Australian Group Core Game

[mike8472]

There was a discussion a little while back about how Germany, UK, USA etc are all hit with major dissent effects but the USSR is pretty much easy sailing. I think we'll look at adding a 3% to 5% dissent hit in the Purges (historical choice) and also a 15% starting dissent. We had also already discussed dropping one of the theory levels for the USSR, this will add nearly a year to their tank development schedule.

The above fixinges might be enough but i still believe the USSR manpower is way to high.

In our game like Joel pointed out the USSR had a quality advantage in all areas of land combat (infantry, tanks, mech) and quantity. There is no way to beat a good USSR oppenent as it stands at the moment.

The main problem being as i have gone through and checked a number of our saves now is that the USSR is continuly in front in IC during nearly all pre-war years. This combined with the tech advantage they have in some land and tank areas with there huge manpower makes them super strong. Even if our game had contiued the US and UK had no way to match there manpower levels. The US should have alot more manpower come war if the USSR can have over 6000 manpower and over 300 units deployed, the US should have around 5000 manpower during the war. The USSR had around 20-40 million population then US but much of this was lost in the early parts of the war.

For MP version the USSR manpower should be now more then 3000 after building 300+ units. This is accurate as the USSR population was only double that of Germanies. This would still give the USSR 3-1 advantage in manpower which is historicly accurate. Remeber Germany had her armies spread out over Europe exasberating the situation in the east. Germany had 240 units deployed, which 140 infantry with Anti-Tank and Artillery brigades, and 48 imporved medium tanks all with artillery. This was the best i could achieve as i researched land tech and tank tech from the start of the game all the way thorugh.

The USSR needs to lose there mass combat minister at least until war brakes out then they get it in 1942 as the USSR moblizes for war. I still had plenty of manpower to fight the USSR 1200, with a very large army for germany at that time. It was simply a huge russian tech advantage on land that cannot be matched.

Let me know what you guys think.

 

[mike8472]

Well we are well into our second game of CORE 0.71 MP.

Mike8472(me) - Japan
K;shar - Germany
Munster - UK
JH - USSR
Joel - USA

Most of the prewar events have fired nicely. Japan has conquered all of china bt end of 36. The war against the communist didnt go so well only managing to take one porvince with the communists holding the last mountain province with 33 infratstructure with 12 divs. For game balance i opted for peace so not to have a war economy for years.

Another suprising event happened with the USSR-JAP border wars. Zuchov (cant remeber how to spell his name) was defeated in the border wars with Japan victorious over the USSR. He wassent to the gulags never to return a big blow to the USSR.

In 1939 there were rumblings between the USSR and Germany with neither side able to come to an agreement on the division of eastern Europe. Germany was only prepared to offer the USSR the limited MRP. The USSR would have none of this. In turn the USSR turned to Japan to come to some sort of NAP agreement. Japan was only willing to discuss an NAP if reperations were paid to Japan for the USSR agressive border wars which they lost. Once again the USSR would have none of this.

So war began as normal with poland in Sep 39 with Germany slowly overunning poland with one eye on the USSR. It the west however the allies have invaded Germany in Koln and retacken parts of the netherlands.

Germany decleared war on Romanian in Feb 1940 and invaded. The USSR in a suprising move decleared war on Romania and invaded as well, but this now puts the USSR at war with the Allies as Romania joined the allies upon Germanines DOW. Although the UK and USSR did acheive peace. Germany annexed Romania and then the USSR had an event were they could DOW on Germany and they did. So now Germany faces war on two fronts.

The superior numbers of russian troops are being beaten back slowly by higher tech German troops in smaller numbers. In a great strategic move Germany cut of up to 30 Russian divs caught in parts of Romania. The battle now continues down there to see if Russia can pull its forces out.

In the East Japan decided it was time to Support Germany and decleared war on the USSR. Japan could not sit by and watch Germany fight on two fronts with no help from its facist brothers. This is were the game ended for this session. Very interesting with only the US sitting on the sidelines. Next session wedesday night 7.30pm.

 

[unmerged(19411)]

Very different.... nice change I say.

 

[unmerged(5892)]

The game has taken an interesting (and IMO) reasonably plausible turn. The breif phoney war between the SU and Allies was unfortunate, however I wonder what path the USA must now take in light of recent events.

Is the group consensus that I must wait until December 1941 as per house rules to enter the fray? Personally I'm not sure what road the USA would take considering the SU's DOW was (admitably by mistake) a DOW on the Allies. The bigger issue though is the 2 front war the SU itself now faces, with dissent from DOW's, and no CG needs reduction as it was the aggressor.

Thoughts?

