TRP 1.3 mini AAR Taxman (Allies) vs Old Crow Balthazaor (Axis)

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 75

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
Strong Arm Swiss diplomatically (25 MPP for 25% chance of a 5-10% shift) – No

Diplomacy:
Reinvest USA chit into Switzerland (now only 8% Axis)

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
Considered lowering UK -> USSR Murmansk convoy, but decided against it this turn. I will revisit it again later.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps (shattered), ART (shattered), Elite INF, Mech Corps. 1 MPP before EOT
USA – Industry research (lvl 3), MOT Corps. 112 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 189 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 121 MPP before EOT

UK spent on repairs and saving to hopefully get a unit next turn.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Switzerland +6% Allies

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
USA Heavy Bombers 44% -> 65%
USA Ground Attack 95% -> 100%, completed (lvl 2)

Pictures:

30 February 10, 1942.jpg (1.81 MiB) Viewed 786 times

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 76

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
Reinvest USA chit into Switzerland

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
I like having the UK strat bomber in Egypt to scout, but I’m thinking of moving it back to England to try and punish him for having lots of AA on the front lines. Given said bomber scouting, it appears some of that firepower has left Egypt.

The diplomatic loss of Tunisia hurts as I suspect it is now loaded with units and therefore won’t be an easy invasion grab.

I’m wondering if I should buy some cheap units (i.e. MIL/Light Infantry) and stuff them in the Crimea. In TRP Sevastopol is an Industrial Center, meaning I can place reinforcements there even if it is cut off; Leningrad is the same way. I might eventually be able to afford putting an HQ there as well.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – Armor Corps, Elite INF. 6 MPP before EOT
USA –Ground Attack research (lvl 3), Medium Bomber (no upgrades). 67 MPP before EOT
UK – ART (shattered), Mech Corps (shattered). 74 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 157 MPP before EOT

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Switzerland +10% Allies

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
None

Pictures:

31 February 25, 1942.jpg (509.79 KiB) Viewed 746 times

[Duedman]

Soviet lvl3 tanks that early will be brutal

[Taxman66]

Not really early...
In TRP the advancement averages less than 2% (something like 1.8%) per turn unless you are getting catch up and/or S&I boni. So that bar still needs something like half a year, baring a breakthrough.

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 77

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
End Swiss relations with Germany – Yes
Cost UK 150 MPP for 2 turns (300 total!) and moves Switzerland 30-40% towards Allies. Also 50% chance Switzerland seizes German gold reserves (cost GE MPP, don’t know how much). I’ve never encountered this DE before, and decided mostly out of curiosity, to see how it goes. 300 MPP however is a huge cost!

Diplomacy:
With Switzerland now at 48% Allied, I’ve adjusted the diplomacy chits as follows:
UK 2 chits in Turkey, 1 chit in Switzerland (just to counteract or reduce the chance of going back the other way for now)
USA 1 chit in Saudi Arabia, 2 chits in Sweden. If the Swedes fail to see the light, we promise to mock them with Moose jokes forever (ala the opening credits to Monty Python and the Holy Grail).

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
USA loads 3 MOT, HQ & Elite INF onto AVLs.
UK loads Elite INF (at Plymouth) onto an AVL.
USSR placed HQ Eremenko west of Vladimir, thus allowing all the Moscow theatre units to be under command. I would have preferred to put him up in Karelia, but that can wait for my next HQ coming April 14th.

I’m finding it frustrating that Germany can have all their Anti Tank and Tank Destroyer units, and Russia has to wait until April to build hers, meaning they won’t come in until August, or October for the Tank Destroyers. I don’t remember if the Russian DE to get them exists or not. (Edit: found out later that it does)

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps x2 (shattered), Light INF x2 (shattered), Elite INF. 3 MPP before EOT
USA –C&C research (lvl 2). 12 MPP before EOT
UK – Armor Corps (shattered), GAR (shattered). 37 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 193 MPP before EOT

USA spent almost 300 MPP on AVLs.
UK buying back GAR to use as partisan duty in Iraq, freeing up INF Div there to guard a port or partisan duty in Syria. I would love to use all those otherwise useless Territorial/minor GAR units to do this instead.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
None.
After paying the Gnomes of Zurich (i.e. the Switzerland DE) 150 MPP, the UK only pulled in 83 MPP total for the turn. This will be painful next turn as well. I don’t know how much damage Germany is going to do to Russia in 1942 so I’m also leery about reducing Murmansk too much.

