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RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier

 
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RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 1:01:56 PM   
jonny211

 

Posts: 96
Joined: 11/13/2003
Status: offline 		I'm interested to see how the game handles the swing from offensive to defensive in terms of the situation level (can't remember it's in game term).. the player may feel like they've gone from 10 to 0 but how quickly will the game acknowledge that before it stops handing out offensive objectives (and so getting you dismissed).

(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 91
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 1:34:40 PM   
Vic


Posts: 8262
Joined: 5/17/2004
Status: offline 		I am following this AAR with big interest and already made some notes to make improvements on the handling of the strategic position for v1.06. What I am thinking of implementing is a strategic position loss for failing to attain a major offensive target and a strategic position gain for succeeding in keeping a major defensive target.

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(in reply to jonny211)
Post #: 92
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 6:04:47 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Vic

I am following this AAR with big interest and already made some notes to make improvements on the handling of the strategic position for v1.06. What I am thinking of implementing is a strategic position loss for failing to attain a major offensive target and a strategic position gain for succeeding in keeping a major defensive target.


On a similar note, in the Uranus scenario, apart from the hold Stalingrad order at the start, the Germans dont actually get any more major objectives to hold. Obviously it can work both ways, but there is no chance for the Germans to get any large number of prestige points as there are only ever minor objectives with one or two prestige.

(in reply to Vic)
Post #: 93
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 6:16:53 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		14th & 16th October

Again nothing to really update as the front is still quiet. I am not strong enough to advance and Olivier is not strong enough to launch a full scale offensive yet.

On 14th October there is really nothing to report as both Olivier and I rebuild defences and rest forces.

16th of October is interesting for the sole reason that I re-launch the attack on Stalingrad again. The artillery is rested up and if I have worked this out right I have enough units with stockpiles to launch a full attack for two turns on the trot. Before the artillery assault I play a freedom card from Manstein and attack cards on two of the divisions taking part in the assault. It may seem like overkill, but I need it for Stalingrad.

Once the dust has settled from the artillery the infantry move in for the assault. It is another bloody failure though - one unit manages to hold on whilst the rest all panic from the ferocity of the attack. It is not enough though. The entrenchment levels fall massively so now it is a case of seeing what damage I can cause next turn and whether it will be enough.

The map hasnt really changed from the last update, but thought it worthwhile putting an overview of the situation up, mainly because parts of the map appear to be covered in white stuff




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Post #: 94
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 8:23:25 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		18th October - game nearing its end?

Unfortunately it looks like I wont be able to hold on much longer. The trouble with the ambition card, as I suspected, when at this high a strategic level I am still getting more offensive objectives. A quick look at the current objectives show that I will have to play the ambition card again on the 26th October. My prestige will go down to zero on the 22nd so I will have to play the ambition card again on that turn by the latest. That will leave me with one prestige, which means that I will then have to take Stavropol by the 26th October or my prestige will go down to zero again on the 28th October. That means that I need enough prestige to play the ambition card again by the 4th November to avoid dismissal.

The dismissal card costs 37pp, which happens to be the current total I have. I think when you are on low levels of prestige you get 5pps per turn, so if that is right then I will only have 35pp by the 4th November; I dont know how much the ambition card is, but I do know that it will be more than 37, unless Christmas comes early in 1942

Therefore, providing I've worked that all out correctly, I have until 4th November to take Stalingrad by. There is nowhere else I am strong enough to take an objective and even if I transferred forces they wouldnt be there in time for me to avoid dismissal.

If anybody knows of any other strategy that I'm missing then feel free to let me know. I dont think playing the more time card will be of use, all it will do is move the dismissal date by a couple of turns.

So, providing I have worked that all out correctly, Stalingrad is my only chance to keep the game going a little longer, as providing I dont get too many bad objectives I should then be alright to hold out until December 5th when I have to try and take Poti - by that stage I should have enough pp to play the ambition card again, which I'm hopeful that by that stage I may have started to lose some of the strategic initiative and I will get defensive cards.

To that end, provided I do take Stalingrad, the only thing I can think to do would be to withdraw and deliberately lose some towns in the Caucasus which will change my strategic position which at the moment is still at 10.

