Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: Northern Star

I still have some doubts about the power of this opening... in your 1st turn screenshot of southern front I see 8 routed units in Pripyat marshes and 4 east of your panzers... now in the screenshot of Saper's turn 1 I see only one routed unit, all the others are gone away... plus at least 5 of them were tank or motorized divisions... I can't understand how can this opening be more powerful than the standard Lvov pocket.

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ORIGINAL: mattp

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Saper set soviet transport level at 50%. It turns out that it might be too harsh for soviet side, but we didn’t know that before we started the game.

I just noticed this rule. To me, this is way too harsh and given how fast you're going to be pressing east in the Industrial south he'll never get enough industry out. As SHC I would give up +1, long before I would give up rail capacity. Further, it's going to make an already difficult SHC T1 and T2 that much more difficult.

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ORIGINAL: Callistrid

Sapper made several mistakes during T01,

The only way to beat you, is to fall back to Rzev-Bryansk-Kharkov and D-town line, and defend. The germans can't encircle troops before T8, because their movement point will be extremely low, and even air supply can't help them. Around T08, the soviet forces will have 5 million men, and rested + refitted troops, plus level 2-3 fortifications. Enough to stand and fight. Leningrad is not an issue, let, the german capture the city, if some of his armors will drive there.
Plus disband 50 % of air bases, because the soviet airpower doesn't really count, and the german air forces are far from the supply lines.

Around T10, on south the soviet must fall back to Rostov-Voronezh-Tula line, move back from the german supply lines, and play that joke again. Around T15, the 6 million soviet troops will be still enough to beat the german troops, but this time their power could be enough starting massive counterattack, and farming more guard units. All cavalry units must be on reserve, so they can easily get guard status, what will be devastating during blizzard.

With +1 bonus stand and fight is a mad idea before september, but saving the army, and after the end of august, farming guard units, that is real nasty :)

During blizzard, with +1 guard units... the german can't resist!

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ORIGINAL: timmyab

I agree that Luki should be garrisoned, even a sec regiment might do the job. Poor defense to allow you to cross the Dnyper at Kiev. Same thing really, must get something behind the river North and South of Kiev.

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ORIGINAL: timmyab

Yes I know he's a good player. It shouldn't really make much difference who you're playing, you should guard against a Luki thrust and prevent any chance of a Dnieper crossing on turn two. To allow either is nothing short of careless. Maybe he underestimated you.

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ORIGINAL: Callistrid

Yep, after 1.08.05. the soviet transport capacity must set to 50-60 %, because the supply level rules will really hit the german. I believe that will be a common house rule, like the airbase attack.

When I play with the soviet side, I alway force a plan about 41,42 and 43 goals.
First I want to determine the soviet army numbers. I have 60-70k transport capacity (with 50 % transport levels), so 20 % will be spend for troops rail, the rest spend for evacuation. The 41 goal is to maintain 7 million soviet troops, and will be enough to evacuate Kharkov, Moscow, Tula, and Rostov, and don't really care about Kiev, D-town, and other western region. Defending them are risky, and you threat your army, and those industrial aras, what could be evacuated safely.

The industry of Leningrad could be delicious decoy, hoping the german will send 4-6 armor there, so never care about that region.
Moscow must be evacuated early, force the german drive south, try to capture Tula and Bryansk. Soviet must play with evacuation, to separate the german panzer spearhead into 3 location. The concentrated german armors are extremely dangerous, and they can encircle entire fronts, what must be avoid.

My last game against sapper, I was beatened, when the germans concetrate all his panzer forces on south, and destroy 2 full soviet front.

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ORIGINAL: Callistrid

Several player has no experience how to play with 50 % transport levels. It's not easy, because in 41 the evacuation plan must be rethinked, and in 42 the reinforcement plan to.

In 41 the soviet must sacrefice several industrial location, but he can decide what. The best way is to know how many, and what type of troops want to be supplied during the war.

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ORIGINAL: mktours

That is why the transport level needs to be tone down, 50% might be too harsh, but currently transport capability is too high for the soviet side, they could save full industry if Germany play poorly, and even if Germany play well, they could save enough.
There is a game style to run away as soviet, I am not sure if it would work, when I play soviet side, I stand and fight.

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ORIGINAL: Callistrid

On South the soviet has enough troops to build a front line around the Dnyepr. Most of the units can move by foot into their defending position.

The only critical situation is around Pskov, and that was Sappers huge mistake. The build the standard defending line, hoping wou will move there. Transporting those troops are costly, and in the current situation was bald move, because need to transport them into better position. So he will spend 2x the transport cost for thoe units.