms.

Pardon me for sounding frustrated, but is that serious? In regular game, no advantage?

I have just played four games in a row in which I have failed to take Poland in THREE turns, much less two. By turn three, I have Warsaw surrounded with four corps (three armor), all of them on the land side (i.e., none have to attack across the river. After supressing the Polish fighter with a ground unit, I then attack with all three of my air units, plus the four ground units adjacent to Warsaw. I can't crack it.

This is but one issue where, when I read posts here, I wonder if I am playing the same game. It's just so much harder in my experience.

It takes me three turns. Several of my opponents now take it in two turns. Two turns or three turns doesn't really matter to me. What matters are my losses; especially in air and armor. I also invade Denmark on turn 2 and 25% to 30% of the time take it out on that turn. The other 70% to 75% it falls the next turn.

Two turns, or Poland is so weak turn three is a gimme. I doubt my strategy to take Poland is optimal, but since it works, here it is.

Turn one.
1)Hit the Polish unit in 93,22 with the fighter. Then hit it from 93,21 with the Panzer. If it survives & retreats, don't follow it. Have the Motorized unit move to 93,22 to finish it off and then follow. If the Pz kills it you can advance, then move the mot to 94,23 to hit the unit in 95,22. Advance if it retreats.
2)Have the Korps in 97,19 move to 96,20. Attack the Poles in 95,20 Same thing about advancing. Have the Korps by Danzig do the 2nd hit. Now you can advance. That will take card of the northern front.
3)Fighter hits 92,27, Stuka 94,26.
4)Mot moves one hex NE and hits 92,27. What follows depnds on the result. If the Polish units stays in plac, then the Korps in Prague follows up, otherwise the Korps in 92,28 follows up. The panzers hit the unit in 92,26 (order doesn't really matter, and if the first unit still ives, then one panzer finishes it off)
5)The Inf in 95,29 move to 97,27 to get into position to hit Warsaw turn 2.
6)The Korps in Berlin and the other Korps nearby can hit 91,23 and/or 92,25 as you prefer. Just as long as one is in 91,22 and the other in 91,24 you'll keep those Polish Corps from escaping east to protect Warsaw
Don't bother attacking Krakow. It costs too much time (and casualties) to take it and it falls for free anyways. Same goes for Danzig.

Turn two depends on what happend turn one. Essentially, I hit Warsaw with the Stuka (absorbing the interception from the Polish air force). then the Inf in the south hits Warsaw, followed by whatever Pz and Mot units are near enough to attack. If Warsaw doesn't fall turn two, then it's so weakly held that turn three is an anticlimax

I'm sure other can give you different methods to kill the AI, but this is consistent for me & I usually take Poland with minimal casualties. Against a human player, I'd say three turns is closer to the norm (although 2 is still possible, but less likely).

Jyri

If you're playing on the vanilla game, it's possible to completely surround 2 Polish corps. If you do this, they can't retreat to defend Warsaw, and you will take it in 3 turns max. On the BJR mod, it's more difficult. I try to make sure I either take Poland or Denmark on turn 2; this depends on where you focus your bombers.

I only have one tac bomber squadron in the vanilla game.

I will try the above methods, assuming I can understand them, but it still seems impossible to me to take Poland in two turns.

Mark -

I have done it, you need to bypass the on board units then (on the first turn) move the fighters and bomber into range, then striking with my armor and motorized units to take Warsaw. Mostly it takes 3 turns for this to happen - And on rare occasion four.


Jay.

It is impossible to surround Polish corps on the first turn. Isn't it?

I am still at a loss as to how this can be done.

Jyri, I am going to try your method now.

That worked amazingly well. Thanks very much!