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Elijah -> Mud in '42 Advice? (10/5/2016 9:18:59 PM)
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Starting to get fairly deep in my 1st real GC attempt. I'm starting to get the hang of logistics and the task of managing the huge and somewhat overwhelmed Axis Command and Control. Anyhow, my '41 Operational goals were for the most part completed and GHC is in what I think good shape for a '42 offensive. My main goals were to take Leningrad and the Crimea while pushing far enough forward to threaten Moscow enough that Stavka had to respect the possibility of a try. I didn't manage to take Leningrad entirely before the blizzard but had captured all the Lake ports and freed the Finns to hold Svritsia for us; by Feb they were all out of supplies and the city fell, big win for GHC. While we were not able to take Sevastopol, the rest of the Crimea was taken.
I felt brave and wanted to see if I could brave the full blizzard; I did pretty well having read the guides, fell back for a few weeks. I didn't do a very good job of building any forts, so it got a bit dicey in January. I am really pleased with how the game puts you in historical spots just by the engine and not scripted events; just like in reality I was scrambling to hold AGC as 4th army was buckling and saved by putting Model in charge and last minute rail reinforcements. AGS had managed to take Rostov but didn't have enough German Infantry and things got pretty ugly there too. The Romanians got a Corps surrounded in Rostov but impressively held out 3 weeks (the guards were stuck there too). I lost them all but it felt worthwhile in that it slowed the advance to Stalino as the Panzer Army there I thought could hold out was supported mainly by the Axis Minors which are clearly useless in '41 winter as I found out. They go *splat*. I had to pull out of Stalino or risk losing 1st Panzer which was not my intention. We also lost Orel and barely clung onto Rzhev, Kursk, and Kharkov. I was sure happy when March came as we were close to losing all those cities. Was a thriller and I was glad I didn't take the easy mild winter option as it was good practice.
As soon as snow hits its like the German army was reborn, suddenly I could attack! We focused on cutting off any salients and managed to pocket some divisions. I am trying to bring 4th Panzer army south but its hard, not enough rail pts it seems. The big coup tho was Stavka/the AI neglecting its defenses around Kerch. My Panzers down there had been idle for most of the winter as we couldn't get them any fuel I didn't get the railhead close enough soon enough. But once we finally did get them some fuel in late Feb, there was only a meager Naval Brigade guarding the straits and XIV Panzer and 1st Romanian Mountain managed to clear the strait and force their way to Novorossiysk which seems to me to be a huge victory. I still have to figure out how to properly siege Seva I think but to have a major port already secured should really help an attack to the south.
In any case, if you have made it this far, am I just waiting it out during the Mud, even the Mud/Clear/Mud turns and attacking post June? It seems that is the best plan. What do people normally do during these long Spring Mud periods? And while obviously the #1 Objective is to clear Rostov ASAP, how crucial is it to take Sevastopol if I already have Novo? I also am considering an offensive South of Moscow if possible in summer '42.
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