Stalin's bloodthirstiness is contagious.

[MJF]

After about a 1 month battle. The plan was to amphib Ishmail, come up the backside of the Dnister River, fighting into Zhitomir and hopefully Vyshgorod, surrounding A. G. South that I had stopped at the Dnieper. They forced the battle to take place at Kiev. They retreated so well that I had to launch attacks accross the Dnieper, and reinforce the blood bath in Kiev. They "Support Defense" very well, so it's still not over.

The damn Yanks invaded thru Greece and forced me to attack 1 year early. Now they are looking at Berlin before me!

All this does is remind me how easy it is to play the USA instead of USSR.

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

That is one bloody battle, kudoes!

Yeah it's so hard to get the AI to both cover its beaches and send sensible numbers of units to the front. Online play is the only answer

But I'm sure once you completely route the German army, you can end fascism once and for all, and then continue your liberation into central and western Europe, freeing all the people from capitalist oppression.

 

[stevep]

One hell of a battle MJF and quite a good exchange ratio, especially when your attacking. Well done,

 

[MJF]

About 15 months earlier that I expected. We out-Schwerpunkt'd the punkts!

...Barely beating those Capitalist Swin...er..."Partners" to the prize!

By Flag on the Reichstag, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22274040

Now if only I can contain the West while I pick some Nazi "Pockets..."

 

[stevep]

Well ending a lot earlier and with less destruction and you have Berlin but it looks like the western powers have the bulk of the goodies in the rest of Europe. Are you thinking of/at war with them? Going to be tough with them having so many additional resources unless you can steamroll a lot of Europe.

Plus of course war with the west means Baku is vulnerable, unless your already liberated Iran.

 

[MJF]

Not yet. Not to mention that 1 day later AOD crashed and I lost 2+ weeks of work. I usually take a week or so off to recover from these crashes.

Japan conquered China. As usual the USA AI is doing nothing vs Japan. If I can get the lead on VPs in Europe, fine. If not, I better get more IC or units, to take the Eastern Hemisphere before radioactive Yankee explosives begin dropping on me.

 

[stevep]

Not yet. Not to mention that 1 day later AOD crashed and I lost 2+ weeks of work. I usually take a week or so off to recover from these crashes.

Japan conquered China. As usual the USA AI is doing nothing vs Japan. If I can get the lead on VPs in Europe, fine. If not, I better get more IC or units, to take the Eastern Hemisphere before radioactive Yankee explosives begin dropping on me.

Ah well, best of luck either way. Given the date you should have some time before the mushroom seeds start dropping plus I think production is quite low per nation. However I would have thought that by 43, if your not at war with the allies - came a democratic power do a dow if your belligency is low? - then driving Japan from the mainland of Asia should be fairly easy given their lack of armour and probably much inferior IC - or at least from China/Korea region - which would give you an a very big, if backwards ally in China.

 

[MJF]

driving Japan from the mainland of Asia should be fairly easy given their lack of armour and probably much inferior IC - or at least from China/Korea region - which would give you an a very big, if backwards ally in China.

That's better than trying for a semi-unholy alliance with them? BTW, this is the first time I've ever done this well(?) with the Reds.

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

BTW, this is the first time I've ever done this well(?) with the Reds.

Congrats! Especially well done given how much manpower you still have in reserve.

 

[stevep]

That's better than trying for a semi-unholy alliance with them? BTW, this is the first time I've ever done this well(?) with the Reds.

Ah I haven't played a solo game for several years and never got this far. Was assuming that they were part of the Axis and hence at war with or at least deeply hostile to you. If you can get an alliance it would depend on the circumstances but could be the best option as they would have so much MP [in China] and could tie down the US a good bit. That would secure your eastern flank for operations in the west and south if you go to war with the western allies in the near future.

Boney would know a lot more about the possibilities than me as he has a lot more experience of the latter stages of the game.

 

[MJF]

Congrats! Especially well done given how much manpower you still have in reserve.

Resulting from such a poor IC level. I didn't purge, and "Winter War"conquered Finland, ¶:$$:Иġ off the rest of the world.

 

[MJF]

Ah I haven't played a solo game for several years and never got this far. Was assuming that they were part of the Axis and hence at war with or at least deeply hostile to you.

Axis - no. Deeply hostile - Yup.

If you can get an alliance it would depend on the circumstances but could be the best option as they would have so much MP [in China] and could tie down the US a good bit. That would secure your eastern flank for operations in the west and south if you go to war with the western allies in the near future.

I'm probably too low IC to succeed in "Buying favor," esp with such a different gov't. Your invade & conquer idea might be better. However, IIRC, the USA (who has taken Kwajalein and Taiwan, but nothing else!) is very slow to attack Japan proper, whom they and the Allies are now at war with. They wait until Atom Bombs start falling, and the Emperor then capitulates. That would give them a big IC boost.