It is tough working out how to survive at this stage....my head now hurts trying to work all that out

Anyway, with the vague plan in mind I make the decision to not attack again in Stalingrad this turn, I need to build the forces back up and have full artillery cover each turn, otherwise it will be pointless. No map as there is no movement this turn, apart from the snow building up a bit more.




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< Message edited by Bonners -- 2/28/2013 8:25:12 PM >

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Post #: 95
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 8:49:51 PM   
Divineputte

 

Posts: 5
Joined: 5/29/2009
From: Sweden
Status: offline 		Hi,

Sorry can´t give you any advice when it comes to prestigepoints. I have the game but haven´t played much unfortunately so don´t know enough to give you any advice. Too much work
Hope to put some time into it soon, though. Just wanted to thank you for the awesome AAR. I browse the forums every day and its really fun to read
and makes me want to play now!

Good Luck the coming winter!

Kind regards

Patrik

(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 96
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 9:12:44 PM   
LiquidSky


Posts: 2811
Joined: 6/24/2008
Status: offline

What I am doing in my game is playing the avoid cards as soon as possible. What it means is my army is not getting reinforced in the early-mid game, but I have already 'avoided' Krasnador...and Stalingrad is next up on the list.

I noticed in my last game that I was probably going to be running into a prestige problem with the germans for that reason. I had reached a sort of limit on my offensive, but was not losing objectives fast enough to drop to a defensive posture. (which may cost me the game in victory points anyways).

I really think that you have to avoid stuff...as much as possible. After I took Rostov/Millerowo/Sevastopol/Kerch etc. I am over 50 prestige. If I manage to play all the avoid cards, I will probably only lose for Stalingrad and Krasnador. Since I wont take Krasnador, I wont get Poti and Grozny. If I take Stalingrad, I will play avoid Astrakahn. All in all I am trying to minimize my prestige loss.

_____________________________

“My logisticians are a humorless lot … they know if my campaign fails, they are the first ones I will slay.” – Alexander the Great

(in reply to Divineputte)
Post #: 97
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 9:48:38 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: puttel

Hi,

Sorry can´t give you any advice when it comes to prestigepoints. I have the game but haven´t played much unfortunately so don´t know enough to give you any advice. Too much work
Hope to put some time into it soon, though. Just wanted to thank you for the awesome AAR. I browse the forums every day and its really fun to read
and makes me want to play now!

Good Luck the coming winter!

Kind regards

Patrik


Cheers for that, glad you're enjoying it, we're both having a blast playing it. We are both fairly desperate to make it to the winter offensive. Olivier slightly more so, he has even offered to give up a couple of objectives to help me survive - I think he is building up a formidable offensive force which he wants to use

(in reply to Divineputte)
Post #: 98
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 9:55:08 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: LiquidSky



What I am doing in my game is playing the avoid cards as soon as possible. What it means is my army is not getting reinforced in the early-mid game, but I have already 'avoided' Krasnador...and Stalingrad is next up on the list.

I noticed in my last game that I was probably going to be running into a prestige problem with the germans for that reason. I had reached a sort of limit on my offensive, but was not losing objectives fast enough to drop to a defensive posture. (which may cost me the game in victory points anyways).

I really think that you have to avoid stuff...as much as possible. After I took Rostov/Millerowo/Sevastopol/Kerch etc. I am over 50 prestige. If I manage to play all the avoid cards, I will probably only lose for Stalingrad and Krasnador. Since I wont take Krasnador, I wont get Poti and Grozny. If I take Stalingrad, I will play avoid Astrakahn. All in all I am trying to minimize my prestige loss.


Obviously too late for this game, but something to consider in future games. It must really hurt in the early game being sat there with 200 prestige and knowing you are going to use it on an avoid card. I'm never quite sure with the avoid cards how to play them. If you already have Stalingrad as an objective you cant play the card can you?

(in reply to LiquidSky)
Post #: 99
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 10:05:01 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		20th October - Stalingrad -so near yet so far

This turn I again attack at Stalingrad. Manstein does not have enough points for the freedom card, so I play the attack card instead on one of the 11th army corps. Similarly I play an attack card on one of the other 11th army divisions from corps HQ.