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
None

Pictures:
None

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 78

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
Shifted the single UK diplo chit in Switzerland to Sweden.

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
US AVLs start moving into the Atlantic.
UK AVL (Elite INF) naval cruises to just west of Gibraltar as does a Transport containing an INF Corps.
No push in Egypt due to low MPP from paying off Switzerland.

USSR received an INF Corps and an AA, both of which were placed near Volkhov.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – MOT (shattered), Elite INF. 119 MPP before EOT
USA –Strategic Bomber. 2 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 1 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 222 MPP before EOT

USSR saving a little bit of money for the coming blood bath and/or to help with AT purchases which I’ll be allowed next turn.

UK made just 86 MPP this turn, but is at least now done paying off the Swiss.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Evacuate Polish soldiers from USSR to UK (Kuwait) – Yes

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
None

Pictures:
None

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 79

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
None

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
Leningrad and Volkhov are probably toast. The question will be how long will it take him?

It’s expensive, but I’m attempting to poke holes in his line and make have to fill them and hopefully worry. Have to be careful because Russia is really only strong to counter attack and not so much to attack having to eat Artillery fire and get through entrenchments.

Russian weather is far too good these Spring turns for both his turn and my turn.

No push in Egypt due to lack of funds for the UK; Also waiting for Torch invasion forces to arrive.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – Elite INF(shattered), INF Corps (shattered), AA (Shattered), AT. 20 MPP before EOT
USA –None. 59 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 23 MPP before EOT
FF – Medium Bomber. 3 MPP before EOT

USA is starting to upgrade her existing air force.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
None

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
UK C&C completed (lvl 2)
UK Amphibious Warfare completed (lvl 2)

Pictures:

32 April 8, 1942.jpg (1.59 MiB) Viewed 670 times

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 80

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
None

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
US GAR on Iceland transported to off the west coast of Ireland for future North Africa anti partisan duty.
Final preparations for Torch, the rain in the Med and in the Atlantic near Gibraltar is less than ideal.

Medium bomber transferred from England to Egypt.
Shuffled a FTR to a hex east of El Alamein to provide spotting next turn.
CV Ark Royal topped off her air wing at Aden.

Placed reinforcement INF Corps in the Leningrad pocket. I hope I’m not throwing good money after bad.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps (shattered). 11 MPP before EOT
USA –HQ Patton (7), GAR. 29 MPP before EOT
UK – Amphibious Warfare research (lvl 3). 72 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 32 MPP before EOT

Was hoping to save more money for the USSR as they are about to get AA level 2 (currently 99%). Repairing everything soaked up almost all the MPP.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Form USSR AT units – Yes
Sweden +8% Allies

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
USSR AA completed (lvl 2)

Pictures:
None.
Sorry, wanted to take some of the Torch forces at least. Server issues today through me off my plan.

[OldCrowBalthazor]

Just waving hi.
Man this is great looking at the maps from the Soviet P.o.v.
Too bad it isn't actionable intell now!

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 81

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
USA reinvests her chit back into Sweden.

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
Stage 1 of Torch, I still have 2 US MOT Corps on AVLs and the UK Elite on an AVL (albeit having used up its attack). Options include landing more in Algeria, Tunisia if not defended well enough, or possibly bypass Tunisia and go for Tripoli or Benghazi. Sadly I’m betting I just don’t have enough land units to back door him lack that. I am thinking about putting ships at risk to pound the ports to prevent reinforcements or evacuations.

Ark Royal naval cruises back into the Red Sea and is near Qina Egypt.
UK HQ Auchinleck loads on an AVL at Haifa. He’s going to support the UK units that will help out in Algeria (Elite INF, INF Corps, ART and a Mech Corps that will be coming from Plymouth).
I decided to put the Cape Town SA GAR on a transport on its way to Syria to free up another INF Corps.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps (shattered) x2. 3 MPP before EOT
USA –ART, GAR. 49 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 161 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 61 MPP before EOT

UK is saving money to repair the bombers in Egypt. Additionally, the UK is real close to getting Production 3 (97%) so want to wait for that before buying more units.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Algeria & Morocco surrender (USA plunders 120 MPP in total)

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
None

Pictures:

33 May 2, 1942.jpg (1.41 MiB) Viewed 599 times

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 82

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
None

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
SA GAR goes around the Indian Ocean side of Madagascar due to S&I hit on GE sub in the straights. I see now why there is a reason to invade the place.
Another UK Medium Bomber stages to Egypt.
The UK Eastern Med fleet (along with HQ on an AVL) parks east of Crete, hopefully in a blind spot from the GE Fighters in Egypt and possibly a GE Maritime bomber spotted via spies in Ioannina several turns ago.
UK Mech transports from Plymouth to east of Gibraltar.