Germany surrendered to me, and I didn't establish the "Status Quo" states, so my popularity isn't too high right now. I've liberated a People's Italy but courtesy of Sicily and a massive Axis Navy, Fascist Italy fights on.

The UK has landed in So. Korea! Should I be worried?

Boney would know a lot more about the possibilities than me as he has a lot more experience of the latter stages of the game.

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

Boney would know a lot more about the possibilities than me as he has a lot more experience of the latter stages of the game.

I haven't played vanilla AoD in years. The AI is more flexible when it comes to diplomacy (compared to the mod I'm using), but I doubt the USSR can find any friends this way regardless. Except maybe Brazil IIRC.

Liberation by force is your best bet all around really. Grab what you can from the Axis and any neutrals before launching WW3.

Taking mainland Japan would be a tremendous boost to the Comintern. Might be able to do it by sneaking some TPs into the Pacific, using paratroopers on an undefended non-beach coastal province, and then flooding their mainland that way. Would likely need 1940 or 1943 transport planes, alongside perhaps an air base in the province just east of Vladivostok to achieve that.

Otherwise, provided China isn't in the Allies, you might be able to persuade them into the Comintern, either through diplomacy or by force. Would be nice to have Mao rule over the entire area, at least for Stalin!

 

[MJF]

Taking mainland Japan would be a tremendous boost to the Comintern.

Let's see...

Might be able to do it by sneaking some TPs into the Pacific, using paratroopers on an undefended non-beach coastal province, and then flooding their mainland that way. Would likely need 1940 or 1943 transport planes, alongside perhaps an air base in the province just east of Vladivostok to achieve that.

No Paras. Turns out the Allied Amphib of Korea & Mainland China was enough to weaken their homeland defenses:

The Politburo has the results of your risky Far-Eastern strategy:

Mr_BOnarpte is hereby promoted to Grand Senior Advisory Commissar to the Sec'ty General.

Stevep is hereby promoted to Ass't GSC-SG.


As for those advisors who did not participate......Commissar Beria informs me of some openings in the Gulags...

 

[MJF]

...Would be nice to have Mao rule over the entire area, at least for Stalin!

With thin supply lines, heavy enemy presence, and the diversion of a couple of armies to the Japanese Mainland, The Southern Offensive is effectively stopped. The enemy still has 6 BB's, 2 CV's, 2 BC's. I have SS IV's and 3 CV V's with 3 DD IV's under Kunetsov. Amphibbing through the Gulf Of Tonkin looks suicidal.

So.....?

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

Mr_BOnarpte is hereby promoted to Grand Senior Advisory Commissar to the Sec'ty General.

Why thank you General Secretary, although this success has mainly been down to your great leadership of the Red Military.

So.....?

Repairing all your newly liberated land and then releasing the nations of Communist China, and some form of Japan if possible are the next steps. This will provide two very important partners for the Communist International.

I cannot see much more room for further offensives, except a grind into Indochina through the mountains, although as you say, your supply lines down there are very stretched. You can "scout" the Philippines by checking the suppression values in the provinces there, if any have less than 8 suppression, it means they are very lightly defended. Same for the remaining Japanese occupied parts of China.

Otherwise an incursion into Sweden or Turkey might be on the cards, or Iran depending on the situation in the Middle East.

 

[MJF]

Why thank you General Secretary, although this success has mainly been down to your great leadership of the Red Military.

Repairing all your newly liberated land and then releasing the nations of Communist China, and some form of Japan if possible are the next steps. This will provide two very important partners for the Communist International.

I might have blundered. I countered a Japanese peace offer with puppeting -- and they agreed!

I'm at peace, while the allies are at war with China, Mengkukuo & Siam -- who remain Japanese puppets?!?

Otherwise an incursion into Sweden or Turkey might be on the cards, or Iran depending on the situation in the Middle East.

Turkey was high on the list. Turkey & Sweden? Thought that might prompt an early allied attack on me.

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

I might have blundered. I countered a Japanese peace offer with puppeting -- and they agreed!

Au contraire, that saves you the dissent you'd have incurred from liberating them manually. Plus they keep all their tech progress, and will be able to share any research progress they've made - especially helpful in the naval arena.

I'm at peace, while the allies are at war with China, Mengkukuo & Siam -- who remain Japanese puppets?!?

Yeah AoD peace deals never operate cleanly. You can likely declare war on those three nations to finish them off. If that causes issues in game, feel free to share your latest save and I'll edit all that silliness away.

Turkey was high on the list. Turkey & Sweden? Thought that might prompt an early allied attack on me.

If both do not have their independence guaranteed by the UK or USA, I say go for it!