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jjdenver -> RE: Half Again: Axis Perspective (4/14/2009 4:43:02 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: gwgardner
It's interesting that in your game no continuous front has formed. I suppose that is due to the Soviets just not having enough time to create enough forces. I would be having panic attacks, on either side, as both of you seem to leave wide gaps that just look like inviting targets for counter-attacks. However, your tactics are obviously working. I believe you've made more headway than any other human vs human on the Eastern Front.
Hi, that's a great observation. I've observed the lack of contiguous lines w/ delight, and not just because I'm the attacker in 1941. One of the main flaws that I saw in RTV from the AAR's that I read before the game was the WW1 style warfare that took place on all fronts and in particular on the east front. Really the situation in Russia was so fluid that I didn't think RTV simulate it well at all based on the AAR's that I've seen, and the war in Russia is in many ways one of the most interesting aspects of any WW2 game. Obviously(?) the other flaw that I saw was the lack of air/naval interaction and the naval model in general.
One of my goals coming into Barbarossa was to concentrate all of my offensive combat power in one sector (the north in this game) to disrupt the Soviets and allow my offensive to continue rather than stagnating into 2 long contiguous lines of units parked hub to hub. This was helped by my production advantage in the game we're playing since I was able to field an extraordinary number of panzer korps going into Barbarossa I think. I also didn't spend too much on research before Barbarossa - choosing to get as many (panzer) boots on the ground as possible.
My builds have in general focused not on adding more infantry korps but saving for panzer korps since they are really the way to generate enough offensive power to keep an offensive rolling. Infantry korps just don't bring enough power to bear on a single hex in this game to achieve devastating results. Panzer korps can do that. So, I'm quite light on number of units compared to the front I'm advancing on, but most important to me is to be able to keep the Soviet front disrupted so my PP's have gone into air, armor, armor repairs, air repairs. Each turn I have a temptation to buy more infantry korps and divisions but I try to limit that to save for panzer korps. I've added 2 since Barbarossa began. These help me sustain momentum as the Soviet units get stronger. If I ever allow the Soviets to solidify their front I'm doomed, so I've taken chances on the offensive and left flanks more open that I'd like to leave them.
I've also been conscientious about making the Soviets pay for leaving small units on the front lines or trying to encircle me with them. For example the Soviets sent a mot div and mot corp to within 4 hexes of my air unit at Smolensk in an attempt to drive into the wedge between the Gomel forces and Smolensk forces this turn. I immediately diverted 2 panzer korps to punish those units. You might note that the Soviets now hang back more w/ their small units than they did at start. If they expose them I try to destroy them with high odds attacks. I think this deters attempts at encirclement to some extent although Chuck scored a big victory by encircling my Talinn assault force. However his decision to deploy units around Talinn cost him in other area as those units weren't deployed to prevent encirclements at Pskov and Smolensk.
At this point I'm considering screening Talinn and going back for it during the winter since my units in Baltic states I think don't suffer winter effects.(?)
As a final thought I'm kind of interested in trying a game with all countries set to -50% production. I think this would reduce unit density and allow us to see this sort of interesting, fluid front throughout the war and on all fronts. A war that involves more manuever than straight lines is both realistic and fun. :)
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