USA 1st Armor Corps is now about 8 hexes west of Madeira.
USAAC Pinata (i.e. the Blimp) stages to Egypt, it is there simply to soak an AA fire.


MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps (shattered) x2. 4 MPP before EOT
USA – Long Range research (lvl 3), Mech Corps. 58 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 125 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 61 MPP before EOT

UK Spent most of her money repairing the air force in Egypt.
USSR spent 250 on upgrading 2 AT and repairing the other.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Mexico joins the Allies

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
UK AT 63% -> 80%
UK Naval Weapons completed (lvl 2)
UK Production completed (lvl 3)

Pictures:

34 May 14, 1942.jpg (3.38 MiB) Viewed 566 times

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 83

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
None

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
Sent 1 USSR AT unit south of Kantemrovka, upgraded 1 and holding the other in reserve (so 2 can be deployed later).

I am wondering if he will repair the Tank Corps & Div in Egypt, or come forward to attack with them again. If he attacks I wonder if I will be able to reach them with my own tanks to hit them back.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps (shattered) x2. 39 MPP before EOT
USA – FTR, ENG. 53 MPP before EOT
UK – Production research (lvl 4). 112 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 119 MPP before EOT

USSR repaired her planes from last turn + 100 MPP to upgrade the 3rd AT unit.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
None

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
UK S&I 61% -> 83%

Pictures:

35 May 26, 1942.jpg (2.29 MiB) Viewed 532 times

[Elessar2]

OCB's last AAR showed him pulling back in NA, esp. given that the Torch is now lit, so looks like your strategy there worked out, if was a bit costly. He needs to get a big victory somewhere this summer to win this game, but Russia is looking pretty iffy too now.

[Taxman66]

Please Note that the above Allied turn is showing my response to his latest Youtube video.
Thus the pictures I display are the results of my 'next turn' and are a depiction of the situation AFTER you see the very beginning of OCB's next turn/video showing the opponent's (my) turn, and before he starts doing anything.
So, for example, if you paid close attention you will notice that in Egypt that Germany has lost an AA and an SS INF.


In TRP it is very unlikely for the Axis to win the war (though I suppose if you play the AI on average settings it would be simple enough to do), and I believe the victory conditions are not the same as they are in vanilla.

Regardless of the actual Mod's victory conditions, in my opinion the Axis surviving through historical VE day should count as a victory.

Lastly, to be fair this mod hasn't been tested very much in Multiplayer and even less so MP into the later stages.
So we're doing this for:
1) Fun.
2) Showcase the Mod.
3) Wanted a 'meater' eastern front that wasn't simply 3 blobs of units vs. 3 blobs of units.
4) Be effective Mod play testers.

[OldCrowBalthazor]

Please Note that the above Allied turn is showing my response to his latest Youtube video.
Thus the pictures I display are the results of my 'next turn' and are a depiction of the situation AFTER you see the very beginning of OCB's next turn/video showing the opponent's (my) turn, and before he starts doing anything.
So, for example, if you paid close attention you will notice that in Egypt that Germany has lost an AA and an SS INF.


In TRP it is very unlikely for the Axis to win the war (though I suppose if you play the AI on average settings it would be simple enough to do), and I believe the victory conditions are not the same as they are in vanilla.

Regardless of the actual Mod's victory conditions, in my opinion the Axis surviving through historical VE day should count as a victory.

Lastly, to be fair this mod hasn't been tested very much in Multiplayer and even less so MP into the later stages.
So we're doing this for:
1) Fun.
2) Showcase the Mod.
3) Wanted a 'meater' eastern front that wasn't simply 3 blobs of units vs. 3 blobs of units.
4) Be effective Mod play testers.

Agree with all points here.

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 84

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
None

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
Free French Armor Corps placed in French Guyana.
USA Tanks land at Bone, but need to be upgraded.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – HQ Voroshilov (5) (shattered), INF Corps (shattered) x3, Light INF (shattered). 27 MPP before EOT
USA – Medium Bomber. 26 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 1 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 148 MPP before EOT

UK spent all her money repairing (incompletely) stuff in Egypt.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Sweden +6% Allies

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
UK Advanced Tanks completed (lvl 3)
USA AA 78% -> 100%, completed (lvl 2)
USA S&I completed (lvl 2)

Pictures:
None

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 85

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
USA reinvests their used Chit back into Sweden.

