Razing the Reich

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AFV
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by AFV »

I don't see morale being an issue for MT at all. He will have plenty of units to rotate. Everything on the line should be morale of 50 or greater. Once a unit gets below 50, say 48, move it back 10 hexes for a turn, and it will be back at 50, and then back on the line.

There will be no pockets in 42. Hell, there weren't many pockets in 41, what the hell makes anyone think there will be any in '42 when MT will have several lines of defense, a better army, a MUCH larger army! Pelton's tactic of retreating is not bad, I can see the merits in game terms- but its what happened BEFORE the winter that is bad. Germany has to put an ass whipping on the SU in '41. He did not. The retreat might be making the best of a bad situation, we will see. It might be a boring game to play, but its very interesting to watch.

MT, your biggest problem will be getting all those damn units on the front line. You will need to spend a ton of AP making Rifle Corps just so you can get a decent percentage of your army into the fight, instead of 3 rows of hexes stacked 3 high with divisions.

Its church. I don't see anything but a major victory for MT at this point. Pelton is a great player, but he has met his match, he has been majorly outplayed in '41, which is a nail in the coffin for a German player.
janh
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by janh »

ORIGINAL: AFV
Pelton's tactic of retreating is not bad, I can see the merits in game terms- but its what happened BEFORE the winter that is bad. Germany has to put an ass whipping on the SU in '41. He did not. The retreat might be making the best of a bad situation, we will see. It might be a boring game to play, but its very interesting to watch.

Its church. I don't see anything but a major victory for MT at this point. Pelton is a great player, but he has met his match, he has been majorly outplayed in '41, which is a nail in the coffin for a German player.

I think that sums it up in some way. 1941 is the key, but for both sides, me thinks: It sets the stage for a subsequent beating of the Red in 42, or even its death, as much as it does set Axis up for pain during blizzard, or WW1 warfare after, if it is not effective with the casualty threshold. Games staying in the middle-ground, giving averagely successful Axis offensives, Soviet blizzard offensives, and an average 42 Axis summer, appear to be rare, though.

I find something ought to balance both sides of the coin, i.e. some extra reinforcements for the Reds if the beating gets to harsh (or even just historical reinforcements...), while blizzard rules in turn could be softer, so that Axis wouldn't so quickly find its demise like in many AARs if the Axis summer was just below mediocre. The pendulum likes to swing wide and quickly in WitE, not favoring reaching 45.
randallw
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by randallw »

There should be some point where Pelton forms his elite divisions into a heavy fist in the coming spring, attempting to create an encirclement of decent size. He knows he's trouble if the Soviet side is allowed to grow and improve it's quality with no interference.
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76mm
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by 76mm »

ORIGINAL: randallw
There should be some point where Pelton forms his elite divisions into a heavy fist in the coming spring, attempting to create an encirclement of decent size. He knows he's trouble if the Soviet side is allowed to grow and improve it's quality with no interference.

Yes, there could be some interesting moments in the spring, and I'm sure he'll have some success in creating pockets, but just not enough to deliver a knockout blow (or anything like it) to the Sovs. He'll realize that soon enough and turn turtle; I just can't see Michael making the kind of mistakes that would let Pelton back into this game.
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by janh »

Sure he will create one armored fist if not two. Rather the latter since he has to reoccupy all that he conquered already once in the north all over. My bet his focus will be on the tank country in the south, and destroying Micheal's ants.

I see merits in his withdrawal, some at least, but much more benefits it gave to SHC. Hard to judge which of them weigh heavier. We'll see. I think a slow tactical withdrawal, as Pelton usually does, would have served better.
Michael may just have to play it safe with stacked fort belts and tactical withdrawals when necessary, and be patient for his upgrade 2.0 to complete. Yet even Pelton turtles, I am not sure how this ends. The bonus of being closer to Poland than in pretty much any other AAR is one thing, but Wehrmacht can be very powerful on the defense. Pelton will also have time to establish defenses since Michael can't do much outside the blizzard rules in terms of counteroffensive in 42 or early 43. Maybe the match will be a draw after all.

I think Pelton did some weird things against Michael, and cut himself badly with this. First his focus on the Ilmen hook, and this full withdrawal. If Pelton had just stuck to his usual habits and tactics, the lines would probably still twist close to Moscow and past the Volkov now. Really a weired game, but interesting to watch.
randallw
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by randallw »

Well, Michael's army will be able to grow into pretty serious size, and by late 1943 he should be able to wield some heavy sledgehammers. Pelton may have to play the game of his life to get a draw.
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Michael T
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by Michael T »

Quick update. T36 (19 Feb 1942) Blizzard.

Pelton has emerged from his winter hideout with some Mech units and surrounded several of my Cav pickets. No big deal. But it appears some action may soon be afoot. Hooray!

