JAMiAM
Posts: 6165
Joined: 2/8/2004 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Q-Ball Since my AAR was mentioned a couple times, I personally don't buy German Supermen. It's tougher to push the Soviets around than was done historically, and as players learn administration and defensive tactics, tougher all the time. Soviet players who concentrate force can cause some serious problems for the Germans. I am with helodorius, that the Soviet player has the advantage of hindsight. Probably the engine works well in terms of combat, the reason the Germans have trouble replicating historical results in Soviet Losses and Territory is the the Soviet player isn't doomed to repeat the RL stupidity. I have played some Soviet, and after the first couple turns, it's not too hard to keep the Germans from making massive encirclements. Sure, they'll get some units here and there, but 20-division pockets.....a decent defensive set-up will prevent that. A Soviet player that gets 30 units pocketed after Turn 3 is probably making mistakes. Especially with the changes to morale in 1.03, this is true. The previous runaway morale inflation was curbed (IMO excessively) which severely reduces Axis mobility in enemy territory. After a few inevitably failed attacks, it is very rare that any significant number of the German mobile units will have a morale greater than 85, which means that their mobility in enemy territory is reduced by 33% or more. Focused Soviet counterattacks on overexposed mobile units only accelerate this downward spiral of morale loss > lower strength > failed attacks > morale loss > repeat. The same issue has been seen with the Axis infantry, which struggle to move 4 hexes unopposed per turn in enemy territory. This makes Soviet tactics such as a full scale, phased withdrawing carpet a viable game technique. By withdrawing 3-4 hexes each turn, during the summer, the Soviets can keep just ahead of the marching infantry, and wear down the mobile units that are trying to pursue. There are few axes of attack that force the Soviets to really stand and fight in order to delay the Axis advance enough to protect vital interests (factories to be relocated, Moscow, Leningrad, et al). However, for the most part, the Soviets can just give up space, in a series of withdrawals that will leave the Axis in the same situation geographically that they were historically, but with the added advantage to the Soviets of one or two million men at arms than they had when the winter hits. Then, of course, the Winter rules come into effect and change everything. But that is something for another thread... For games started before, or having a significant amount of turns run under versions prior to 1.03, this may not be of much solace to a struggling Soviet player. For those started after 1.03 Beta 3, my best advice to the Soviet player is to avoid pocketing, stay just beyond reach of the German infantry wherever possible, and most of all...DON'T PANIC!
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