I initially attack with all my fresh artillery and then launch an assault. It fails again but the defenders look battered. therefore I take a risk and go all out. I launch another artillery assault with some of the remaining artillery and then attack again with the remaining infantry units. It is so close, loads of Russian infantry units either panic or break, but at the end of the battle there are still five units standing. I dont know the exact casualties for either side, but the Russian stack was in the region of 260 points at the start of the turn and I reduced it down to 103. That is as close as I have come and I think that might be it. It all depends now on what troops Olivier manages to get back across the river this turn. In an ideal world I'd be using my level bombers to reduce the infantry units trying to cross. But unfortunately the planes arent up to it and 'Luftwaffe' is now a dirty word and not used at OKH.

Olivier's forces are again starting to build up to the immediate south of the Volga, so the panzers from 1st panzer again engage in a spoiling attack. Ideally I would like to try and take Sarepta which would give me a very precious 1 prestige, but there is an ominous looking tank corps sat behind it, so I'm not too sure I'm strong enough to take it.




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(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 100
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 2/28/2013 10:13:04 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		20th October - Russian Armavir offensive

I am not too sure yet if this is a full blown offensive or a spoiling attack. I will be quite pleased if it is not an offensive, as if it is, it will have one of Olivier's horrible codewords. Olivier is really good at launching Russian offensives, but his code words are horrible

Anyway, he succeeds in pushing my infantry about once again and with dual attacks manages to grind another infantry regiment into the dust. he then pushes on through wit ha fresh tank corps to directly threaten my communications.

I am still weak in this area, but decide I cant just let Olivier push me around, so I decide to fight back. For the next turn two panzer divisions, a motorized division and the SS motorized brigade are brought in form the west to counter attack Olivier's forces.

In the meantime I play a freedom card from 17th army and a speed card on one of the infantry divisions and try and take on the fresh tank corps. Although I dont push it back I am happy enough that Olivier will have to think twice before carrying on the offensive, especially with my reinforcements now arriving. I decide to risk some of my precious bombers and managed to reduce the readiness of the tank corps with my level bombers, with thankfully very few losses.

As an aside, Olivier finally evacuates Taman this turn, probably the right thing to do as I think his troops were beginning to suffer from a lack of supply




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Post #: 101
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/1/2013 2:11:14 AM   
hlhudson74

 

Posts: 12
Joined: 4/25/2006
From: Cary, NC USA
Status: offline 		Bonner,

Thank you for all of your AARs. They are a great read and in the end it was your AARs that tipped the scales in my decision to get DC:CB.

Henry

(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 102
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/1/2013 9:22:45 AM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		The scene cuts to a telephone conversation at OKH......

Zeitler (in a state of agitation talking on the telephone) : ...but Von Bonners, we have Russian breakthroughs around Armavir, the Romanians on the flank are threatened.....

(pauses to listen to pleading on other end of line)

.....no I dont want to talk to Frau Bonners you must tell her.....

(more pleading)...

....Frau Bonners (gulps in air)...how lovely to speak to you....

(rabid unintelligible chatter at the other end of the line)

.....no of course Von Bonners can have the weekend off, I'm sure we'll manage to deal with the Russians without him for a few days, what is a million Russian troops amongst friends...

(line clicks dead)

Zeitler collapses into a heap of tears



< Message edited by Bonners -- 3/1/2013 9:29:07 AM >

(in reply to hlhudson74)
Post #: 103
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/1/2013 9:49:32 AM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: hlhudson74

Bonner,

Thank you for all of your AARs. They are a great read and in the end it was your AARs that tipped the scales in my decision to get DC:CB.

Henry


Thanks Henry, glad you enjoy them. I enjoy writing them and really use them as a learning process. I get loads of useful hints to improve my play and get lots of ideas for future games as well.

(in reply to hlhudson74)
Post #: 104
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/2/2013 3:47:12 AM   
LiquidSky


Posts: 2811
Joined: 6/24/2008
Status: offline
You can play the avoid cards with the objective in your high command..however, you will still lose the points for that city. However, you won't get the city again as an objective. My opponent tells me that he still gets it as a defensive one, though.

