Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Telemecus

Often you can just defend from unclear terrain hexes next to clear terrain - depends on whether you are just delaying or really want to stop the enemy dead of course. But usually making your opponent pay large movement point costs to go through clear terrain is enough to induce to have to attack you in your preferred terrain.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Stelteck

What you need to evacuate 100% is the IL-2 factory of voronev when the time come. Others are not so usefull.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Telemecus

Often you can just defend from unclear terrain hexes next to clear terrain - depends on whether you are just delaying or really want to stop the enemy dead of course. But usually making your opponent pay large movement point costs to go through clear terrain is enough to induce to have to attack you in your preferred terrain.

quote:

ORIGINAL: timmyab

Good decision to carry on. You may well lose but nothing will teach you useful lessons faster than defeat.

Unfortunately I think you may be about to learn another harsh lesson in the North. The lake Ladoga ports are vital to the defense of Leningrad. If they fall or supply to them is cut then Leningrad is out of supply and a direct assualt on the city becomes easy.
4th pz group will probably go East of the Volkhov river next week with the town of Volkhov as it's primary objective. The good news is that you may be able to tie up 4th pz for another 3 or 4 weeks before the port of Sviritsa is captured or isolated.

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ORIGINAL: Drakken

quote:

ORIGINAL: timmyab

Good decision to carry on. You may well lose but nothing will teach you useful lessons faster than defeat.

Unfortunately I think you may be about to learn another harsh lesson in the North. The lake Ladoga ports are vital to the defense of Leningrad. If they fall or supply to them is cut then Leningrad is out of supply and a direct assualt on the city becomes easy.
4th pz group will probably go East of the Volkhov river next week with the town of Volkhov as it's primary objective. The good news is that you may be able to tie up 4th pz for another 3 or 4 weeks before the port of Sviritsa is captured or isolated.

Hence my cruel choice: Leave also Northwest Front in the cauldron to get destroyed or just put myself in position for Northwest Front to escape and fight another day? If I had committed all my troops to defend up to the cost he would have just went further East of Novaya Ladoga and then completely encircle me. I have to think also about troop conservation.

Also, there is a port smack West of the Leningrad hex. Doesn't that count?

quote:

ORIGINAL: SparkleyTits

The worst case scenario would be horrible but if Psych0 is a new player then unless you don't have half FOW fingers crossed you will be fine

My fingers are definitely crossed you too

quote:

ORIGINAL: Drakken

Okey, so let's say the absolute worst happens here next turn and psych0 seals all the way up to Sviritsa. Then what? North's done, game over?

My calculus was that he will have no choice but to push at least some troops further back if he aims for the Lagoda Lake, and my troops will retreat back toward Novaya Ladoga, some of them spilling away East of the Volhkov river because I have already hexes with 3 counters in the way. The wood and the swamps, plus the ZOCs, would eat up some more of his motorized MPs if pushes northeast.

quote:

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

This is the game that there is no HQ buildup correct?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Drakken

Okey, so let's say the absolute worst happens here next turn and psych0 seals all the way up to Sviritsa. Then what? North's done, game over?

My calculus was that he will have no choice but to push at least some troops further back if he aims for the Lagoda Lake, and my troops will retreat back toward Novaya Ladoga, some of them spilling away East of the Volhkov river because I have already hexes with 3 counters in the way. The wood and the swamps, plus the ZOCs, would eat up some more of his motorized MPs if pushes northeast.

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ORIGINAL: Drakken

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ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

This is the game that there is no HQ buildup correct?

Correct.

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ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Your worst case scenario isn't a done deal just yet. You haven't talked much about his fuel situation in your AAR. That's important to know as it helps you to understand how far he can get with the fuel he has. A number of vets who post AARs talk about the enemy's fuel state. You also don't say who is commanding your armies. That is important too. Hopefully you have good ones in place.

quote:

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

quote:

ORIGINAL: Drakken

Okey, so let's say the absolute worst happens here next turn and psych0 seals all the way up to Sviritsa. Then what? North's done, game over?

My calculus was that he will have no choice but to push at least some troops further back if he aims for the Lagoda Lake, and my troops will retreat back toward Novaya Ladoga, some of them spilling away East of the Volhkov river because I have already hexes with 3 counters in the way. The wood and the swamps, plus the ZOCs, would eat up some more of his motorized MPs if pushes northeast.

Your underlying assumption is that there is some value to the Axis in attacking west of the Volkhov and that is false. The value in this area to your opponent is all in the port of Sviritsa with an unbroken line of communication to it. He can achieve that by simply staying east of the Volkhov and your deployment facilitates his movement. If you had shifted more eastwards with some troops, you would have a better chance keeping Leningrad in supply. Them getting cut off is inevitable in most cases, so you have to plan on dragging out that battle which consists of two parts.

The first is the defense of hex x86 Y16. That needs some of your best units under a solid general, even Zhukov. Other good units need to be sitting at Osinovets in a reserve state so when he tries crossing the Neva, you have a better chance of winning by getting reserve activations.

The second is the defense of the Ladoga ports, in this case Sviritsa. Here is where you need to have another solid army deployed east of the Volkhov to delay his advance for as long as you can.

Your worst case scenario isn't a done deal just yet. You haven't talked much about his fuel situation in your AAR. That's important to know as it helps you to understand how far he can get with the fuel he has. A number of vets who post AARs talk about the enemy's fuel state. You also don't say who is commanding your armies. That is important too. Hopefully you have good ones in place.

quote:

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

Thank you.

Now, knowing that there is no HQ BU what was your line of thinking on what you wanted to accomplish in the Leningrad area knowing this is the only prize the Germans need in this area? I take away from the picture you are in unit preservation mode?

quote:

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain
Very valid points. The game has no HQ BU's. Thus the first thing you want to do is check the fuel state of those PZ/Moto units. If they are RED hug them with units and make him work for the hexes.(I like checking supply status too) You really don't have anything to lose besides the units themselves. You want to tie up these units as long as you can to not be available somewhere else on the map. Just my 2 cents.

quote:

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Here is how I defended hex x83 y16 in a current game. It is using better math CV so my values are higher than yours, but you'll get the idea.

quote:

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

quote:

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Here is how I defended hex x83 y16 in a current game. It is using better math CV so my values are higher than yours, but you'll get the idea.

"Off topic Alert"

German player needs more "ENGINEERS" for their attack on that hex first off. Plus units in Reserve movement for helping the attack(if not done already) But this is another discussion in and of itself ;-P

quote:

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

The S key toggles your soft factors. The number of bars to the left of the unit symbol tells you at a level of 0-4 how much of what the unit has. Depending on your game version/interface when you hit the S key you will see a change in the particular soft factor you are looking at. For fuel it looks like a drop of fuel I think, and the other is three fuel barrels. That happens at the menu/top of your game screen.

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ORIGINAL: Drakken

quote:

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

quote:

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Here is how I defended hex x83 y16 in a current game. It is using better math CV so my values are higher than yours, but you'll get the idea.

"Off topic Alert"

German player needs more "ENGINEERS" for their attack on that hex first off. Plus units in Reserve movement for helping the attack(if not done already) But this is another discussion in and of itself ;-P

ALL my troops behind the first line are set in Reserve Mode, too. Does the fact they are all in the same Front and all within HQ range help triggering Reserves?