Caspian Crusade

[Michael T]

M60A3TTS and I have agreed to the rules of engagement. I will be Axis.
It will be a week or so before I do T1 as my Axis play is very rusty since I haven't played Axis since June 2012.
Note: I would be very happy to play Soviet under the very same conditions.
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Alt 41CG scenario
Server game
Locked HQ Support
Non Random Weather
Full FOW

House Rules

No Para drops to break pockets at anytime in the game. No Para missions at all by the Soviets until the first Blizzard.
No bombing of air bases more than 3 times a turn (after turn 1).
No bombing of HQ's unless stacked with a ground unit.

Additional Auto VC (in place to prevent ludicrous runaways)
If the Axis player holds Leningrad, Moscow, Voronezh and Rostov concurrently at the end of 1941 he wins an Auto Victory.
If the Soviet player holds Pskov, Smolensk, Bryansk, Kharkov and Stalino concurrently at anytime in 1942 he wins an Auto Victory.
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[Ketza]

Those auto victory rules are not even close to being even. [8D]

Add Kiev and Minsk.

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: Ketza

Those auto victory rules are not even close to being even. [8D]

Add Kiev and Minsk.

He has not played in a long long while. Katza.

In this game GHC lost all those city's, but is winning game out right and about to take Moscow in 43. One of only 2 GHC players to get a game into 1943 post .13. Thats posted on forums atleast.


tm.asp?m=3173669&mpage=23

Good luck MT, if you make it to 43 you will be the 3rd GHC player to make it into 43.

[TulliusDetritus]

Good luck and hunt! [:)]

And above all, HAVE FUN, that's the important thing after all [8D]

[juret]

subscribed. GL to axis

[Michael T]

End Axis T3 (3rd July 1941)

My first two turns were very rusty and M60 managed to easily break the Lvov pocket. Things went better in the north for me and I was able to get in to position for a T3 strike towards Smolensk.

On T1 the Soviets ran in the centre and held firm in the south. On my T2 I managed to encircle around 6 or 7 Div’s just to the south west of Vinnista (see Red zone on map) and secure the Lvov pocket.

On M60’s T2 he ran in the south and in the centre held a line from Vitebsk to Mogilev and down the Dniepr.

In my T3 all I could do was pursue in the South and lock down some factories. In the centre things went fairly well for me and I was able to encircle a sizable group of Soviets around Vitebsk. The pocket is pretty tight and he will have to commit quite a few units to break it if he so chooses. In the north mech units have penetrated to the south east of Pskov.

I have shaken off most of the rust now. I have made some errors here and there but nothing disastrous. The biggest mistake was a poor Lvov pocket. But since he is running in the south anyways it’s not that big a problem.

Curious now how he handles the pocket around Vitebsk.

I don’t really think Axis auto victories in 1941 are possible anymore unless the Soviets make a series of big booboo’s. I don’t expect that from M60. So my aim is for a solid 1941 and then go for broke in 1942, with perhaps a visit to the Caspian. We shall see.

[Peltonx]

Nice job in the center,thats a good sized disaster for M60.

He always seems to have weak spots in his lines. If you recon they can be found. Hes not very good at check boarding.

You started out a little slow for you, but thats a very good pocket in center. That will probably give you Leningrad as he now has to move allot in front of Moscow.

Why does he have so much in the south? A classic of what not to do as SHC.

[Michael T]

A quick update at end of Axis T4. The Vitebsk pocket held. Its more substantial than first thought. Must be around 18 XX in there, we lock it down and move on. AGC Panzers pushed on towards Vyazma crossing the Dniepr just to the west of it and created another small pocket (4 or 5 XX) just to the north of Smolensk. In the north he has pulled back to the Luga line. In the south we can’t see the Russian’s for dust.

Full update and map at end T5.

[Balou]

You agree with Pelton you're in a position "that gives you Leningrad" - the more since AGC gets assistance from 4PzA ? One should'nt believe all that's been said in the forums - OTOH I don't wanna miss fabulous strategies.

[Flaviusx]

Trying to defend the landbridge in force is a mistake, imo. You need too many forces to do it right that are more urgently required elsewhere, namely Leningrad. M60 put in just enough to make a bag possible but not stop the Axis.

The first real MLR in the center starts all the way back along Vyazma-Bryansk.

