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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/27/2011 9:00:36 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


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Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		I am just kind of playing.  It seems too out of sorts to do that anyway. I am trying out the "rubberband" defense to some extent, but that is trading space for casualties.  I really want to play a hard game, not do too many super gamey things, and still be able to fight on.

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/28/2011 2:08:14 AM   
EntropyAvatar

 

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Joined: 2/14/2011
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
Big Anorak cites 16K as the Rifle Squad number that leads to collapse. Did you really lose 8K Rifle Squads in 2 turns? That's bad. Real bad.


I don't think he's really lost those squads, they are just sitting in the pool. Squads damaged by the blizzard get sent back to the pool, then turned around and sent back to the front line as reinforcements. Since PDH has advanced further than most Axis players, his infantry divs are slower to receive these reinforcements.

Having so much manpower and squads in the pool is certainly a short-term problem, but we don't know if it's an indication of a long-term problem until we see the number disabled and killed.

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Post #: 302
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/28/2011 2:52:35 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		Ask and you shall get. Below is a comparison from turn 24 losses and turn 29 losses - both at the end of my play.





I have taken 17.5k killed, but 308k disabled. My manpower pool is about 640k...

The math seems to indicate a lot of my squad losses are temporary losses, at least equal to my disabled. Of course, they are not at present in my units but basking in the sun on the Italian Riviera...

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< Message edited by PeeDeeAitch -- 3/28/2011 2:54:28 AM >

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Post #: 303
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/28/2011 2:52:11 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		January 8th, and the blizzard starts to bite. Finally the Soviets are getting units ready, but a month later than they might have had I not hurt them so. Of course, by now my units are a mess, but I still have fall back points. 5 new divisions (3 rested in warsaw until this turn, now they are hunkered in Minsk) head to the front - even 5 units in Feb that are 4 CV can mess up plans of the Soviets.

This turn also saw the first "Shoot and Scoot" attacks by the panzers. Getting close to the cities with a panzer corps in it can bloody the nose of the Soviets - if you see your opponent doing this, Soviet players, proceed with caution. Even with winter reduction, 2 armor and 1 motorized can route a single unit, push back a stack.

My lines will end up (likely) near the 1942 line it seems, Moscow will fall but the fight will be there I believe to bloody the Soviets, unless there is some sort of chaos storm the Stalino Line will also hold. All in all this has been a far better first 6 weeks than I imagined. Now to live through the rest...

On to the Oder!



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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/28/2011 4:24:26 PM   
Aditia

 

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Status: offline 		Quick noob question, why are soviet cavalry units important (as compared to inf/mech/tank units)?

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/28/2011 4:26:46 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


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From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		They have great movement, so they can infiltrate really well in winter. Plus, they are hardier (by far) than the tank brigades the Soviets have - so they are far stronger on attack and defense. The Axis fears a rush a cavalry corps in the first winter - the good soviet will horde them like gold until blizzard.

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Post #: 306
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/28/2011 4:43:43 PM   
Klydon


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Status: offline 		The other thing they have is they convert extra uncontested hexes, which the tank brigades do not do either. 

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/28/2011 5:09:17 PM   
Q-Ball


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quote:

ORIGINAL: EntropyAvatar

quote:

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
Big Anorak cites 16K as the Rifle Squad number that leads to collapse. Did you really lose 8K Rifle Squads in 2 turns? That's bad. Real bad.


I don't think he's really lost those squads, they are just sitting in the pool. Squads damaged by the blizzard get sent back to the pool, then turned around and sent back to the front line as reinforcements. Since PDH has advanced further than most Axis players, his infantry divs are slower to receive these reinforcements.

Having so much manpower and squads in the pool is certainly a short-term problem, but we don't know if it's an indication of a long-term problem until we see the number disabled and killed.


Right, I know they are actually just disabled and/or returned to the Manpower Pool. But it's still a problem, because when you also factor in the CV changes, that is a reduction of 83% in effective combat rifle strength in 3 weeks (from 28K to 16K/3). A bit harsh there! That also makes the Wehrmacht very easy to push around the rest of the winter, not just due to reduced CV values.

PDH will be fine, only because he has so much space to give back, but in any "normal" game, he would be completely screwed.

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/29/2011 3:34:27 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
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From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		A couple of notes, January does see the beginning of a bounce back, or at least less of a "German Whacking". The manpower pool started to shrink (first time in weeks), and the squads are back up close to Bob's "danger level" again. I see fewer hits of the blizzard from units out in the open, though of course they are still weak and puny.

It will be interesting to see the jump again in a few turns when February hits.  Parts of my line are relatively calm, parts are under pressure.  The 16th Army, for instance, is hurting solely from the blizzard at the moment, and should see a good bounce back if this continues.  I really want to see the changes in spring 42, this will be my first PBEM since the changes mid 1.02 betas.