 

[K'shar]

Interesting indeed

Defiantly the most interesting game as Germany I’ve had in awhile, with its fair share of mistakes and successes. From the beginning I was aware I would most likely have to follow an unorthodox stratagem with Germany. This decision was taken from knowledge of the several games I have both witnessed and read about where Germany was completely outgunned by the Soviet Union by 1941 (in Core .71). I decided both that I would have to take a hardline against the SU to limit there potential and also follow a tech heavy and army heavy line of development so as to match the SU later.

Consequently when the war began rather normally in 1939, Germany was in a rather interesting and touchy situation, no NAP with Russia, a limited Molotov ribbentrop pact, and a seriously under armed military.

With the declaration of war the glorious Heer routinely occupied Denmark, Poland and Hungary without much issue (albeit slower than normal due to the lack of armoured forces at this point). Yugoslavia soon followed as well as events that would add a definatly different character to the game. Germany made an enormous tactical mistake (that I naturally attribute to being damn tired, 4 am and all ) along the Belgium border by not covering Koln as I ignorantly assumed that Belgium had dropped out of the Allied camp. Furthermore, the meagre German forces along the western frontier proved inadequete to force the combined French/Belgium force that had invaded there off Germany soil. This is a mark on the wehrmacht that shall be soon removed. Nonetheless, the Allied armies there were contained.

The majority of the Wehrmacht remained in Poland facing nearly twice there number of Russians hence the German handicap in the west. Then (surprisingly) it seemed that Germany and Russia had reached an NAP agreement after all. Shortly, afterwards Germany invaded Romania (a nation of which no reference had been made in the pact) swiftly taking the southern end of that country, Russia attacked a week later, German troops, however beat the Russians to the point and annexed the vital provinces. Russia then proceeded to DOW Germany despite the pact, stavka stipulating that the Romanian episode gave them right to do so. Even though this fact had the Reich Foreign Office scratching their heads the courageous and outnumbered German (about one half of potential Russian forces at the outbreak due to occupation in the West) forces quickly redeployed from all over Germany to contain the communist flood. After initial stalling manoeuvres in Romania, German forces stopped the soviet offensive cold at several points along their common border. With newly deployed mechanized divs and superiorly trained, lead, and equipped troops the wehrmacht made its' move. Smashing through Lwow, the 3 German armies managed to rapidly isolate initially some 45 Soviet divisions in Romania. Sadly in the last few hours of the encirclement Stavka managed to strategically redeploy some 15 divs. The iron jaws of the wehrmacht then sealed off the rest. The game now stands; as a few? (impossible to know the numbers) Soviet tps try to rescue trapped forces out of Romania through the Black Sea, OKW however, is confident that at least 25-30 divs will still be annihilated, consisting primarily of T34 75mm tanks and mechanized infantry. With this turn of events (and the greatly appreciated joining of Japan to the Axis cause) the courageous German forces hope they shall gain some breathing space before wrecking revenge on the aggressive Soviet forces and allied troops that still despoil the soil of the Reich. Onwards volk.

IMO Joel I’d say the USA ought still to stay out of the war until the assigned date. I base this on 2 main points. One Germany is in a very tight spot ( the USSR alone outnumbers me not including the fact that 1/3 of German forces watch the Allies in Koln), therefore the situation isn't unduly tipped in our favour. 2nd Point is that being that the SU actually was the aggressor it would historically also make sense that the US public would be far less inclined to join in a collective war against Germany so soon. Furthermore, from a foreign perspective it still seems as if the Axis are getting the sour side of the War as the Allies stand offensively in Germany, and the Soviets have us pressed to our max. Anyways, that’s my five cents and long report.

 

[mike8472]

I have to agree with K;shar. The game is delicatlely poised and the pendulum could swing either way at the moment. If the US were to enter the war now it would make a quick game with certain Axis defeat. Japans Military is in no shape to fight the US and germany certaily isnt at the moment.

I see this game could go either way. If the US enters the war now this game is over quickly.

If US remains out of the war Until nid 1941 or more then this could be one of our most interesting games for a long time. As Germany does not have the forces to complete the victory over Russia or france at the moment, it will be able to defeat france soon eg (6 months).

Russia with its large manpower and industry will be able to field a huge army in time to press both Germany and Japan.

From my point of view i may be able to take a few provinces from Russia but not much. Im just trying to draw more forces away from Germany to help k;shar out a bit. A big risk from my point of view as my army is small for the moment.

Another point Japan is only at WAR with the USSR not the allies. So the US would never declear war on Japan while at war with the same enemy (USSR even though by miststake). So if the US was to enter the war it could only be against Germany as Japan will not declear war in this position on the US. So either the US declears war on Japan and suffers a huge dissent hit or it waits it turn in the future to strike.

Lets see how the war goes, the west looks interesting will the witty UK launch a major offensive and get to berlin befor 1941.

 

[mike8472]

A very interesting session.

The Japanese entry to the war has balanced the game out nicely i believe. Japan attack and took vladistok as well as a few provinces to the north. Paratroopers were used to great effect to take the province of borzia and ones either side of it, cutting the transiberia railway.