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
With the Axis med fleet down to 1 sub (IT), I’m starting to send a few elements back to the British Isles in case the KM or remaining U-boats decide to get frogy.

I’m lucky the CA didn’t die and it fled to Aqaba. I still have to decide if I’m going to bother repairing it or hide it away somewhere. Otherwise, good timing for me as I wasn’t going to advance in Egypt this turn as I am upgrading the UK tanks and it let me use the Royal Airforce that weren’t being repaired.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps, INF Corps (shattered), FTR. 201 MPP before EOT
USA – S&I research (lvl 3). 26 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 11 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 77 MPP before EOT

Free France spends money upgrading the Tank Corps in Guyana.
Upgrading the US Tank Corps in Algeria cost 175 MPP, so no money for another unit.
UK upgrading Tanks and further repairs to some elements of the air force in Egypt.
USSR saving money in the hopes that I get Tanks 3 (97%) at the end of the turn.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
None

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
UK AT 87% -> 100%, completed (lvl 2)
USSR Advanced Tanks completed (lvl 3)
USSR Production 26% -> 51%

Pictures:

36 June 19, 1942.jpg (769.78 KiB) Viewed 456 times

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 86

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
None

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
UK Strat bomber deployed north of London.
FF De-Gaulle HQ & Armor Corps set sail from Guyana.
USA MOT Corps sets sail from Boston.

Apparently I got my Soviet Armored Train trapped, that was a mistake.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – Advanced Tanks research (lvl 4), INF Corps (shattered) x2. 2 MPP before EOT
USA – Transport research (lvl 4), Strategic Bomber. 52 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 7 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 51 MPP before EOT

UK upgrading a lot of Egyptian and North Africa units with AT 2 and Egyptian Air Force repairs completed.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
None

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
None

Pictures:
None

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #:87

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
None

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
Sent a DD from the Eastern Med fleet to go chase that sub off the Madagascar coast, but I forgot to naval cruise it.
UK Armor unit placed next to Portsmouth, not sure if I’m going to need it in North Africa and it also needs to be upgraded to Tank 3.

It seems like he has beaten me to FTR 3. Not happy about that as I’m still pretty far away (UK 83%, USA 61% & USSR 55%).

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps (shattered) x3. 1 MPP before EOT
USA – Strategic Bomber. 6 MPP before EOT
UK – None. 103 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 75 MPP before EOT

UK saving money for Industry (99%) next turn, and possibly Advanced Tanks

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Tunisia surrenders (USA Plunders 38 MPP)

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
UK S&I completed (lvl 2)
UK Industry completed (lvl 2)
USA AT 50% -> 74%
USSR Advanced Fighters 59% -> 83%

UK now has 3 techs to invest in (S&I, Industry and Tanks), and made only 212 MPP this turn. Hopefully that will go up with Industry Tech, though am not sure if it applied to this turn or not.

USA made 336 MPP, UK 212 MPP, USSR 529 MPP, FF 24 MPP vs. what appears to be about 950 for the Axis. That’s not much of an advantage. When does it swing?

Pictures:

37 July 11, 1942.jpg (2.54 MiB) Viewed 400 times

[Taxman66]

Allied Turn #: 88

Beginning of Turn Decision Events:
None

Diplomacy:
UK removed both chits from Turkey and added one to Sweden, and one to Saudi Arabia.

Actions taken not visible on opponents Replay:
Naval forces gathering in the North Sea and Dogger Bank to see if any German naval units are in German ports or possibly Southern Norwegian ports.

MPP expenditures (excluding reinforcements and upgrades):
USSR – INF Corps (shattered) x4, INF Div (shattered) x1. 1 MPP before EOT
USA – HQ Hodges (7). 111 MPP before EOT
UK – S&I research (lvl 3), Industry research (lvl 3). 24 MPP before EOT
FF – None. 99 MPP before EOT

Summer of 1942 economics: The Axis (GE+IT, excluding Vichy) are making ~950 MPP, having lost Switzerland (10 MPP), never taking Spanish (20 MPP), and no convoys from North Africa -> Italy. Meanwhile the Allies (including Free France) are making 1,101 and that is with no convoy raiding. That is not a significant industrial advantage.

End of Turn Decision Events and Diplomacy results:
Sweden +7% Allied

End of Turn Tech Breakthroughs/completed research:
USA Amphibious Warfare 48% -> 70%

Pictures:

38 July 21, 1942.jpg (2.17 MiB) Viewed 379 times