German strategy on challenging - advice?

[BaronX]

I'm currently playing WiF Titanium on challenging and it's the first time I simply CANNOT beat USSR no matter what I do.

I consider myself quite experienced player so I wonder if anyone could defeat USSR on this level (on normal I have no problem with taking UK and USSR at all).
I'd simply sleep better knowing that it actually is not possible - and maybe suggest a little tweaking in bonuses for USSR war.

First I many times tried to build standard army without first building IC, but this tactics never works.

To describe my tactics which got me so far almost to Stalingrad (and then I failed of course):

Economics (I think my strongest field)
I started by IC - approximately 45 IC in 15 provinces in 3 years. Usually by 1939 I have 210 basic IC. Utilization of anschluss,munich events is a must, so I have in that moment dissent exactly on that level which will be erased by event. Most importantly, I managed to master trade system in a such way, that not only I have no problem with resources at all, but I can allocate to supply production 0!! IC from 1936 up to the 1941 (in the first years I manage to amass sufficiently supply - around 50k that from 1939 on when my trade no longer suffice I can live from these supplies to Barbarossa).

Production
I neglect navy completely, knowing that even if I managed to take UK, the costs will be greater than benefits measuring from 1941 Barbarossa perspective. By May 1941 I have 10 interceptors, 10 CAS and 12 tacticals, all upgraded at least to 1939 or 1940 level and all on the eastern front. As for the army, I usually use iccasional units which balkan allies gave me to guard west coast, while wehrmacht is almost exclusively on the eastern front. Approximate strenght 140 divisions total on eastern front, all upgraded to reasonable levels, and from this number app. 15 armored, 15 motorized, 8 HQ, all specials SS by events, 10 mountain and 5 mechanized, all this non-infantry with brigades (eng, or in case of some tanks heavy).


Military strategy
Before Barbarossa, I usually manage in 1939 to take Poland and Netherlands (by the way it suprises me that this does not push belgium into the allies as in i think in some previous versions), In 1940 Belgium, Lux, France, Spain of republican, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Yugoslavia (except Yugoslavia all by July, Yug when end of non agression permits it).

In Barbarossa I focus on cutting of armies, primary objectives Kiev, Minsk. I succeed in taking those cities (and cut off at least 70 divisions) and perhaps even more, but then I'm defeated.

Suggestions (ranked according to urgency):
There are three things that in my opinion makes this endeavor simply impossible:
1. Rivers + Smolensk. I do not mind huge numbers of USSR in IC and divisions (and higher difficulty malus), but the rivers and no events to corss them or something else make it impossible to advance - and that was not true for 1941. When enemy stacks the shore of the rivers with 15+ stacks, it is impossible to break through. This would not be such disaster, but if you look on the map, you realize that there is actually line of rivers from baltic to black sea only severed by Smolensk and that city has been made urban. This makes it almost impossible to break especially north. In my opinion there should be at least temporary events to minimize river crossing penalties for Germans in 1941 in next version and Smolensk should be for gameplay purposes made plain.

1. Finland
This nations should get some bonus - not big enough to make them advance, but at least big enough to prevent annexation by semptember. Thic could possibly also be done by some terrain events and lowering infrastructure. I could ussualy advance as long as USSR has some forces tied in Finnish borders, but when the annexation occurs the numbers jumps too high.

2. AI of Italy.
Italy is not able despite huge numbers of divisions on Libya not only to advacen, but usually Libya is taken by 1941. This would not be disaster per se, but the problem is that when Libya is taken they do not have enough forces to held the coasts, so I have to actually commit divisions to defend Italy - in 1941 when they should be on the eastern front. There are two possible improvements - either improve Italian AI to fight better in Libya (this should not be hard, simply make it more aggresive in the begining) or prevent Italy to take so much divisions to Africa. In reality there was in fact Italians even on the eastern front, so it could be even a good idea to let Italy sometimes "grant" some occasional division as well.

Well, that's pretty much all, great mod by the way, first that made me sweat with relatively low nominal maluses on IC.

And if someone was able to break USSR on this level in Titanium without being completely ahistorac, please let me know, I'd very much like to know how.

 

[Eugenioso]

hey man. i see what you mean totally.

i see the main problem you suffer is the one of crossing the Dniepr. trust me, crossing through the north is nearly impossible. if you are really fast, however, you can usually establish a small foothold in there with some arm/mot divs. however its all wooded up there, and the russians arrive en masse to stop you there.

your best bet is to hold the dniepr with infantry divisions, pulling back when they suffer too much abuse. as soon as the russians try to break through, you can use your panzer armies to cut off between 20 to 50 divs. this is usually feasible by september/very early october. just hold them back till winter slows them down in the north. another good idea is that as soon as you capture the river side you land fort it and infrastructure it. 8 divs per province usually does the trick, but keep an arm/mot division around there to stop breakthroughs.

if you want to cross the Dniepr head to the southern front. usually just southeast of odessa there is an unoccupied russian province there, and its a great foothold to encircle some forces in Dnetprovost and around there. a quick encirclement and destruction of Sevastopol is possible as well if you use your forces properly. from then on you can encircle Kiev if possible, or simply push to the russian rear lines. beyond Kharkov there are very few russian troops, and isolated divisions can easily be encircled and destroyed.

as for Finland, i think they do their job well at least until 42, which is when they usually get puppeted. if you can transport some divs there with transports then you can help pin down a good 30ish russian divs.

and finally that idiotic noob of mussolini and Italy. youre right. they suck at fighting, and you are skint of troops to send there. my suggestion is to man all the ports/beaches in Italy with at least 1 inf div each and maybe 1 mot/arm to stop landings and paratroopers. also watch the balkans. the brits love using the islands there to muster 20 divs there. 3 inf divs in Athens usually does the trick, but fortify them just in case.

 

[Hollandia]

If you get to that river and find big stacks on the other side, simply weaken one spot in your line and lure the soviets to attack it. They'll eventually attack cause they don't have fog of war. Give up the province without casualties and wait for soviets to enter. Then when a considerable stack has gathered there, simply attack it with an even, or better yet, smaller force. Sovietys will be pouring into the province you want them to go and as more and more troops get there, the lines around it will weaken up which provides for a good encircling attempt. The long fighting time is in your advantage here as you keep many many enemies occupied with only a small force and with airsupport and fast panzers you should be able to destroy those ruskies. Off course, luring them deeper into your conquered territory only adds to your chances of success. Just remember to keep the front flexibel and moving. When all is stable and standing still, you'll lose.