I'm playing the USSR, it's Nov of 1940. I have 20-25 divisions in each province from Konisberg to Stryl. The problem is Germany keeps knocking me out of these provinces even though the troop ratio is 1:1. I have one landfort in each province and have air superiority and CAS's doing ground attack. My forces are even ground in. Why are the Germans able to break through? I know their troops are better trained and they have better land and this is the historical time they break through, but I thought I was prepared.
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jlite said:
:rofl: THINK AGAIN! If they manage to break through, it means you are NOT ready.
The German AI is VERY strong, that's why I prefer to attack the AI when I'm ready and don't wait until he DoW me.
By the time the AI DoW you, he is ready to mean business and it is usually hard to stop him.
Try to wear him down, you have lots of manpower, use it to your advantage. Keep up attacks on his troops. Also create two strong points with weak province between them, let the AI break trough at the weak point. Use your strong points to close off the gap behind their spear head, effectively creating encirclement, and eliminate the pocketed enemy.
The Russians start the game with a GDE (Ground Defense Efficiency) penalty which is not fully removed until 1942. A typical USSR early-war GDE of 0.6 (compared to the German's 0.8) will mean that you take doubled losses in ORG and Strength in each hour of combat.
Yup, GDE is the answer.
Go to the technology tree and look at 'overview' (I think that's it). Towards the bottom-right you'll find 'GDE'. In 1940 this can be as low as 0.5, which means you need 1.6 divs to have the same def. as a div. with GDE of 0.8.
Consider also the massive advantage the Germans have in starting organisation. Given divs stop contributing to batle after 0 org. (or it might be 5, I can't remember), then this becomes significant. Assuming equal rates of org. loss, if you're starting with 50% and they have 90%, all your divs will reach 5% while the Germans still have 45% - at which point you will be forced to retreat.
On top of that there is the German superiority in leadership (generally speaking, if you'll pardon the pun....) and their HQ bonuses through their doctrine.
Combining these factors - GDE, org. and leadership - the Germans have a large advantage when attacking (plus the combat model favours attackers).
So what to do? Well, numbers for starters. USSR can produce divisions like flies, so do so! Secondly, Russian doctrine means you regain lost org more quickly (org regain is a function of supply and morale, and the USSR's doctrines lead to very high morale), plus you gain org while retreating, whereas the attacker loses it while advancing.
The thing is to cause the Germans to lose org and then keep them there. Having a staggered def line is a way to do this, as you can attack their units when they arrive in a new province with reduced org. Force them out, occupy it yourself, then retreat if attacked. Each time a prov changes hands it loses 50% of its infrastructure level, which then needs to be repaired over time (happens automatically). Low inf. = reduced supply level, which reduces combat efficiency AND reduces the rate at which units regain org. Use CAS on interdiction to attack org levels. Use TAC to hit infrastructure. Combining those will keep the Germans at low org values, thus reducing one of their main advantages. You, at the same time, will be gaining org much more quickly. Finally, fighting when they have low org will more likely increase casualties, and you have manpower to burn whereas the Germans don't. In other words, you shift the terms of combat to favour your strengths and nullify theirs.
Sorry for long post, but I suffered the same problem until I gave it greater thought through comparing the German/USSR strengths and weaknesses.
Cheers
Go to the technology tree and look at 'overview' (I think that's it). Towards the bottom-right you'll find 'GDE'. In 1940 this can be as low as 0.5, which means you need 1.6 divs to have the same def. as a div. with GDE of 0.8.
Consider also the massive advantage the Germans have in starting organisation. Given divs stop contributing to batle after 0 org. (or it might be 5, I can't remember), then this becomes significant. Assuming equal rates of org. loss, if you're starting with 50% and they have 90%, all your divs will reach 5% while the Germans still have 45% - at which point you will be forced to retreat.
On top of that there is the German superiority in leadership (generally speaking, if you'll pardon the pun....) and their HQ bonuses through their doctrine.
Combining these factors - GDE, org. and leadership - the Germans have a large advantage when attacking (plus the combat model favours attackers).
So what to do? Well, numbers for starters. USSR can produce divisions like flies, so do so! Secondly, Russian doctrine means you regain lost org more quickly (org regain is a function of supply and morale, and the USSR's doctrines lead to very high morale), plus you gain org while retreating, whereas the attacker loses it while advancing.
The thing is to cause the Germans to lose org and then keep them there. Having a staggered def line is a way to do this, as you can attack their units when they arrive in a new province with reduced org. Force them out, occupy it yourself, then retreat if attacked. Each time a prov changes hands it loses 50% of its infrastructure level, which then needs to be repaired over time (happens automatically). Low inf. = reduced supply level, which reduces combat efficiency AND reduces the rate at which units regain org. Use CAS on interdiction to attack org levels. Use TAC to hit infrastructure. Combining those will keep the Germans at low org values, thus reducing one of their main advantages. You, at the same time, will be gaining org much more quickly. Finally, fighting when they have low org will more likely increase casualties, and you have manpower to burn whereas the Germans don't. In other words, you shift the terms of combat to favour your strengths and nullify theirs.
Sorry for long post, but I suffered the same problem until I gave it greater thought through comparing the German/USSR strengths and weaknesses.
Cheers