So...Stalingrad is showing as an objective. I play Avoid Stalingrad. When time runs out, I lose the points for Stalingrad..then no longer get the city as an objective.

Other things I have noticed...You wont get Krasnador as an objective unless Rostov falls..so it gives you that long to gain the avoid points if you don't want to do the Caucaus at all. And Krasnador leads to the Poti and Grozny....so if you avoid Krasnador, you only have to worry about Astrakahn if you take Stalingrad.



By the way, strategic postion will not change unless you have lost enough victory points over the last 4 turns to average umm..4 I think...then there is only a percentage chance that it will change.

< Message edited by LiquidSky -- 3/2/2013 3:52:31 AM >

_____________________________

“My logisticians are a humorless lot … they know if my campaign fails, they are the first ones I will slay.” – Alexander the Great

(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 105
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/2/2013 12:54:28 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: LiquidSky


You can play the avoid cards with the objective in your high command..however, you will still lose the points for that city. However, you won't get the city again as an objective. My opponent tells me that he still gets it as a defensive one, though.

So...Stalingrad is showing as an objective. I play Avoid Stalingrad. When time runs out, I lose the points for Stalingrad..then no longer get the city as an objective.

Other things I have noticed...You wont get Krasnador as an objective unless Rostov falls..so it gives you that long to gain the avoid points if you don't want to do the Caucaus at all. And Krasnador leads to the Poti and Grozny....so if you avoid Krasnador, you only have to worry about Astrakahn if you take Stalingrad.



By the way, strategic postion will not change unless you have lost enough victory points over the last 4 turns to average umm..4 I think...then there is only a percentage chance that it will change.

Cheers useful information. I have retreated this turn so I am hopeful that the strategic position will start to change.

(in reply to LiquidSky)
Post #: 106
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/3/2013 7:10:25 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		22nd October - The Russian Bear awakens


...and so it begins. The Russians launch the first probes of their offensive north of Stalingrad. I think Olivier has been keeping his forces well hidden from the frontlines, as at the moment it is only one tank corps and supporting units that begin to attack the Romanians. As they are not all the way forward that also means that I have the chance to retreat further this turn to avoid any breakthroughs and create time for the supporting German units to arrive.

With this attack I am not waiting around to see what develops - therefore all offensive operations around Stalingrad are abandoned and the great retreat to the west begins. As I shorten the line I also make the decision to send one of the panzer corps down to 17th army.

The reason for this is that the pressure from Armavir is mounting and the Russians are now going into all out offensive mode, breaking through and wiping out yet another infantry regiment.

I again retreat all along the line and the temporary stopping point is the Kuban river. I suspect the retreat is going to go all the way out of the Caucasus as well.

The other main issue I have is to try and create a strategic situation where I start to get defensive objectives. Therefore I need to keep retreating enough to give myself a chance of the strategic level going down each turn, otherwise I am going to keep on getting offensive objectives which will end the game sooner.




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(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 107
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/3/2013 8:48:14 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		24th October - the end is nigh

Unfortunately this game is rapidly drawing to a close, which is a real shame as both Olivier and myself would like a crack at the Russian winter offensive and it looks like I will be dismissed before that happens.

I currently have 54pps and will lose another 37 next turn when I have to play the ambition card again to avoid dismissal. On the basis that I will get five a turn I will not be able to afford to play the dismissal card again (not too sure what the cost will be) and with another objective due on the 26th October I will be down to zero prestige on the 28th October, which means I need to save up to play the ambition card again on the 1st November, which just isnt going to happen. So my failure to take Stalingrad is really starting to haunt me and has decided the game, with those 10 prestige points I would've been able to have held on for far longer - hopefully until I got defensive objectives when the strategic position changed. Even with the Grozny objective coming up I would probably have enough pps saved up to hold on at least until the Poti objective in December.

Not much fighting this turn, apart from the continued attack against the Romanians. Even with infantry divisions double stacked the Russians are slicing through the defences. Again the retreat continues to prevent any encirclements until German reinforcements arrive.

Even with the lack of an air force I think I am in a stronger strategic position than in the actual operation Uranus, as I have started to withdraw from Stalingrad and with the retreat I am gradually creating a reserve. In a couple of turns I will have 11th army and 4th panzer army off the front lines and able to reinforce where needed.