Also I have more manpower than units to put them in so I will have to increase my Brigade production until Divisions get cheaper. OOB is at 7.88 million but all units are just about maxed out.
glvaca
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by glvaca »

ORIGINAL: AFV

I don't see morale being an issue for MT at all. He will have plenty of units to rotate. Everything on the line should be morale of 50 or greater. Once a unit gets below 50, say 48, move it back 10 hexes for a turn, and it will be back at 50, and then back on the line.

There will be no pockets in 42. Hell, there weren't many pockets in 41, what the hell makes anyone think there will be any in '42 when MT will have several lines of defense, a better army, a MUCH larger army! Pelton's tactic of retreating is not bad, I can see the merits in game terms- but its what happened BEFORE the winter that is bad. Germany has to put an ass whipping on the SU in '41. He did not. The retreat might be making the best of a bad situation, we will see. It might be a boring game to play, but its very interesting to watch.

MT, your biggest problem will be getting all those damn units on the front line. You will need to spend a ton of AP making Rifle Corps just so you can get a decent percentage of your army into the fight, instead of 3 rows of hexes stacked 3 high with divisions.

Its church. I don't see anything but a major victory for MT at this point. Pelton is a great player, but he has met his match, he has been majorly outplayed in '41, which is a nail in the coffin for a German player.

+1
Fishbed
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by Fishbed »

Actually, what Terje is accomplishing against Oloren does raise a couple questions about what can be done by a top notch German army that never saw winter. If played well, you could actually suffer from being oversized, somehow...
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by BletchleyGeek »

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

Actually, what Terje is accomplishing against Oloren does raise a couple questions about what can be done by a top notch German army that never saw winter. If played well, you could actually suffer from being oversized, somehow...

I doubt very much that Michael is going to put forward a 'carpet defense' like that of Oloren. 'Defending in depth' in WitE doesn't really mean to lay 90% of your army within 5 hexes of the enemy line.
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Michael T
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by Michael T »

Midway through T37 (26 Feb 1942), last blizzard turn. At last some fun to be had. Things are looking up!

Pelton has begun his move to his jump off points for his Snow O. I will lose 6 to 8 Cav units (3 gone already) in my picket line. They did their job. Recon and Cav have revealed a Pz/Mot split north of the Pripet of 6/3. South of the Pripet at least 11/11, a couple of Pz are unaccounted for, probably in the south or still on their way from Germany.

So clearly a southern attack is going to happen. Looking like a thrust to the north east from the Kiev region is on the cards to unhinge my line along the Berezina by advancing towards Gomel and possibly beyond. We are waiting. I have a major decision to make in the North. With his concentration in the south I am confident I can hold my lines in the north. I am very tempted to steal some more territory in the north. But that would mean leaving my trenches and putting my head in a noose if he were to break thru beyond Gomel.

Some eye candy for the Soviet team attached. Some Hitlerites got a little too cocky. Some Rumanians approaching the Crimea were sent packing as well. The joy of it all. I was worried my troops may have forgotten how to shoot after such a long and inactive winter :)

Full maps of the front at the end of next turn.

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gingerbread
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by gingerbread »

20 battles in that hex! What happened???
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Michael T
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by Michael T »

They suffered the pent up frustrations of the entire VVS IL4 level bomber force, 19 bombing raids :), plus a few in range PE2's Sturmos etc....
randallw
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by randallw »

What is the soft toggle set to? I see those mobile units in red. [;)]
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Michael T
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by Michael T »

Always fuel.
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Michael T
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by Michael T »

After a couple of cognacs I decided to stay in my trenches along the Berezina. The game is with Pelton again. His first snow turn is up.
randallw
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by randallw »

Maybe you'll make an effort to interfere with any of his non-cheating Luftwaffe fuel drops to those armor units?
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Michael T
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by Michael T »

End Soviet T38 (5th March 1942) Snow.

At last, after 20 odd turns of boredom some real action at last [:D]

Overall very happy with the first snow turn. Pelton has launched an attack due north from Kiev on the Cherigov/Gomel line. So far a minor penetration. I am confident I can contain it. All Pz/Mot forces locations are known. 6/3 in the north and 13/11 in the south. No subtly with Herr Pelton. He seems to be intent on killing a few Cav div’s in the north, no great loss. I doubt I will build them back. I intend to build an unstoppable blunt instrument, a steam roller. Cavalry does not figure in the plan.

After restraining myself for the past 2 turns I could no longer hold back. I have made an attempt to hold Minsk. Comrade Stalin orders an advance from the Berezina line to Minsk (see green arrows), so be it. A series of a dozen or so Soviet attacks are successful just to the West of D and Z town (see red arrows), around 10,000 fascists are dispatched for the loss of only 5000 comrades.


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76mm
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by 76mm »

hmmm, not sure if an offensive is a good idea, you might get more excitement than you were looking for!
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RE: Razing the Reich (No Pelton)

Post by dave_wolf »

@ MT: Just out of curiosity: Is there a particular reason why you 'white out' some map areas (since your opponent isn't supposed to see those pics anyway)?
The artist formerly known as davewolf.

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