Slitherine

There's a lot of interest in Morris and his arguments about game balance, so here's yet another Morris-centric AAR!

This is also a chance to see how an experienced, but non-elite player, can do -- if I can beat him, then the prospects for an Axis victory can't be that bad. Finally, it's an opportunity for me to get some feedback on my game play. It's a challenge.

Our game has progressed a lot, but I'll start from the beginning:

Strategy: I know Morris is an aggressive player, and I know he might sucker the Axis into wearing itself out vs. the Uk, thus setting the Russians up for an easy victory. My ambition is to give him everything he wants, but beat the UK so badly that I am able to redirect enough force to hold the Red Army at bay. I can't be sure how things will go, so I'll improvise depending on weather, and, of course, Morris.

Turn 1

1. Axis blast into Poland and reach Warsaw, though it holds for now.

2. Keeping my options open, I send two GARs into the North sea (one was sent through the canal from Kiel). Morris, true to form, immediately goes into attack mode and sinks the Kiel GAR - but the 2nd one has slipped past! You'd think he's also noticed the sea wake of the 2nd GAR, but maybe it can deke him.

3. STRAT was moved for Sea-Recon duty, though as you can see it wasn't needed.

The turn ends with the following exchange of messages:

Morris: Everything is normal . But your transport ? What is it for ? Anyway ,we sink it .
PJF: Just an appetizer for the RN.
Morris: It was really a delicious appetizer ! But is it too expensive ?

That question is troubling -- Morris is very good at costing the Axis time and oil. I'll have to be careful.



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The question is: why Morris send his Royal Navy to Helgoland Bay? What is this for?

So in Plaid AAR we see Morris using his Royal Navy for dangerous (because of the low UK ASW levels) escorting duties. Now he has changed his mind.

In our game Morris also sent RN on 1st turns to Norway shores and even attempted to intredict ore (though its impossible before 1940).
I believe the idea is to prevent axis landing in Norway in 1939 or at least make it possible to deploy BEF for Trondheim and Bergen.
With luftwaffe busy in France its hard to smoke out even garrison BEF units from this ports.

Turns 2 & 3

Note that I take down Denmark - we started our game before the change linking their mobilization efforts.





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RN is rather vulnerable to german u-boats at the beginning of the game so it´s very risky for the bristish navy to perform that kind of missions in Helgoland Bight against Luftwaffe air bases. This strategy almost has no sense for me.

Now your german subs can counterattack and with the support of Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine surface ships you can likely sink 1 or 2 RN ships. That will be helpful for your plans!

Should my subs have gone straight for the CV battle group instead of the French BB? My thinking turned on (1) my TACs being out of position and (2) the mystery as to the whereabouts of the rest of the RN. This made me reluctant to commit my surface vessels, which I will need later. I would bet money that his sub is guarding the CV, so, really, my subs only had decent shots at the BB near Whilhamsaven.

So, with my TAC ready, I will hit the CV group, especially the DD. On the one hand, the sub flotilla is now out of position, on the other, the CV group will have to run, so I set up a nice ambush.

Somehow I have the feeling that the sneaky transport is going to play a major role.
Looking forward to see how this and the other two "Morris against The World" AARs unfold.

Ok so more RN squadrons were hiding in the Channel and come out to help fight the sub flotilla. The wounded
BB (2nd Squadron) seems like the best target. And I bring the HSF to a forward base.



N.b. this game was started before the Dutch and Belgian mobilizations were coupled.



Probably a good time to repair. The outcome of the sea battle was mixed. Morris did some air hits and beat up my subs, while I mauled a DD and a BB, and did a few CV hits, but failed to sink anything.

I could slide in and try to finish the BB, but then again maybe it's good to stick the UK with a big repair bill for now.

Interesting Peter. Note - in my game with Morris the GAR snuck into Casablanca and I easily activated the Spanish. Demolished the RN several times as they tried to intervene. What cost me was the US intervention in Iraq with all ARM that railed behind me to Damascus. I also tried a defensive strategy against the Russians that was crushed by the MECH blob and everything over in 43. He will be very aggressive, not worry about losses and focus on a few good units and use them, although the new changes may alter that. Good luck. I'm currently playing Morris where he is Axis and stopped him and reversed the Axis advance at Rostov. Currently crossing into Prussia in 42.

One thing I don't understand about this garrison end-run strategy that seems to be all the rage. I thought garrisons couldn't carry out amphibious landings. I guess that you can still land them in empty cities even if they are enemy owned? Is this correct?

Thanks for posting, I am enjoying seeing the entire CEAW community face off against Morris...

Morris is a gracious opponent, and very fun to take on.

Since he is so aggressive there might be something left unguarded, so I figure a transport floating around might be able to make an unopposed landing somewhere or other.

It's Morris vs. Frigate: Dec. 10 1939...

Morris pulls troops out of the Maginot, so some specialist infiltrators are railed in.



This could help once the weather clears.



On Deck, a spanking new fighter squadron:



Now it's February and I'm ready to go as soon as the weather clears.

PM from my opponent: "French are drinking coffee & watching beauties in the Paris streets."

Sounds great! Yeah! What the heck am I doing staying inside playing a video game??

I think he means we are three deep and will be drinking coffee for a long time

Haha I asked Morris why he buy so many french leaders and got this aswell:

the french get used to drinking coffee & talking about woman , they need leader to give them discipline 。

What luck! The weather clears in February and so Belgium is crushed like a bug.



Check out all the Home Guard units in France. It gets me thinking.

A couple more turns go by. First, the mud returns.

In addition, Morris is hit by the 25 point morale drop because of the recent update. He kindly offers to continue playing despite the
surprising setback for the UK's forward defense strategy.



Meanwhile...I plan to exploit the absence of home guard.



April '40 and clear weather returns.

Notice that Auchinleck somehow survives getting blasted by x2 TAC, a tank and a mech! Oh well, I'll probably finish him
with an air strike next time.



That lonely GAR from before finally reappears *thanks to Doug for the idea*. Notice I landed in the wrong place. I was foolishly thinking I could sneak up on him
by landing 1 hex away.



And another fighter arrives to help deal with Allied resistance.

Beginning of my turn: May 1940

First, another exchange of diplomatic communiques:

Peterjfrigate: In France, I think I might be overextended, but since the UK is committed, I cannot expect to make progress without paying the price.
Morris: yes, France gave you a bite before death.

Uh oh, that sounded ominous, and indeed I discover that a panzer AND a mech have been annihilated!



But here's some consolation - my swarm of transports has taken the RN by surprise and Belfast is mine! I'm committed to Sea lion now.



This is in the build queue and can help invade the UK:



For the curious, here's my lab situation:

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JUne 7 1940

JUNE 27 1940

Morris knows taking Casablanca will make Spain easy to activate. Looks like he'd rather lose England than let that happen!



Paris almost mine, though I will reject the Armistice.



And here's a couple of shots around the UK.