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(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 108
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/4/2013 6:38:06 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		26th October - Game over - dismissed by OKH

Really disappointing, but basically I have been dismissed by OKH for being at zero prestige for three turns. Last turn I played the ambition card which immediately increased my prestige to 1. This turn I lost one prestige by not taking Stavropol. The way I thought it worked was that I would go down to zero this turn (having ended the previous turn on one prestige) and the count to three turns until dismissal would've started again.

I dont suppose it makes that much difference, as I would've been dismissed in a couple of turns anyway as I would've had to play the ambition card on 1st November and wouldnt have had enough prestige to play it as I had 27 saved up and with a full three turns worth of prestige that would've only left me with 42 and the ambition card now costs 55pps.

So well played Olivier, out foxed me yet again, I just wish I could've managed to keep the game going until the Soviet winter offensive as I'd have liked to have seen how I did in a better defensive position (apart from in the air) that in the real operation Uranus.

I guess as the Germans Liquidsky's play is the only way to keep the game going if you dont manage to keep the offensive rolling - i.e. to start playing the avoid cards nice and early and save up your early prestige to that effect.

Right, off to do some final statistics, I wont do another map update as the final position hasn't changed since last turn.

(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 109
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/4/2013 7:04:42 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		26th October - Final statistics

Right, here is a run down of most of the important final statistics. I think the two most telling ones are prestige points and the aircraft statistics. From about the end of August Olivier was successfully contesting the battle in the skies and from the end of September he basically had air superiority. From that stage onwards I didnt have the extra firepower that I needed to try and break through his lines. The most obvious example is in the battle of Stalingrad. On two occasions all but one of Olivier's troops retreated, panicked or were broken, maybe by having a bit of airpower in the assault it might have been just enough to have tipped the balance.

Trying to work out how to use the Luftwaffe successfully for longer is something I really need to work out.

The other thing is prestige, mine was never high enough. I missed out on too many objectives for too long so never built up a prestige cushion which would've enabled me to have pushed on a bit slower in the later stages. Conversely, Olivier was getting the prestige for all the objectives he was hitting and his main problem with prestige was playing the cards so much they were getting expensive

So, my play has improved enough that I can attack with the Axis, and attack successfully, at a slow pace; I now need to work out how to speed up the attack and when to speed up. Another telling point in the game was when I did advance at full pelt, Olivier picking the right moment to counter attack and wiping out one of my panzer divisions and the Slovak division; at that point it was really costly as I lost my mobility in the Caucasus and it also made me more cautious in the advance which enabled Olivier to build up effective defences when I did hit his lines.

obviously he took a risk by putting three tank corps into the Caucasus, but it really paid off as I couldnt afford to advance beyond a snails pace, knowing I would get hit by his tank corps and at that stage I was losing air superiority as well.

So, main things I've learnt form the loss:

1. I need to work out how to speed up the rate of advance in the early stages to make sure I dont hit the prestige brick wall.

2. Related to that, I need to work out how to maintain air superiority, at least until about mid to late September, that is essential to keeping the advance going.

3. Going the long way round to Rostov is too long a route, I need to work out how to assault cities.

4. Similarly with Stalingrad, I need a far better plan to take the city.

5. Keep a more careful eye on what Soviet forces are where and dont get caught out.




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(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 110
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/4/2013 8:11:42 PM   
LiquidSky


Posts: 2811
Joined: 6/24/2008
Status: offline

Well you got further then I did in my last game. I only made it to early October before the bridge bombing bug bit the Bolsheviks.

At the time my entire army was on a defensive footing except for a panzer korp in the Caucaus heading for Astrakahn.

I did suspect in that game, though, that I was in for a world of trouble with prestige. I had only played the avoid Stalingrad card, and would have probably lost Poti and Grozny...and although I would like to think not...Astrakahn as well.

That would have put me in the 20's for prestige, and I would have been nickeled and dimed to death with the small minor objectives...

My current game is in late July. I have played Avoid Krasnador, and pulled my Axis minors up to guard the Don. (and Rostov) By not heading into the Caucaus, I give up a chance at an automatic victory, but will save myself from having to take Poti/Grozny

This does free a rather large German push for Stalingrad..which I hope to take on time.

