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A simple '36 Germany AAR - no wall-o-texts

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First Lieutenant
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Apr 3, 2011
232
1
  • Darkest Hour
Hi,

so I decided to make a rather simple, story-less '36 Germany AAR, concentrating only on the essential parts. (Because I know that you scroll only for the pictures. Right?) This might not be a perfect run (especially the Russian part), but I tried to make it as slick as possible. I am going to show you the key elements, like what to produce, when to attack, etc. And to make things a bit more interesting, I will upload my saved games for you (v1.02), so you can re-play the campaigns on the different theatres. Moreover, if You think you can do it better, you're more than welcome to post.
If you have any question or request related to the thread, just write and I'll try to reply properly.
I had a little technical issue, namely I could take a single screenshot, if I tried to make one about a popped-up event. I don't know what caused this, but probably one of the eyecandy mods. I use Francesco's one, the Neat Colors, and the one with the HoI3 graphs (I can't remember its name, sorry).
Oh, and this is a pre-played AAR btw. I didn't want to take any risks.

So let's get started, I'm going to post the first part soon.

Chapter 1 - 1936-39
Chapter 2 - Poland
Chapter 3 - France /bugged - France didn't mobilise, but efficient otherwise, believe me/
Chapter 4 - England
Chapter 5 - 39-40
Chapter 6 - Russia '40 (6 parts)
Chapter 7 - Russia '41 (7 parts)
Chapter 8 - Russia '42 (9 parts)
Chapter 9 - Cold War (3 parts)
Chapter 10 - US & Canada & semi-epilogue (6 parts)
 
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First Lieutenant
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Apr 3, 2011
232
1
  • Darkest Hour
1936-1939

This part consisted mostly about producing units. In the first year, I build some industry, and a few ARM+ENG (always this combo). It is also essential to forbid money export, and supply import, in order to stockpile as many of the other stuff as you can. (Well, honestly, you would have enough of them either way, so maybe forbidding the supply import is not important at all.) I cancelled the convoys, since they are useless. I reduced the ships and the land forts production to one, each.
View attachment 46192
The next year, I reduced factory production to 2/year. I started to produce a few planes (including a TRA), some AAs in West Germany, a lvl3 radar in Essen, some INF+ART (always this combo), and 1 PAR. (For invading Britain later.)
View attachment 46193
The next year, I started to build even more planes, a few tanks, some transports, garrisons, and more infantry. And I kept upgraded my most obsolete divisions.
View attachment 46194
In early '39, I started to build 2 HQs, more tanks and infantry, submarines, and 2 naval bombers. And I gave Slovakia to Hungary.
View attachment 46195

Here are my saved games, even though they're not really useful now:
View attachment 46196

So this was the first part, I will post the next one tomorrow (hopefully), where the real action begins...
 
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First Lieutenant
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Apr 3, 2011
232
1
  • Darkest Hour
Shock3r said:
the images are all tiny
Click to expand...
I know, I thought that they are going to be shown in full size, but maybe it's better this way, since they are not showing any fascinating things, and no one wants to scroll that much.

Cybvep said:
I like this simplicity. However, I disagree with you on text - when the AAR is good, I usually read the text, even if it is long.
Click to expand...
Well, I don't say those stories are bad, I am just not interested in them. But that's only my opinion.
 
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First Lieutenant
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Poland

I'm back, and now we're starting the steamroll. Our first target is Poland, of course.
Here are the saved games: http://www.sendspace.com/file/gxmehk

So, I am owning on every front, of course. The only question is, when I'm going to beat them.

I'm trying to break trough and send my tanks to the inner VPs.

In the mean time, I'm adding some more divisions next to the Maginot Line, just in case. I'm using the obsolete ones and some tanks for that.

The breaktrough was successful.

However, I needed to reach Lwov another way.

Like this.

There you go.

It took 2 weeks.
That's it for Poland, next up - France.
 
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France

Ok, so let's defeat the French. The main move here is pocket some troops in Belgium, and move up along the southern border of Belgium and the southern border of the Netherlands. From there, a concetrated assault on Bruges will do the job, so you'll be able to sneak behind the French along the Channel. And don't forget about air support!
Here are the saved games: http://www.sendspace.com/file/3iw45n

Here are my troops, waiting for assault:

And doing the actual assault:

Breaking through at Bruges, and defending at Mons. Mons is the primary counterattack target for the French, so always send some units there.

And these are just about unleashing hell behind the lines, and beating the Netherlands:

And I made some more units:

France is beaten, next up is England!
Cheers
 
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England

We're rolling through England now, chaps.
Saved games: http://www.sendspace.com/file/jau03o
/please note that I saved only 2 times, because I was an idiot/

First of all, I redeploy my forces at Cherbourg.

And my paratroopers, and my transport planes...

And my fleet as well.

With having a little duckshooting on the way.

