Slitherine

We with Max decided to restart our old abandoned game, to make long story short.

I think game will be interesting and challenging, so it worth posting here.

I am axis again, and this time I decided to do Max's own "blitzkrieg" against him. I didn't pick any particular strategy yet, but I am unlikely to do Sealion again. Anyway, early conquest of France opens lots of opportunites and allow to stock more PPs and oil for 40-41 campaigns, which is always good. With little help of weather blitzkrieg seems like good decision in 1.07 version game.

So lets get it started:

In Poland I focused on killing good polish units and protecting armour and mechs with corps, from polish counterattacks. 1st turn was not bad at all, Warsaw conquest on turn 2 is possible, but even if it will take 3 turns, who cares...

Army Group "West" formed under Rundstedt's command and will attack Holland next turn. All luftwaffe, 2 corps and 1 panzer were redeployed from Poland. I tryed 1 turn conquest of Holland many times in hotseat mode, and it almost never works, no matter how many troops you have. I tryed to send Wilhelmshaven garrison as amph on turn 1, to take part in turn 2 assault - it looked like pure waste of 8 PPs and 1 oil, this garrison almost never knocks a single step from Hague defenders. This time I will send Kriegsmarine, but not amphs. DD and 2 uboats from Baltic already entered Kiel channel.



No matter how many PPs I overspent on rails, 1st lab - air (dog fight) purchased just at the start of 1st turn. From my games I found out, that fighter tech superiority is essential for germans, to score good results against hostile air and fix a bit huge PP delta between allies and axis later in the game.

Germany attacks Holland, but both capitals hold

In Poland german offencive continues, but Warsaw holds for now. Since I destroyed most of polish forces already and limited damage from the rest, fall of Warsaw is just a matter of time.



In the west I DoW'ed Holland and attacked, as intended. Hague holds for now, but will fall next turn.



Only french fighter shown - no RAF - but it still hits my fighter with good result.

My warships are placed safely and ready to escape if RN comes into play - don't want to lose Kriegsmarine now at all. French BB already spotted.

3rd sub is trying to track canadian fighter transport.

I have built my second lab general (no focus for now) I will see - if I have any succes with organisation, will focus it. Otherwise - industry.

Hague and Warsaw falls

Blitzkrieg started to pay off. Max didn't repair any dutch or polish unit (well, I suggest he saves british PPs for his own early aggressive campaigns in MED or somewhere else and don't want to waste them)

Hague falls easily, and I railed 2 more tanks from Poland to attack Belgium next turn, if fair.



Also French BB ran into my Uboat and was finished off easily with this UF and TAC (by the way TAC got 5:1 hit against BB - best rolls occur in most useless places, as often)

Second UF spotted RN plotting something in Norway fjords. I have totally no idea what they want here - probably french BB was "lure" for my surface ships?



Warsaw falls too, it actually made possible railing of my panzers to the west.

3rd lab here we have - armour (no focus)

Belgium DoWed

Weather was fair, and Belgium DoWed, but Brussels holds...again.



Its not a problem - next turn I will smoke them out at any weather, unless french will come to defend Belgium. But if they come, they will be destroyed faster, its okay aswell.

BN still stands near Norwegian shore, while my UFs redeploy for atlantic convoy raiding.

I didn't detected canadian fighter. It either used tricky movement, or gone to NA or stay at canada for now, waiting for proper escorts.

4th lab ready - infantry (no focus)

No matter that I do for fast attack, I still think that its worthy to purchase 1 lab of each type to start getting "large progress" procs.

Weather goes winter, Brussels falls



German army now goes straight for France, with more troops redeployed from Poland.

Interesting - I have found large RN task force and transport labeled as "mech" - I am not sure whats inside. Have not idea what do they want, they will not be able to land anywhere for few turns at least, since bad weather season started.



Small convoy spotted near British shores and will be dispatched with subs soon.

Also my 5th lab - naval(subs) built.

Perhaps Supermax will go for Norway as the Allies tried in the real war? You should be ready to intercept them if he tries to land anywhere near Oslo. Perhaps you should bring back the SUBs to the North Sea?

