Neutral Belgium take two – Drang nach Osten

[ulver]

House Rules

1. Neutral Belgium. Until and unless neutrality is violated by the central powers the following apply:
1.1 Entente player may not build, place or move any Belgium units
1.2 Other Entente units may not enter Belgian territory.
1.3 Central Powers are considered to have violated Belgian neutrality when a Central Power unit attacks a Belgian unit or enters a Belgian hex. Doing so voids house rule section 1 and 2.


2.British neutrality. Britain is assumed to be initially neutral and then eventually entering the war to preserve the balance of power on the continent in response to Central Powers aggression. While neutral the following applies
2.1 No non-British Entente units may enter British hexes
2.2 No British units may enter the territory of another Entente power, attack a central power unit(that includes ships) or enter Central power territory.
2.3 Britain may not disband any units...
2.4. Britain is restricted in buying additional research centers.
2.4.1 To buy additional Ground Unit Research centers she must build and maintain one Infantry Army in addition to starting forces for each Research center she buys
2.4.2 To buy additional Artillery Research centers she must build and maintain two Artillery units for each Research center she buys
2.4.3 To buy additional Navel Research centers she must build and maintain one battleship in addition to starting forces for each Research center she buys
2.4.4 To buy additional Air Research centers she must build and maintain two fighters in addition to starting forces for each Research center she buys
2.4.5 To buy additional vehicle Research centers she must build and maintain two armored cars for each Research center she buys. Note: This to avoid Britain disbanding everything and putting everything into Research until 6 turns before she goes to war where she would sell some of the research she could not maintain and buy units
2.5 British entry into the Great War. Britain enters the war when
2.5.1 A central power unit enters Belgium or attacks a Belgian unit.
2.5.2 The Central Powers declare war on the Netherlands
2.5.3 A Central Power unit is adjacent to Paris or Rome
2.5.4 A Central Power unit attacks a French convoy
2.5.5 A Central Power unit attacks a British unit
2.5.6 A Central Power unit enters a British controlled hex.
2.5.7 It is 1916 or later
2.6 British entry into the war voids section 2 of the house rules. Note section 1 will still apply unless 2.5.1 applies


3. US entry into the great war
3.1 Germany must declare war on the USA on the 6th turn where any two of Paris, Rome, Petrograd/Moscow or London have been continuously and simultaneously held by the Central Powers.
3.1.1 Petrograd/Moscow only counts as one city even if both are captured – it counts if either has been captured
3.2 An accepted surrender counts as occupation of all cities in the surrendering nation


4 Air Power restrictions.
4.1 A nation can only have a number of zeppelins on the board equal to or less then their level of airship technology – 1. (As an example Germany is allowed 1 zeppelin at the start).
4.1 A nation can only have a number of bombers on the board equal to or less then their level of bombing technology – 1 (As an example France is not allowed any bombers at the start and Italy could build one when she enters the war)

Edit December 27th 2012 – Declaring war on the Netherlands is also a trigger for British intervention.

[ulver]

Central Powers initial War plans.

Yes I’m arrogant and megalomaniac enough to discuss them publicly. In fact I think I’ll may write a pre-war book about my objectives and strategy, I’ll call it “My Fight” or “My struggle” or some such……

Anyway, Warspite has kindly agreed to play me again and before I proceeded to establish Germanic hegemony over Eurasian I thought I’d take this opportunity to thank him for being such a great and gracious opponent. I can warmly recommend him. Apart from all his other qualities he plays fast – often several moves an hour. Really appreciate that when things gets exciting. Considering all the other games he plays in he must be very close to his computer all the time or have a smart phone notifying him about new moves in real-time.

Now where was I? Oh yes, planning to conquer the world. My primary war objective for 1915 should be obvious:

Occupy both Moscow and Petrograd in 1915.

In fact I consider the seizure of those two industrial centers to be of such high importance that I fully plan to reject any Russian peace offers prior to me having gotten there. I want the plunder, excuse me – production, to be had from them and I mean to possess them before 1915 is up.

A bit bold to say so up front isn’t it Ulver? I hear you say. Well, for one thing I suspect the thread title may have given my intentions away to the astute reader anyway but perhaps more importantly I just don’t think there is that much the Entente can do about it.

I always try to think beforehand on how I would counter my own strategy, how I would play if I was sitting across the table. (Of course last time that led me to disband most of the French army just prior to a major German offensive so one could argue that the track record is imperfect but still….) In this case what can the French do when I screen the German French border with garrisons and a few corps and throw the rest eastwards to knock out Russia? The way I see it they can:

Launch bloody land attacks against the narrow entrenched German-French border to draw my attention away from Russia.

