Rather tense random game situation

[Bástya elvtárs]

So I started an arctic-temperate random game on a large map with 5 AI, and found myself in a rather tense situation by turn 9, as one of the AIs entirely blocked my expansion vectors. It's turn 17 now and I'm fortifying my positions (red on the map) while facing a growing infantry force on the AI's part. I've been hesitant to declare war seeing my limited oil & raw (+500 and +84)—any tips here?

[Jeffrey H.]

Build a tank and aircraft factory, make some light tanks and dive bombers. Grab a few more oil wells, upgrade the ones you have.

Are you on AI + ? If so, I don't think you'll survive.

[cbardswell]

Hey fella! Welcome aboard.

Step 1

As he's massing infantry...

Build machine guns, machine guns, machine guns and some more machine guns...once dug in these will mince attacking infantry and should enable you to hold.

Also - you need to build a continuous line if you are assuming the strategic defensive - the ai is a right f@cker for slipping around your flanks. Break those big units up into smaller units and add machine guns. For ref: My starter/kwik build defensive line brigade is [18rifle/smg & 9 mg] building up to [27rifle/smg & 9mg &9 bzka] mid game

I'd look to hold those hills and woods in the southwest, the middle of your front you'll have to hold the plains - focus your fortification efforts there - the northeast you've anchored nicely on the marshes and rivers although your purple hq looks exposed.

Did I mention I think you should build some machine guns?

Step 2

Upgrade your mgs to level 2 if poss. Upgrade your raw facilities if you can - will triple your output.

Make sure all your units are within 5 hexes (command range of their HQ - cannot see your HQs so cannot tell.)

Watch out for armoured car units - add bazookas to the mix where necessary.

Step 3

This is the point I'd follow the big jeffa's advice and get some factories in but it ain't mandatory (you can often capture them)

Build armoured cars/ light tanks (I prefer light tanks myself as then I can mulch the AIs armoured cars. I use 6 or 9 in an armoured units.

Start attacking their infantry with your armour - pick easy fights, deserts and plains, avoid any enemies with anti tank capability. Encircle with multiple units if poss. Look to bleed them and build up your tanker's experience

Add arty to the mix if your raw allows, add aircraft to, but if your oil is low then be aware aircraft empty a a fuel tank faster than a screeching hen party empty a quiet pub.

Step 4

Up to you but I'd attack and annihilate the foe. (Consider motorising a couple of infantry corps to keep up with the tanks)

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers

Charlie

[Strategiusz]

Try to cut off his supply. It looks like there is many swamps, rivers and forests, so roads are very important. Maybe you can use paratroopers? If not, try with ACs or tanks.

[Josh]

Any tips? Sure, start praying. [;)]
In all honesty you probably can't stop that purple AI, so do not start a war with that one till you can defeat it. Better expand the other way as fast as possible and find some AI's you *can* defeat, gobble them up and get some more Oil/Raw and production power. AI's tend to be Inf heavy, I've noticed that early on Light Tanks II and Cavalry are king of the battlefield. Also Artillery ofcourse, especially Heavy Artillery but those are expensive early game. Oh yeah do upgrade your Oil and Raw mines to lvl II... III is a bit too expensive IMHO.
Oh another tip, build a few strongpoints (like you already have) to stop the AI *but* leave a hex or two wide open, preferrably open ground (tank ground). The AI will swarm your frontlines but also try to go around your forces, that's where he pours his units into your killing zone. Have Arty and Tanks ready...  blast away. That will work only temporarily because the AI can outproduce you, but it will gain you some time and get your troops more experience.
Good luck. [:D]

[Bástya elvtárs]

First, thanks for all the tips & the greetings! [:)]

I finally could get around to playing. Luckily, a third AI at war with both me and Emperor Purple popped up, and this opened new possibilities. But they're so far away... So here's the quiet situation in the east:

[Bástya elvtárs]

...and the fighting in the west:

[Josh]

ORIGINAL: Bástya elvtárs

First, thanks for all the tips & the greetings! [:)]

I finally could get around to playing. Luckily, a third AI at war with both me and Emperor Purple popped up, and this opened new possibilities. But they're so far away... So here's the quiet situation in the east:

