Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - SOVIET RETURNED - NO AXIS

Post descriptions of your brilliant victories and unfortunate defeats here.

Moderators: Joel Billings, Sabre21

Post Reply
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - SOVIET RETURNED - NO AXIS

Post by WingedIncubus »

This is my first AAR of attempting to play the Soviets in PBEM GC. This game is against Psych0 as the Axis. Part the reason I create this AAR is that by doing so, I more or less force myself to go to the bitter end. Plus, it's the best way for other, more experienced players to observe where I go wrong - and where I go right - and help as teachers.

I will surely be making MASSIVE amounts of errors, panic-induced moves, hesitations, dumb moves, etc. Feel free to school me and, also reassure if and when I do fine.

- No Soviet Bonus
- Non-random weather
- No Reduced Blizzard
- Better CV Math


User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T1 - Northern Front

Venspils is retaken by ZOC. Hopefully, this will allow some limited supply. I concentrate troops beside Riga to be as much as a pain in the butt as possible to the Axis.

I successfully pierce open the Kaunas area pocket in the South, but there is nothing I can do for them.

The Daugava river is not usable to build a defensive line, sinze a Panzer division has pierced through the river. I decide to forfeit the plains around the Malta River, because I just do not have the mass of units to make a defence in depth there while covering and building forts around Pskov. So everyone that can goes directly behind the Velikaya River to build a line behind and around Pskov.

Image
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T1 - Minsk - Centre-North Area

Well, that sucks.

Everyone able to reach is ordered behind to Berezina, while those who cannot go beyond the river are placed in the woods and in hedgehog positions. I am sure they are not placed optimally, but at least it is in a fan-like position, which serves to cover on both my flanks.

Image
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T1 - South-Centre Area

This region will be horrible for him to mop out in the next few turns. Psych0's large pocket was very porous, so I was able to chain-link the small pockets to a line of supply. This should buy me at least a turn. However, My MP was too low to reestablish control over the Buchach-Chertkov-Gusyatin railroad, which would have allowed me to rail as many troops as possible from around Stanislav to the East. [:(]

His Panzer divisions are way too forward around Proskurov, I move a SEC and Rifle unit to cut them out of supply.

EDIT: Oh damn! Looking at it back again, I believe the Axis ZOC will overtake Yampol, which is completely empty on his supply turn - and thus link up the panzers to their zone! [X(]


Image


Whatever is left from the area is redirected to Kiev. The area is so flat, however, how will I be able to build a line here with so few units left?

Image
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T1 - Southern Front

Nothing here, except some minor shuffling of some divisions. I wait for Psych0's move when the Axis minors get activated, as I know it is the hardest sector for the Axis to push in.

However, I bring my paratroops brigades to reinforce behind Bendery. 7th Rifle Corps and 26th Mechanized Corps are also brought from the Caucasus as reinforcements.

Image
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T1 - Other considerations

I was not able to evacuate any factory this turn, even with 13K Railroad capacity by the end of my turn. Under Rail Mode, the option was not available when clicking on various cities. Could it be because I had no AP left when I attempted to evacuate?
User avatar
HardLuckYetAgain
Posts: 8851
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:26 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by HardLuckYetAgain »

ORIGINAL: Drakken

T1 - Other considerations

I was not able to evacuate any factory this turn, even with 13K Railroad capacity by the end of my turn. Under Rail Mode, the option was not available when clicking on various cities. Could it be because I had no AP left when I attempted to evacuate?

Evacuation starts turn 3, not a second sooner.
German Turn 1 opening moves. The post that keeps on giving https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 1&t=390004
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

ORIGINAL: Drakken

T1 - Other considerations

I was not able to evacuate any factory this turn, even with 13K Railroad capacity by the end of my turn. Under Rail Mode, the option was not available when clicking on various cities. Could it be because I had no AP left when I attempted to evacuate?

Evacuation starts turn 3, not a second sooner.

Good thing I spent every single Rail capacity I could to move in more counters, then. [:D]
timmyab
Posts: 2046
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:48 pm
Location: Bristol, UK

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by timmyab »

Oh damn! Looking at it back again, I believe the Axis ZOC will overtake Yampol
It wont. It will remain Soviet controlled at the start of the Axis turn because it's in supply. The bad news is that panzers don't really need supply on turn two because they carry fuel with them on turn one.
Laeska
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2014 2:30 pm

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by Laeska »

I am not an experienced h2h player but have red some AAR's.
Good start deploying in Pskov.
Berezina too forward IMHO. Direct route from Glubokoe to landbridge is vulnerable and no one digging in Bogushevsk yet.
Stand in Romanian border and open rear. After T2 AGS supply comes mainly from Romania so German will be better supplied if they turn south and not reaching Kiev.
From pockets you can do more nuisance. Spread out and try to ZOC second echelon move and supply routes for spearheads. Sit on swamps and hills.

Even you were able to broke some of pockets your enemy did good start as beginner. We will see a great game.
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

Turn 2 in.

I am on the verge of giving up on this game, completely. This game is non-sensical. There is absolutely nothing that stops the Axis from running amok, even reality.

This is so frustrating. I have barely nothing left of the Soviet army on the Northen Front.


Image

Image

Image

Image

User avatar
56ajax
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2007 3:43 am
Location: Cairns, Australia

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by 56ajax »

Turn 2 in.

I am on the verge of giving up on this game, completely. This game is non-sensical. There is absolutely nothing that stops the Axis from running amok, even reality.

This is so frustrating. I have barely nothing left of the Soviet army on the Northen Front.


