Raindem
Posts: 696
Joined: 7/15/2000 From: Arizona Status: offline
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Soviet Update, August 1942 - As we move into late summer Larry's northern crusade has died off as he prepares for what he perceives to be a decisive Soviet winter offensive. It's probably not going to happen. Material wise, I'm in good shape. Most of my losses from the spring and summer campaigns have been replaced and I'm receiving new guards divisions every turn. But Larry's advances covered an impressive distance and, in my opinion, has placed me in a strategic position that, while not untenable, does not lend itself to a sweeping counter-offensive. Where would I attack? The Black Sea coast is stacked with German units back the Crimea. I'd love to be able to re-take Leningrad but that's a lot of distance for a 1942 Soviet army to cover. There's some opportunities, as Larry pointed out, for small-scale pincer operations but that's about it. I am simply not in the same position as the historical Soviets to deliver a crushing counter-blow to an exhausted German army running on fumes. My strategy for most of the game has been a "Rocky IV" strategy. That is, I stand toe-to-toe with the enemy and take his best punches. He will eventually tire. I know it's not a very inspired strategy but it's what I got. We are now moving into the attrition phase, where I plan to attack up and down the line. I'm looking for local superiority only, nothing on a large scale. The goal is simply to wear Larry down to the point where I have some operational flexibility about where to attack. Sure I am planning a winter offensive, and of course I won't reveal where the focus will be, but it won't be decisive. It's objective won't be the re-capture of any particular terrain. It's objective will be the destruction of German units, plain and simple.
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Grab them by the balls. Their hearts and minds will follow.
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