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Post #: 309
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/29/2011 4:08:56 AM   
randallw

 

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Status: offline 		This is what is supposed to happen; the blizzard is a massive bash in December, then decreases in hurt for the following months.  At least that's what I believe Joel has stated.

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Post #: 310
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/29/2011 4:18:44 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


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quote:

ORIGINAL: randallw

This is what is supposed to happen; the blizzard is a massive bash in December, then decreases in hurt for the following months.  At least that's what I believe Joel has stated.


Yep, this has always been the case. The problem is that defenses have been shattered in December, and nobody really ever saw the recovery. I had oodles of space to trade for time, and now I have the astonishing thing of CV 3 (!) divisions in some places. Amazing.

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/30/2011 4:00:04 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


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Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		A quick update - by middle January the garrison units of Moscow can clearly see the fighting only 10 miles away.  Luckily, there has been two months of digging in.  Goering swears that if the defenders are cut off the Luftwaffe can supply them by air.

In other news, the German Army swears that its use of T-26s in frontline Panzer units makes sense as they are "really quite fine tanks."

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/30/2011 9:36:41 AM   
cpt flam


Posts: 2352
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From: caen - France
Status: offline 		you'd better take care of them
we don't use them and you won't have more (of these)
great fun anyway even if it is real hard to recover

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/30/2011 12:06:19 PM   
color

 

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Joined: 7/24/2001
From: Oslo, Norway
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: PeeDeeAitch

Goering swears that if the defenders are cut off the Luftwaffe can supply them by air.



Don't trust that fat pervert, his mouth is to big

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/30/2011 4:38:46 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
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From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		In honor of Aditia:

Teh blizard goes worser, and I cant seem to do anythign. Stil it took til now for my firts unit to route. Of corse, its a Roumanin.




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< Message edited by PeeDeeAitch -- 4/4/2011 3:08:24 AM >

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/30/2011 4:39:23 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		The only bright spot - the Crimea holds like a rock!






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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/30/2011 10:08:03 PM   
Josh

 

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From: Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: PeeDeeAitch

quote:

In honor of Aditia:

Teh blizard goes worser, and I cant seem to do anythign. Stil it took til now for my firts unit to route. Of corse, its a Roumanin.




Your spelling suckors.
(sorry to go OT here...)

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/31/2011 5:20:01 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		Last turn of January, and Moscow is still in German hands. I wish I had sent the Blue division there, so I could have said "Thanks to the Spanish for fighting to keep Moscow German."

Seeing more recovery, my huge squads drop has reveresed - now up to 20k. Manpower returning to units at a good rate, from a high of 644k men in the pools to 300k in about 4 turns. The "return dump" that happens every January means that now units are seeing more CV. February means even units in the open will not dive any more, for the most part.

Due to my being at work, no screenshots now. Maybe tonight when I get home.

_____________________________

"The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny."

- Call me PDH

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Post #: 318
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 3/31/2011 5:30:36 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		A note, despite my big talk about pulling back every turn, I haven't. This is not giving anything away to Cpt Flam, he sees this. The "Big Empty" has seen the most fall-back, perhaps 6-10 hexes, depending on the area. The cities line from Kursk to Kharkov are now fairly close to the front lines. I do not expect to lose them, perhaps Orel a bit north will go, but that has been on the front for a couple of weeks now (this was the area of my smallest gains pre-blizzard).

In the far south, the mountain units have kept the losses in front of Stalino to a minimum.

In all the above areas there are now panzers close to the front for "smash and run" missions. Already the Soviets have seen several spearheads blunted a bit by this.

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"The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny."

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Post #: 319
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 1:46:56 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		Numbers - Turn 34 (Feb, 1942)

Ok, I said earlier today that the numbers were looking better. They are looking far better by February. In the past week 400k more men showed up in units because of my incentive, "Go to the front, get a new Volkswagen!*" plan. (*Free volkswagen will be available in 1956).

Squads are healthier, up from a 3rd blizzard week low of somewhere around -43 squads ready to fight.

here are the squads:





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< Message edited by PeeDeeAitch -- 4/1/2011 2:59:57 AM >

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 1:51:35 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		As for the combat, as I said previously - Moscow stil holds out. Troops there are reportedly happy and quite content to not venture out into the freezing open countryside. As of the first two months of the blizzard, the fall back to my fortified lines (note - lines might only be fortified in the disturbed mind of the poster), has meant that there has been no real threat to the former Soviet capital. Festung Moskau is secure for the time being.

Note, units along the line are seeing the return of troops - my slow fall back here has meant that the "damaged" squads are getting back in line along with new units to replace the disabled casualties. Right now, a 3 CV unit is a godsend, and Moscow has them all around.