The USSR massed some Armour and mech forces to the north of vladistok and a launched a counter offensive after a few months. This attack retook two provinces and then pushed on vladistok, pushing my armies aside. I feared the worst as my troops were not doing so well against the Russian armour. Vladistok fell to the russians, dispite heavy air attacks from tac bombers. I saw a window of opportunity to cut the russian forces off at vladistok, i had 3 paras and 3 transport planes near by fully organsied. I launced tactical bombing operaitons against the 2 armoured divsions to the north of vladistok and then droped 3 para on top on them. The attacked worked and i had the russians cut off in vladistok, around 15 divisions.

Two armeis form either side marched on vladistok, altohugh they had low org i thought it might be enough. The Japanese airforce pounded the trapped forces until the armies arrived. The battle lasted a little lonfer then expected but resulted in the capture or surrender of over 15 russian divisions. Japan had been saved for the time being. All of Japan celerbrates a great victory.

Little battles here and there have tacken place since. USSR is retaking sinkaing which is extremely hard to hold as the troops lose strenght in those 20 infrastrucire provinces even if i own them.

In Europe Germany has pushed the USSR back the main river and fort line in front og kiev in the south. Germany finaly broke through in France and has over run much of france. The US has joined the Allies to combat Germany but is still at peace with Japan, although not for to much longer.

Next session is at 7.00pm on Saturday night.

 

[unmerged(5892)]

Following a series of Battles and campaigns waged and won by Germany, the United States announced it's somber duty of declaring war on the fascist aggressors.

It was however too late to save France, as America's somewhat pathetic force of 8 divisions was in no way capable of doing anything except standing watch in key bases.

The US Navy however stands ready to take the fight to the Axis, and is ever wary of the Japanese in the Pacific. Units however are rushing through training and deployment, and should be soon ready to take the field in large numbers. Once this happens, the United States will stand technologically strong, resource rich, and ever more industrially powerful. With each day that passes, the small window of opportunity for the Axis forces narrows.

>Propaganda mode off<
I actually think the SU will be in for a hard time this game, with a very active Japanese army in Siberia, and with no decrease in CG requirements following it's DOW on Germany (unless they've changed this in CORE). The crucial stages IMO will revolve around Japan's ability to amass a large enough force to pin back the US, and Germany's ability to crush the SU before larger Allied forces combine to re-launch a second front.

All in all, this promises to be an interesting, and slightly different game.

 

[unmerged(19411)]

">Propaganda mode off<"



It'd be interesting to see what the SU thinks of all this?

 

[K'shar]

Germany again stands triumphant. A testament to the military capacity of the this great nation. Still fighting a war on two fronts at the beginning of the session, Germany waged two successful campaigns simultaneously, no small feat for the General Staff. In the west the wehrmacht first launched a spoiling attack in the south on teh maginot line drawing a UK army to the south. Rapidly re-deploying north, German forces smashed into luxembourg and despite allied air superiority and superior numbers outflanked and outmanuevered the allied armies on the maginot line, in the netherlands, and Koln, in all 70 allied divisions. Allied attempts to break out failed and the thhen empty french countryside was rapidly overunn. German forces then moved on the isolated allied pockets, liquidating them one by oneand marching millions of Belgian, French, Dutch and British soldiers to captivity. British forces were decisilvy defeated in 3 engagements and a British force of 10 divs was anihilated.

In synch with this attack and a brilliant Japanese assault on the trapped soviet forces in Vladivostock, German troops though terribly outnumbered threatened Russian armies in the western UKraine with another encirclement precipitating a Russian retreat behind the Dniepre defensive line. At one point 6 German mechanized Divs of the 4th Imperial panzergrenadier Army not only sent 9 soviet inf divs running for moscow but held off a Soviet counterattack of 6 mechs and 6 t34s for 2 days before forcing them off the field by superior german tactics. All that saved the socialist dogs and their whore Stalin from obliteration was the fevered campaign in the west.

The General Staff is ultimatly amazed and saddened that the legitimate occupation of poland has caused all this conflict. Yet, now we have been charged with the sacred mission of not only expelling the invaders from german territory, but also ensuring that never again will germany be subjected to foreign arms. Therefore, the USSR will be punished as will the UK. Towards the USA we hold no grievance, nor fear of their military incapacity we hope to not be forced to strike them stinging blows, but come to our shores and it shall be so. Fur der volk.

 

[mike8472]

The triumpheant Axis powers will soon dominate the world. All that remain is to deal with the USSR, conquere the UK and its empire and Annex the US all small tasks which should present no problems, only a matter of time.

With German armies freed in the West front the conquere of France they can now be used against both the USSR and Operation Sea lion against the UK. The US might have to play defensive against Japan to shore up its European allies, for if they should fall the USA will surely follow, unitll at least it builds it strength up.