[Michael T]

I always try to leave 4th Pz Gp in a position at end T2 where they can either head north or south east to help AGC depending on what opportunities arise. In this case M60 left a weakness on the northern shoulder of his Vitebsk - Dneipr line. So Mansteins corp went south east. The returns were worth the diversion.

This should ensure at least one of Moscow or Leningrad falling now. A lot depends on what M60 does. He can still save both but this would require him to give up the south. But from what I am seeing he seems to be trying to control what is happening in the south with a steady fall back with a large commitment of units. Or rather he has not stripped the south as much as usual.

[Ketza]

Its amazing you were able to blow a hole north of Vitebsk like that. I usually lock that area down pretty tight with paratroops in swamps. Nicely done.

[hfarrish]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Trying to defend the landbridge in force is a mistake, imo. You need too many forces to do it right that are more urgently required elsewhere, namely Leningrad. M60 put in just enough to make a bag possible but not stop the Axis.

The first real MLR in the center starts all the way back along Vyazma-Bryansk.

I fully agree, and am surprised people even still try to do this. Once any infantry gets there (or even before) that entire area is complete pocket bait.

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: hfarrish

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Trying to defend the landbridge in force is a mistake, imo. You need too many forces to do it right that are more urgently required elsewhere, namely Leningrad. M60 put in just enough to make a bag possible but not stop the Axis.

The first real MLR in the center starts all the way back along Vyazma-Bryansk.

I fully agree, and am surprised people even still try to do this. Once any infantry gets there (or even before) that entire area is complete pocket bait.

I fully disagree and I think Katza has first hand exp vs the wall at land bridge. I think the land bridge can be held, BUT you have to strip south other then the classic check board.

Leningrad / Moscow can be held and has been held in allot of games, but takes some exp.

M60 huge mistake is not stripping the south, use Flaviusx strategy of giving up 30ish arm pts and you can hold south with next to nothing.

M60 can easly hold Moscow still if he simply starts digging the standard 70 mile thick fort belt (again allot of units from the south), but Leningrad is lost vs MT. You can't make boneheaded mistakes and not pay for them vs the better players.

GHC can only take what they are given and that was a gift that MT was more then willing to take.

[hfarrish]

Not arguing that Moscow and Leningrad can be held - have started using the south stripping strategy to good effect. That said I think that the landbridge/Dnepr line is not the best place to pick a spot. Good German players can pick it apart.

[Flaviusx]

Don't even need the landsers to storm the landbridge if you are MT, either. The trick I guess is to keep the panzers gassed up going into turns 3-4, most Axis players run them out of gas in the center by not hanging back a bit. Knowing that (and I didn't know this until now) I am even less inclined to make a stand there than before.

Also, I wouldn't strip the south to reinforce the landbridge. I'd send them to Leningrad, if anything.

[Michael T]

The trick I guess is to keep the panzers gassed up going into turns 3-4

Flavius your giving away all my secrets [:D]

[Flaviusx]

Well, I think it can be stymied in part by occupying all that swamp terrain north of Vitebsk. (I consider this part of the extended Leningrad defense proper.) Rather than rush stuff to the center, I plant 2-3 armies of stuff between Pskov and Vitebsk to grab all the rough and swamp terrain in the area, including most of the swamp just west of Velikiye Luki. Doesn't have to be a continuous line, either, not immediately.

The actual landbridge can be managed by pickets.

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Well, I think it can be stymied in part by occupying all that swamp terrain north of Vitebsk. (I consider this part of the extended Leningrad defense proper.) Rather than rush stuff to the center, I plant 2-3 armies of stuff between Pskov and Vitebsk to grab all the rough and swamp terrain in the area, including most of the swamp just west of Velikiye Luki. Doesn't have to be a continuous line, either, not immediately.

The actual landbridge can be managed by pickets.

Yes I think allot of poeple don't under stand how important the area is between Pskov and VL going into the blizzard for SHC blizzard O, holding area north of Moscow and late 42 offensive.

Your right Flaviusx holding land bridge with pickets is easy way to simply slow down GHC as defence of Moscow starts 70+ miles behind that.

[821Bobo]

I put always 2 armies in that area and didnt help me. When GHC decide to divert 4. Pz group south they will pocket them. As far as I can remember, both MT and Pelton did it to me.