Well, if France wants to commit suicide she can. Listen, they start without industrial warfare and have no artillery support. Let’s just say the rate of attrition is likely to be unfavorable, which brings me neatly to option two:

Build stacks of artillery, focus technological research on it and invest heavily in expanding to an obscene level of ammunition production.

Better certainly but I figure I can afford the losses initially, suck it up as it were. France needs to build the artillery; she needs to invest in technology improving the deadliness in a technological race with my ability to develop ever better trenches. That is a race weighted toward the defender in the initial stages and on top of that France needs to invest hundreds of build points in ammunition production. All that takes time. A problem that also applies to my favorite option and the one I disbanded so much of the French Army to pursuit vigorously when I sat on the other side of the table:

Strategic bombardment.

That will work, but not in time. Sure if he focuses Anglo-French Research into bombing and airship technology by mid 1916 the Ruhr will be a smoldering pile of rubble. Hence my eastwards industrial relocation project involving Moscow and Petrograd. Long term counter obviously involves an air offensive of my own and especially sinking every convoy on the map.

So, to summarize, my initial war plan involves overrunning the Russians shielded by British Neutrality and a narrow French front that is well fortified and I can’t see what the Entente can do about it.

Obviously I have other concerns such as Italy and Serbia. With regards to Serbia it isn’t that much of a priority initially. The Serbian army is close to its maximal size and can’t really expand much, it has only one research center so it will be progressively easier and cheaper to overrun as time passes. To insure I am in a position to react swiftly to both Serbian and French offensives I plan to spend heavily in expanding the already excellent German rail network so if either leave their fortifications I shall be able to rail the bulk of the German army swiftly to the point of enemy penetration and crush them in a meeting engagement before going on the counter attack to conquer them. Sure a really adventurous advisory could send a significant French force to the Balkans to help the Serbians out but that seems incredibly risky prior to British intervention. Only other options I can really think of is reducing the size of the Serbian army and invest in technology to avoid Serbian obsolescence. Could work if I ignore them to long and they get some French/British help but I do plan to deal with them before it becomes a problem.

Italy is more of a concern. I need to capture the plain in front of Venice in the first turn of Italy being in the war. Both to shorten the front and to insure that the Italians do not posses any airbases they can strike at Vienna from. Yes, seriously – the Italians starts with excellent bombing technology and I really can’t afford a heavy Italian bombing offensive that can reach Vienna.

That’s pretty much it for now. Well, what I’m willing to reveal anyway.

[warspite1]

Hehehe.. You've fallen into my trap. I've got you monologuing, and like all evil geniuses, you cannot help yourself and have revealed in fine detail what you are about to do....

mwahahahahaha

[warspite1]

All I have to do now is stop you with my...Russian...er Army [:(][&:]

I didn't think that through did I?

[warspite1]

In all seriouness, this will be a very quick game. The Russians teter on a knife edge at times as it is - but with practically the whole German Army on the Eastern Front, its going to be a walkover. But let's play it through and see what's what.

Suggestions:

1. Might be better to start a bit later and give the Russians the chance to choose their start positions. The Germans cannot leave the Western Front until they know the British will not come in - say three/four turns in.

2. The Austrians must attack Serbia and commit x% of her forces to the Serbian Front.

[ulver]

Yes Russia is doomed. That was why your attack on France in the last game was such a shock. I couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t go for Russia.

I don’t think taking out Russia in 1915 is anyway near going to win me the war. The Entente can either get adventurous in the Balkans by sending French support or reduce the French field army and obtain a technological advantage with the investment and then attack in the west with British support, go for really massive ammunition production or a combination of both and obviously combine that with getting to work on a strategic bombing strategy that will eventually really hurt. (focus research on bombers) Don’t forget that to win the war the way this scenario is set up I need to bring in the Americans and the Entente has a massive manpower advantage if they can find a way to protect their convoys.

If Germany doesn’t sink the bulk of Entente merchant shipping from 1916 onwards you can simply bleed the Central Powers to death in an even rate of attrition: They will run out of manpower and the Entente will not because you get more from overseas.

Incidentally do remember to build a French sub so you can attack a German convoy and begin researching anti-sub warfare. Trust me – you will need it. [:-]

[Naskra]

This should be a complete disaster for the CP.
Ulver, you ought to explain what "continuously" means in Rule 3.1
Russia can hold easily.

