janh
Posts: 1216
Joined: 6/12/2007 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Ketza Yes include the optional sudded death rules. Will I actually use them? Prolly not and heres why. The Axis player would do everything in his power to get the objectives and potentially wreck his army doing so. If they then failed they would most likely quit as they would be in no position to compete in a viable way long term. If you don't intend to use them for this reason, isn't your vote actually a "no -- but I don't care if it's optional"? Ketza, the latter you mention -- wasn't take sort of what happened at Leningrad to a limited degree, AGN having being push very hard to exhaustion, and for sure in the rush for Moscow? It in fact could be used to get the Germans to push harder, also I agree with you that by hindsight will know even taking these objectives the game won't end as the Soviets are not really defeated and can't continue to fight very effectively. Hence, in my opinion the best strategy for Axis is to turn over to the defense at some point to conserve the Army in the long run. Surely something like Kursk in retrospect was just wasting of Axis assets. Axis should attack as long as it can critically damage the Red Army. Whether Axis can still achieve excellent kill-ratios by late 42 or 43 is a question to be seen, but so far it looks that with the rather evident game bias towards the offensive Axis seems to be perform very well in spring 42 and summer 42. This will mean that the Axis will likely stop offensives by end of 42, and dig in for 43, to be able to survive as long as possible. In turn, Soviet build-up will be sufficient with the bias to offensives that by late 43 the Red juggernaught will rush forward, and will at least not be checked by supply worries. Since that was historically a big worry for the Soviets, likely in game they can completely overrun Axis before end of 44. That the Wehrmacht being in rather good shape after the 41 blizzard likely is in part due to it not reliving the disorganizing and draining last-ditch efforts for Leningrad and Moscow, which I believe has in part to do with a slight underestimation of the combat effectiveness of the Soviet units in 41/42 (see the quite unimpressive blizzard offensives), which also just naturally put a huge strain on both sides formations, as well as Axis and Soviet players having a huge benefit in form of hindsight and, thus, are using forces more conservatively since this is just a game missing soft factors (like Hitler pushing, or Generals aka players or soldiers truly having to fear for their head and the welfare of their own families, perceived effects on national will to fight etc. etc.). As such, a Sudden Death rule could in fact be something that could lead the Axis players to overextend in 41 and/or 42, sort of as if Hitler was sitting in their necks. Unfortunately, if implemented consequently, the sad truth should have to strike them in most cases that even if he holds these key cities now with a weakened Wehrmacht, that the Soviets will still be there and not raising their arms. The war goes on. So perhaps sudden death rules with a significant dice roll once the key cities are taken would be a good idea. Say even if Axis takes the cities, there should only be a 25% (or customizable like the other parameters by both players) chance to win? How about that? PS. Same would of course apply for the Soviet Sudden Death part!
< Message edited by janh -- 12/10/2011 10:36:17 AM >
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