that_sweed said:
I am new to this mod and I would like to know how the boosts to the Soviets would work if you let them attack you first. I have seen that the USSR tends to attack Germany by itself in 1943 if both are ai. I am considering a strategy as Germany where I build fortifications along the eastern border and concentrate most of my attention and manpower on beating the allies.
My question is if the USSR will still recieve the huge production and manpower boosts if I never set foot on their territory. Also, will they only attack a weak Germany or do they always attack?
Thanks for any answers
[In my view, it's not only the best course of action which you can take but also the safest.
Firstly, because Ivan doesn't receive any of those insane manpower bonuses, not to mention the conveniently numerous guards divisions.
Secondly, because you'll have the advantage of defending.
Thirdly, because by the time he attacks you (in my case it was always february-april 1942, regardless of the strength of my border armies) you will have put the extra resources available for the whole of 41 to good use.(at the time of their attack the British Empire should invariably consist of England, Newfoundland and the vicinity of South Somaliland.
Also, after a few tests I discovered that you can absolutely crush Ivan in 2 simple ways:
1. (Risky version)Gradual retreat of the centre in a crescent fashion(maintaining heavy defences on the flanks), which will cause the AI to send wave after wave of men out in the open on the Polish plains. Setting up your ENTIRE Panzer force on each flank should be followed by a huge at-all-costs-double-enveloping-maneouver, regardless of casualties. The end result should be something in the form of 100 enemy divisions being pocketed, after which you can afford losing a few of the recently gained provinces in order to stabilise the front and maybe give him another lick a la' Cannes.
(The slightly-less-risky-though-not-so-spectacular-version) Same as above, except the huge Panzer armies should now be 4-6 smaller which should attempt to carry out more "local" encirclements.
2. The "three army groups" version. This would assume that you had at least two months to prepare accordingly.
A pathetic Army Group South whose job will be to draw attention to its feeble little self.
A moderate Army Group Centre whose job will be grabbing Ivan by the throat and preventing him from braking through the southern defences and generally from moving about as he pleases.
And finally, the "Juggernaut-at-the-very-least" Army Group North, and I mean it. Best leaders, best men, most supporting units.
Now, I know that the area is a wonderous marshland at first but then again you do have Overwhelming numbers and don't have to worry about being flanked from your left. Therefore, after knocking gently on Ivan's door,(maybe with some suprise landings to his back in Kurland) this Group should be able to take Leningrad, isolate any Soviet divisions in Scandinavia and smash north and south of Moscow.
Then, the choice is all yours. Personally, I prefer a sort of an inverted Schlieffen Plan, wheeling around Moscow and causing as many encirclements as possible.
If that doesn't crack him you can always nuke him back to the precambrian era.