While this AAR will probably be interesting, I would have liked (and would still like) to see you guys play out the rest of your last game (and AAR).

ncali wrote:While this AAR will probably be interesting, I would have liked (and would still like) to see you guys play out the rest of your last game (and AAR).

I think there is no way to continue it. We both abandoned it for time issues, and even version of this game is outdated now.

Also, that game was going to continue in very straight way, while both of us wanted to try something new is this last 1.07 games (2.0 is coming soon, remember).

Plaid,

Thanks for making a go of another AAR. I'm unable to play for the foreseeable future so it's fun to check in occasionally and to live vicariously through the AARs. Thanks to all you other AAR writers too.

But yours are especially punchy and direct and I like your style.

Best of luck and Merry Christmas to the forumistas!

G

Lorrein taken by german panzers!

I push ahead, Lille is under siege, while Lorrein is taken (its possible to force retreat from resource hex quite easily).



My strategic bomber attacked Paris, but got 1:2 result in French favour. Maybe they will lack this 1 PP for something important, who knows.

All this warships seems left Norway shores, since now they can be seen north of Britain. RN DD ran into my sub with 3:2 result. I decided not to attack convoy, because RAF must be around and I don't want to allow them free hits on my subs - there are more other convoys in southern seas.



Damaged sub will also go for convoy ways - its long hard way to Germany back, it will be repaired later in French atlantic ports instead.

Lille taken and Reims sieged!

Winter offencive continues in France. If allies had BEF, they could more or less easily delay axis advance at bad weather, but since Max don't have any, we are making some progress.

Reims expected to fall before fair weather starts, opening road to Paris.



In seas my subs are pursued by allied warships, I even see one BB, but they didn't catch any uboats this turn.

Italian lab - air (no focus) purchased.

Last turn of 1939, by the way

Offencive continues, but Reims holds against all my attacks. One garrison destroyed north of Paris. Nothing great for now, but one day we shall have good weather. Maybe next turn even.



2nd Air(dog fight) lab purchased for Germany.

What happened with the transport your SUB spotted?

zechi wrote:What happened with the transport your SUB spotted?

I have no idea. Didn't seen it any more.

Reims falls aswell!

Another succes in France - Reims taken, and offencive continues. Still no fair weather though.



2nd general lab built. Some good progress allowed me to put focus on organisation. Should have level 4 soon enough and switch on industry.

16 steps convoy shows at the end of my turn. Will be destroyed, most likely.

Mud stops german offencive

Still muddy weather, and I decided to repair my units and restore some effectiveness, instead of attacking. French troops are at exposed positions and can be easily destroyed when fair comes (likely next turn). If they retreat, they lose ent, its also good.



New TAC deployed, subs engage convoy in southern atlantic.

I got FAIR weather in March, and most of French army destroyed. Armour was attacked by my TAC, but I got 0:3 result

Now this tank can damage something valueable.

Denmark also invaded, but nothing great here.



In Atlantic convoy dispatched, I purchased 2nd armour lab for germany and 1st general (industry) for Italy.

France surrenders!

This turn I got lots and lots of bad rolls with my air and armour (how will you like 3:3 result, attacking yellow garrison with a panzer?), but troops attacking Paris got much better ones. So fall of France was pretty costly, but fast.



Supermax left lots of British units in French ports, looks like now I have to clean them out.

Denmark surrenders!

All campaigns closed for now, and I am at war with ouly England, not much to report so.



Going to deal with this garrisons in France, but not more. New sub is queue, while old ones are heading for North sea, to support my future Norway invasions.

Clean-up started, and new sub is in queue.



Italy join the axis at the end of my turn, but not much else to report. Only that I have troubles to repair my units with current 85 PP income.

General plan for now is to hold Lybia, take Norway and Balkans and prepair reasonable USSR invasion. No matter what happens elsewhere, but if I can't make good barbarossa, ostfront will be bleeding hole, consuming oil my resources, burning oil and manpower.