Yeah you got to take on that other AI first, this purple one is a tough nut to crack for the moment. Terrain is difficult (hills forests and rivers = trouble) and he outnumbers you. I do notice a weak spot in his line though. To the upper left of that lone amoured car in the forest, you can just see the sea there, break through there and you'll have cut off the line of supply to the rest of his forces in the wooded area. Notice how the majority of his forces are near your besieged town? That's because his capitol is somewhere there too although it's still shrouded.
The moment that purple AI declares war on you (DOW) it will probably attack your city there where your MG unit is 365 points. Be sure to not overstack that hex with more than 100 points (that's 100 soldiers, each counts as 1, same with MG's and Mortars they count as 1 too, AT guns count as 5 and tanks as 10). Use MG's and AT guns, like 20 MG's and 5-10 AT's and the rest Inf. MG's and AT's are very very efficient when it comes to defending.
When and if that AI DOW's you he will most likely swing around your 316 MG unit to the hex with open ground.... that's your killing field, have some tanks and arty ready and blast away. Have HQ ready to get them some HQ bonus.

[cbardswell]

Josh knows his stuff...[&o]

Very little to add but...

- I notice your raw is not upgraded yet (really worth doing - your engineers can't be fully committed building fortifications so get them onto upgrading raw if you can).

- Your line looks a lot better and those MGs should manage although watch out for that infantry gun unit - probably the biggest threat I can see.

- Some of your units (the light blues especially) look a bit scattered so won't be getting HQ bonuses (if a subordinate unit is within 5 hexes of their HQ they get a big boost).

- I would still recommend a screen of troops in your centre so the enemy has to fight across the river.

- Also, if you have the capacity, adding a couple of jeeps to your formation will give you a much better idea of what you are facing (they have good recce- abilities)

As for the west - Verdun looks like an easy capture ("il ne passeront pas" my @rse). It's good tank country down there so your armour units will get valuable experience. Be aware that if purple declares war as they will cut your supply line to verdun in a jiffy (I'm assuming the Verdun map screen print is south west of your main position) so you'll need to be careful.

Keep us posted!

[Bástya elvtárs]

Thanks again. This thread is rapidy becoming an AAR.

Turns out the French (green) amassed quite some heavy artillery. This is going to play out interesting.

Oh, as for the raws, two are lv.2 and the third 3

[Josh]

Thx Charlie, I've been playing this game for quite some time now but it still captures me and amazes me. Just recently I started a new random game with a new masterfile just to check it out, anyways the AI (not AI+ mind you) clobbered me all over the place, had to pull back to within three hexes of my capitol. It felt like a Götterdammerung scenario. My only hope was the two approaching AI's battle it out against each other instead of me... bought me some time indeed. Took an ungodly amount of time to finally beat them back and defeat them... but boy was that fun and tense.
 
Ahum getting off topic here. Heavy Artillery is *the* Inf killer in this game (together with lvl bombers but they come in later game). The give their HQ also a Exp boost because for every unit killed they give their HQ and Exp increase. The AI loves Heavy Artillery too and he's got more than you [:D] and they are a serious threat to your forces. Unfortunately, or maybe thankfully depending on your point of view, the AI has trouble giving it's Arty enough transport or supply. But you really want to take them out first, that's where the fast Light Tanks (lvl II-III are blazing fast) come in handy, or the Cavalry for that matter.

[jday305]

I agree with Josh about Heavy Artillery. In the game I am currently playing, the AI's artillery is responcible for 75% of my losses. I usually hit them with my own artillery and air units as soon as I spot them as they can be a real pain in the ass if I leave them alone. They do a real number on my fortification's strenght points and can slaughter unfortified units they catch in the open. Rule number one-build artillery units as soon as you have the raw for them. Rule number two-make sure the enemy does not concentrate their artillery so they can hit one or two of your units as they can weaken that part of your line real quick.

[Bástya elvtárs]

That's very true. In fact, the AI arty was so effective that all the units visible in the Dec 1 1937 screenshot fighting the green forces were lost or battered to uselessness in the end. Only when an air force was created could I smash their artillery, after which their resistance ceased quickly.

[jday305]

Problem with the AI is that they seem to produce more artillery then I am able to destroy each turn. In my current game, I usually destroy anywhere from 12-25 artillery points but they still are a pain in my ass. LOL.

[Bástya elvtárs]

I created 3 air units with 10-12 divebombers each, and they proved quite effective. They do slurp oil, though.

Levelbombers might be more effective against arty, but the AI also likes pure armour units, which need divebombers - if I attacked a unit of ~5 armored cars with an infantry-tank-halftrack combo, the inf losses would be quite high.

[jday305]

Love those dive bombers. They are the scourge of all armoured units. I love to see how many destroyed armoured cars and tanks I rack up each turn with my 12 4 unit divebombers spread across my front. We are talking about major losses to the AI. That is untill the enemy starts producing anti air units; then it gets real interesting.