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ORIGINAL: bodmerm

I survived Blizzard pretty well (-500'000 men) but lost approximately 16 hexes with AGC but almost nothing in the north and south. It seems to be wise to retreat and only hold strong points for one or two turns. As such, I never got outfanked (yes, it is AI) and it was ok for me. In spring and summer I took Smolensk, Orel, Kursk and Rhzev back and came close to Moscow (5 hexes). In the north I never was able to seize Leningrad, unfortunately. In the South I took Rostov and Voroshilovgrad and some terrain across the Manytsch. However, I have too few reliable troops to go for Stalingrad.

Several things I wanted to discuss with you guys. First, I saw that seized big Soviet cities almost always keep eing bdamaged (Kiev 98%) a year after I conquered them. Consequently, no man power drain from these cities for my faction. So such cities seem not to be valuable in term of benefits for the axis? Especially when factories were meoved eastwards before the capture. Second, partisans are rather annoying than anything else. Tehy pop up and disappear when apporached by a security squad. Only micromanagement but no benefit for gameplay. Third, I keep destroying Soviet forces (my losses 1.8 millions, theirs 6.9 millions by turn 67) but they get more and more men (7 millions now, guns (70k) and afv (11k) as well as planes (11k). I expected to give them more problems with manpower as farther I advance... Is it different when you get Leningrad and Moscow?) Fourth, the AI doesnt seem to use their planes properly. I always interdict like hell but rarely get interdicted myself or shot down.

Share your experiences with me as Axis against the AI in 1942. Thanks. As the game stands now I expect huge attacks in 1943 which will force me to retreat...