Q-Ball -> Under the Red Banner: Q-Ball (R) v Baelfiin (Axis) (12/20/2011 3:48:23 PM)
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Baelfiin is already doing an AAR, so I thought I would start one now that I have a little more time, so you guys can see the other side. It is already T-14, so mostly this will be around the BLIZZARD and beyond. Hopefully it helps! As you can see, this is a RANDOM WEATHER game, started in last couple weeks (I think 1.0542?). These shots are all my Turn 13, so next turn for Baelfiin will be TURN 14. All the MUD has happened already, so he has 4 more Clear turns to make some hay. War So Far: Baelfiin has a very good tactical grasp, and has really pressed me in terms of losses and territory. Where I think he is doing well is nailing the Red Army. I have lost 2.4 mil men so far, despite taking all kinds of precautions against pocketing. He has more units this turn "in the bag", so that number figures to climb to 3 million-ish by the end of Summer. That's a pretty solid number for him. Axis losses are not bad; this is mostly because he has really made big massive pockets netting easy surrenders. Some of these pockets, I don't know how he does it. And for the most part, they are unbreakable. His strategy is an "all-in" on Moscow. My thinking has come around to that this should be the #1 target for the Germans in 1941, so I agree with that. But I think you can do Moscow AND Leningrad, and this is where his strategy might be costing him. Leningrad has been invested with nothing more than a thin screen. It won't fall, and that means I am prioritizng Leningrad Front, because I plan to keep it through 1942 as well. I think he should have gone for it; you can at least make a decent attempt by using a single Panzer Corps, and 18th Army, sending everyone else to Moscow. Instead, 4th Panzer Army went for Moscow. The other part is that he is also going "all-in" south of Moscow. This isn't all bad, as I have lost Tula, Orel, and will probably lose Ryazan, big chunks of Manpower. But further south, his advance on Kharkov is suffering, and is non-existant toward the Donbas. With the new RR Rules, the Donbas is probably the limit of German advance now, and it can be taken in 1942, so I think that's a good decision. But I would clear the Crimea more; that figures to be a problem for him in Blizzard. But this is a game of tradeoffs, and Baelfiin is killing me around Moscow. I have prioritized Moscow for reinforcements, commiting everything, but he keeps destroying formations. It's going to be close whether I hold the place, despite keeping guys digging from Turn 1, and making every preparation I can. He is doing a good job here. So, I think his overall strategy is good, though I would strengthen the flanks more, go for Leningrad, and at least get to the Perekop to put a bottle on the Crimea. Partisans: I thought about Partisans on this one. IMO, Partisans are most critical in 1941, and THIS is when you focus on them. Once the Germans have a redundant railnet, which they will by 1942, they are much less important; just a nuisance, really. In many cases, garrisons can take care of partisans, and a couple Romanian Cav units are enough to fill the slack. They just aren't much of a problem. But in 1941, they can cripple the German advance. Twice now, I have cost Baelfiin a turn of FBD construction due to RR damage. This is important, as the Germans generally will advance in the south to the limit the RR will support. Attacks in Blizzard can be more critical; hate to think what happens if a whole line goes down in the middle of it. Starting very early, I stocked all my VVS airbases with IL-4 and TB-3, and set them all on supply. I don't use those planes as bombers, they just drop ammo and Vodka to partisans. I use them manually to drop to Partisans in very key spots; those units are smothered with supplies. So, Partisans are already having an impact, and I recommend to all Soviet players to focus on Partisans early. After 1942, I wouldn't spend as much time on it. I also recommend to all German players to garrison every city immediately..... Industry: Baelfiin is not a factory-hunter. I have left smaller factories to be overrun, and focused on the larger ones. All Tank and A/C factories that are worth anything are moved to safety. I have lost 18 Armaments, and I don't see losing much more than that. I am leaving the Vehicle factories; I just don't think they are worth moving. It's Lend Lease that counts for Vehicles. [image]local://upfiles/6931/20F75E67AE2342FDA59C020B95438866.jpg[/image]
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