janh
Posts: 1216
Joined: 6/12/2007
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
I think more players are playing this way, but IMO, the conventional wisdom of concentrating the South in 1941 is wrong now. Right in the past, but now wrong.
In the past, South was prioritized, because of Industry and Population centers, plus the clear terrain offers better opportunities to surround and destroy Reds.
With all the changes, though, I think a Moscow-first strategy is now wise. Here is my thinking:
1. Focus on Armaments means Soviets can stay ahead of industry hunting anyway for the most part
2. Change in RR rules means NORTH is easier to fuel; you can't "double-up" in the South anymore
3. 1942 changes mean you can realistically save the south for a '42 push
4. Tougher terrain means it's tough to make headway up north in '42; you have to do it in '41
I think others have figured this out, like my opponents, but I think this is the new conventional wisdom
Discuss.
I totally agree. You kind of already shape your 1942 summer campaign with the opening of your first attack on Russia. And in 1942, slow grinding through harsh terrain and against a formidable, slowly strengthening Red Army around Moscow doesn't sound promising. The only thing, truly, in the south is the manpower, and I believe only to a lesser degree armaments. If lacking armaments, the Soviet Army will just reshape differently around Tank formations, but these pack a good punch nonetheless. It will have to rely more on maneuver, rather than brute force grinding with Arty Divs and Rifle Corps then, though, but the effect could be even more devastating once major breakthrus are scored.
You can still make excellent headway in the South even if you don't focus there. Sending 1 Panzerdiv, 1 Mot. Div. and Mot. Reg. Großdeutschland south appears to be sufficient to seal the Lvov pocket, and with that, you kind of change the character of the war in the south totally. Then it requires just one more large, or two-three medium to small pockets to get free for a rush on Stalino and Kharkov, which leaves Kiev and all Soviets at the upper Djenper wedged between 6th Army's Infantry and AGC's southern formations.
It is more a matter of timing I have the impression, once Lvov is secure as the Soviets will already be badly wounded and off-balance. The key is to make these pockets in short order, and achieve a simultaneous breakthru via Kirovograd towards Dneprpetrovsk and Krivoj Rog (spelling?) while also getting a foothold north of the Djenpr say somewhere east of Cherkassy. I don't think the Red Army can really do much about it for several turns, and with HQ-build up or even just HQ supply shuffling, you can make huge leaps. Whether Rostov is still in the cards, or is rather the Leningrad of the south, might be a function of how decisive your pockets would be.
< Message edited by janh -- 12/10/2011 10:56:48 AM >
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Printable Version
Change in German Strategy under 1.05 - 
Rostov is usually the last stop (or almost).
Need to bookmark that. Of all the factors, MANPOWER to me is most important, because that's the one thing that can't be moved. Even so, you have to discount that a bit by the fact that some population will flee. Nevertheless, it's the thing to go for, after the Red Army. 
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