Remember that historically the AXIS got all the way to the gates of Leningrad, Moscow and into Rostov.

So retreat, retreat, retreat.

Lower Max TOEs almost across the board as your units are crap.

Rebuild your airforce as it is nearly the only offensive weapon you have.

Evacuate, Evacuate, Evacuate.

Rest units well behind the lines on Refit.

Pray for rain.
Molotov : This we did not deserve.

Foch : This is not peace. This is a 20 year armistice.

C'est la guerre aérienne
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

ORIGINAL: johntoml56

Turn 2 in.

I am on the verge of giving up on this game, completely. This game is non-sensical. There is absolutely nothing that stops the Axis from running amok, even reality.

This is so frustrating. I have barely nothing left of the Soviet army on the Northen Front.


Remember that historically the AXIS got all the way to the gates of Leningrad, Moscow and into Rostov.

So retreat, retreat, retreat.

Lower Max TOEs almost across the board as your units are crap.

Rebuild your airforce as it is nearly the only offensive weapon you have.

Evacuate, Evacuate, Evacuate.

Rest units well behind the lines on Refit.

Pray for rain.


HOW??? I get barely enough railroad to shuffle my troops around and move in reinforcement. My units can move so fast, when the Axis motorized get to move even faster.

If I rest unit behind the lines, the Axis get all the space needed to go directly to the big cities. If I create a defence line, the Axis just go around it across swamps and woods without problem, with no wear and tear seeming to happen to their panzers. In real life, panzers had to stop every 200-300 km or so for maintenance, because they'd just break down.

User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T2 - Northern Front

Over half of my standing army on the Northern Front are surrounded and condemned to be wiped out. Time must be saved to allow reinforcements to be rushed to Leningrad and start to evacuate industries.

The remaining troops are sent north in a hedgehog position, to bide time and hinder the panzers in the woods around Novgorod.

Meanwhile, 22nd Army is ordered to guard Velikiye Luki, while 24th Army guards Staraya Russia South of the Lake Ilmen. 41st Rifle Corps has been reassigned from Moscow Military District to blocks the Shelon river at Dno.

Image
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T2 - North Centre Front

I rapidly evacuate the Berezina River to seek refuge behind the Dnipr, I bring in reinforcement from Gomel and Rshev to fill it the gaps around the right flank of the Dnipr, at Smolensk

But I see too late, after making my moves... that there is a huge gap between Velikiye Luke and Mogilev!!! Because the front is curvy, I have no counters to spare to close the front!

I start to panic... my only hope is that psych0's panzers divisions seem to have no railroad that is not cut. Will this force him to stop and mop out what remains before continue to Vitebsk, and save myself a turn to plug the hole?

Image


Looking around, I see that 23rd Mechanized Corps is waiting for orders doing nothing at Bryansk. I immediately order its units to reach the Dnepr to cut the way across towards Vyasma.

Image
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T2 - Southern Front

I have had more success in the South. I was able to retreat enough troops of Southern Front to link up with the Souteastern Front, linking both fronts with reinforcements from 19th Army from STAVKA to link both rivers into a single, united front. If things come to push, I will be able to wheel behind the Dnepr to Cherkassy.

All units in the pockets were ordered to find favourable grounds (hills, forests) and stand to fight and die there.

Image
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

T2 - Other considerations

General of the Army Kirilii Meretskov was assigned to command Western Front. Pavlov was... fired.

General of the Army Georgi Zhukov was assigned to lead Southwestern Front in front of Kiev.

User avatar
bigbaba
Posts: 1238
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:12 pm
Location: Koblenz, Germany

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by bigbaba »

Drakken: remember that for the first two turns the axis mobile units have almost max mobility. then they run out of fuel and have to slow down.


also for the next game: re- deploy those strong units from the west Ukraine to the land bridge between Dnepr and Dvina.

you also could use some crap units (security, AT, ART) to "hug" his panzer divisions to reduce their supply and increase attrition.

also, it would be nice to reckon his panzer schwerpunkt. if he sends more than 1 panzer group to the north then he goes after Leningrad and you have to hold it as long as possible to bind the Panzer and strong infantry units there.

good luck for the game although I fear that Leningrad will be gone by turn 8 or so.:(
User avatar
KenchiSulla
Posts: 2956
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:19 pm
Location: the Netherlands

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by KenchiSulla »

Next time, build a defense around Pskov. It is a key area. You allowed yourself to get scared and fallback but Pskov is usually a place where you can draw some blood and withdraw after.....
AKA Cannonfodder

"It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.”
¯ Primo Levi, writer, holocaust survivor
User avatar
WingedIncubus
Posts: 547
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:17 am

RE: Newbs in the East: Psych0 (Axis) vs Drakken (Sov) - NO AXIS ALLOWED

Post by WingedIncubus »

ORIGINAL: KenchiSulla

Next time, build a defense around Pskov. It is a key area. You allowed yourself to get scared and fallback but Pskov is usually a place where you can draw some blood and withdraw after.....

How can I build a defence around Pskov, when his panzers have passed the Velikiya in the South and are now nearby Idritsa? Over half my Northern troops are already pocketed east of Kaunas, and now from he can veer north into my rear area behind Pskov. It was untenable.

I had to choose preservation of troops. With two panzer groups going for Leningrad, and one in my back if I stayed in Pskov I would have faced destruction. Hence why I decided to prioritise retreating toward Leningrad to bide enough time to evacuate as many factories and production points as possible.
Post Reply

Return to “After Action Reports”