Japan now stands ready to apply maxium preasure to the Allied nations. There is little point of advancing further into the USSR there is nothing worth taking in the depths of Siberia. Instead Japan will tie up valubale forces for the Germans and there offensive. All of other land, air and sea forces are aviable for the Offensives against the US and the UK and its empire.

This game could have ended so easily with the defeat of the Axis 6 months ago. Germany was reeling from Soviets advances in Germany and romania, Japan fron USSR advances in Siberia and norther China. Two large Battles and in Romania and Vladistok did not go the Soviets way leading to large losses in troops and equipment. This has lead to a stabilisation of the front and allowed Germany to complete its conquests in the west.

Time will now tell if we can still complete this victory now with the arsenal of Freedom about to bring its full weight upon us. Naturally americans will make good slaves to the Janpenes Empire.

Cya tonight at 7.00pm

 

[unmerged(5892)]

"The triumpheant Axis powers will soon dominate the world. All that remain is to deal with the USSR, conquere the UK and its empire and Annex the US all small tasks which should present no problems, only a matter of time."

Nice one mike
Seems the Axis only has to do what it needs to do every game and everything will be sown up...

With the save altering I've fixed Vichy & Indo-China, at the expense of having the game paused. This fired several events, most of which are benign. The convoys, etc that the AI will need cleaning up by each individual player, so we may need some pause time at the start.

Look forward to tonights session, where the Allies 'only' need to crush Germany, Italy and Japan, and the game will be over!

 

[Majorball]

What version and game type you guys playing these days?

 

[unmerged(5892)]

Hey Major, good to see you around.

We're all currently running CORE v.71 MP.

Currently a couple of the guys are taking a breather, and we have a 3 player game going. Let us know if you're up for a game again.

 

[Majorball]

Well dont have any personal issues to deal with any more so after the next 2 saturdays I can play almost any weekend and evening...

 

[unmerged(19411)]

Have you guys stopped playing?

 

[unmerged(5892)]

No, we're still playing.

Current game is a little different than normal, with only 3 of us & with very few historical rules for a change. Players are Mike, K'shar and Myself

Currently my forces (Germany) are deep inside the Soviet Union (Mike), with the USA (K'shar) largely uncommitted at this current moment. German panzers are close to cutting off Moscow, and have just recently started rolling back the Soviet river line defense in the Gomel region.

Leningrad is besieged, but holds firm. In the North, the Germans have had the greatest success, however Soviet forces outnumber the Germans by around 120 divisions. The United States is meanwhile struggling against Japan, after several early strikes against Europe - notably in Spain.

 

[unmerged(19411)]

All the others are busy?

 

[mike8472]

Hi Major

Would be good to have you around again so we can kick your *&#@.

Our current game is develpoing nicely now. The USSR was not well prepared for war with Germany with over 100 divisions still in the east fighting japan. The Germans and the USSR came to an agreement that Germany will occupie all the lands up to the Stlaingrad river line, not including moscow or lenginrade which stand firm.

This Gives me time to finish the Japs off in china which has now been completed and to put nearly my full force against the germans if i wish. The Germans have time ti build up there forces to face an the ever increasing power of the US. The KGB reports that the US has over 100 divisions in the UK poised to strike out across the channel at anytime. With over 50 mechs divisiosns supported by infantry and tanks as well as powerful airpower and a superstrong navy they will be hard to beat.

The poor USSR lags behind in tech due to the big advantage the Germans and US have in IC, even with china and all of india under our control will still have no hope of matching them. The one advantage we do have is manpower. The Red army now numbers over 400 divisions and in another year will be 500 divisions. On land i can bleed both the Germans and the US to death, i only need some airpower to cover my forces.

In a suprising move by munster who just joined for a few hours to play italy, the italians landed in phildelpia with 1 divisions and then marched on Washington and razed it to the ground. All that power went to the heads of the US leaders who now sit in italian prison camps back in Rome. the New administration however quckly retook the conquered captial.

The game now stands well poised. The Germans and Russians face of deep inside russia. The huge Russian buildup must worry thoses poor German troops. Germany and the US eye each other off over the english channel.

Th US is pushing against the Jap mainlaind and the USSR is watching the east to see if the US will open up a front there against the might of the red army. Unlike Germany and the US i can fight on two fronts due to the huge size of my army.

Next session 7.30 Friday.

 

[unmerged(5892)]

As mike mentioned, German armies chose to sit back, to allow some semblance of a contest

The only concern is the somewhat onesided approach to conflict this 3 way game has shown. All forces are deployed against Germany, who resolutely stands ready to defend her gains.

I may be slightly late for the next session as I have an appointment at 6:30. Hopefully I'll be back in time, but if not, I'll be sure to log in as soon as I'm back.