[ulver]

ORIGINAL: Naskra

This should be a complete disaster for the CP.
Ulver, you ought to explain what "continuously" means in Rule 3.1
Russia can hold easily.

Two of the cities mentioned controlled by the Central Powers for six turns uninterrupted. If for instance Rome and Petrograd is captured on turn 100 the Central Powers must declare War on the US on turn 105 as they have held them for turn 100,101,102,103,104 and 105. (unless the Entente takes one of them back meanwhile) Can you think of a better way to write it?

Hard to hold Russia as the Central Powers can send significantly more corps to the East front then the Russian can field and they are better quality and have artillery support. Add to that that with the Austrian fleet in the Black sea once Turkey enters they can land forces anywhere on the Black sea and Baltic coasts. With a neutral Britain they will also face 80% of the Turkish army and obviously Turkey will scrape together the cash to buy sea transport to get in on the invasion game in the black sea shielded by the Austrian fleet (Initial invasions will likely have to be performed by a German corps sailed from Trieste and refitted in Constantinople.)

[Naskra]

The ambiguity in 3.1 is that it is not specified whether the cities need to be held simultaneously.

Kutusov would laugh at your plans. "Time and space and winter", he would say.

[ulver]

All quiet on the western front

Germany’s plan of mobilization called for a swing north of the French border fortresses but last minute diplomatic developments showed that The British Empire took her commitments as a guarantor of Belgium neutrality very seriously. Overruling his generals the Kaiser made a firm decision not to violate Belgian neutrality leaving a frontal assault on the heavily fortified German-French border the only possible avenue of attack. The prospect of a meaningless slaughter did not appeal to a Prussian military class trained in maneuver warfare. Deprived by terrain and political circumstances of re-enacting the war of 1870 in the Western the General staff resolved to do so in the East instead.

There is only one small problem. The German army is concentrated at the wrong place. No matter, German improvisation, discipline and organizational talent will find a way. German industry is put to the challenge of an emergency production program - not of Guns but of rails and rolling stock as German rail capacity is dramatically expanded to allow for the rapid transfer of troops eastwards.


Turn 4. August 13th 1914. For the first two turns of her participation in the war Germany’s entire war output is put into dramatically expanding her rail transport capacity, allowing an endless stream of troop trains to roll Eastwards.

[ulver]

Horses of flesh; horses of iron

As the German general staff implements their recreation of the Teutonic crusades of the 12the century there are a lot of similarities with that ancient conflict. The most striking of which may be the reliance of the teutonic forces on horses. The iron horse is essential of course, both as a means of transport but also as a weapon system in itself in the form of armored trains able to quickly penetrate deeply and quickly along railroads but the most striking thing about the conflict is just how crucial a role old fashioned cavalry plays in it.

It turns out that the combat unit with the highest attack factor is – god help us all- old fashioned cavalry. There will be countless tactical elements in the coming battles Napoleon or Frederick the Great would have understood. Perhaps even more importantly they have greater mobility and as the icing on the cake they actually have slightly lower upkeep cost then infantry armies. As infantry combat technology advances they will obviously quickly become obsolete but German generals rely on speed and movement to archive a quick victory.


Turn 10 production queue

[ulver]

Did you concede? The game seems to have disappeared from the list?

[warspite1]

Yes. It was pointless - just a case of how quickly you could chase me across Mother Russia. The final straw was the amphibious landings....

You seem pretty confident you can beat Amaranthus at this. I will watch with interest. If he plays with any aggression whatsoever the Russian will never have the chance to hold anywhere before being overrun.

Good luck!

[ulver]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Yes. It was pointless - just a case of how quickly you could chase me across Mother Russia. The final straw was the amphibious landings....

You seem pretty confident you can beat Amaranthus at this. I will watch with interest. If he plays with any aggression whatsoever the Russian will never have the chance to hold anywhere before being overrun.

Good luck!

Thanks. I'll be happy to play as you as the Entente you know. I think you may underestimate their long-term potential. The only difference from a normal situation really is the shorter front in the West. Russia is much more exposed but the British/French has time to build up real strength, Research, Ammo production, and infrastructure.

[freeboy]

Did anyone ever game this out?
One issue is no head to head so it must be played via.2 person

I'd play and perhaps change house rules allowing for unlimited Brit research but restrict both side to no zeppelin and one strategic bombing per turn from bombers
Also no disbanding of units
No neutral attacked by cp
No German subs in Atlantic or c
Brit enters war