Usual progress?

[countrboy]

I'm playing a PBEM game as Russians, on Turn 18.

I've lost Leningrad but just managed to keep Moscow (although it could fall when the snow hits). Russian losses are around 2.7m men, while Axis losses are around 400k.

Russian strength is 4.4m while Axis strength is 3.4m.

Am I in trouble? I'll keep playing no matter what, but I wondered if I had been managing to hold my own or was up a creek without a paddle....

[Telemecus]

ORIGINAL: countrboy
or was up a creek without a paddle....

Definitely not that! I can think of many players who would be very happy to only lose one of the three big theatre objectives and less than 3 million in the German offensive of 1941. Although the snow turns might or might not alter those significantly for you.

Unfortunately saying more than that can drift into the endless debate about whether the game is balanced and where it is balanced - and that has been going on since the game started and will go on without end. Certainly I have seen games with better positions than yours lose and worse positions than yours win. I can only say from my perspective - and without asking about the situation in the south or loss of some of the key factories - it does sound OK to me.

[countrboy]

Thanks Telemecus. This is my first PBEM and I had only ever played once as Russia vs. the AI, so it's hard to judge how I am doing. I have been giving up territory to try and preserve my forces (the Axis control a lot of marsh and forest east of Leningrad) while trying to also move factories east. I think things have stabilized somewhat, although I still have nothing when the panzers hit.

Finding the right balance between running or fighting, where to defend to the death and where to give ground, where to concentrate your forces, managing the OOB....all make for a great game. I'm really enjoying it.

[xhoel]

At 4.4 Million men in the OOB and with Moscow in your hands you are doing quite well. Your losses also aren't disastrous. Just don't let your guard down until blizzard starts. The Germans have teeth during the snow turns and inadequate defenses will cost you a lot.

Also I advise you to start thinking about the composition of your forces for the blizzard offensive

Cheers!

[countrboy]

I have started to set aside some armies for the blizzard

Moscow might still fall - there was only one hex which prevented the Axis from cutting off the city, with around 70 Russian divisions inside. I widened that to two hexes, but it may not be enough during the snow.

[joelmar]

I don't know your exact situation, but with only a 2 hexes wide corridor, in theory it will be hard to stop the Germans from isolating the City during the winter turns. That said, to reduce it, take it and hold it after might be another proposition altogether for them. You'll be the judge as to what forces to leave in the city, but if you decide to leave a strong garrison, make sure you can supply them when the pincers close, and keep strong mobile reserves to the east or on his flanks, again depending on the situation, to counterattack as soon as possible when blizzard hits. I think you should be able to relieve it or at least take it back if it falls. Don't forget, during blizzard, minor and major rivers become like clear hexes, no MP penalties to cross.

[countrboy]

Just regarding supplying the city by air, which sort of air units do I need to concentrate near the city? To be honest I tend to just mostly ignore the air side of things, which I know places me at a disadvantage.

[Telemecus]

Transport airgroups (which can include the U2 transport although very short range and low payloads). Also bombers although only really for one mission per turn. If you are going to be flying them against German fighter interception you may want fighter escorts too. If you are going to be flying large amounts of supply in you will need to prepare your airbases that you will use for this the previous turn so that they start the turn with sufficient supplies in them (or near them in v1.12)

Do not expect much from air supply - particularly in contested air space and in 1941 when it is nerfed to some extent. A very small amount of supply can change units from isolated (red border in supply mode) to beachead status (orange border in supply mode). This does make them fight much better but not as much as being in supply. If you measure each drop to get just enough for the units to go to beachhead status you can maximise the number that are though.

[countrboy]

Thanks Telemecus.

Just another question if you don't mind. If a unit needs to be put into refit to recover morale, does it matter that it will then be out of HQ command, because you need to move it at least 10 hexes from an enemy unit? Does the benefit derived from being in refit and 10 hexes away more than offset the impact of being out of HQ command?

[Telemecus]

ORIGINAL: countrboy
If a unit needs to be put into refit to recover morale, does it matter that it will then be out of HQ command, because you need to move it at least 10 hexes from an enemy unit? Does the benefit derived from being in refit and 10 hexes away more than offset the impact of being out of HQ command?

It can matter just a little bit being out of range of an HQ, but nowhere near enough to justify moving HQs around or spending points to reassign to another HQ that might be around. Generally the impact of being in refit to improve morale towards its base morale will offset many times the impact of being out of HQ range.

Remember all ratings will still be unaffected by range. So the range only matters for support units (which you will not need if you are not in battle or digging fortifications) or supply. Although the unit may not be getting supply in the most efficient means it will get some, particularly if you can leave it on a repaired rail hex in the rear. And it will not need a lot of supply if it is not using it (e.g. not using ammunition, not moving while on refit in rear). So you could well find it to be in a better supply position after a few turns in the rear than it normally would be on the front lines. Although admittedly for reasons of demand rather than supply.

Bottom line do not worry about command range if a unit is in the rear for refit.

(This also applies by the way to garrison units in the rear that you can leave assigned to High Command - they do not need an HQ).

[countrboy]

Ok great, thanks Telemecus.