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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 1:55:48 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
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From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		Shoot and Scoot - Panzers in the blizzard

I have spoken about this before, but here is a good example of what I mean. Panzers in a city/urban are not just sitting back drinking schnapps and watching the latest newsreel of glorious victories, they are also ready to jump out and smash spearheads at a moment's notice.

Here, the panzers of the 2nd Panzer Group in Kharkov attacked an armored brigade and the units behind it, clearing out a 2-hex long spearhead of pesky Soviets. The brigade was shattered, and the others retreated. This can't be done all the time, but keeping armor in cities/urban near the front can often make life rough for the reds.

-edit - don't try this at home unless you are sure they can get back to their starting point. Also, they will need to rest (perhaps) for a turn after this so the damaged squads can recover.




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< Message edited by PeeDeeAitch -- 4/1/2011 1:56:35 AM >

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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 2:01:12 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		The South

Here I planned to hold firm, well, as firm as a jello-mold in July, but I was determined to hold that.

I had the line of Stalino as an ultimate fall back, but the far south had 2 mountain divisions, and the 3 romanian mountain brigades. Divided into regiments, the mountain divisions can hold a wider range at quite impressive CV in the blizzard, the Romanians go from weak and puny things to supermen in the snow.

This allowed me to fall back north of the tri-cities, but very slowly and tenaciously directly east of Stalino. I have still not reached my fall back line (roughly the Mius river), and the units there are gaining strength. Stalino should hold all winter unless I do something stupid...wait, why is everyone looking at me that way?




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RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 2:08:26 AM   
Aditia

 

Posts: 573
Joined: 3/27/2011
Status: offline 		quick question PDH, I have been fiddling with the CR and I can't seem to produce the screen where it says how many squads you have ready, halp!

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Post #: 324
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 2:08:38 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		Losses - from turn 24 to now

As can be seen, the first two months of blizzard means lots of men no longer able to fight. Still, it is not as bas as it might be, as combat casualties have been low.





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"The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny."

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Post #: 325
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 2:49:45 AM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Aditia

quick question PDH, I have been fiddling with the CR and I can't seem to produce the screen where it says how many squads you have ready, halp!

Go to the production screen, click on Germany, then scroll down to "squads" and click on the column that says "units"

This will take you to the screen that gives the magic numbers.

_____________________________

"The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny."

- Call me PDH

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Post #: 326
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 10:24:17 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		February 12th

The last month of blizzard is a time of contrasts. Some units are getting healthier, some are just fading away. Squad levels are getting better and better, manpower is returning to the units - but some units are hurt and determined to stay that way. I can't rotate many of these out of the line, and so I want March to come soon.

One problem - east of Kharkov the rubber band has finally started to snap. It seems he doesn't have a lot of reserves in the region, but I have none. It is a race to the snow. The picture below doesn't really do justice to the potential problem.

Oh well, it has mostly been gravy so far.





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_____________________________

"The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny."

- Call me PDH

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Post #: 327
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/1/2011 10:26:33 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		OOB, Mid February

All in all, I think I have done alright so far in the blizzard. I will come out of the snow with maybe 3.2 million men. Add in the Romanians, Finns, and Hungarians and I still outnumber the Soviets!






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_____________________________

"The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny."

- Call me PDH

- WitE noob tester

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Post #: 328
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/2/2011 3:27:10 PM   
PeeDeeAitch


Posts: 1276
Joined: 1/1/2007
From: Laramie, Wyoming
Status: offline 		Just...two...more...turns...

Well, it looks like I will survive, but in some places the candidates for eventual "60% TOE" have been decided by the winter.  All of this will take place over the mud, but now the Axis army is ready to break out the speedos and frolic in the upcoming snow!  Snowcones for everyone!

The troops are quite happy by the impending warmer weather, having been forbidden to relieve themselves all winter due to my learning that many deaths resulted from "bodily functions."  They are quite tense and upset.  March will be the month of latrines!

Now, I just need to not lose Moscow in the last two weeks of blizzard...

_____________________________

"The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny."

- Call me PDH

- WitE noob tester

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Post #: 329
RE: Misplaced Victories - They were here a second ago... - 4/2/2011 4:46:19 PM   
Altaris

 

Posts: 216
Joined: 8/14/2009
Status: offline 		This is really rather impressive. I would've never thought Moscow would hold through winter. I think you should try and just keep a little corridor open to Moscow, and next turn begin railing units towards Moscow for a potential counterattack during snow if it looks like you can hold out. Hell, even if he encircles it on the last turn of winter, you may still be able to break back through in first turn of snow, and at that point he's got a lot of forward units in very prime positioning for you to push him back.

Well played sir, my hat is off to you. Considering you outnumber the Soviets, this may be the first game we see with a viable 1942 potential.

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