Maybe I should go back to posting my AAR

_____________________________

“My logisticians are a humorless lot … they know if my campaign fails, they are the first ones I will slay.” – Alexander the Great

(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 111
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/4/2013 8:28:05 PM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: LiquidSky



Well you got further then I did in my last game. I only made it to early October before the bridge bombing bug bit the Bolsheviks.

At the time my entire army was on a defensive footing except for a panzer korp in the Caucaus heading for Astrakahn.

I did suspect in that game, though, that I was in for a world of trouble with prestige. I had only played the avoid Stalingrad card, and would have probably lost Poti and Grozny...and although I would like to think not...Astrakahn as well.

That would have put me in the 20's for prestige, and I would have been nickeled and dimed to death with the small minor objectives...

My current game is in late July. I have played Avoid Krasnador, and pulled my Axis minors up to guard the Don. (and Rostov) By not heading into the Caucaus, I give up a chance at an automatic victory, but will save myself from having to take Poti/Grozny

This does free a rather large German push for Stalingrad..which I hope to take on time.

Maybe I should go back to posting my AAR


I'm not quite sure what the solution is, hopefully your tactic of using the avoid cards will work, certainly would be interested to find out (hint, hint, AAR, hint hint). The thing is I like the extra excitement of the game played using the dismissal rule, yet at the moment I think it still needs some fine tuning. I'll fully admit that in this game Olivier was going over to the offensive, but I still had quite a lot of victory points, and could afford to lose a lot and still get a minor victory. Yet if we played without the dismissal rule my job would probably be too easy, as I would've suspended the attacks on Stalingrad far earlier and settled for a good defensive line around Krasnodar in the Caucasus - all a bit predictable and easy for the German player if he doesnt succeed in winning straight off. The dismissal rule makes you do things you dont want, which is what makes it more enjoyable and gives the game its overall flavour of the actual Case Blue - you cant be sensible and you do have to keep pushing for silly objectives at times.

In the game I had going along side this against Jon I was playing as the Soviets in Case Blue and again I was dismissed, just as my troops numbers had reached their low point and were very slowly starting to build up, the trouble being I had to retreat in the north and because of that I had to keep using the ambition card again to stop the dismissal.

Of course, if none of us play with the dismissal rule on, then Vic is never going to get any feedback to help with fine tuning it. For example, with the Trappenjagd scenarios starting in May, the dismissal rules have changed to prevent the Soviet player being dismissed if he doesnt take Kharkov and that has come from feedback from players.

Anyway, the important thing is that both me and Olivier have learnt a lot from the game and enjoyed it; I think we both would've liked to have played the winter offensive though as a counter point to the Uranus scenario which we've played through twice.

(in reply to LiquidSky)
Post #: 112
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/6/2013 8:09:52 AM   
Keunert


Posts: 886
Joined: 9/9/2010
Status: offline 		thank you for the aar! compared to Oliviers game against me, he managed to inflict far more losses early on. this makes a soviet recovery harder.
maybe my defending skills were just awfull...

(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 113
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/6/2013 9:54:37 AM   
olivier34

 

Posts: 1055
Joined: 5/10/2010
From: montpellier
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Bonners

26th October - Final statistics

Trying to work out how to use the Luftwaffe successfully for longer is something I really need to work out.

I did not look at the fighters stats (screenshot), thinking that with FOW on them they were not accurate at all or I had the good informations. Only 165 german fighters left...that's something to consider.

The other thing is prestige, mine was never high enough. I missed out on too many objectives for too long so never built up a prestige cushion which would've enabled me to have pushed on a bit slower in the later stages. Conversely, Olivier was getting the prestige for all the objectives he was hitting and his main problem with prestige was playing the cards so much they were getting expensive

You need absolutly to build this "cushion of prestige points". Rostov seems hard to take in time but Voronezh and Millerowo can definitly be taken, maybe with the play of a more time card. After that...like Liquidsky said, play an avoid card at the good time... On my side, it has been really easy to get all those prestige points. Only once, I had to defend heavily Armavir to keep it and save 6 points.

