Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Saturday, March 31, 2007
1944 - The Beginning and The End
I have never played a game that lasted beyond 1943. Most games have ended in a decisive Axis victory as Russia has fallen. This time Russia held. I was very excited to begin what was essentially a new game.
The allied air campaign began. Escorts rolled and with only 11 dice hit 7 times!. It's a good thing those weren't Eastern Front rolls. The end result was a -1 to my WERPs but the near end of my fighters.
It was a good thing I had one last trick up my sleeve. My commitment to Africa was a big risk as I was relying on a land supply path that at best I figured would last until March/April of 1944. I had to move fast or retreat. Marshall must have figured the same thing so he reinforced, using SA's to get the blocks into Alexandria.
That is just what I wanted him to do.
Notice the two Italian units that for some odd reason never moved into Alexandria? One was the Italian Airborne which I promptly used to jump to El Alamein. Then using a combination of German strat moves and SA's, I moved German units out of Alexandria and into El Alamein to stop any efforts to re-open the supply line. Then I moved more Germans into Alexandria (that had been strat moved to Sinai) so that an American assault would fail as well.
The Allies responded by invading Upper Egypt which I had left open. Bonehead on my part but I had it covered because there were so many units in Alexandria they covered both spaces. I had no idea it was an invasion site. Doh!
In Russia, the Allies made a desperate attempt to cut my supply. I anticipated this a fortified both Don River and Stalingrad. When the attack came to Stalingrad I simply reinforced.
To begin March/April the Allies bombed again. This time the escorts hit 7 times with only 9 dice! Amazing rolls, just not at a critical time.
Before I could send the email with my purchases, the Allies conceeded the game granting an operational victory to the Axis.
The question is, should they have conceded? Looking at the photos, you tell us. We'd love to know if the game was a lost cause.
The allied air campaign began. Escorts rolled and with only 11 dice hit 7 times!. It's a good thing those weren't Eastern Front rolls. The end result was a -1 to my WERPs but the near end of my fighters.
It was a good thing I had one last trick up my sleeve. My commitment to Africa was a big risk as I was relying on a land supply path that at best I figured would last until March/April of 1944. I had to move fast or retreat. Marshall must have figured the same thing so he reinforced, using SA's to get the blocks into Alexandria.
That is just what I wanted him to do.
Notice the two Italian units that for some odd reason never moved into Alexandria? One was the Italian Airborne which I promptly used to jump to El Alamein. Then using a combination of German strat moves and SA's, I moved German units out of Alexandria and into El Alamein to stop any efforts to re-open the supply line. Then I moved more Germans into Alexandria (that had been strat moved to Sinai) so that an American assault would fail as well.
The Allies responded by invading Upper Egypt which I had left open. Bonehead on my part but I had it covered because there were so many units in Alexandria they covered both spaces. I had no idea it was an invasion site. Doh!
In Russia, the Allies made a desperate attempt to cut my supply. I anticipated this a fortified both Don River and Stalingrad. When the attack came to Stalingrad I simply reinforced.
To begin March/April the Allies bombed again. This time the escorts hit 7 times with only 9 dice! Amazing rolls, just not at a critical time.
Before I could send the email with my purchases, the Allies conceeded the game granting an operational victory to the Axis.
The question is, should they have conceded? Looking at the photos, you tell us. We'd love to know if the game was a lost cause.
1943 Nov/Dec - Allied Moves
The Aliies did little aside from reinforce Alexandria even further and shuffle the elite Soviet units out of the constested Novgorod.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
1943 Nov/Dec Axis Move
Mud
Not Much accept for my South by Southwest exit of Russia. I vactated territory I had no interest in defending and believed could easily be placed OOS once Russia received her 3rd SA.
I did move some German and Italian units into Africa to fend off the coming American armor. Now that the river and field fort were breached, my Italians needed the help if morale was to stay in tact.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
1943 Sept/Oct - Allies on the Move?
Well, not really. They did attack though with the Russian elite infantry striking Novgorod. At the time I had 2 units there (correct me Marshall if I am remembering incorrectly) but chose to play a SA to reinforce. When it was all said and done, I had an armor unit that survived.
1943 Nov/Dec - Axis Move
Mud.
Not much for me to do except to continue my slow and steady retreat in Russia. I moved most blocks South and Southwest. I shifted out of areas that I either thought he wouldn't attack or that held no value to me anyway.
Yes it's nice to have all of that Russian production coming over to Germany but the reality is that it could be cut off sometime in 1944 so I better plan now because mud gets you nowhere fast and I have plans for my strat moves. :)
Not much for me to do except to continue my slow and steady retreat in Russia. I moved most blocks South and Southwest. I shifted out of areas that I either thought he wouldn't attack or that held no value to me anyway.
Yes it's nice to have all of that Russian production coming over to Germany but the reality is that it could be cut off sometime in 1944 so I better plan now because mud gets you nowhere fast and I have plans for my strat moves. :)
Sunday, March 18, 2007
1943 Sept/Oct Operation Speed Bump
The Normandy invasion forced me to give up the dream of taking Russia in 1943, and use all of my operational moves to position myself for a bad weather turn in Russia. I placed speed bumps everywhere so that my supply lines could not be cut. With 2 SA's I find Russia to be much more dangerous.
I used all of my Strat moves to assemble a force in Paris. When it all said and done I hit Normandy with 15 blocks including 7 elite units. The assault cleared Normandy with one SA. Another was used for repositioning throughout Russia and the French coast.
I'd be curious to know what a more experienced player thinks but...
It would seem that while it bought him a turn for Russia's sake, the early Overlord is going to cost the Allied player in the long run. I am assuming the units lost will take too much money/time to build and then ship to Britain. I could be wrong but now HE is the one counting clear weather turns and I think he'll miss one because he won't be fully ready in 1944.
Thoughts?
I used all of my Strat moves to assemble a force in Paris. When it all said and done I hit Normandy with 15 blocks including 7 elite units. The assault cleared Normandy with one SA. Another was used for repositioning throughout Russia and the French coast.
I'd be curious to know what a more experienced player thinks but...
It would seem that while it bought him a turn for Russia's sake, the early Overlord is going to cost the Allied player in the long run. I am assuming the units lost will take too much money/time to build and then ship to Britain. I could be wrong but now HE is the one counting clear weather turns and I think he'll miss one because he won't be fully ready in 1944.
Thoughts?
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