I don't trust the Italy AI, so better safe than sorry.

Japan is making progress at the mean time.

More tanks.

Bristol will be the perfect location for the landing.


Now, we're talking.

They are so paniced, that they left the other beaches undefended.

Going on the offensive.

London is encircled, the Empire is falling apart.

Italy is starting to make progress as well.

The last divisions are rounded up in Scotland.

Just a little more nuisance...

Victory!

So, no one can stop us after this, right? We'll find that out later.


Btw, I wanted to highlight some issues with the AI: you see, it's nice that the English are trying to defend their beaches, but:
- they do this only with the southern provinces
- as soon as they detect an attempt for amphibious landing somewhere, they stockpile most of their divisions to that province, even if that means that they leave some other beaches undefended
- the British didn't even try to stop my ships

I am going to show some other AI issues later. Because there are...
 
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  • Darkest Hour
Miihkali said:
Didn't the Frenchies mobilize?
Click to expand...

I have absolutely no idea. I didn't care about it though, so far. I thought that they were crippled so much because of the meat grinder in Mons, but I realised, that there were actually a couple of battles, where some of these "ghost divisions" participated. I am going to check it out later. If they did not mobilise, I think we discovered a new bug.

EDIT: yep, they didn't mobilise. Sorry for making that part of the AAR so cheap, but rest assured - the Russians will fight fiercely. :)
Anyways, this is an issue worthy for a report. Thanks for noticing me.
 
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39-40

So, before turning against Russia, we still have a couple of things to wrap up.
Saved games: http://www.sendspace.com/file/kypey8

Like Denmark and the remainings of England.

And Norway, of course.

Italy is still struggling a bit.

Yugoslavia opposed us. You know what happens then.

Iceland plays a key part in the future invasion of the American mainland. (whoops, spoilers)

The United Kingdom is no more. A white peace was concluded by England.

Conquering Greece.

Italy is now making a proper progress in Africa.

The Winter War started, and some supllies were sent to Finland.

Canada is desperately trying to save Norway, but they are sending their ships only to a meat grinder.

Progress in Greece.

Norway is no more.

Moving towards Free Market, in order to reduce the time and cost of upgrading units.

Since we have core claims on Switzerland, why not conquering her as well?

The Balkan is ours, Greece is making her last stand on the island of Crete.

Building some more stuff at the mean time.

Unfortunately, with spring coming, the Finnish can't hold the Russians any longer.

Japan is making progress as well.

Meanwhile, France might show some interest in joining the Axis. However, we need to influence them more.

Everything is prepared for an assault against the Soviet Union.

So next up, we are going to begin the real fight.
 
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First Lieutenant
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  • Darkest Hour
Russia '40 Pt. 1.

So, here I am, going against Stalin. This is gonna be a long and tough ride, so brace yourselves.
Here are the saved games: http://www.sendspace.com/file/96ps1t

And before I would start, I'd like to make a little contest-thingy. You see, I am going to show you my third attempt which wasn't as bad as the last two one, since I was very eager to attempt a real blitzy blitzkrieg. Unfortunately, I failed those ones, even though I ALMOST managed to attempt the encirclement of the year:
But I failed to hold it. (Ok, it might not be such a big achievment.) I might going to write some posts about these attempts at the end of the AAR, but for now, my main goal is not going to be quick annihilation.
But, if You think you can do it, just use the save states, and try to achieve it. The 1st prize will be an internet handshake.

And now, back to business:

So, I try to get through the front line with my tanks and motorised divisions, and try to get behind the Russians, before they would manage to retreat.

Attempting to make a pocket in Lwov.

Even though I didn't manage to do that in time, I successfully captured some POWs.

Trying to make chaos to the north.

Launching more attacks from Tarnopol.

Things in the Baltic didn't go as well as suspected. I had to redeploy most of my units from Estonia to Latvia, but they are endangered of annihilation.

Luckily, help arrives in time, and now the Russians are in trouble.

The assault in Bessarabia didn't go so well.

And looks like, the Baltic front might collapse too, but I'm desperately trying to save the situation...
 
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Russia '40 Pt. 2.

Fortunately, I saved them, and those Russian divisons are going to get destroyed.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to save the situation in Hotin.

The Italians are doing quite a good job.

Back to the Baltic, the Russians broke trough at Kaunas, but I'm trying to shut the door behind them.

Unfortunately, they were too fast.

And my divisons are getting bombarded.

Even though I lost Hotin, a quick counterattack could make things right again.

The Russians slipped out of my hands. Retaking Alytus will be much easier, though.

The Russians are not easy to break.

Mussolini likes visiting exotic places.

The counterattack at Hotin is a failure. Moreover, our troops in Tarnopol got so weakened, that they are facing losing the province.

The Russians are going on the offensive.

Good news - Romaina joined my side.

Retaking Tarnopol with a multi-front attack.
 
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