So, my play has improved enough that I can attack with the Axis, and attack successfully, at a slow pace; I now need to work out how to speed up the attack and when to speed up.

We could analyse the first turns of the game. I see two places where I was expecting some axis moves that did not occur.

Another telling point in the game was when I did advance at full pelt, Olivier picking the right moment to counter attack and wiping out one of my panzer divisions and the Slovak division; at that point it was really costly as I lost my mobility in the Caucasus and it also made me more cautious in the advance which enabled Olivier to build up effective defences when I did hit his lines.
obviously he took a risk by putting three tank corps into the Caucasus, but it really paid off as I couldnt afford to advance beyond a snails pace, knowing I would get hit by his tank corps and at that stage I was losing air superiority as well.

I had decide to move half of my tank corps into the caucasus and I was pleased to see that I could fight you back there but I was fearing that you would rail a panzer corps from the Stalingrad area with some artillery. With this reinforcement you could have blown away my 51A and 1arm.


< Message edited by olivier34 -- 3/6/2013 9:57:42 AM >

(in reply to Bonners)
Post #: 114
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/6/2013 10:05:35 AM   
olivier34

 

Posts: 1055
Joined: 5/10/2010
From: montpellier
Status: offline 		Hi Keunert !
I have discover the soviet side of the case blue scenario and understand much more what happen in our past two games. This side is more difficult to play and I don't think that you have "lost" those two games. With the DC1 experience we had, it was kind of easy to pick up the axis side but definitly not the soviet one. In fact I have use all the experience and analyse you have done in those games to play the soviet. .

(in reply to Keunert)
Post #: 115
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/6/2013 12:09:53 PM   
Keunert


Posts: 886
Joined: 9/9/2010
Status: offline 		we should do a rerun sometimes. for now my mac crashed and i do not dare to install parallels again as i got the feeling the problems started with it...

(in reply to olivier34)
Post #: 116
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/6/2013 3:29:28 PM   
olivier34

 

Posts: 1055
Joined: 5/10/2010
From: montpellier
Status: offline 		That would be great to play a rerun. Have you tried VMware Fusion instead of parallels ?

(in reply to Keunert)
Post #: 117
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/7/2013 10:26:53 PM   
BK6583

 

Posts: 411
Joined: 10/8/2002
Status: offline
quote:

Going the long way round to Rostov is too long a route, I need to work out how to assault cities


Brother if you figure that out let me know! I've read a lot about how CB [supposedly] favors the German player but urban terrain in my view favors the defender a bit too much. I've tried every combination of massive amounts of arty and air and attacks from 3 and 4 sides and it seems that as long as a defender maintains huge stacks in a Rostov or Stalingrad, you're just not going to take those hexes.

(in reply to olivier34)
Post #: 118
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/8/2013 4:33:49 AM   
LiquidSky


Posts: 2811
Joined: 6/24/2008
Status: offline

Rostov is easy to take...just cross the river to the side of it. If the Russians stubbornly hold on to the city itself, cut it off from behind. Instant Russian prison camp.

Stalingrad, well...that is a different kettle of fish.

Last game I didn't even attack it once, as my already beat up army was in no shape to endure the kind of losses I expected to take. The game I am in now, I have every intention of taking the city, and will see what happens. I have several plans in mind to try.

_____________________________

“My logisticians are a humorless lot … they know if my campaign fails, they are the first ones I will slay.” – Alexander the Great

(in reply to BK6583)
Post #: 119
RE: Case Blue Don Waltz - Bonners (axis) vs Olivier - 3/8/2013 7:15:34 AM   
Bonners


Posts: 486
Joined: 8/24/2012
From: Kinmel bay
Status: offline 		The problem with going behind the river is getting supply to your troops once across the river, as obviously the rail line runs through Rostov. I would've thought that to do that method it is fairly essential to have your JU52s inbound and a healthy supply of fighters in the south to sweep the Russian airforce from the skies.

The only player I've seen do it really successfully is when I played Isokron, who absolutely annihilated my forces, by crossing the river and then pushing on to surround all my Rostov forces. IIRC he maintained supply for the first couple of turns by flying JU52 missions.

(in reply to LiquidSky)
Post #: 120
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